"How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" Genesis 39:9
Genesis 39 reads like a well-developed soap opera. The characters represent Egypt’s high society: Potiphar, the wealthy official in Pharaoh’s court; his flirtatious wife; and Joseph, the handsome, industrious Israelite slave. This biblical account would have become even more sordid had not the Lord given Joseph a keen sense of what is morally right.
Joseph could have given in to his master’s wife and remained secure in his position. But he knew that to sin against God was to risk losing the Lord who was with him. By God’s grace, he chose to do what was right, even though he was falsely accused and imprisoned. He preferred to be in prison with the Lord, rather than in power without the Lord. But his gracious Lord eventually exalted him to an even higher position.
Jesus was faithful to the Father who had sent Him, never succumbing to temptation. He too was falsely accused and punished. But Jesus’ suffering earned pardon for all who give in to temptation. Christ then was exalted to the right hand of the Father, where He ever pleads for us. May we all strive to be faithful to our Lord, who is with us in Christ, our Savior.
PRAYER: O God, enlighten us so we may see the clear path of Your will and not stray from it; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
(Devotions from “The Abundant Life” copyright 1998, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time e-mailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)
Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 36-38 John 12:1-26
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