約瑟經歷試煉和引誘
創世記三十九章
1約瑟被帶下埃及去。有一個埃及人，是法老的內臣，謢衛長波提乏，從那些帶下他來的以實瑪利人手下買了他去。
2約瑟住在他主人埃及人的家中，耶和華與他同在，他就百事順利。
3他主人見耶和華與他同在，又見耶和華使他手裡所辦的盡都順利，
4約瑟就在主人眼前蒙恩，伺候他主人，並且主人派他管理家務，把一切所有的都交在他手裡。
5自從主人派約瑟管理家務和他一切所有的，耶和華就因約瑟的緣故賜福與那埃及人的家；凡家裡和田間一切所有的都蒙耶和華賜福。
6波提乏將一切所有的都交在約瑟的手中，除了自己所吃的飯，別的事一概不知。約瑟原來秀雅俊美。
7這事以後，約瑟主人的妻，以目送情給約瑟說：“你與我同寢吧！”
8約瑟不從，對他主人的妻說：“看哪！一切家務我主人都不知道，他把所有的都交在我手裡。
9在這家裡沒有比我大的，並且他沒有留下一樣不交給我，只留下了你，因為你是他的妻子。我怎能作這大惡，得罪 神呢？”
10後來她天天和約瑟說，約瑟卻不聽從她，不與她同寢，也不和她在一處。
11有一天，約瑟進屋裡去辦事，家中人沒有一個在那屋裡，
12婦人就拉住他的衣裳說：“你與我同寢吧！”約瑟把衣裳丟在婦人手裡，跑到外邊去了。
13婦人看見約瑟把衣裳丟在她手裡跑出去了，
14就叫了家裡的人來，對他們說：“你們看！他帶了一個希伯來人進入我們家裡，要戲弄我們。他到我這裡來，要與我同寢，我就大聲喊叫。
15他聽見我放聲喊起來，就把衣裳丟在我這裡，跑到外邊去了。”
16婦人把約瑟的衣裳放在自己那裡，等著他主人回家，
17就對他如此如此說：“你所帶到我們這裡的那希伯來僕人進來要戲弄我，
18我放聲喊起來，他就把衣裳丟在我這裡跑出去了。”
19約瑟的主人聽見他妻子對他所說的話說：“你的僕人如此如此待我”，他就生氣，
20把約瑟下在監裡，就是王的囚犯被囚的地方。於是約瑟在那裡坐監。
21但耶和華與約瑟同在，向他施恩，使他在司獄的眼前蒙恩。
22司獄就把監裡所有的囚犯都交在約瑟的手下，他們在那裡所辦的事都是經他的手。
23凡在約瑟手下的事，司獄一概不察，因為耶和華與約瑟同在，耶和華使他所做的盡都順利。
信息分享
他為何會迅速獲得提升呢？請看第2和3節：「耶和華與他同在。」波提乏很快便看出，約瑟的才幹和品格從神而來。而且，他進一步發現，自己能夠凡事順利，也是有約瑟作他的管家。
基督徒在其工作崗位中的表現非常重要。運用神所賜的恩賜，可以作一個優秀並值得信賴的僱員。他的優秀表現，將成為他為主所做的佳美見證。
波提乏的妻子也一直關注約瑟；她並非欣賞他的表現，而是想引誘這個俊美的少年。
她是否只引誘了他一次呢？不，第10節告訴我們，她天天引誘他。被引誘一次而堅決拒絕，跟天天被引誘卻不犯罪，是極其不同的兩件事。
約瑟怎樣處理呢？他是一個只有二十來歲的單身男子，又是獨自一人在他鄉，一切客觀條件都似乎縱容他犯罪：「幹吧！沒有人會知道的！」
但約瑟提出三個有力的理由來拒絕犯罪。第一，他的主人信任他（8節）；其次，「妳縱然感到生活沉悶，妳縱然很有吸引力，但妳已是一個已婚的婦人」（9節）；而最重要的是，約瑟說：「我不能犯這大惡，得罪我的神。」
他用行動來回答試探：跑到外邊去。許多時候，當試探臨到，最佳的對策就是像約瑟一樣逃跑離開。
緊記保羅的教導：「你要逃避少年人的私慾。」（提後二22）
JOSEPH - TESTED AND TEMPTED
Genesis 39
1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there.
2 The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand.
4 So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.
5 So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field.
6 Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate.
Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.
7 And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.”
8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand.
9 There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
10 So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.
11 But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside,
12 that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.
13 And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside,
14 that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice.
15 And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.”
16 So she kept his garment with her until his master came home.
17 Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me;
18 so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.”
19 So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, “Your servant did to me after this manner,” that his anger was aroused.
20 Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.
21 But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing.
23 The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper.
Message
Why was this? Look at verses 2 and 4 -'The Lord was with him'. Potiphar quickly saw that Joseph's abilities and character were from a 'Divine source'. He also saw himself prospering because of Joseph's presence in his establishment.
The presence of a Christian in his place of employment is very strategic. As far as his gifts enable him, he ought to be the best worker and certainly the most reliable. The way in which a Christian does his work should earn for him the right to speak for Christ.
THE TEMPTATION
Mrs. Potiphar, the boss's wife had also been watching Joseph, but for very different reasons. Her eyes were filled with lust. All she saw was a fine good-looking young man whom she wanted to seduce.
Did the temptation come only once? No, v.10 says it came day after day. Being tempted once and standing firm is very different to temptation repeated day after day.
How did Joseph handle it? He was a single young man, may be just 20. He was alone in a foreign land. Everything seemed to say:
'Do it - no one will know.'
But Joseph gave three valid reasons for refusing to yield. First, his master trusted him (v.8). Secondly, 'You may be bored, you may be attractive, but you are a married woman' (v.9). Most importantly, Joseph said: 'I cannot do it. It would be a sin against my God'.
His final answer is in v.12. He ran. Sometimes the best action in the face of temptation is to do what Joseph did, leave the scene immediately.
REMEMBER PAUL'S WORDS: 'Flee, shun anything to do with lust' (2 Timothy 2:22).