Joseph is Tempted with Adultery in Egypt

Bible Study Lessons about Joseph – Genesis 39:1-23

While in the house of Potiphar in Egypt, Joseph is faced with the temptation of adultery from the Egyptian’s wife.

She is very convincing and forward so let’s see how this turns out.

Let’s also discover how we can apply this study lesson to our lives.

 

 

Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife – Joseph is Tempted with Adultery in Egypt

Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.

It came about after these events that his master’s wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.”

But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge.

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?”

As she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her.

Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside.

She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside.

When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought in a Hebrew to us to make sport of us; he came in to me to lie with me, and I screamed.

When he heard that I raised my voice and screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled and went outside.”

So she left his garment beside her until his master came home.

Then she spoke to him with these words, “The Hebrew slave, whom you brought to us, came in to me to make sport of me; and as I raised my voice and screamed, he left his garment beside me and fled outside.” – Genesis 39:6-18 NASB

Overcoming the Temptation of Adultery

Joseph was a strong-willed man but Potiphar’s wife was relentless in pursuing him.

She seduced Joseph with her actions and speech almost every day.  I’m sure that Joseph was tempted to give in to this beautiful and powerful woman.

Joseph’s Strength

Even with all her beauty and temptation, Joseph had something that she did not understand– a strong relationship with God.

Without God, Joseph may have given in to these moments of pleasure but his faith kept him strong.

Strength Through God

When Potiphar’s wife asked him to sleep with her (very subtle) he refused but she persisted.

Finally Joseph said that he could not go to bed with her because it would be a sin against God.

He did not simply say that sleeping with her was wrong. His answer was not that she might get hurt or Potiphar may find out and be hurt himself.

He said that it would displease God.

The other “human” answers above sound solid but all those reasons could fail when a weak moment comes.

Are We Strong Like Joseph?

[easyazon_image align=”left” height=”160″ identifier=”031033750X” locale=”US” src=”https://makingchristknown.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/51USPqyyDTL.SL160.jpg” tag=”bobpardphot-20″ width=”107″]We have all been tempted and have done things that are sins against God.

But, if we trust Him and rely on His strength and not just our own, we can overcome many of the temptations of life just as Joseph did.

The hymn says, “Be strong in the Lord“. This is always the best course of action when temptation comes our way.

Let’s pray for that strength from God when we are tempted. He can overcome anything.

Love in Christ

– Bob

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