The Enemy of Love: Self Control and Lust

Scripture – Genesis 39:4-21

4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his
household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. 5 From the time he put him in
charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the
Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in
the house and in the field. 6 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, 7 and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed
with me!"
8 But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with
anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9 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?" 10 And though she spoke to
Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.
11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was
inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in
her hand and ran out of the house.
13 When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14 she called
her household servants. "Look," she said to them, "this Hebrew has been brought to us to make
sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. 15 When he heard me scream for
help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house."
16
She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him this story: "That
Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18 But as soon as I screamed for
help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house."
19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, "This is how your slave treated me,"
he burned with anger. 20 Joseph's master took him and put him in prison, the place where the
king's prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the LORD was
with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.