Short Take #3: Sexual Temptation in the Bible

Here is another short take from The Christian Worldview with David Wheaton. You see this young man in Proverbs chapter 7 and it says, For at the window of my house I looked through my window and saw a young man, void of understanding, passing along the street near her corner. And he took the path to her house in the evening. Notice what time of day it is. And there a woman met him with provocative clothes and a crafty heart. Notice how she's dressed. She was loud and rebellious. At times she was outside in the open square, lurking at every corner.

In other words, it's everywhere. So she caught him and kissed him, and with a bold face she said to him, I have peace offerings with me. Today I have paid my vows. This is not a secular woman, this is a religious woman.

In other words, Christians aren't immune from falling prey to sexual immorality with another professing Christian. She's paid her peace offering today, she's paid her vows. So I came out to meet you, it continues, diligently to seek your face, and I have found you. I have spread my bed with tapestry. I have perfumed my bed. Come let us take our fill of love, or I'll insert lust, until morning.

Let us delight ourselves with love. For my husband, she says a married woman, is not at home. He has gone on a long journey.

He has taken a bag of money with him and will come home on the appointed day. One more thing I should have added there is sexual immorality is always deceitful. She's doing something, trying to be out of the sight of her own husband.

Of course, we always look horizontally, we don't look vertically, because God is always watching us. And the passage ends by saying, With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, with her flattering lips she seduced him. And then here's this closer than we think part. Immediately he went after her. As an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, till an arrow struck his liver, as a bird hastens to the snare, he did not know it would cost his life. In other words, he didn't go out that night, probably, doesn't give any context, but probably didn't go out that night thinking he was going to destroy his life. It would cost him his life. Do you think an ox, before it gets slaughtered, more than about a minute before it happens, knows that something's going to go fatally wrong? It's the same way with sexual immorality.

It's much closer, much more lurking than we think. So let's get to the fact of the topic for the day here now is, how can we be overcomers over sexual temptation? I know I've mentioned in previous programs about the life of Joseph. And Joseph, just for a quick preview on who he is, was one of the 12 sons of Jacob. He was the favorite son, actually, of Jacob.

Jacob's father gave him the coat of many colors. Joseph's brothers really despised him because he was favored, and he had these dreams about his older brothers bowing down to him. Well, eventually his brothers hated him so much that when he came to visit his brothers as they were tending to their flocks, the brothers conspired together to sell him into slavery, if you can believe that, into Egypt. So they're in the land of Canaan.

He goes to see his brothers. They sell him to the Ishmaelites who are traveling down to Egypt. So in Genesis 39, we have Joseph has now arrived in Egypt. And it says this, Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him, bought Joseph from the Ishmaelite traders who had taken him down there.

But listen to this. Even though he had been betrayed and rejected by his brothers, it says this in verse 2, the Lord was with Joseph. So he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.

This is Potiphar, the captain of the guard of Pharaoh. This is a very important home, a very important man in Egypt. Just by God's providence, that's where Joseph went. And listen to how Joseph is doing there. Now his master Potiphar saw that the Lord was with Joseph and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant and he made him overseer over his house. And all that he owned, he put in his charge. The Lord blessed the Egyptians house on account of Joseph. Thus the Lord's blessing was upon all that he owned in the house and in the field. Verse 6, last verse. So he left everything he owned in Joseph's charge. And with him, there he did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate. And you might be thinking, why am I mentioning that in the lead up to how Joseph overcame the temptation to sexual immorality with Potiphar's wife?

Well, just look at what's setting him up or what's going into this temptation which is going to happen next. There is complete blessing and success and favor on the life of Joseph. So with that as background, all of a sudden the Bible makes a very interesting transition in verse 6. It says this, Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. Now isn't that interesting how the Bible would say that?

Why would the Bible say that? Is it because Joseph is so successful and he's also this great looking guy and he has it all? No, it's portending that something is about to change.

Maybe something ominous is coming. There's a warning here that those who are successful and good looking, those kind of people attract a lot of attention and not all of it is good. Now we can often think that good looking people get all the breaks in life.

But good looks, as Joseph was, and handsome in form and appearance can be a liability as well. It attracts those with sinful intentions. This has been a short take from The Christian Worldview with David Wheaton. To find out more about The Christian Worldview, order resources, make a donation, become a monthly partner, or contact us, visit thechristianworldview.org. You can also call us at toll-free 1-888-646-2233 or write to us at Box 401, Excelsior, Minnesota 55331. That's Box 401, Excelsior, Minnesota 55331.