Be Pure: The responses of Judah and Joseph

Be Pure: The responses of Judah and Joseph

This Sunday, CDC had the privilege of Reverend Jerry Eng share the message which was based on Genesis Chapter 38 and 39, an interesting comparison of two sons of Jacob, and their amazingly different characters at the time of temptation.

Starting of his sermon, Reverend Jerry drew our attention to the alarming rise of pornography on the internet, and the increasing immorality amount the generations today, even among Christians. This placed a burden in his heart to share especially on the subject of purity in the Church of God. 

Genesis Chapter 38 looks at the story of Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar. Having married a Canaanite woman, Judah had three sons. He got a wife named Tamar for his firstborn, Er, but he soon died because of his wickedness. Judah instructed his second son, Onan, to marry Tamar, and fulfill his duty to his older brother by producing offspring for him. However, he did not, and the Lord also put him to death for his wickedness. Now Judah feared for the life of his third son, Shelah, and wondered if Tamar might be a bringer of bad luck. Deceitfully, he sent her back to her father’s house, with the false promise that he would give her Shelah when he grew older. However, in due time, it was clear that he had no intention to do so, and Tamar, in a desperate act to seek her redemption, disguised herself as a prostitute along a road where she knew Judah would pass. Judah, not recognizing his daughter-in-law, propositioned her and Tamar, as guarantee for her payment, amazingly obtained his seal and his staff, effectively his Mykad and his driving license.

Now turning our attention to Genesis Chapter 39, we see the story of Jacob’s favored son Joseph, who was sold by his own brothers as a slave to Egypt. However, in Egypt, Joseph, ever the man of integrity, was granted success by God in everything he did. In a short time, he was given the responsibility for the whole household by his master Potiphar. Unfortunately, Potiphar’s wife also looked with favor on Joseph, but from a different point of view, and pestered him day and night to sleep with her. His righteous response is a wonderful model for all of us to follow:- “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?"

Judah was governed by his own natural lust. Joseph was governed by the fear of God. Judah gave up his own identity willingly to a prostitute, Joseph maintained his integrity and righteousness before God’s eyes at all cost.

In today’s world, temptation comes right to our doorstep, in the form of television, the internet, and even in person, buffeting us almost everyday. Will we, like Judah, lose our identity to sin by following our carnal, human desires, or will we, like Joseph, choose to obey God rather than our bodily desires?

Pastor Jerry warned us that it is so important for us to guard ourselves against temptation. Billy Graham and his team, at the Modesto manifesto, met to discuss what were the common criticisms, real or alleged, that the public had of evangelists in their day. From this meeting, Billy Graham resolved to never travel, meet or eat with any woman other than his wife so as not to give the appearance of any impropriety. Incidentally, he had the break the manifesto once, when he was invited to a meal with the First Lady, Hilary Clinton. This too, he did in one of the most famous restaurants in town, at a table right in the centre, where everyone could watch them. Pastor Jerry also warned that a man should take care not to counsel a woman in private, and vice versa. In the office, we are warned not to stay back late or during lunchtime, when there’s only one other colleague of the opposite gender around. He challenged us also to have an accountability partner, who would check on us to see if we were walking in integrity and honesty. If we accidentally come across a dodgy website, close it off immediately, don’t even linger, and pull out the plug if you have to! Accountability to God and transparency to others is a necessity for all of us to live a righteous life in God’s eyes.

Pastor Jerry then read from Ephesians Chapter 5:

1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
 3But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. 4Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.^[a] 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7Therefore do not be partners with them.
 8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for it is light that makes everything visible.

When Judah heard that Tamar was pregnant, his immediate reaction was to burn her. However, when he found out what she had done, he admitted “she is more righteous than I”.  Her actions exposed his own unrighteousness in breaking his promise and not fulfilling his responsibility as father to arrange for the continuation of his firstborn’s line.

Joseph’s integrity landed him in trouble in the short term, but in the long term, God rewarded his faithfulness, and lifted him up to the position of Prime Minister of Egypt. Later, unlike Judah, who was so quick to condemn, he willingly forgave his brothers, realizing that it was God’s plan for him to suffer initially in Egypt that he might later become the savior of his family. 

 

In closing, let us to make it our desire and calling to live a pure life, in honesty and integrity, like Joseph of old, and live by the fear of God and not our own natural desires, our hearts intent only on the glory of His name.

God bless,

Jason