"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 refused, 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? And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her." Genesis 39:7-10
"How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" To be moral is to know the difference between right and wrong and to choose what is right! In this Old Testament story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife, we see that Potiphar's wife expected Joseph to rationalize that the safe thing to do was to accept her invitation to sin. After all, she was the authority in the house, as he was the slave. If he refused her invitation, would that bring him harm? Of course, as you read this wonderful story, you will see that it would and it did. Joseph responded to temptation with an answer so classic that it has inspired unknown numbers to say throughout the centuries, "How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" Joseph's action landed him in prison. However, his criterion is not what he wanted, not even if it was safe, but rather, it was what God wanted, which concerned him more.
It may seem that today there are few moral absolutes. The shades of behavioral gray are increasing. But God still speaks to all human beings. Paul, describing the wickedness of the first century, underscored the awareness and accountability of everyone to the Law of God through conscience (see Romans 2:15). Immorality ignores conscience. Rationalizations abound to justify what's wrong. "Everyone's doing it" is a favorite, whether "it" refers to cheating on one's income tax or on one's spouse. As Joseph fled from a sinful act, not out of cowardness, but in the preservation of his honor, are we, God's redeemed, doing this in our daily lives also? Let us remember that our sins are not just between you and someone else, but they are also a deliberate act of disobedience against God! He knows all ~ He sees all! Think about this and act accordingly ~ for Christ's sake, and yours ~ because one day you will answer to Him!
Blessings for a wonderful evening.
Love in Christ Jesus, Sandy
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