Read Genesis 39:6-18
From Great Days with the Great Lives, by Chuck Swindoll.
The appeal of sensual lust works like a magnet, drawing two “sudden and fierce” forces toward each other – your inner desire and an outer libidinous, licentious, lewd, lustful, unchaste “bait.” Let’s face it, you can’t escape the bait if you live in the real world. In fact, even if you somehow manage to shut yourself away from the real world, your mind will not let you escape the outer bait. The sin is in the bite. When the lust of another tempts you to give into your own lust, so much so that your resistance weakens, you have been enticed. You have given in to the lure of temptation. The secret of the victory is modeled beautifully by Joseph. He refused to weaken. He continued to resist.
Potiphar’s wife dropped the bait day after day after day. And each time, Joseph refused to take it. “No, No, No!” he replied. Not only did he not listen to her, it got to where he he did not even want to be near her. She was not safe to be around.
Joseph had rebuffed her time and time again, refusing to yield to her advances. Finally, she set a trap for him.
Joseph had come into the house one day to do his work. He noticed the house was quiet. There were no servants nearby. She was alone with Joseph in the house, and she began to make her move. Only this time she would not take no for an answer. She went beyond verbal advances and physically grabbed hold of Joseph. She held on so tightly that when he jerked away from her and dashed into the street, he left his outer robe in her hands.
What a clear image! What a practical spotlight on truth from Joseph’s life. What strong biblical counsel! Whenever the New Testament lingers on the subject of sensual temptation, it gives us one command: RUN! It does not tell us to reason with it. It does not tell us to think about it and claim verses. It tells us to FLEE! I have discovered you cannot yield to sensuality if you’re running away from it. So? Run for your life! Get out of there! If you try to reason with lust or play around with sensual thoughts, you will finally yield. You can’t fight it. That’s why the Spirit of God forcefully commands, “Run!”
NEXT UP: The Personal Ramifications of sinful choices! (Ramification according to American Heritage Dictionary is “a development or consequence growing out of and sometimes complicating a problem, plan, or statement,” not to mention destroying the conventional joys of a family genealogy tree, but rest assured, never beyond the love, forgiveness, grace, mercy, and restoration of the Divine Relationship Healer, Jesus Christ Himself! (italicized by merlin)