Genesis 39:7 - Meaning and Application

Here is a shameful example of bold, shameless lust in Joseph’s mistress. She was a disgrace to her sex, completely lost to all virtue and honor, and her behavior cannot be read or thought about without strong anger. It was a mercy that she was Egyptian, because if such folly had been found in Israel, it would have brought shame on God’s people.

Her sin began with her eyes. She looked at Joseph, who was handsome and well built (Genesis 39:6-7). Beauty in a man or woman can become a dangerous trap, both for the person and for others. That is why beauty should never lead to pride, and why we must always watch carefully against the temptations that come with it. We need to make a covenant with our eyes (Job 31:1), so the eye does not poison the heart. Joseph’s mistress had a husband who should have been enough to guard her eyes from looking elsewhere (Genesis 20:16).

She also had no shame in the sin. With a bold face and a harlot’s forehead, she said, “Lie with me.” By her shameless looks and filthy desires, she had already committed adultery with him in her heart. When an evil spirit takes control of a soul, the person throws off modesty, and the bonds of shame are broken. When lust takes over, it stops at nothing and blushes at nothing. Decency, reputation, and conscience are all offered up to that false god, Baal-peor.

She was also stubborn and forceful in her temptation. Even after being refused with the strongest reasons, she kept repeating her wicked request. She spoke to him day after day (Genesis 39:10). This showed how fully her heart was set on evil. It was also a great test for Joseph. Satan was surely at work here. When he could not defeat Joseph through trouble and the world’s harsh treatment, since Joseph still held to his integrity, he attacked him with soft and pleasant pleasures. Those have ruined many more people than open hardship has.

Joseph, by God’s grace, gives a shining example of self-control and pure living. He resisted and overcame this temptation, and, as far as I can see, his escape was as great a display of God’s power as the rescue of the three young men from the fiery furnace.

The temptation was very strong. Never was there a fiercer attack on the defense of chastity than the one described here. The sin was sexual uncleanness. Considering Joseph’s youth, his good looks, his unmarried state, and the rich food he ate in the ruler’s house, this was the kind of sin that might easily have trapped him. The tempter was his mistress, a woman of high rank, whom he was expected to obey and whose favor could have advanced him greatly. Through her, he might have risen to the highest honors at court. On the other hand, if he rejected her and made her his enemy, he would be in great danger. There was also opportunity. She was in the house with him, he was there on business, and no one else from the household was present (Genesis 39:11). It seemed unlikely that anyone would ever find out, and if it did come to light, she might protect him. To all this was added constant pressure, until at last she even seized him.

Joseph’s resistance was brave, and his victory was truly honorable. God’s almighty grace enabled him to overcome the enemy’s attack. He resisted first by sound reasoning, and where right reason is heard, religion will surely prevail. He argued from the duty he owed both to God and to his master (Genesis 39:8-9). He would not wrong his master or do such a deep injury to his honor. He remembered how kind his master had been, how much trust had been given to him, and how many times he had been helped. Because of that, Joseph hated the thought of giving such an ungrateful return.

We are bound by honor, justice, and gratitude not to harm people who trust us, even if the harm could be done in secret. Joseph also says, “There is no one greater in this house than I” (Genesis 39:9). Those who are great should not become proud of their position. Instead, they should use their greatness as a reason not to sin. “Am I so favored? Then I will not do something wicked. It is beneath me to serve a shameful desire.”

Above all, Joseph would not offend God. This was his strongest reason. He did not just ask, “How can I do this?” or “How dare I do this?” He asked, “How can I do this?” We can only do what is lawful for us to do. It is wise to shut sin out with the strongest barrier, even by treating it as impossible. The one born of God cannot go on sinning (1 John 3:9). Joseph’s reasoning includes three thoughts. First, he considers who he is, “I.” Others may take such liberties, but he cannot. He is an Israelite in covenant with God, one who professes faith and belongs to Him, so such a thing is nearly impossible for him. Second, he thinks about what the sin is, “this great wickedness.” Others might call it a small matter or a youthful mistake, but Joseph sees it clearly. We must always see sin for what it is, give it its real name, and never try to make it seem smaller. Sexual sin in particular must always be seen as great wickedness, an especially serious sin that fights against the soul. Third, he thinks about who the sin is against, God. It is not only against his master, his mistress, himself, and his own body and soul, but against God. God’s people feel this most sharply, because sin is against God’s nature and rule, against his love, and against his good purpose. Those who love God hate sin for that very reason.

Joseph also overcame by steady resolve. God’s grace helped him win by keeping away from the tempter. He would not even listen to her so as to be with her (Genesis 39:10). Those who want to be safe must keep themselves out of danger. They must avoid evil and not even walk near it. And when she grabbed him, he left his garment in her hand (Genesis 39:12). He would not stay even to argue with the temptation, but fled from it with the greatest horror. He left his coat behind, as one fleeing for his life. It is better to lose a good coat than a good conscience.