What Genesis Teaches - 1.7 Sexual Temptation 43fr

Exe geti ng Ge nes is 39 v v 6 -9 Joseph is tempted by his master‘s wife

Genesi s 39: 6- 9 – The Text So he left in Joseph’s care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he eat. Now Joseph was well built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “come to bed with me!” But he refused. He told her, “With me in charge, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; Everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No-one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”

Step 1

How is this passage structured? a) What are the units of thought? List each new idea on a separate line as you come to it in your reading of the passage

The Units

of Thought

So he left in Joseph’s care [1st idea] everything he had; [2nd idea] with Joseph in charge, [3rd idea, etc] he did not concern himself with anything except the food he eat. Now Joseph was well built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “come to bed with me!” But he refused. he told her, “With me in charge, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; Everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No-one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”

Step 2

How is this passage structured? b) What is its shape? Shift the position of each idea in such a way as to show the relationship of each idea in the total structure

Example of “Shaping” the Text’s Structure So he left in Joseph’s care [ 3 statements about everything he had; how J’s master with Joseph in charge, left matters ] he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. [ “he” x 2: aspects of the master’s arrangement put Positively & aspects of that arrangement put Negatively ]

“Shaping” the Text’s Structure Positioning the text to show how the passage is constructed is the most difficult part of the task of exposing the message of the passage.

It is also the most subjective part as there is usually no one way of arranging the sentences, clauses and phrases that make up the whole. What matters is that you discover for yourself how the various parts relate to each other – and how to show this depends on

“Shaping” the Text’s Structure We will use the following arrangement of the text for our study of the passage Note: It is only one possible shaping of the structure of the passage. .

The Shape of the Text Struct ure So he left in Joseph’s care

So he left in Joseph’s care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “come to bed with me!” But he refused. he told her, “With me in charge, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; Everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No-one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing

Step 3

What is happening? c) Who are the people involved? [ Look for the personal nouns and underline with bold letters, or write them in capital letters, so that they stand out ]

The Persons

So he left in Joseph’s care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “come to bed with me!”

But he refused. he told her, “With me in charge, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; house Everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No-one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing

Step 4

What is happening? b) What are these persons doing? [ Look now for the verbs and put them in italics, or underline them with a different colour ]

The Acti on

So he left in Joseph’s care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “come to bed with me!” But he refused. he told her, “With me in charge, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; Everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No-one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing

St ep 5 What is each section about? What are the topics? [ Note them as headings on the right ]

The Topi cs

So he left in Joseph’s care Household responsibilities everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well built Good looks and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “come to bed with me!” Enticement But he refused. Refusal / rebuttal he told her, “With me in charge, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; Everything he owns His master’s trust he has entrusted to my care. No-one is greater in this house than I am. His master’s confidence My master has withheld nothing from me except you, His master’s intimacy because you are his wife.

Step 6 What is the over-all subject of this passage?

Over-all Subject Sexual Temptation: Answering a tempter to sexual sin How to deal verbally with sexual enticement

Step 7

[An important one!]

What does the passage say about this over-all subject?

Step 7 What does the passage say about this over-all subject?

Note the limited scope of this question  The question is not asking for everything that the passage may teach (i.e. About this and other topics also)

St ep 7

What does the passage say about this over-all subject?

 The question is not asking for everything that is taught in the Bible about the subject

St ep 7 What does the passage say about this over-all subject?  The question is not asking about  how to deal with temptation itself, e.g.  by avoiding it (see v.10b: never alone with the tempter!) or  by running away from it (see v.12)

but about  how to answer the one who is tempting

The Teaching about the over-all subject So he left in Joseph’s care Household responsibilities everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well built Attraction and temptation and handsome. ______________________________________________________________________

 People can be particularly subject to temptation who are  In positions of prominence  In positions of great trust  Blessed with good looks

The Teaching about the over-all subject and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “come to bed with me!” ___________________________________________________

 Familiarity with people at work can create situations of temptation

The Teaching about the over-all subject But he refused.

Refusal / rebuttal

___________________________________________________

 The first step in dealing with temptation is to say “No!“

The Teaching about the over-all subject he told her, “With me in charge, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house;

______________________________________ It is wise to bring a third party into the situation (either physically or, as when Joseph referred to his master, mentally)

The Teaching about the over-all subject His master’s confidence My master has withheld nothing from me except you, His master’s intimacy because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” God

Responsibility towards

______________________________________________________________

 Rather than denouncing the tempter, It is tactful to defend  one‘s own integrity and  the interests of others

The Teaching about the over-all subject My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”

_________________________________  There are God-made boundaries in human affairs: to cross them results in  wronging others as well as  seriously sinning against God

The Teaching about the over-all subject Everything he owns His master’s trust he has entrusted to my care. No-one is greater in this house than I am. His master’s confidence My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. His master’s intimacy

_______________________________________  Succumbing to sexual temptation

The Teaching about the over-all subject Everything he owns His master’s trust he has entrusted to my care. No-one is greater in this house than I am. His master’s confidence My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. His master’s intimacy

_______________________________________

The Teaching about the over-all subject Everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No-one is greater in this house than I am.

His master’s trust

His master’s

confidence My master has withheld nothing from me except you, His master’s intimacy because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” Responsibility towards God _______________________________________________________________

 It is wise to have reasons against particular temptations   

Not to betray his master‘s confidence in him Not to spoil his relationship with his master Not to spoil the intimacy between husband & wife

The Teaching about the over-all subject

 There are God-made boundaries in human affairs that must never be crossed  People can be particularly subject to temptation who are  In positions of prominence  In positions of great trust  Blessed with good looks

 Familarity with people at work can create situations of temptation  The first step in dealing with temptation is to say “No!“  It is wise mentally to bring a third party into the situation (Joseph refers to his master)  It is tactful, rather than denouncing the tempter, to defend one‘s own integrity and the interests of others  Succumbing to sexual temptation destroys relationships as it betrays trust  Faithfulness in every area of life resists the temptations of extramarital affairs  It is wise to have reasons against particular temptations    

Not to betray his master‘s confidence in him Not to spoil his relationship with his master Not to spoil the intimacy between husband and wife Not to sin against God

The Teaching about the over-all subject Note: Just as a three-fold cord is not easily broken, so having several ways of resisting temptation strengthens our resolve not to give in. If we rely on one defence alone (e.g. remembering that to give in is sinning) we are more likely to fall into temptation

St ep 8 What is the main lesson that this passage teaches? What is the heart-beat of the passage?

Fin din g Th e He art -Be at The main lessons

 God has made boundaries in human affairs which we must never cross  Bring a third party (actually ot mentally) into a situation of temptation  Have reasons for resisting temptation before the temptation arises  Learn to be faithful in all situations

Th e He art-Be at Suggestion A

Saying “No!“ to temptation easier if you can also say “Why Not“! (Integrity in the face of temptation involves having good reasons for not complying)

is

Th e He art-Be at Suggestion B

When facing sexual temptation bring into the situation an affected third party (Integrity in the face of temptation involves having in mind the consequences for others)

The exegetical task is now complete The homiletical business of expounding and applying the message can now be undertaken

Appli catio n Lessons in Resisting Temptation not only for (negatively)  Resisting Seducers outside of marriage but also for (positively)  Maintaining Healthy Relationships inside and outside of Marriage

Appli catio n Healthy Relationships Outside of Marriage

1. Involve Others In situations of temptation bring in the rightfully concerned parties: Spouse - Fiancée – Master - God

Appli catio n Healthy Relationships Outside of Marriage

2. Be Accountable Never do, say, or think anything which you would not wish the rightfully concerned parties to know about

Appli catio n Healthy Relationships Outside of Marriage

3. Rehearse Biblical Reasons for righteous behaviour Why the wrong behaviour is wicked and offends God as well as wronging others

Addi ti onal Note

on dealing with sexual temptation The passage context concerns why the righteous Joseph was thrown into prison. The immediate context includes two additional examples of how to deal with sexual temptation

Addi ti onal Note

on dealing with sexual temptation  Avoid being alone with a person of the opposite sex  Run away from those who would tempt you to sin

The E nd