Avoid Temptation: The Snares of Satan

Genesis 39:4-12

2 Corinthians 2:11

What are Satan's devices?  Satan can get an advantage over believers if we are not aware of his devices (snares, subtle schemes or traps).  Satan is also called the Tempter.  When he attacks the people of God it is usually not obvious.  If he went around like a roaring lion all the time no one would be deceived by him.  The bible tells us that he is the Tempter.  The church of Christ should not be ignorant of his devices because he wants to lure Christians into sin.  Many Christians are deceived into wrong thinking and actions.  Subtlety is his method, and traps are not easy to get out of.   Some evangelical leaders are so lacking discernment of Satan's devices that they take everything at face value, and anyone that says they are evangelical, they believe it.  There are so many men and women who are not aware of Satan's devices.  They are naive, living in the past, thinking that evangelical means the same thing now as it did in the 60s. But sadly, it does not.  Now, its not the biblical gospel, its the bible plus other things.  "make a decision"  "raise your hand". 

Sometimes Satan presents the bait and hides the hook.  Just do this thing and you will enjoy it but there are consequences which are hidden.   Sometimes Satan makes sin look small, he belittles sin, he presents God as all love and no justice.  Sometimes he says go and sin you can repent after.  That shows how Satan has snared Christians with his subtle schemes and many don't even know it.  Many Christians do not really want to know what the bible says.  Someone can prove from the bible that a church is disobeying God and it won't make any difference at all because people will just ignore it and pretend that it was never said.  They won't put it right because most professed Christians are determined not to obey the word of God and yet they still cling to the myth that they are saved, saved in their sin, clinging to a little profession.  Wanting, hoping to believe but Jesus said that it was only those who DO the will of my Father who will get to heaven.  Its a sad, sad situation when a professed Christian is content in their disobedience to the word of God.  

Satan's tactic will be that he will make a Christian confident to venture into the very place where they are going to be tempted.  He fills them with the notion that they can go to a place of temptation but they will be strong and not sin, they will be able to resist the temptation.   Satan says that you can resist temptation that is put in your path.  When you get tempted to think in that way, remember that Christians are to avoid temptation and all appearance of evil "lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory."   Don't think that you can put your finger in the fire but not get burned.  Enter not into the path of the wicked.  You are not going to get victory over sin if you don't avoid the temptation.  

Joseph and the Wife of Potiphar

Genesis 39

The wife of Potiphar was a woman of very poor moral character, yet her part in the story of Joseph, shows forth the power of a godly man to resist temptation, and ultimately find that the hand of God was there all along, working together all things for good.

Joseph was the much-loved son of Jacob.  But he was hated by his brother's because of a dream that Joseph had which involved them.  Eventually the brothers sold Joseph to merchantmen for 20 pieces of silver, and Joseph was brought to Egypt. (Genesis 37:27-28) After Joseph was taken to Egypt, he was bought by a man named Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, "and the LORD was with Joseph...."(Gen 39:2)  And Joseph became overseer of the house of Potiphar, and over all that he had.  "And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.  And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had put into his hand." (Gen 39:3-4)

But it was in the ultimate plan of God that Joseph would rise to an even more important position, one that would ultimately reunite him with his brothers and his father, but first Joseph would face temptation, and his faithfulness would be sorely tested.  That temptation came in the form of Potiphar's wife.

As Potiphar was an important man, it is likely that his wife also enjoyed a position of importance, and was no doubt used to having her commands obeyed under threat of imprisonment or worse.  As did Eve before her, and King David after her, she was tempted with that which pleased the eye, in this case Joseph, who was "a goodly person and well favoured" (Gen 39:6)  It is at this point that Potiphar's wife desires to commit adultery with Joseph, "And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said 'Lie with me' (Gen. 39:7)  We do not know if this was a regular habit with her, but this is given for our instruction as it is in James 1:13-15 "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every mam is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."   Surely this was a test allowed by God,  but a temptation of the devil.  Proverbs 6:29, 32 "So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.  ..But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul." 

Bible Women: Rachel - Loved by her husband

Wife of Jacob, mother of Joseph and Benjamin,  sister of Leah,  daughter of Laban, Rachel is one of the most prominent women in the book of Genesis.

We first meet Rachel upon Jacob's arrival in Haran, where he has gone to search for his uncle Laban after being sent on this journey by his father Isaac.  (Genesis 28:1 "And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.  Arise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Betheuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.").  Upon arriving in Haran, Jacob saw a  well in the field, and 3 flocks of sheep lying by it, and so Jacob asked the keepers of  the sheep of what land they were and they told him Haran, and that is how Jacob discovers that he has reached the land of his uncle.  Jacob asked if they knew Laban, and they did, and at that moment, "Rachel came with her father's sheep: for she kept them.  And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban...that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother." (Genesis 29:9-10) and he kissed Rachel a kiss of greeting and wept..he must have been so glad that his journey was finally over.  And Rachel, hearing that Jacob was her cousin, ran to tell her father, upon which Laban came running, and Jacob was brought to their house.

After a month, Laban asked Jacob what he desired to be his wages for serving for him, and Jacob gives his answer.  "And Laban  had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.  Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and wellfavoured.  And Jacob loved Rachel; and said I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter." (Genesis 29:16-18)  And so Jacob worked seven years for Rachel and that "they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her." (Genesis 29:20)

Bible Women: Mary: Chosen by God to Give Birth to the Saviour

Mary: Chosen by God to Give Birth to the Saviour

Luke 1, Matthew 1:18-25

We will follow Mary's story in the gospel of Luke, with references back to Matthew, Isaiah and Genesis.  Luke 1:26-27 "in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.. V19 Gabriel had told Zacharias who was to be the father of John the Baptist, that Gabriel has a special position "And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee....." 

Why was it so important that Mary was a virgin? Genesis 3:15 "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."  Her seed, not the seed of fallen man, but the seed of the woman. The Saviour's birth would be very special, of supernatural means. Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Mary was a virgin, and Matthew 1:18 confirms it. "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: when as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost."

It is impossible to imagine what that moment was like when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary.  In the simplicity with which the Bible often depicts its most awesome moments, we are told in V28 just that "the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee; blessed are thou among women." V29 when Mary saw Gabriel "she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be as Gabriel had told her three things, that she is highly favoured by the Lord, that the Lord is with her, and that she is blessed.  Think about this, if God would send an angel to us, what would he tell us that the Lord thinks of us?   Of all the women in Israel, God chose this humble maiden to be the mother of the Saviour of the World, truly, she must have been a very godly young woman.