Joseph 2: “Run, Joseph, Run!”

“I can resist everything except temptation.”
—– – Oscar Wilde

Here is the second instalment of my series on Joseph.  This one is based on Genesis 39.

These are some follow-up questions to consider on your own, or around the dinner table for family devotions, or with a small group…

Imagine yourself in Joseph’s position.  Why/how might you try justifying saying yes to Mrs. Potiphar’s illicit invitations?

Joseph experiences temptation after becoming successful.  In his book Joseph: A Man of Integrity and Forgiveness, Chuck Swindoll writes:  “The temptations that accompany prosperity are far greater (and far more subtle) than those that accompany adversity” (p. 26).  Do you agree or disagree with that statement?  Why?

The text repeats numerous times how God blesses Joseph and the people around Joseph.  Yet Joseph keeps meeting up with (what look like) tragic reversals.  In his book The Genesis Message, Harvey A. Smit asks:  “If God blesses a person, then that person will succeed.  Does it follow that, if a person succeeds, God must be blessing and approving of that person?” (p. 82).  Another way to ask the question is:  If a person is experiencing trials and setbacks, is God’s blessing absent from that person’s life?  Why or why not?

Maybe you cannot identify all that much with sexual temptation.  Thank God for that!  Regardless, ask yourself: What types of temptations are you susceptible to?  Bring these to God in prayer.  Investigate when these temptations are strongest and plan how you can avoid those occasions, situations or locations.  Look for a mature Christian who can help hold you accountable.

History:
Joseph 1: “Only in Your Dreams”
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