His Word Today

We will continue to devote each Lord’s Day weekend in 2022 at hiswordtoday.org to present a portion of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). For those unfamiliar with the WCF, a brief explanation is appropriate. 

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the “subordinate standard” of doctrine (to Scripture) in the Church of Scotland and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide.

It is to that “most precise and accurate summary of the content of biblical Christianity” that we will give our time and attention to each Lord’s Day in the year of our Lord, 2021. I trust you will be edified and encouraged each week by The Westminster Confession of Faith.

Chapter Twenty Two: Of Lawful Oaths and Vows. Part 4.

7. No man may vow to do anything forbidden in the Word of God, or what would hinder any duty therein commanded, or which is not in his own power, and for the performance whereof he hath no promise or ability from God.^a In which respect, Popish monastical vows of perpetual single life, professed poverty, and regular obedience, are so far from being degrees of higher perfection, that they are superstitious and sinful snares, in which no Christian may entangle himself.^b

a. Num 30:5, 8, 12-13; Mark 6:26; Acts 23:12, 14. • b. Mat 19:11-12; 1 Cor 7:2, 9, 23; Eph 4:28; 1 Pet 4:2.

I encourage you to read the portions of Scripture listed in this post. Have a blessed Lord’s Day.

Soli deo Gloria!

We will continue to devote each Lord’s Day weekend in 2022 at hiswordtoday.org to present a portion of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). For those unfamiliar with the WCF, a brief explanation is appropriate. 

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the “subordinate standard” of doctrine (to Scripture) in the Church of Scotland and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide.

It is to that “most precise and accurate summary of the content of biblical Christianity” that we will give our time and attention to each Lord’s Day in the year of our Lord, 2021. I trust you will be edified and encouraged each week by The Westminster Confession of Faith.

Chapter Twenty Two: Of Lawful Oaths and Vows. Part 3.

5. A vow is of the like nature with a promissory oath, and ought to be made with the like religious care, and to be performed with like faithfulness.^a

a. Isa 19:21; Psa 61:8; 66:13-14; Eccl 5:4-6.

6. It is not to be made to any creature, but to God alone:^a and that it may be accepted, it is to be made voluntarily, out of faith and conscience of duty, in way of thankfulness for mercy received, or for the obtaining of what we want; whereby we more strictly bind ourselves to necessary duties, or to other things, so far and so long as they may fitly conduce thereunto.^b

a. Psa 76:11; Jer 44:25-26. • b. Gen 28:20-22; Deut 23:21, 23; 1 Sam 1:11; Psa 50:14; 66:13-14; 132:2-5.

I encourage you to read the portions of Scripture listed in this post. Have a blessed Lord’s Day.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁹ “As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. ²⁰ And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. ²¹ But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. ²² And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. ²³ The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.” (Genesis 39:19–23 (ESV)

I submit to you the following observations from today’s text. Consider them, if you please.

First, why didn’t Potiphar execute Joseph? If he believed his wife enough to place Joseph in prison for attempted rape, why not complete the task of retribution by executing him? Historically, the normal punishment for rape or attempted rape in Egypt was execution. However, this was not the fate Joseph received after being falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife (Gen. 39:11–18). 

Second, even though Joseph was once again a prisoner, the LORD blessed him (Gen. 39:21). Believers in Christ often equate God’s blessings in their lives by their circumstances rather than in spite of their circumstances. Although Joseph was in prison, with seemingly no hope of ever getting out of prison, the LORD not only showed him His sovereign and steadfast love, but also favor with the keeper of the prison.

Third, God’s blessings upon Joseph were in the midst of his prison trial and not the immediate removal of his prison trial. God may choose to place us in trials for our overall benefit and His overall glory (I Peter 1:6-7). The believer in Christ is to count it all joy, even when life is hard (James 1:1-5).

Fourth, Joseph exhibited leadership qualities in whatever situation he found himself. Joseph became in charge of all the other prisoners. The keeper of the prison delegated that responsibility to Joseph. Why did this happen? The text reveals that it was because the LORD was with Joseph and He made everything Joseph did succeed (Gen. 39:1-2).

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “Yet we should not think Joseph’s life in prison was easy. In all likelihood, Jacob’s favorite son was confined to a fortress where he would have been subjected to forced labor. Yet again he was persecuted for doing the right thing and serving his master (37:12–28; 39:6b–18), giving us an important theological lesson for our day. Unfortunately, many believers have been deceived into thinking that God never desires for His children to suffer and that to endure a hardship like sickness or poverty necessarily means the victim has a weak faith. The story of Joseph reminds us unjust suffering is often our path to the blessings God wants to shower on us, just as it was for Christ (Isa. 53; Phil. 2:5–11). In many ways, his imprisonment at the hands of his brothers prepared Joseph for his time in the king’s prison.”

Proverbs 24:16 says, “For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.” The righteous may suffer many adversities, yet God vindicates them.

One commentator explains, “As God’s holy people, we are not free from suffering and failure, but we alone have the hope the Lord will raise us up again to great blessings, both now and in the age to come. How are you suffering today? Do you face illness, failed plans, or hostility? Trust again in God’s goodness, for He will most certainly raise you up in His time.”

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁶ “Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, ¹⁷ and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. ¹⁸ But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house. ¹⁹ As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. ²⁰ And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. But the LORD was with Joseph.” (Genesis 39:16–21a (ESV)

Proverbs 6:32–35 (ESV) says, “³² He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself. ³³ He will get wounds and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be wiped away. ³⁴ For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge. ³⁵ He will accept no compensation; he will refuse though you multiply gifts.”

It has been written, “Those that have broken the bonds of modesty will never be held by the bonds of truth.” Joseph maintained his modesty towards Potiphar’s wife and therefore held to the bonds of God’s truth. However, she did not. Potiphar’s wife lacked sense in her desire to commit adultery. Her behavior should have immediately brought her dishonor and disgrace.

To further compound her sin of adultery, she lied to Potiphar about Joseph. Potiphar reacted as most husbands would. He became angry. The Hebrew word for kindled means to become enraged and strongly displeased. Potiphar took Joseph and put him into the prison. The word prison literally means a round house which was used to confine the king’s prisoners.

Potiphar put Joseph into prison. There was no trial or any opportunity for Joseph to defend himself, but rather a quick confinement for something he did not do. The irony is that Joseph was confined even though he did the right thing by running away. How do we make sense of this?

The Scriptures do not attempt to explain to Joseph or to leaders today, the reason God permitted these events to occur. The Bible says only that “the LORD was with Joseph.” (Genesis 39:21a ESV).

Dr. Don Carson writes, “No marvel that she who had impudence enough to say, Lie with me, had front enough to say, “He would have lied with me.” Had the lie been told to conceal her own crime it would have been bad enough, yet, in some degree, excusable; but it was told to be revenged upon his virtue, a most malicious lie. And yet, she manages it so as to incense her husband against him, reflecting upon him for bringing this Hebrew servant among them, perhaps at first against her mind, because he was a Hebrew. It is no new thing for the best of men to be falsely accused of the worst. This was not the first time that Joseph’s coat was made use of as a false witness concerning him; his father had been deceived by it before, now his master.”

Proverbs 24:16 (ESV) says, “¹⁶ For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.”

Though Joseph found himself in another pit, the LORD will cause him to rise again from the depths. This is because the LORD was with Joseph as He is with you and me.

Soli deo Gloria!  

¹³ And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, ¹⁴ she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. ¹⁵ And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.” (Genesis 39:13–15 (ESV)

Joseph did the right thing in fleeing Potiphar’s home (2 Tim. 2:22). Dr. Don Carson writes, “Here is a most illustrious instance of virtue and resolved chastity in Joseph, who, by the grace of God, was enabled to resist and overcome this temptation; and, all things considered, his escape was, for aught I know, as great an instance of the divine power as the deliverance of the three children out of the fiery furnace.”

Joseph’s flight from evil was a response all believers in Christ would do well to imitate (1 Tim. 6:11). God promises to bless those who obey Him and resist transgression (Deut. 28:1–14; Matt. 5:10).  However, this episode in Joseph’s life reveals that the reward from God is not always immediate. As one pastor writes, “faithfulness often brings persecution.”

English playwright and poet William Congreve (1670-1729) wrote, “Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.” It did not take long for Potiphar’s wife to turn against Joseph. She wanted him, but he refused. Therefore, she became determined to destroy him any way she could. She called to the men of the house and falsely accused Joseph of attempted rape.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “Joseph’s rapid exit would raise many questions, and so Potiphar’s wife acts quickly to avoid any blame. She appeals to the basest instincts of the other servants and emphasizes Joseph’s foreign heritage to cast him as an outsider and as a threat to the household (Gen. 39:14). Moreover, she lies outright, accusing Joseph of her actions by saying “he left” his garment (vv. 15–18), terminology that implies he willingly disrobed instead of struggling to escape her. Potiphar’s wife shows how sinners attempt to corrupt the way others see us when they cannot entice us to follow their schemes.”

Joseph’s resistance of temptation was very brave, and his obedience to the LORD truly honorable. The almighty grace of God enabled him to overcome this assault of the enemy. May the LORD provide each of us the same almighty grace (I Cor. 10:12-13). He has promised to do so.

Soli deo Gloria!  

¹¹ “But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, ¹² she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house.” (Genesis 39:11–12 (ESV)

It is interesting how three words can establish an ominous tone in literature. I’m certain you have heard the well-mocked expression, “It was a dark and stormy night.” This archetype, by many, for bad writing comes from the first phrase of the opening sentence of English novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton‘s 1830 novel Paul Clifford.” Just a brief bit of trivia to begin your day.

However, Moses should not be compared to Edward Butler-Lytton as an example of writing bad prose. Rather, the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:19-21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17) established a foreboding and sinister premonition that something sinister was about to happen to Joseph. The phrase but one day is another way of writing and it came to pass.

It occurred that one day, as Joseph was going about his normal business in his master Potiphar’s house, that none of the other men, presumably other servants, were there in the house. Joseph was alone, except for Potiphar’s wife. This was not a good situation.

Given her previous behavior of sexual advances toward Joseph (Gen. 39:6-10), the fact that the two of them were alone in the house was not a coincidence. Potiphar’s wife was seeking to fulfill her wanton desire.  The text says, “She caught him by his garment, saying, and “Lie with me.” She seized Joseph’s by his clothes and continually commanded him to be sexually intimate with her.

Joseph did the only thing he could righteously do. He fled from the scene. The interpretive principle of Scripture interpreting Scripture certainly applies. 2 Timothy 2:22 (ESV) says, “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

The time for discussion was over. It was time to do the only right thing he could do given the particular circumstances. The text says Joseph left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house.” To flee means to not only physically leave the house, but also to reject the woman’s indecent proposal.

Potiphar’s wife wanted Joseph and was willing to go to great lengths to entrap him. Potiphar’s wife set the trap. Joseph refused to take the bait. He did what every leader should do in a similar situation, but often do not; he ran away. He got as far away from her as he could. Joseph did the right thing.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “Joseph would have been wearing the typical garments of the day: a long-sleeved shirt and shorts that come down to the mid-calf. For him to flee and leave these behind would mean Joseph engaged in a forceful struggle with the woman to escape — since the clothes could not normally be removed so quickly (vv. 12b–13). Joseph is honorable and would rather leave a valued piece of clothing behind than to sin against the Lord. His flight from evil is a response all believers do well to imitate (1 Tim. 6:11). God promises to bless those who obey Him and resist transgression (Deut. 28:1–14; Matt. 5:10), yet this episode in Joseph’s life reveals that the reward is not always immediate. In fact, faithfulness often brings persecution.”

Puritan Matthew Henry comments: “It is better to lose a good coat than a good conscience.”

Another commentator put it this way: “Joseph would rather lose his possessions or even his reputation on account of Potiphar’s evil wife than transgress the Lord’s commandments. There are times when we may have to choose between what others might think of us and doing the right thing. Even if others lie about us now, our righteousness will be rewarded in the age to come (Matt. 5:11–12).”

Faithfulness often brings persecution. We’ll see how this occurred in Joseph’s life when next we meet.

Soli deo Gloria!  

¹⁰ And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.” (Genesis 39:10 (ESV)

Joseph encountered an intense conflict which has destroyed many a leader: adultery. Yet Joseph stayed noble and true to the holy God he loved and the human master he served. He would not commit what he called, “this great wickedness and sin against God” (Genesis 39:9 ESV).

As it is so often the case with conflict, the temptation continued. Potiphar’s wife was relentless. She would not give up. The Bible says “she spoke to Joseph day after day” (Genesis 39:10 ESV). What she said to Joseph is intimated in the statement “that he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her” (Genesis 39:10 ESV). Joseph remained true to God in spite of intense conflict. He would not compromise his convictions, but neither would Potiphar’s wife alter her desires.

When the text says that Joseph would not listen to her, it does not mean he did not hear what she had to say. He heard her and understood her. However, he would not comply with her, but resisted her advances.

Desperate people often do desperate things. Or, as filmmaker and comedian Woody Allen once stated in explaining his sexual affair with his wife’s adopted daughter, “The heart wants what it wants…. There’s no logic to those things”

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “Joseph could not see it at the time, but his service in Potiphar’s house was actually good training for his future vocation. The authority he held under Potiphar (Gen. 39:1–6a) would, in effect, be excellent schooling for the high position of stewardship we know he will be given under Pharaoh (41:37–57). Joseph’s life,

Puritan Matthew Henry comments: “What God intends men for he will be sure, some way or other, to qualify them for. Our Lord also prepares us spiritually, as befits our calling as His holy people (Ps. 144:1; 2 Tim. 1:8–9), and this is true in Joseph’s life as well, as today’s passage illustrates. One way our Father equips us for ministry is by allowing temptations into our lives so that in suffering under and resisting against them He can establish us all the more firmly in the truth (1 Peter 5:6–11).”

Today’s passage is an excellent example when dealing with temptation. Joseph would not wrong his master and he would not offend his God. This is the truth which strengthens the believer’s aversion to sin.

Consider this truth: “When tempted to sin, we should first remind ourselves that evil offends the Lord. Yet we should also consider how the act might hurt another person in order to motivate ourselves to refrain from sin and the harm it does to other people.”

Soli deo Gloria!

We will continue to devote each Lord’s Day weekend in 2022 at hiswordtoday.org to present a portion of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). For those unfamiliar with the WCF, a brief explanation is appropriate. 

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the “subordinate standard” of doctrine (to Scripture) in the Church of Scotland and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide.

It is to that “most precise and accurate summary of the content of biblical Christianity” that we will give our time and attention to each Lord’s Day in the year of our Lord, 2021. I trust you will be edified and encouraged each week by The Westminster Confession of Faith.

Chapter Twenty Two: Of Lawful Oaths and Vows. Part 2.

3. Whosoever taketh an oath ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act, and therein to vow nothing but what he is fully persuaded is the truth.^a Neither may any man bind himself by oath to anything but what is good and just, and what he believes so to be, and what he is able and resolved to perform.^b Yet it is a sin to refuse an oath touching anything that is good and just, being imposed by lawful authority.^c

a. Exod 20:7; Jer 4:2. • b. Gen 24:2-3, 5-6, 8-9. • c. Exod 22:7-11; Num 5:19, 21; Neh 5:12.

4. An oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense of the words, without equivocation or mental reservation.^a It cannot oblige to sin; but in anything not sinful, being taken, it binds to performance, although to a man’s own hurt:^b nor is it to be violated, although made to heretics or infidels.^c

a. Psa 24:4; Jer 4:2. • b. 1 Sam 25:22, 32-34; Psa 15:4. • c. Ezek 17:16, 18-19; Josh 9:18-19 with 2 Sam 21:1.

I encourage you to read the portions of Scripture listed in this post. Have a blessed Lord’s Day.

Soli deo Gloria!

We will continue to devote each Lord’s Day weekend in 2022 at hiswordtoday.org to present a portion of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). For those unfamiliar with the WCF, a brief explanation is appropriate. 

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the “subordinate standard” of doctrine (to Scripture) in the Church of Scotland and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide.

It is to that “most precise and accurate summary of the content of biblical Christianity” that we will give our time and attention to each Lord’s Day in the year of our Lord, 2021. I trust you will be edified and encouraged each week by The Westminster Confession of Faith.

Chapter Twenty Two: Of Lawful Oaths and Vows. Part 1.

1. A lawful oath is a part of religious worship,^a wherein, upon just occasion, the person swearing solemnly calls God to witness what he asserts or promises; and to judge him according to the truth or falsehood of what he swears.^b

a. Deut 10:20. • b. Exod 20:7; Lev 19:12; 2 Chron 6:22-23; 2 Cor 1:23.

2. The name of God only is that by which men ought to swear, and therein it is to be used with all holy fear and reverence;^a therefore to swear vainly or rashly by that glorious and dreadful name, or to swear at all by any other thing, is sinful, and to be abhorred.^b Yet as, in matters of weight and moment, an oath is warranted by the Word of God, under the New Testament, as well as under the Old,^c so a lawful oath, being imposed by a lawful authority, in such matters ought to be taken.^d

a. Deut 6:13. • b. Exod 20:7; Jer 5:7; Mat 5:34, 37; James 5:12. • c. Isa 65:16; 2 Cor 1:23; Heb 6:16. • d. 1 Kings 8:31; Ezra 10:5; Neh 13:25.

I encourage you to read the portions of Scripture listed in this post.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day.

Soli deo Gloria!

⁷ “And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” ⁸ 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. ⁹ 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)

^13 “The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing. ¹⁴ She sits at the door of her house; she takes a seat on the highest places of the town, ¹⁵ calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way, ¹⁶ “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” And to him who lacks sense she says, ¹⁷“Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” ¹⁸ But he does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.” (Proverbs 9:13–18 (ESV)

The sin by Potiphar’s wife against Joseph began with her eyes. She began to desire Joseph in what she saw (Gen. 39:6; I John 2:15-17). She brazenly commanded him to lie with her, which is another way of saying she wanted to be physically intimate with the young Hebrew. Her demands towards him were relentless.

Dr. Don Carson writes, “Remarkable beauty, either of men or women, often proves a dangerous snare both to themselves and others, which forbids pride in it and commands constant watchfulness against the temptation that attends it. We have great need to make a covenant with our eyes (Job 31:1), lest the eye infect the heart. Joseph’s mistress had a husband that ought to have been to her for a covering of the eyes from all others (Gen. 20:16).”

However, Joseph’s integrity shone brightly. He continually and fervently refused to have anything to do with her. He even continually told her why he would not give in to her advances. “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. ⁹ 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?”

Joseph logically told Potiphar’s wife that he could not sin against Potiphar in light of all the good he had done on Joseph’s behalf. However, the ultimate reason was he saw her sin in contrast to God’s holiness. What she wanted to do was great wickedness and sin against the LORD. It was depraved and it was wrong.

Dr. Carson adds, “She was daring and shameless in the sin. With an impudent face, and a harlot’s forehead, she said, Lie with me, having already, by her wanton looks and unchaste desires, committed adultery with him in her heart. Note, where the unclean spirit gets possession and dominion in a soul, it is as with the possessed of the devils (Luke 8:27, 29), the clothes of modesty are thrown off and the bands and fetters of shame are broken in pieces. When lust has got a head, it will stick at nothing, blush at nothing; decency, and reputation, and conscience, are all sacrificed to that Baal-peor.”

May each of us resolve to not sacrifice decency, reputation and conscience for the fleeting and deceptive desire of sin.

Soli deo Gloria!