Joseph had a breakthrough in his situation in captivity. Since he was purchased by Potiphar, he was a slave. He did well in his duties, living in the house and eventually becoming Potiphar's attendant, where he was in charge of the household. It says that the Lord blessed this household because of Joseph. He was being faithful in the little things and staying true even when no one was watching. Being in charge, he had access to all the wealth of this guy, yet he didn't take advantage of that and steal it.
Joseph was a handsome dude, and Potiphar's wife noticed that and apparently wasn't too sly or tactful in her wishes. "Come to bed with me," she demanded. Joseph refused. He knew that it would offend his God.
I remember a time when this idea helped me stay pure. When I "came back" to the Lord as a prodigal son at age 20, I made a vow that my body was His from now on. In the practical sense, this meant to me: "no sex and no drugs." I was very aware of this and counted the cost, knowing that I'd be denying myself pleasures that I was familiar with. Years later I was dating someone that was "marriage material." The relationship didn't end up that way, but I had considered this person as worthy of that. Later on I just realized we weren't compatible. Anyway, to help keep myself pure I had a philosophy that I wouldn't kiss someone unless I was willing to marry them. What that meant was that I wouldn't just kiss any girl that happened to be around. She had to be a potential wife. We didn't have to be married or engaged to kiss, of course, but I just held that special physical affection for someone that I'd actually consider marrying. Anyway, now that I've strayed from the point by a mile... This girl and I would smooch, because she qualified for my self-imposed standard. One time our passions were heightened and we caught ourselves before it went "further." One thing she said really made it all very simple, but very profound. "I don't want to hurt Jesus," she said. If we had forged ahead and had sex together, it would have hurt Jesus (in the sense of letting Him down and, probably more theologically accurate, placed shame and guilt on ourselves that would have interefered with our living relationship with God). That was a useful deterent to me that day.
I'm reminded of Paul's admonition to a young Timothy: "Flee from youthful lusts!" I think that might actually be fleshed out by a young man actually physically running away. Sometimes it takes radical maneuvers to resist temptation. Sometimes it might mean embarrassment or public humiliation. If you run out of a party with your shirt unbuttoned and everyone realizes you were making out with a girl but didn't want to go all the way and you get up and run out of there -- they might laugh at you very loudly, making sport of your actions. Sometimes a believer has to pay a steep price to remain in good standing with God. We can find ourselves in tricky situations where the only way out is fast and determined.
I can imagine some Christian musicians might face ridicule for their beliefs about premarital sex. Who knows how many people might want to see if they can test that resolve. Someone might take it as a personal challenge to "see if they can make the Christian stumble..." I remember a metal magazine telling a story of a metal band touring with a Christian one and the guys in this band wanted and tried all tour-long to get the drummer drunk and "laid." They laughed about it in a magazine. While it is funny to a person that thinks there is no God and all this faith stuff is fairy tale and myth...to a believer that knows God and understands His Word, it's not funny at all. It's just a slightly painful price to pay to stay out of trouble.
Anyway, this tempting scenerio, where Potiphar's wife kept asking him to come to bed with her went on day after day. Yet he refused to be worn down. One day no one else was around and she caught him by his cloak. He took off running, leaving his cloak behind. This cloak was used to frame him. When Potiphar returned, his wife told him that he came on to her "to make sport of" her. Potiphar got angry and threw Joseph in prison.
Framed and thrown in prison an innocent man, he soon was elevated through the prison ranks and was basically running the prison under the warden's command.
Posted by Doug Van Pelt at February 26, 2007 10:55 AM