Fleeing Sin: the value of living with integrity
Joseph fled from sin. He turned an he ran. Oh that our sons and daughters would do the same!
Today’s scripture is a longer portion because we need to understand the context of Joseph’s situation in order to grasp the integrity, the love and fear of God that Joseph held, and to see the sovereignty of God in his life.
Genesis 39: 6-23 “So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. 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. One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.
But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. “
Joseph was a slave in Egypt, sold by his brothers, but ultimately he was there because God intended for him to save, not only his family, but the nation of Israel. God placed him in Egypt and guided him into opportunities that would eventually position him to have power, authority and ability to rescue the nation of Israel.
Joseph had three specific areas in which he gave God the Supremacy in his life.
1. Place/Location: Joseph was a slave IN Egypt, but not a slave TO Egypt. He obeyed the authority God put over him, but he still submitted himself, ultimately, to God. He didn’t use his location as an excuse for sin. He still operated with deep integrity. His actions and responses were based on what God expected and allowed, not what the culture expected and allowed. He didn’t allow his location to be an excuse for sin. We need to pray that our sons and daughters don’t allow their location to impact their integrity and walk with the Lord.
1 Peter 2:11 “Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.”
When our sons and daughters are in hard places, let’s not just rush to pray for ‘rescue’ asking God to move them, but let’s be steady to uphold them in prayer for strength to stay the course and remain where God places them in order to accomplish what He has for them to do. Pray that they have perspective and can see God’s hand in their place and His purpose in their being there.
2. Possessions: Joseph didn’t value things over the right thing. He wasn’t willing to compromise or wait around to ‘save’ something of temporal value and risk his character, integrity, and testimony. When Potiphar’s wife grabbed his cloak, he didn’t think twice. He turned and ran. He ran!! He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t back away. He didn’t wrestle to keep his cloak. He turned and ran. The cloak was a symbol of identity and protection in Biblical times. Joseph was willing to let go of his ‘identity’ for the sake of his godly testimony and he gave up his physical ‘protection’ in exchange for Godly protection of his character and testimony.
We need to pray that when our sons and daughters are confronted with temptation that they turn and run with all their might, their will, their mind and intention. That split-second moment they make the rock-solid decision that NOTHING (no thing) is more valuable than obedience to God.
3. Position of heart vs. Position of title: Others in Egypt recognized Joseph’s integrity. Both Potiphar and the jailer gave Joseph much responsibility. They trusted him because he was trustworthy. And because he lived with integrity, it opened the doors to opportunity, position, and power. But Joseph wasn’t willing to compromise to maintain those positions. He trusted that God had a better plan and God rewarded that obedience and trust.
I Peter 2:12 “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
When Joseph chose to do the right thing, he lost his position in Potiphar’s house. He could have grieved that, but instead, he trusted that God protected him from something dangerous and believed that God had purpose in his ‘demotion’. Indeed, He did! God needed Joseph in prison so that Pharaoh could see his ability and integrity. Think about that!
Joseph valued his heart being right with God vs. a title and position achieved through earthly values and choices. Had Joseph compromised and given into lust and sin, he may have kept his position in Potiphar’s house, but he would have forfeited the greater role of being second in command of all of Egypt and part of God’s greater plan for Israel. Greater still, he would have damaged the testimony of the Living God to those around him. His story may have ended as a cautionary tale rather than a record of God’s triumph.
Sometimes God removes the titles and achievements to make way for more impactful opportunities. Sometimes He takes us to harder places but it’s never without intention, never by mistake, and always part of His greater plan. As we pray for our sons and daughters, let’s be careful not to quickly grieve when things take a turn toward what we might see as a loss or demotion, a setting back or giving up of something valuable. Instead, let’s pray for Godly insight and protection from short-sightedness. Let’s pray that God shows our sons and daughters that He’s working, protecting, and leading them to accomplish what He intends.
Temptation is real. It is frequent, and it is everywhere. We can easily succumb to the lures and we can quickly make excuses, because it surrounds us and can easily consume us. We are immersed in a culture of sin, compromise, and self-satisfaction. Achievement is celebrated. But God calls us to live lives in this world that reflect we are citizens of another place with a standard of living that reflects our submission and commitment to an eternal King in whose Kingdom we are not only citizens, but daughters and sons of the Most High. We love Him. And if we do, our lives, our choices, and what we hold dear will determine how we respond and will give a testimony to the world around us. “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all!” 2 Corinthians 4:17
Joseph didn’t compromise. He didn’t make excuses. He didn’t bemoan his ‘misfortune’. He trusted God. He knew God had a better plan and, though it may not have been obvious at the time. Joseph responded to his brothers in Genesis 50:20 - the same brothers that sold him into slavery and essentially brought Joseph to a life of bondage…but servitude to God, in Egypt. He said, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” Joseph rested in the knowledge that God loved him and would guide his steps. He needed only obey and act with integrity. Sin wouldn’t prosper him, but following God with his whole heart, mind and strength, well, that would provide protection all his days.
“Heavenly Father, Protector, Provider and Guide, I pray for (name) today. Keep them from sin. Lord, when they encounter temptation, give them strength of conviction and presence of mind to flee, to leave behind anything this culture may deem ‘valuable’ in exchange for what is of eternal value. Father, I pray (name) would hear your voice, not the voices of those around them calling them to compromise. I pray that (name) would have confidence and conviction that their position in Christ is of greater value than any title or position this world can offer. Lord, help them to hold things here loosely so that they hold onto the cross and to Jesus with all their strength. Lord, I pray that (name) would “Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes, …for the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the LORD takes care of the godly. Day by day the LORD takes care of the innocent and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever….The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand. ” Psalm 37:7, 17-18, 23-24 Lord, use this scripture in (name)’s life this week and throughout their life. Keep them from sin. Strengthen them to follow You without turning. Convict them to live with integrity and to never swap their eternal inheritance for temporary things of this world. Help them to flee from sin. In Jesus’ name, amen.”