| February 1, 2001 |
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| "And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he rufused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" Genesis 39:7-9 Genesis 39 reads like a well-developed soap opera. The characters represent Egypt's high society: Potiphar, the wealthy official in Pharaoh's court; his flirtatious wife; and Joseph, the handsome, industrious Israelite slave. This biblical account would have become even more sordid had not the Lord given Joseph a keen sense of what is morally right. Joseph could have given in to his master's wife and remained secure in his position. But he knew that to sin against God was to risk losing the Lord who was with him. By God's grace, he chose to do what was right, even though he was falsely accused and imprisoned. He preferred to be in prison with the Lord, rather than in power without the Lord. But his gracious Lord eventually exalted him to an even higher position. Jesus was faithful to the Father who had sent Him, never succumbing to temptation. He too was falsely accused and punished. But Jesus' suffering earned pardon for all who give in to temptation. Christ then was exalted to the right hand of the Father, where He ever pleads for us. May we all strive to be faithful to our Lord, who is with us in Christ, our Savior. God Bless You. <J><E><S><U><S>< <S><A><V><E><S>< |