I’ve been reading about Joseph (Genesis 37, 39 – 50), and one thing that jumps out is his God-focus. When ordered by his master’s wife to take her to bed, he responds:
And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (Genesis 39.7 – 9, ESV, emphasis mine)
When two of his fellow-prisoners had dreams needing interpreting, he told them:
Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me. (Genesis 40.8, ESV)
When Pharaoh wanted a dream interpreted, Joseph told him the same thing:
It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer. (Genesis 41.16, ESV)
Joseph’s God-focus drove his behavior, just as Job’s did. For example,
1 “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?
2 What would be my portion from God above and my heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Is not calamity for the unrighteous, and disaster for the workers of iniquity?
4 Does not he see my ways and number all my steps? (Job 31.1 – 4, ESV)
What’s interesting is that neither Joseph nor Job had the written word at that time. They would have had to rely on an oral tradition that may have included not much more than:
- God created the heavens and the earth (we can look it up in Genesis 1 and 2)
- Adam and Eve succumbed to the temptation of the serpent and sinned with consequences (Genesis 3)
- God destroyed the world because of sin, saving only Noah (Genesis 6 – 8)
- God scattered the people because of their pride (Genesis 11)
- God chose Abraham and his family to make a difference (Genesis 12 and following)
Even as I listed these stories, one unmistakable theme is that sin has consequences. Joseph knew this, and it drove his behavior. I may write more tomorrow about how for some of us that’s not true. We know a lot, but it sometimes doesn’t alter our behavior.
For now, let’s remember that for Joseph it did make a difference. A God-focus (we could say Kingdom focus) did guide his behavior.
Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression. (Psalm 19.12, 13, NKJV)
These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards. (Matthew 7.24 – 27, MSG)