Pentecost sunday

Genesis 39:1-6, 20-23 / June 5, 2022

The Prosperous 

Joseph, hated by his brothers and thrown into a pit, was sold to a Midianite merchant, who sold him to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials in Egypt. Joseph's living place suddenly changed from the comfortable land of Canaan to the unfamiliar land of Egypt. Joseph also changed from being the golden youngest son of a rich Canaanite man to a poor slaver of a high-ranking Egyptian official. How could a person's fate plummet so quickly? Joseph's life seemed hopeless, and his future looked bleak.

However, today's text shows a completely different development. Slaves usually did yard work or manual labor outside the house, but he did not work outside, but lived inside the master's house and took care of the household chores. Seeing that he was doing well, Potiphar entrusted him with all the house, including his property. When Joseph took charge of his master's house in that manner, blessings came to Potiphar's house as well. In this way, Joseph lived prosperously in ‘an unfamiliar place.’ 

The Bible intentionally showed how Joseph changed a ‘house of a stranger’ into a ‘house of the blessed,’ how he lived prosperously in the ‘house of a stranger,’ and how he lived as a free man even though he was a slave. This scene was an important message and implication to Israel, who had to live in a ‘strangers’ land’ (Canaan, Egypt, and Babylon) for a long time in history. It was a message that even if they lived like slaves in their foreign lands, they could turn that place into a blessed place and live as the prosperous people.

But a prosperous life always comes with ‘temptations.’ One day, Potiphar’s wife seduced Joseph, who was good-looking and handsome. Joseph flatly refused, but the lady was very persistent and tenacious. This temptation was like a dangerous trap whether to refuse or not to refuse. Jealousy and rejected desires often turn into terrifying hatred. She accused Joseph of trying to rape her. Joseph fell into a trap that was difficult to get out of.

Joseph, who had received the full trust of his master and took a charge of all the household chores, suddenly fell into an unscrupulous man who insulted his master's wife. Joseph, who lived as a prosperous man in a stranger's house, fell from that pedestal to a miserable life again. He had barely entered the path of hope, but in an instant he fell again into the abyss of despair. The door that had been opened suddenly closed. Today we are going to think about the nature of the temptation that Joseph received from Potiphar's wife.

“Come to Bed with Me”  

 When you hear the word ‘temptation’, the first thing that comes to your mind would be a sexual image. Today's story reminds us of that scene. But fundamentally, temptation is any phenomenon that leads us off the right path. Thus, temptation is not limited to sexual deviance, but refers to all kinds of attempts that interfere with a healthy life and hinder a true spiritual journey. Therefore, the temptation that Potiphar's wife attempted to Joseph needs to be viewed as a more fundamental temptation, not just a sexual one. 

What did Potiphar's wife say to Joseph? See verses 7 and 12. She said: “Come to bed with me.” There are two verbs in Hebrew that correspond to that sentence. One is the word ‘yada,’ and the other is the word ‘shakab.’ Both words primarily mean ‘to lie down with someone.’ But what is important is the secondary meaning of these words. The secondary meaning of ‘yada’ is ‘to understand or to know.’ It is a term that refers to the healthy sexual relationship.

On the other hand, ‘shakab’ refers to the unjust sexual behavior such as rape or adultery. And the secondary meaning of this word is ‘the act of craftily forcing happiness and satisfaction.’ The word used in today’s text was ‘shakab’, not ‘yada’. In moment we know that the word used here is ‘shakab,’ we realize that the meaning of the behavior of Potiphar's wife is not simply sexual seduction. It implies all sorts of false attempts to craftily compel happiness and satisfaction.

The real serious temptation is not sexual one, but the one to believe false happiness as happiness, and limited satisfaction as eternal satisfaction. The temptation endlessly whispers into our ears. ‘Shakab – Let’s lie down together!’ It is tempting to sleep with false happiness and false satisfaction. Perhaps we have already been deceived by the ‘temptation of shakab.’ We may have already become accustomed to 'a life that craftily creates false happiness and false satisfaction'. We may already be addicted to false happiness and false satisfaction.

Look at Joseph who was unwavering in the sweet temptation. Like Joseph, we need to boldly and resolutely reject the false temptation that hinders the true spiritual journey. How can we resist the temptation as bold and determined as Joseph? Let's get to the heart of today's text. Genesis 39 presents us with two keyways to resist the temptation of ‘Shakab.’

Going Beyond the Temptation 

The first way to overcome the false temptations is to live in the belief that God is with us. Genesis 39 can be divided into three parts. The middle part was the scene where Joseph was tempted by Potiphar's wife, and the first (1-6) and second part (20-23) repeated almost the same content and expression. It was an expression of “The LORD was with Joseph.” This expression was repeated twice in the first part (verses 2 and 3) and twice in the latter part (verses 21 and 23), a total of four times. The sentence of “the Lord was with Joseph” is definitely emphasized in this text. But this message is the core of the entire Joseph story. 

Joseph lived with the belief that the Lord was with him in any situations. He was thrown into a pit, sold to a merchant of Ishmael and Midian. He suffered beyond words until he came to Potiphar's house. But in the end, he was caught by Potiphar’s eyes and ascended to the position of managing the entire household. To put it in today's terms, he was a man who persevered in difficult situations and eventually succeeded. 

People who have overcome many difficulties and succeeded usually want to be recognized for their achievements through their strengths. They like to brag that they were able to succeed with their abilities and efforts. If Joseph had such high self-regard, he would have easily followed the temptation when the hostess had had tempted him. But Joseph did not follow it. Because he clearly had the belief that his success didn’t result in his own strength, but in the Lord who was with him.

  We are prone to the temptation to believe that we have achieved our achievements through our own abilities and strengths. It is a great temptation. The moment we fall into that temptation, we fall into a trap from which we cannot escape. We cannot do anything unless God is with us. What we achieve, what we have, and what we enjoy, all come from God. When we live in the belief that God is with us in this way, we can overcome the false temptations and walk the right path of faith.

The second way to overcome the temptation is to accept by faith that even if God is with us, our lives can be difficult. There is no contradiction between living in faith and going through sufferings. Even if you live in faith, you can fall into hardships, and on the contrary, even if you are in hardships, you can live in faith. God and suffering are compatible. You can suffer in the midst of living with God, and you can live with God in the midst of suffering. When you accept this, you can resist the false temptations of life.

Although Joseph lived with God, he was tempted, and although he refused the temptation, he was framed and ended up in prison. Wouldn't Joseph, who lived with the belief that God was with him, feel frustrated and unfair about the situation that happened to him? How angry, miserable, and frustrated must he be? Joseph must have blamed God and wanted to forsake his faith. But Joseph did not, because he knew enough that even if God was with him, his life could be filled with suffering.

When we face hardships and failures, we face the great temptation to forsake God. To overcome this temptation, we must accept by faith that even when God is with us, we can fall into suffering. We must acknowledge that God and suffering can exist in our lives at the same time. We must be prepared to suffer with God, and to live with God in the midst of suffering. That was Joseph's way. That is the secret to go on the path of faith sincerely over temptation.

My dear friends, let's overcome the temptation to believe that what we have achieved is through our own strength. Let us remember that all things are possible because God is with us. Let go of the temptation to believe that God and suffering are incompatible. Let us remember that we can suffer with God, and we can live with God in the midst of suffering. So let's overcome all the temptations and walk the more deeply faithful journey beyond the temptations.