Genesis 39:7-12: a reflection

7After these things, his master’s wife set her eyes on Joseph; and she said, “Lie with me.” 8But he refused, and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, my master doesn’t know what is with me in the house, and he has put all that he has into my hand. 9No one is greater in this house than I am, and he has not kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” 10As she spoke to Joseph day by day, he didn’t listen to her, to lie by her, or to be with her. 11About this time, he went into the house to do his work, and there were none of the men of the house inside. 12She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” He left his garment in her hand, and ran outside.

When Potiphar's wife tries again and again to seduce Joseph, he refuses, and his refusal rests on a clear sense that this would be a sin above all against God. How then can I do this great wickedness, Joseph says, and sin against God? He recognizes the wrong not merely as a betrayal of his master, though it would be that, but as a sin against God; and this recognition strengthens his refusal. And when she persists, catching him by his garment, he does not linger to argue or negotiate; he flees, leaving his garment in her hand and running outside. Joseph both saw the temptation for what it was, a sin against God, and fled from it rather than toying with it. To recognize that sin is ultimately against God, and to flee temptation rather than linger near it, is the double wisdom of Joseph here. He named the sin rightly and ran from it.

Notice two things in Joseph's response: he saw the sin as against God, and he fled the temptation. First, he recognized what the sin really was, not merely a wrong against his master, but a sin against God; this recognition steadied and strengthened his refusal. Sin is ultimately against God, and seeing it so gives us reason to refuse it that mere consequences never could. Second, when the temptation pressed, Joseph did not linger, argue, or negotiate; he fled, leaving his garment behind rather than staying near the temptation. He did not trust himself to reason with it or resist it while remaining close to it; he ran. This is wisdom: some temptations are best met not by standing our ground and reasoning but by fleeing, putting distance between ourselves and the temptation. Joseph named the sin rightly, as against God, and fled from it. To see sin as against God, and to flee temptation rather than linger, is a double wisdom worth learning. Joseph ran rather than risk staying.

That is worth taking to heart, for we do well to recognize sin as ultimately against God and to flee temptation rather than linger near it. We can weaken before temptation by thinking of sin only in terms of who might be hurt or what might result, and by lingering near the temptation, reasoning with it, thinking we can resist while staying close; but Joseph saw the sin as against God, and fled, leaving his garment rather than remaining near it. To recognize sin as against God strengthens our refusal, and to flee temptation is often wiser than to linger. Do not linger near temptation, thinking you can resist while staying close; recognize sin as against God, and flee, as Joseph did. Recognize that sin is ultimately against God, and flee temptation rather than lingering near it, as Joseph refused Potiphar's wife, asking how he could do this great wickedness and sin against God, and fled, leaving his garment in her hand; for seeing sin as a sin against God strengthens our refusal beyond what mere consequences could, and some temptations are best met not by lingering to reason with them but by fleeing, putting distance between ourselves and them, so that to name sin rightly and run from it is a double wisdom.

Lord, when Potiphar's wife tries again and again to seduce Joseph, he refuses, and his refusal rests on a clear sense that this would be a sin above all against you. How then can I do this great wickedness, Joseph says, and sin against God? He recognizes the wrong not merely as a betrayal of his master, though it would be that, but as a sin against you; and this recognition strengthens his refusal. And when she persists, he does not linger to argue; he flees, leaving his garment in her hand and running outside. Joseph both saw the temptation for what it was and fled from it. Show me two things in Joseph's response: he saw the sin as against you, and he fled the temptation. First, he recognized what the sin really was, a sin against you; this steadied and strengthened his refusal. Sin is ultimately against you, and seeing it so gives us reason to refuse it that mere consequences never could. Second, when the temptation pressed, Joseph did not linger or negotiate; he fled, leaving his garment behind. He did not trust himself to resist it while remaining close to it; he ran. Some temptations are best met not by standing our ground but by fleeing. Take that to my heart, for I do well to recognize sin as ultimately against you and to flee temptation rather than linger near it. I can weaken before temptation by thinking of sin only in terms of who might be hurt, and by lingering near it, thinking I can resist while staying close; but Joseph saw the sin as against you, and fled. Keep me from lingering near temptation, thinking I can resist while staying close; help me recognize sin as against you, Lord, and flee, as Joseph did, leaving his garment rather than remaining near it.