Joseph, Part 5

In part 5 of our series on Joseph, we see that the consequences of doing what is right are not alway positive in the short run. Click here for the recording of this 7/14 Service, and you can fast-forward to 31:38 to get to the start of the sermon.

Our text comes from Genesis 39.6b-18

Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. 7 And it came about after these events that his master’s wife had her eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Sleep with me.” 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put me in charge of all that he owns.  

9 There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you,  because you are his wife.  How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God?”  10 Though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her.  11 Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the people of the household was there inside.

12 So she grabbed him by his garment, saying, “Sleep with me!” But he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside.  13 When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, 14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought in a Hebrew to us to make fun of us; he came in to me to sleep with me, and I screamed. 

15 When he heard that I raised my voice and screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled and went outside.”  16 So she left his garment beside her until his master came home. 

17 Then she spoke to him with these words: “The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to make fun of me;  18 but when I raised my voice and screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.”

Introduction…

• There are pivotal moments in our life, upon which much hinges.

• The way we respond in those moments has consequences, either for good, or ill.

• It is not an exaggeration to say the entire course of one’s life can hinge on a moment like this.

• We often have little to no control over what led us to these moments.

• The only thing we have control over is how we respond.

What is happening in our text

• V6b- Joseph is attractive, both in his physique, and his handsome face

• V7- because of this, Potiphar’s wife lusted after him and asked him to “sleep” with her (Had she other victims?)

  • - we can assume that as the wife of a high ranking official, she was a “kept” woman and very attractive- a trophy wife

• V8-9- Joseph refuses- “my master trusts me, and has withheld nothing but you; how can I do this great evil and sin against God?”

• V10- she was unrelenting in her come-ons; Joseph did not listen, give in, or be alone with her (a defensive posture)

• V11-15- she comes on to him while they are alone in the house; she grabs his garment to force him, which he steps out of and flees; she calls the men of the house and makes a false accusation

• V16-18- she makes false accusation to her husband, and implies it is his fault for bringing the Hebrew into the house; she says she screamed, and he fled; clearly a lie.

So what do we learn from this?

1. Good people end up in situations like this through no fault of their own- it’s called life.

2. When confronted with an option to sin, you have a choice to make- “life is a series of choices, and we live with the consequences of our choices” – Dobbins; sinning is fun, otherwise we would not do it (Heb 11.25-26); sin always hinges on the consequences it brings, and not the pleasure it brings.

3. Doing what is right also has consequences, which sometimes are negative and painful.

4. Don’t be surprised when people lie, even in the church. “We do not live with the truth of our lives; we live with the stories we tell ourselves about the truth of our lives.” – Dobbins
   ex- Pastor Robert Morris and the “young lady”

5. Sometimes, innocent people suffer for doing what is right- blessed is the person who suffers for doing what is right- 1 Pet 3.14; it is always worse when you do what is wrong.

6. This story is far from over.

Life is a series of choices, and we live with the consequences of our choices. - Dobbins

We do not live with the truth of our lives; we live with the stories we tell ourselves about the truth of our lives. - Dobbins