When we find ourselves in dangerous situations, sometimes the safest thing we can do is run. Sometimes, we need to flee from harmful situations without looking back. This is certainly the case when we find ourselves tempted by sin, particularly lust. When we face temptation head-on, we need to run from that temptation and leave it behind.
When Joseph faced temptation in Genesis 39, he understood the importance of fleeing. In our Bible study this week, we learned that he had been sold into slavery to the house of an Egyptian officer, Potiphar (verse 1). During this time, Potiphar's wife instructed him, "Come and sleep with me" (verse 7). Joseph refused, but Potiphar's wife was persistent (verse 8). Scripture teaches us that "she kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible” (verse 10). Things escalated one day when she "grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, 'Come on, sleep with me!" (verse 12). At this, Joseph acted in wisdom. He "tore himself away…as he ran from the house” (verse 12). In the face of temptation, Joseph ran. He understood in this circumstance that the best way to avoid temptation and sin was to run. He fled from the tempting situation, focusing on keeping his integrity intact and honoring God by fleeing from temptation.
Joseph's response to temptation serves as a model for us. Like Joseph, in the face of temptation, the wisest thing we can do is simply flee. Fleeing removes ourselves from the temptation, helping us to walk away from it. We will never regret walking away when we are tempted. May each one of us have the courage and wisdom to flee in the face of temptation and honor God by the way we walk away from temptation.
What does it look like to flee from your temptation, whether you are currently tempted by lust or something else? Maybe you need to remove yourselves from a friend group. Maybe you need to tell someone about your struggle so that they can help you. Whatever fleeing looks like today, take that step and flee from the circumstances tempting you to sin.
10 She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible. 11 One day, however, no one else was around when he went in to do his work. 12 She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, “Come on, sleep with me!” Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house.
13 When she saw that she was holding his cloak and he had fled, 14 she called out to her servants. Soon all the men came running. “Look!” she said. “My husband has brought this Hebrew slave here to make fools of us! He came into my room to rape me, but I screamed. 15 When he heard me scream, he ran outside and got away, but he left his cloak behind with me.”
16 She kept the cloak with her until her husband came home. 17 Then she told him her story. “That Hebrew slave you’ve brought into our house tried to come in and fool around with me,” she said. 18 “But when I screamed, he ran outside, leaving his cloak with me!”
19 Potiphar was furious when he heard his wife’s story about how Joseph had treated her. 20 So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king’s prisoners were held, and there he remained. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. 22 Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. 23 The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed.
