Synopsis: This sermon explores the story of Joseph in Genesis 39 and the daily battle every Christian faces with temptation. Holiness is the calling of every believer. God has saved us by grace, but He has also saved us for a life that reflects His character. Joseph’s encounter with Potiphar’s wife reveals how temptation works, how it pursues us, and how God provides strength to resist it. Temptation comes from many places: from others, from the Devil, and from the corruption still present in our own hearts. It is always crafty, arriving when we are tired, isolated, or vulnerable. And temptation is always deceptive, offering a counterfeit version of what our hearts long for while hiding the true cost of sin. Joseph shows us the necessity of fleeing temptation, but more importantly, Scripture reminds us that the Lord was with Joseph. Victory over temptation is found in daily nearness to God.
Text: Genesis 39
Date: December 7, 2025
Introduction
Opening – Holiness: If you are a Christian, you are called to holiness. That word gets a little lost today, but it is the right word. Holiness means choosing righteousness over sin. Holiness means obeying God’s law and delighting in God’s law. A Christian has been saved by grace. Jesus died for you on the cross, rescued from sin, and from the consequences of sin which an eternity apart from God in Hell. He saved you, by dying for you. And he saved that you might live to the glory of God. And it is our joy and our duty to pursue holiness. The challenge is that each of us, as Christians, face on a day to day basis is temptation. Temptation lures us away from holiness and towards unholiness.
Personal: Each of us are prone to various kinds of temptation. In this, sense temptations are like tastes. I like peas with my mashed potatoes, but my wife doesn’t. Some have proclivities towards one temptation, while others will have proclivities towards another temptation. You might be tempted by a quickness to anger. You might be tempted by an unwillingness to submit to those over you. You might be tempted a very narcissistic vision of life, where your problems are always at the center of everyone’s life. You might be tempted by alcohol. You might be tempted by pornography. You might be tempted into adultery, or theft, or lying, deception, the list goes on. Do you know what you are tempted by? Because the Devil does. And if you don’t know your own temptations, then you will have no idea how to defend against it.
Context: Today, is our second to last sermon in the book of Genesis, and today’s passage is all about temptation. We’re goig to study a section of Joseph’s life. Joseph is the Great Grandson of Abraham. His father was Jacob, who we saw last week was renamed Israel after God wrestled with him. Jacob would go on to have 12 sons. These twelves sons would become the 12 famous tribes of Israel. Before they became tribes, they were brothers. In Genesis 37, some of the brothers out of jealousy for their youngest brother Joseph, pushed Joseph into a pit, sold him to Egyptian slave traders, and went home telling Jacob their Father that he had been killed. This was an outrageous event, but one that we will see—especially next week—was totally underneath the providential hand of God. In today’s sermon, the young man Joseph has been brought to Egypt, where we will witness his handling of temptation.
Main Idea: It is our great duty and concern to use all diligence, watchfulness, and care so that we may not fall into temptation.
Genesis 39 “Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field. So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her. But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.” Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.” As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in…”
Repeat Main Idea: It is our great duty and concern to use all diligence, watchfulness, and care so that we may not fall into temptation.
Meaning & Application
This story is a part of the larger narrative of Joseph’s life, but its an important piece. It tells us something of the nature of the man, in how he deals with this tempting situation. I want look at temptation, as it is shown to us in this text, from three different angles.
THE SOURCES OF TEMPTATION
First, let us consider the source of temptation. In this story, the main source of temptation is Potiphar’s wife. Who is she? Joseph at this point has been sold into slavery in Egypt, and he is working for a man named Potiphar. The relationship that Joseph had with Potiphar was very good. Potiphar, an Egyptian, saw clearly that Joseph was a man unlike other men. He was a devoted follower of his God, and whatever Joseph touched was blessed. And so Potiphar promoted him to head of his household. This very important background, Joseph had earned trust with Potiphar despite his circumstance. And the temptation came from Potiphar’s wife. This is someone whom Joseph was around regularly. In fact, as a slave in Potiphar’s house, Joseph couldn’t have avoided her if he tried.
Flee?: As I read this story this week I asked myself the question, ‘Why did Joseph flee instead of simply resist as he had in the past?’ Maybe Potiphar’s wife was being more aggressive than usual and its all he could think to do. It could also be that, that Joseph was well aware of the weakness of his own heart. And he was well aware that if he stayed in that house with no one else around, he was liable sin against God. And so rather than discover how much fortitude he had by remaining in the tempting situation, he fled. His fleeing was likely a sign that he knew the weakness of his own flesh.
Questions: Do you know the weakness of your flesh? Do you know what circumstances are prone to lead you to sin? Do you know when and how to flee?
Three Sources: Remember, our duty as Christians is to use all diligence, watchfulness and care, to ensure we do not fall into temptation. So let’s evaluate, what are the places where temptation comes from? In the Christian life, there are three different sources of temptation. You should know them all, and be familiar with them all.
Others: The first source is temptation comes from other people. In this case, it’s Potiphar’s wife. Others can intend to tempt you, as we see in Potiphar’s wife, or they can be ignorant to what they’re doing and how they’re tempting you. Sometimes the deepest temptations can come from those, like Potiphar’s wife, those in our inner circle. In Jesus’ life, at point it was the Apostle Peter who tempted Jesus to not go through with his plan to enter Jerusalem and suffer and die. Sometimes temptation is a direct invitation from somebody who is in our life.
Devil: A second source of temptation is the Devil. We are told in 1 Peter 5 that our adversary “the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” The Devil has all kinds of means available to him to tempt you. And I don’t mean in a silly way, but he has all kinds of technology as well. The Devil is like the ultimate Siri. His team is listening to everything you say, and then they adjust their algorithm to suit your weakness.
Our Corrupted Heart: A third source of temptation is our own corrupted heart. Since the fall, our hearts have become inventors and imaginators of all kinds of evil. Sin doesn’t become sin when we entertain in our mind or act on it in with our will. The very “first motions” of sin that arise out of our corrupted heart, are indeed morally culpable before God. I call these “spiritual heart murmurs.” Jesus was tempted by others and he was tempted by the Devil, but he was never tempted by an internal corrupted thought or “first motions” of sin. Christ alone had a heart fully enflamed for God, from start to finish. Not one lustful passion. Not one wicked desire. Godliness. Our hearts however, are full of all kinds of fallen desires, that often lead us to imagine what sin might taste like.
FOCUS on Your Own First Motions: What happens to many of us is that we see how other men and women are tempted by sin. We see their weaknesses, their proclivities, their failings, and it props us up as we think “I’m strong and their weak.” And then, we put our guard down, and Satan comes in on our triggers. Don’t falsely flatter yourself. Your trigger might not be the same as someone else’s but you have triggers, and the Devil knows how to pull them. Instead of focusing on others, what we ought to do is keep a very close eye on our first motions of sin. Those tinders that spark up from our heart. What are the sinful proclivities, sinful murmurs taking place even without your will. Pay close attention to those, and pray fervently for God’s speed in putting them out before they move into the heart and the will.
Compare Yourself to Christ: And, if you’re going to compare yourself to anybody, compare yourself to Christ. He is the standard of righteousness. Christ was tempted as we are, but he is the greater Joseph, who resisted perfectly, in heart, soul, mind, and affections. He never caved an inch. He stood on the Word of God. When you compare yourself to Christ, you don’t flatter yourself, you see with far greater clarity your own weakness, and you learn like Joseph the situations that you need to flee.
Example: Podcasts: Let me give you a practical and personal example here. There are some podcasts in my life I have had to drastically tone back how often I listen to them. Not because they’re necessarily false, or bad, but because I have found that when I listen to them too much I develop an incredibly pessimistic outlook on the world. I almost start to take a victim mentality like everyone is out to get me. I listen to these podcasts and I consistently leave angry, thinking the most extreme version of things. But I want a balanced Biblical vision. I don’t want to have an input in my life every day that makes me the most aggressive version of myself. There may be a place for that, but I need to be wise enough to know when I need rebalancing.
Personal: You must know the sources of temptation in your life.
THE CRAFTINESS OF TEMPTATION
Second, I want us to see the craftiness of temptation, the way that temptation weasels itself into our life.
Three Aspects: Consider three aspects of Joseph’s story.
#1 The Timing: First, see the craftiness in the timing. This temptation came in Joseph’s life after the worst had happened to him. He had been betrayed by his brothers. Sold as a slave. Here is a man that likely has all kinds of reasons to be in a state of bitterness, anger. Certainly he was succeeding in Potiphar’s house, but this is a man who was down. He feels alone in a different country. He feels unloved because his brothers abandoned him. Temptation does not wait until you’re strong. It not fight fairly. The Devil is a ruthless tyrant who kicks when you’re down.
Example – “I Deserve It” (HE): Many of you know about of timing in temptation. I was chatting with somebody this week and they gave me permission to share this. One of this person’s temptations is to use alcohol as anxiety reliever. This person does not struggle with drunkenness. But he noticed this week that after quite a difficult day, he came home and opened the wine cabinet, and thought to himself “I deserve this today.” Is a glass of wine a sin no. Can it be depending on the motivation, yes! Do you see the timing here? The temptation comes after a day of anxiety and stress.
#2 The Circumstances: Second the craftinees in the the circumstances:
Genesis 39:11 “But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house,”
This particular wave came when the house was empty. There was no one around. Often Joseph would have had a much easier time avoiding the looks of Potiphar’s wife, or distracting himself with conversation with other men in the house. But this temptation, with this force, came when the house was empty, and it was just them.
Example: How many of you know that some of the greatest temptation come when nobody’s around? This is why many of our singles have learned that that an iphone or a laptop at home when alone after a certain hour is just a recipe for disaster.
#3 The Persistence: Third is the craftiness in the persistence of this temptation
Genesis 39:10 “And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.”
This was not a one time occurrence. This was not a quick request from Potiphar’s wife. Like a leaky faucet constantly dripping, the same invitation came day after day. Another look from across the room. Another subtle inuendo. This is important to realize how temptation often works. It’s not the initial temptation that takes down many Christians down. It’s the slow seige warfare that finally weakens your defenses.
Illustration – Ice Storm: Many of you have lived through ice storms in Chicago. Perhaps you have seen something like this before. You have seen great Midwestern Oak trees that have survived hundreds if not thousands of storms. Thick trunk, deep roots. But one winter there is a long slow ice storm. Not violent or loud. No lightning or thunder. Just consistent freezing drizzle hour after hour. At first, its nothing. A little frost on the branches. But the drizzle keeps falling. All night. The next day. Every little drop adds another layer of ice upon ice, until every branch and every twig is encased in the added weight of that ice. Then without single gust of wind, the mighty oak splits in half and crashes to the ground. No storm had ever broken it. But a thousand tiny drops did.
Not Moralism: All of these layers in this story, and what does Joseph do? He flees! What spiritual fortitude. How was Joseph able to do that!? Look at verse 2:
Genesis 39:2 “The Lord was with Joseph…
After this, Joseph will be falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife of trying to rape her. Joseph gets thrown in jail and then we read twice these words:
Genesis 39:21 “But the Lord was with Joseph…”
Genesis 39:23 “… because the Lord was with him…”
Three times in this passage we read “the Lord was with Joseph.” Without that little phrase, we might mistakenly think the answer to temptation is courage and resilience. “Just be stronger. Resist.” While it is true, that we are called over and over again to be strong in the face of temptation, to resist, and to be like Jacob, the very same verses that call us to resist remind us where the strength to resist temptation lies.
1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
Deepen Walk with God: Before it is our duty to resist temptation, it is our joy to know and walk with Christ daily. The God of the universe has called the simplest of Christians into intimate relationship with himself, through Christ Jesus. Our sins had separated us from God, but God so loved us, that he sent Christ to die on the cross in order that our sins might have their debt paid in full by Christ. Through faith, he has established a living relationship with the living God. The center of Christianity, is not becoming more moral and more resilient to temptation. Those things are derivatives of the main thing. The main thing, what Joseph demonstrates for us, is a relationship with God.
How It Works: Are you struggling with some overwhelming temptation? I don’t want to make it sound like you start reading your Bible more and magically you get victory. But honestly, you develop a fascination with Christ, a love of the Word, a love of prayer, a quickness to repentance, a joy in fellowship, a hunger to know his word and memorize his word, relationships that inspire godliness, examples in your life that push you to walk in ways you would never have imagined possible with God. Those tempations that once seemed so strong, will indeed change. His grace is sufficient!
The craftiness of temptation.
THE DECEPTION OF TEMPTATION (Counterfeit)
Third and finally, I want to consider the deception of temptation. Let’s look at Joseph’s story again. Some of what I will suggest in this section is a bit of reading between the lines. But I think its appropriate as we do a character study on Joseph. He is a man afterall. We have to imagine that his experience of these events in his life, would have felt similar to how we would feel if we were in his shoes. Let’s highlight two ways that temptation is deceptive in this story.
1 Plays on our Deepest Wounds & Insecurities: First, temptation can often play on our deepest wounds. What were Joseph’s wounds? Joseph was betrayed by his older brothers, by his family. He never got to say goodbye to his Dad who loved him. And it happened suddenly, while he was out in a field, just being a little brother. There must have been relational wounds. I imagine he would have had a very difficult time trusting people. Then along comes Potiphar’s wife, and what does she offer. She offers love. She offers companionship. She offers physical intimacy. She represents someone who sees him and wants to know him.
Example Women: In some ways its a tale as old as time. Women who have father wounds, are often attracted to men who treat them poorly. Why? The temptation matches the wound. Here’s a man who will offer me strength and love. But its counterfeit. It’s deceptive. It’s strength and love at a cost. It’s not Christ-like strength and Christ-like love. There is a rushing into relationship with foolish men, because the temptation is playing on the wound. Example Instagram: Or with our insecurities, take social media scrolling. When I shared with my wife what I was preaching on this week, she shared with me that for the month of December she removes Instagram from her phone. The reason is because she tempted to compare the things she has, and the way she decorated the home, and the presents she gets her kids, and the trips our family does, to other people. What a godly wife I have! Flee temptation! But where does that desire to compare come from? There is something in there that
Temptations often plays on our deepest wounds & insecurities. What we want to do as Christians is learn what our wounds and insecurities are, in order to intentionally work them through the gospel. We want Christ to heal us. When Christ heals those wounds, the temptation to fill the hole receds. Yes, flee the tempation. Remove instagram if you need. But, there is a deeper solution. When you find increasing contentedness in Christ and his provision, the temptation to compare yourself and your home and your goods to others, recedes.
2 Tries to Rewrite the Cost of Sin: Second, temptations are always downplaying the cost of sin. Notice that Potiphar’s wife never talks about the consequences. God is nowhere one on her lips. Potiphar is nowhere on her lips. She lays her proposition out as simple, clean, and relationally isolated. Tempation always makes sin look small and the consequences seem far away or unimportant. Temptation to sin is like a counterfeit gospel.
The Gospel: The true gospel is that you are more known and more loved in Christ than you could ever imagine. Christ died for you, and sealed you for all eternity with His Spirit. Christ says:
Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Potiphar’s wife says the similar, “Come to me Joseph, and I’ll give you rest.” It’s a counterfeit gospel, the cost, betray your God whom you serve. That’s the true cost. Choose sin to satisfy over Christ.
Consequences: What are the consequences of giving in to temptation. First and foremost, the consequenes have to do with our nearness to Christ. We cannot lose Christ is we’re Christians. If you’ve been filled by the Spirit, He’ll never leave you. But you can grieve the Spirit, and so place spiritual boundaries and hurdles in your life that you cease growing in Christ, that you have an increasingly difficult time discerning him and delighting in him. This is the chief reason we must flee temptation, for the glory of God!
Final Plea: Joseph, will be thrown in prison for his determination to honor God and flee temptation. There is no promise that all goes better for you because you choose holiness. We choose holiness because it is our duty! Temptations are your battle ground. Warriors are not proven in peace time. They’re proven in the battle. That is where rank is earned. Part of growing in Christ, is learning how to gain victory over temptation by allowing temptation to push you into deeper walk with Christ.
Closing
It is our great duty and concern to use all diligence, watchfulness, and care so that we may not fall into temptation.
