Word of Salvation – Vol. 26 No. 39 – July 1981

 

Joseph, the Pure and Chaste Man

 

Sermon by Rev. John A. Houseward on LD 41 – The Seventh Commandment

(Could be used for a youth service)

Scripture Reading: Genesis 39

Psalter Hymnal: 315; 95; 455; 480

JOSEPH, THE PURE AND CHASTE MAN

I. His Manifold Temptation.

II. His Majestic Triumph.

 

Introduction:

Adultery is not the only sin. Adultery is not the worst sin. Unbelief is the worst sin. Yet adultery, sexual sins, affects the individual, the family, the city and the nation.

Can we be pure in Babylon, in Egypt, in Sodom, in the world today? Daniel was pure. Joseph was pure. We can be – by the grace of God.

I. Joseph’s Manifold Temptation

Joseph faced numerous and diverse temptations.

A. Joseph had many opportunities to commit adultery. Genesis 39:6 says Potiphar “left in Joseph’s care everything Potiphar had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.” Joseph was in charge of all the other slaves and the Egyptian workers. Besides verse 7 tells us Mrs. Potiphar had her eye on Joseph, and she told him to “come to bed with me!”

What is a young, handsome man supposed to do?

What can you expect Joseph to do so far away from home? What can you expect of young people today? What can you expect of students at the Institute or the University. What can you expect of members of the Armed Forces?

We say sometimes, “He should go into the service of the country. That will make a man out of him.” We are more sure it will make an adulterer out of him than make a person, a mature man or woman.

What is a handsome, well-built man to do? Joseph said, “No!”.

B. Joseph’s temptation was sudden.

1. We know what sudden temptations can do. Later we may try to explain our failure by saying, “I didn’t have time to think”. “It took me by surprise”. “I was swept off my feet”. “I couldn’t help myself”. “I didn’t know what I was doing”.

2. Joseph could have felt sorry for himself. He could have thought, “My family doesn’t love; they don’t care. Mrs. Potiphar loves me. Why should I be pure?”

3. Joseph could have had hate feelings toward other people, toward women or toward life. Much of what goes for love and sex is a form of hate. Not only is rape and prostitution a form of hate and contempt, but much of free love reveals the worst of hate. Look how Mrs. Potiphar’s “love” changed to hate and vengeance when Joseph would not co-operate. Satan has no joyful followers.

4. Joseph refused the offer of sin. Joseph had it altogether. He had the right relationship to his boss, his boss’ wife. He had the right relationship to God. Joseph overcame the sudden temptation.

C. The temptation was subtle.

1. Joseph was only a slave. He had no rights. He had been promoted to be over all of Potiphar’s house. He could be demoted or even worse if he did not co-operate.

2. Jobs, promotions sometimes depend on sexual favours. If you don’t co-operate you can be demoted or fired. If you co-operate you will keep your job or be promoted.

3. Joseph saw the dilemma. If you do right you are in trouble. If you do wrong you are in trouble. Joseph saw this but he saw much more. He saw this sin not only against his master, but he saw sin as being against God. Joseph would do the right.

D. It was a constant temptation. Read Verse 10.

Who said opportunity knocks but once? Opportunities to do right and wrong come “day after day”. The best saint can be worn down. Temptations come with their alibis, excuses, rationalizations and reasons. When in Egypt, do as the Egyptians do. Don’t be a Puritan. Who is going to find out? Don’t be so strict, so rigid, so cold. Practice the new morality. Get with it, Joseph. Practice free love. No one will get hurt. Nothing is wrong of itself; it depends on the situation. Love is the final appeal. Joseph did not believe adultery was right under this or any circumstance. Don’t you believe it either!

Today people say, “We have penicillin and the pill. The terror of infection, detection, and conception have been removed.” Don’t you believe it! The World Health Organization says venereal disease is the number two world wide disease, and it is increasing.

Joseph tried to avoid her. He determined to be pure and serve God.

E. Joseph faced the temptation of freedom. Read Verse 11.

Joseph was alone with Mrs. Potiphar. There were no servants in the house. Sin often hides under the cover of darkness, or it happens when there is no restraint. There was nothing to stop them. No one was around. The coast was clear to the north, south, east or west. Joseph looked in another direction. He looked up and knew that God saw him.

Today freedom is great. Freedom is given to men, to women, young people, and children. We have wheels; cars, motor bikes, panel vans, curtained wagons, and air planes. We have the beach, the bush, motels, and hotels. We have few penalties, few restraints for consenting adults and young people. People are not killed or jailed for fornication or adultery. Often the social stigma is gone from sexual sins. Women’s liberation is not as new as you think when you read about Mrs. Potiphar and other Old Testament times. People have been doing what is right in their own eyes for a long time.

Joseph stood the temptation of freedom.

F. Another trial Joseph had to face was being wrongly accused and punished. He was accused of rape and jailed probably without a trial. The Bible does not say it plainly, but behind the story of Joseph was the poor marriage of the Potiphar’s. We gather this from the sinful behaviour of the wife and her blaming her husband for bringing Joseph the slave into the house. Joseph did not know that the Potiphars were a part of God’s plan for the people of God. As the Bible says later, “In all things God works for the good of those who love Him”. Joseph’s purity, his noble stand against temptation was not in vain. God would bless Joseph and the Israelites.

So much of Joseph’s life reminds us of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord was sold, betrayed, falsely accused, and while being innocent he was punished as a criminal.

On a far greater scale God was saving His people by the death of His son. May we not only see God’s wonderful plan and redemption for others, but may we personally believe for ourselves.

II. HIS MAJESTIC TRIUMPH.

Joseph not only suffered manifold temptations; he was given a majestic triumph.

A. Where did Joseph learn to trust in God? Where did Joseph learn to live for God, to live for His Kingdom and righteousness? Where did Joseph get such a high moral standard of living?

1. Joseph did not learn his morality from Potiphar’s wife, nor did his high moral standards come from the civilization of Egypt or the Canaanites.

2. Joseph did not get his views from the practice of his family. Reuben lost his birthright because he committed incest with his father’s wife. Genesis 38 gives us a picture of Judah as one who visited prostitutes and holding a double standard of morality.

3. Where did Joseph get his high moral standards? Did he get it from reading the Egyptian Playboy magazines? Did he get it from dancing with Mrs. Potiphar? Did he get it from the family T.V. shows? Did he get it from Egypt’s art, music, theatre or disco? Did he get it from the latest psychiatry? Did he get it from the new morality, or liberation theology? The world at its best does not teach God’s spiritual law. The worldly church doesn’t teach us we are the temples of God.

B. Joseph had little going for him. It seemed everything was against him.

1. As a slave Joseph had little hope of marriage.

2. As a young man he lacked experience.

3. Joseph had dreams, but he had no Bible, no great vision of God or special training.

4. Joseph was a foreigner, an alien. Racial prejudice was not invented in the 20th century.

We say that it is so hard for the youth today. We say our times are so different. No one here has had greater temptations than Joseph. Everyone here has far more revelation. We have the Law and the Prophets. We have the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the Gospel, the Good News that Jesus died and arose again for His people.

C. What gave Joseph the triumph over sin?

Joseph had a father who loved him. Jacob was not the best father, but Jacob loved Joseph and gave him his best. Jacob practiced favouritism as his parents had done, but Jacob’s favouritism was more than giving his son a many coloured coat. Jacob taught Joseph about God and how to live. Joseph responded well to that teaching.

Preachers like to pick on Joseph as a spoiled child. They usually take the side of the sinful brothers. Why do preachers feel sorry for the sinful brothers?

There is another side to this story. Who can stand a righteous man, let alone a boy? At 17 years of age are you, were you, will you be ready to face the world? Joseph faced betrayal, slavery, and prison in a strange land. Joseph was a godly man even as a teenager.

D. Joseph knew God wants us to keep our bodies and souls clean and holy. Joseph knew that adultery is sin and he said so. It is difficult to find a man who will call a spade a spade even when that spade is digging his own grave. It is difficult to find a priest or minister who will call adultery a sin. It is difficult to find a church that will call adultery or even perversion a sin. Joseph called adultery, “a wicked thing and sin against God”.

Joseph knew the facts of life. He knew that marriage was for one man and one woman. Joseph knew that adultery was a sin against himself, Potiphar’s wife and Potiphar. Far more, he knew that adultery is a sin against a holy God. Joseph would be loyal to Potiphar even if Potiphar did not deserve that loyalty, for Joseph was loyal to God.

E. Verse 2 and 21 sum up to story by saying, “The Lord was with Joseph.” If God is for us, who can be against us? Nothing shall separate us from the love of God. Praise the Lord!

God would fulfil his plan for Joseph’s life. Out of suffering, out of slavery, out of prison God will deliver Joseph. He will go from being a prisoner to being Prime Minister of Egypt. God honours those that honour Him.

Conclusion:

We may not all be pure like Joseph, but God forgives sin. God forgives all sin — also the sin of adultery. Through the death of Jesus Christ, our Lord, we have forgiveness. Everyone who comes to God confessing his sin and believing on Jesus Christ is forgiven. Let us who are forgiven strive to live a pure life.

Amen.