“How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her (Genesis 39: 9b,10 NIV).
It is amazing to note that this incident is not from modern times. Actually this happened nearly 4000 years ago! So the first lesson to learn is that the Tempter or the Devil still uses the tricks that he had been using in the past to try to trap God’s children. In this context we learn that it is wisdom to learn from God’s Word as to how to avoid falling into sin.
Note that Joseph did not invite this temptation. But Joseph was subjected to temptation from a source he may have least expected this to happen. The lesson is that temptation can come from unexpected persons and in a least expected manner.
When Joseph was tempted he refused to sin because of his master’s trust in him. He also was not willing to violate the sanctity of a marriage relationship.
But more importantly, Joseph called sin as SIN itself. Joseph immediately saw that doing what the mistress wanted was wickedness. And he also said that this sin was against God. Remembering God when you are tempted is a sure defense against the devil’s schemes. More than against men, sin is wrong against God Himself.
The mistress persisted in her compulsions. She spoke to Joseph day after day. Temptation can keep knocking. But Joseph refused to yield. He not only refused but also kept away from her.
This is the best way to avoid temptation. To keep away from it. But this is where we fail often; because we stay to play with temptation! KEEP AWAY!
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