A Time to Run

How then could I do this great evil

and sin against God?

Genesis 39:9

We return now to the life of Joseph, sold into slavery and bought by Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh. Now Potiphar saw that Joseph was someone special. He recognized that the Lord was with him. He recognized that he had begun to prosper since Joseph had come into his charge.

Potiphar made Joseph his personal servant and placed him as overseer of his house and all that he owned. Potiphar could trust in Joseph, and so he worried about nothing while Joseph was in charge.

Potiphar had a wife, and his wife took quite a liking to Joseph and she pursued him. Joseph, however, would not return Potiphar’s wife’s advances. Day after day, she pursued him, and day after day, he refused her. He replied that Potiphar was his master, he trusted him, and he would not violate this trust. Even more, Joseph professed that he would not go into Potiphar’s wife and commit this great evil and sin against God.

This adulteress female did not want to accept Joseph’s no, so she grabbed his garment and commanded that he lie with her. Joseph ran, leaving his garment in her tightly gripped hand. In 2 Timothy 2:22 we read, “Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

Joseph did just that; he fled!

When this woman, in her rejected anger, went to her husband and demanded that Joseph be killed because he violated her, I believe her husband knew the truth because he knew his wife and he knew Joseph. The Scripture says that “his anger burned” (Genesis 39:19).

I believed it burned not against Joseph, but against his wife, who had forced him into this situation. He had to address the charge, and he could not place the word of a slave over his wife. I believe Potipher’s belief in Joseph’s innocence is made evident in the fact that instead of killing Joseph, he placed him in the king’s prison.

Joseph knew that all sin was against God. He also knew that he could not hide himself from God. Joseph did not want to be the kind of person who would need to hide from God. He did not desire to be a man who could not look his master in the eyes.

Are you living your life today fleeing from youthful lust?

Are you able to call on the Lord from a pure heart?

Today, could you look your master in the eyes?

Oh Father,

Sometimes doing the right thing does not always give us the result we expect. Yet the right thing is still the right thing. Oh Father, that I would know, as Joseph knew, that all sin is against You. I pray that I will always have the strength of conviction to turn away from sin, to run away if need be. Oh Father, how I desire to be true to You. My Jesus, may I always be able to look You in the eyes. The seductions of this world might grab me with tightly gripped hands, but my feet are shod with the glorious gospel, and you will my clear my way as I turn from the grip and run toward You. Your grace will be sufficient, and You will always have a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13).

My Jesus, I love You, and it is in Your name I pray,

Amen.