"Have We Trials and Temptations"

Well this morning we're going to begin chapter 39. We're going to look at the first 10 verses together. There's a lot to say about the chapter as a whole and there's all sorts of typology something that we've been Missing perhaps a little bit lately with Judah and Tamar in chapter 38 as our interlude.

But from chapter 37 we had already seen the way that Joseph is presented as a type of our Lord Jesus Christ and I'm eager to get to that. However, it won't be this morning next week. We'll unpack as we continue in and complete chapter 39.

We'll take time to unpack some of the typology This morning. I want to focus more on the first 10 verses because I think there's some needful application Within it. There's always a danger when we read Old Testament narrative to moralize the narrative and and this is why we're emphasizing the big picture of Genesis the Covenantal framework the the emphasis on the lineage and therefore the Messiah and even Typologically the coming of the seed that will crush the head of the serpent.

We've been looking at the big picture the big theme at the expense of reading it as a moral tale. For how to become good little girls and good little boys. There's a way that we can approach narrative, especially Old Testament narrative in this way.

Well, here's what you do and here's what you don't do and that's that's sort of the way that we compass through the text. And so we haven't been doing that because that's really not the main way we ought to read the scriptures however, there's all sorts of import all sorts of application that is very moralistic and does train us in righteousness on what to avoid and and what to do positively and Here as we begin the first 10 verses.

We can't help but moralize what we see Joseph doing and so I want to take the time this morning to do just that we find in Joseph both an example and a call to endure trial and Resist temptation so we find in these first 10 verses as we'll see a call and an example to endure trial and resist temptation beginning in verse 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 in This little opening sentence of verse 1 Joseph had been taken down to Egypt.

We're brought back to the narrative thrust. We've finished our interlude. We had sort of left Joseph hanging at the end of jerk Genesis 37. Now we're picking up that narrative again. You could almost think meanwhile as sort of the parenthetical statement.

Meanwhile, this is also happening and everything that we read from chapter 38 Joseph has been taken down to Egypt. In that sentence is contained a whole world of suffering. It wasn't that Joseph was escorted down to Egypt.

You know stopping along the way to take selfies in front of certain landmarks and just enjoying his time going to three-star restaurants. This was a journey in chains. This was a journey of being beaten as he perhaps Was wrestling with the prospect of getting further and further and further away from his homeland from his family his vengeful brothers as.

Those cold nights began to set in on the coldness in his own life. And he felt like what's going to happen to me when I arrive there. What what kind of master will I find? What kind of what kind of work will I be called to do?

What will I have to endure? What kind of beatings and abuse what kind of torment will I experience. So the Ishmaelites prodding him along dragging him along in Chains all of this difficulty and suffering is contained in these words.

Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. He arrives at the docks likely some slave market. I'm sure there were many slave markets in ancient Egypt and here comes a master.

Potiphar purchases.

Joseph we read that Potiphar was an officer of Pharaoh. Interestingly the term officer here. It could be translated and often is translated eunuch. That doesn't mean that Potiphar was a eunuch.

But it also.

Doesn't mean that he was not a eunuch. In Fact if we understand that he may well have been a eunuch It's it's hard to understand why he would have been given a wife. But a wife could easily be and often was in the ancient world a status symbol and it was also a way of politically aligning families and so this may have been more of a Token marriage as it were and he may well have been a eunuch.

Which usually officials in Pharaoh's court often were eunuchs. This is not unique to Egypt. This is true for many ancient civilizations. If you were going to be in the Lord of the houses household you were going to be a eunuch.

You weren't going to jeopardize the harem. And so it could be that Potiphar is a eunuch now. I mentioned that because it may be significant for details. We'll see not only at the end of verses 8 through 10.

But also next week. If he was a eunuch this may have been one of the reasons that Potiphar's wife was was so obsessed with sleeping with Joseph. It may also be why Potiphar potentially shows sympathy Toward Joseph and we'll talk about that a little bit next week.

If you were caught as a slave committing adultery with the master's wife a prison sentence would not be your fate. A Death sentence would be your fate. There's an unusual Leniency that it's shown to Joseph and there seems to even be some pull Over the treatment that he's given within the prison that may have a lot to do with what Potiphar Understood about Joseph and his wife and his own situation as a eunuch.

So that's hovering perhaps as a detail behind the text. Not only is he an officer of Pharaoh we read he's a captain of the guard. The word captain here is literally in the Hebrew butcher and It may be that they had some capacity as executioners for Pharaoh that they had authority.

They were equivalent of military bodyguard police kind of all that wrapped in one and they also would carry out capital punishment so he's sort of the butcher or belongs to the butcher and that may have been a Way of metaphorically talking about his responsibility.

So Joseph is a slave to the butcher. I think of Potiphar as something like Heinrich Himmler in the Third Reich Must have been a man like that kind of in charge of the SS doing the dirty deeds for the Führer.

We look at verse 2. Not only was Joseph prodded along in chains by the Ishmaelites dragged away from his home. Please keep in mind. I'm gonna repeat this later on. He's only 17 going on 18 years old. Some of you are 17 going on 18.

Can you imagine being ripped away from your family to be brought to a foreign land to a foreign culture to become a slave? This is human trafficking before our eyes. But verse 2 the Lord was with Joseph.

Joseph was all by himself. He was a Hebrew in Potiphar's household that already stood him out. He was a slave in this household. He was a young man. He had no connections. No support. No safety. No, no fallback plan.

He was completely and utterly vulnerable. But the Lord was with him and Because the Lord was with him as we read he was a Successful man and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian again this contrast between the Hebrew and the Egyptian.

Typologically very important as we'll see next week in verse 2. We have this all-important phrase which will appear not only here but several times throughout chapter 39. The Lord was with Joseph and that presence in Joseph's life.

It has an effect brothers and sisters. The Lord's presence has an effect in our lives. Therefore the Lord's absence also has an effect in our lives and so much of the fruit of the Christian life is Determined by the presence or the absence of the Lord.

The Lord was with Joseph. Joseph had been the privileged son the beloved son the favorite son now He's a slave in a foreign land. How in the world is this vision that he had been given of an eventual reign over his whole family going to come to pass?

Now that really was a bizarre dream. There's no way that could happen now. Does it not seem from an outward look like God has abandoned Joseph? He went from having the glorious robe placed upon him being the apple of his father's eye.

To now being cast away from his whole household his whole family has counted him as one dead. They've cast him into the pit and from it into slavery and they hope never to see him again as far as he knows.

He will never see them again. It seems like God has put the mark of Cain on Joseph. It seems like God has abandoned Joseph. But the Lord is with him. What a strange way God is with his people. What a strange way God is with his people from an outward look.

We see the suffering we see we see the very things that would make us think God has forsaken and in Joseph's life. These are the very things That causes God to be with perhaps when externally speaking.

Things are going our way. It's easy to claim God's presence, right? When he's working really hard and he begins to move up in Potiphar's household and he's given authority over all things. Well now finally God is with me now.

I'm back with God, but no. Even in that long caravan of the slaves to Egypt God was with Joseph. God was with Joseph not only in prosperity, but in adversity not only in blessing but in suffering. The Lord was with Joseph.

This is what Stephen points out in Acts 7 when he's he's opening up the testimony of the whole narrative from The story really of Israel all the way to the Messiah and he says this in Acts 7 verse 9. The patriarchs becoming envious that's meant to be a dig against those He's speaking to becoming envious.

It was for jealousy mark the gospel of Mark records that they sought him and the patriarchs becoming envious. Sold Joseph into Egypt, but God was with him. So Stephen in summarizing the events of chapters 37 and 39 to 40.

And this is really a sentence summarizing those three chapters. What he does not leave out is this all-important phrase God was with him. He summarizes every his brothers were envious. They sold him as a slave, but God was with him so one thing we must take out if we're going to reduce the story down is this God was with Joseph and That ought to resonate with all of our hearts if we're believers here this morning the Lord is with his people not only in blessing as things go well, but Specifically uniquely when things are difficult in times of trial and testing God is with us.

Others take note of our troubles others play the role of Job's wife. How could you say that that you're blessed of God you're afflicted. Why do you still follow him? What does this gained you? Why are you still a Christian?

How can you believe that God is good? Don't don't you try to even consider why he's allowed these things to happen in your life. How could how could a good God allow someone who's so desirous to serve him and know him to?

To bring this kind of suffering into your life. And what do we say? You'll never understand. But God is with me. God is with me. I'm experiencing now a communion with him that you could not understand.

He's in this furnace with me and I'm a partaker. I'm I'm enjoying as it were the fellowship of his sufferings. As as Helen Rose of you're the great missionary could say it's not my sufferings. They're his suffering.

That's how powerful this fellowship of the Lord's sufferings is and therefore the world around us. They could never understand these words that are said of Joseph. The Lord was with him. They'll never understand it from our mouths as we experience suffering and trial in our own lives.

The Lord is with me.

The Lord is good.

That's.

Incalculable to a worldling. What do you mean? The Lord is good. Look at you. Look at what's happened to you. Look at what state you're in. This is not only the Theological entrance into the story of Joseph it frames the entire chapter.

The the crown through the cross the the blessing through the trial the glory through the suffering. Significantly God's blessing. God's presence is attached to Joseph though He is not in the land of promise though He is far removed from the covenant household and yet God's presence is with him.

God's blessing is upon him. Not only do we see that the Lord was with Joseph but even the master sees it. Verse 3 his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord had made all that he did prosper in his hand and So Joseph found favor in his sight verse 4 and he served him and he made him Overseer over his house and all that he had he put under his authority.

So now Potiphar begins to notice there's something different about this Hebrew. The Lord is with him. Now there's no way that Potiphar could understood that the Lord the God the maker of heaven and earth was with this slave Joseph just by observance.

Like Joseph never says a word to Potiphar and he's just observing him. He seems quite industrious. It must be the Lord is with him. He's a pagan. He's an Egyptian. He has no context for that. He doesn't know the God of the Hebrews.

So I think implicit within verse 3 is the idea that Joseph had opportunity to give testimony to the Lord. I'm a Hebrew and let me tell you about the God that I serve the God that my father serves. The God that my grandfather serves the God who called me into covenant.

That's the only way that Potiphar could understand the Lord really is with him and As he began to notice that blessing that attended Joseph he sought to bless Joseph as well. He gave Joseph more and more responsibility more and more authority.

He had found favor in Potiphar's sight because he had found favor in God's sight. Now this blessing of God it didn't come because Joseph was sitting on the lazy boy and God was just like well what can I I'm just gonna keep blessing you and he's sitting there and eating Doritos and flipping the channels and Just like have it all take charge of my house.

Obviously Joseph was cultivating that blessing of God. God was giving the growth. God was giving the increase. Joseph was cultivating it by diligence. By integrity. By hard work sweat on the brow. Sacrifice that's what it takes when you want to cultivate the blessing of God.

It's not this zap. It doesn't waft down from heaven unobtained. You actually have to strive and seek after that blessing and it's because of that because of the grace of God in his life and not only the grace of God in terms of the material blessings and the positional blessings but also the grace of God that kept Joseph diligent and disciplined and Servile in all of the right ways that too was the grace of God and it was cultivating blessing in Joseph's life as it will in our lives if we Cultivate the blessings of God by walking in righteousness and diligence in every way responsibilities grow.

Blessings grow. There's fruitfulness when authority is exercised properly. He comes he comes as a mere slave to become Overseer of Potiphar's house. You can imagine Potiphar giving the promotion something like this.

Joseph. Can I talk to you? Maybe buzzing him in. Joseph come to the office. You know, what is it, sir? Well done good and faithful servant. You've been faithful in just a few things. And therefore I give you authority over many things.

Enter into the joy of your master. You're now going to be overseer over my whole house and behind the scenes. We see this hand of God Bringing him blessing and authority, but especially as we'll see next week.

With this blessing will come testing and with testing will come Preparation for even greater authority even greater responsibility. Please don't miss that point. It is very very important. Let me say it again in different words.

Joseph was diligent and the smallest things he had before him he worked hard with integrity and discipline and sacrifice and Because he was cultivating that blessing of God. He was given more authority more blessing and responsibility.

But then he gets sucked into trial sucked into temptation and he loses all of that and you might think well. That was a waste that was worthless. What did I do to deserve that? But we look with hindsight and say no even that was part of God's blessing.

Preparing you for even greater authority even greater responsibility and blessing. So the pit and the prison is no different than the blessing and the authority it's all part of the same purpose of God to give Joseph Dominion and fruitfulness in the exercising of his authority so it was verse 5 from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and All that he had that the Lord blessed the Egyptian.

Please notice that the Egyptians house not part of our house the Egyptians house. For Joseph's sake and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had both in the house and in the field. Wherever Joseph went God was multiplying.

God was blessing. God was giving increase. It sounds a lot like Jacob under the pinch of Laban. God was blessing everything he did that didn't mean it came easy. It's hard work, but God was blessing it and he was cultivating that blessing.

Here we see also God blessing Joseph in the house of the Egyptian. And because of that blessing the household of Potiphar is blessed.

It's fruitful.

It's given increase and we see this principle. God blesses the unrighteous for the sake of the righteous. You see that as a principle here. This is what it means in some sense for us to be the salt of the earth.

God brings blessings to peoples communities cities nations. He gives blessings for the sake of the righteous. For the preservation of the righteous in this sense where we're like salt a preservative for those around us.

It's it's for our sake as his righteous that others are blessed that God is long-suffering inpatient. Even though Joseph is in this difficult situation God's blessing is upon him and we're also reminded of Genesis 12 God said to Abraham whoever blesses you I will bless.

Whoever curses you I will curse. Well here Potiphar is blessing Joseph giving him more and more and therefore Potiphar is blessed. Potiphar is blessed through Joseph as it were. Typologically kiss the Sun this is what Potiphar is doing in so many words.

Verse 6 and so 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 and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate.

This is the summary statement. He gave all that he had into Joseph's hand. However, the verb here is more intense and that means this is not just a summary. But it's also saying he was given so much authority that eventually Potiphar had nothing to do nothing to rule over.

Joseph was basically running the entire show of the household. That's how much trust Potiphar had. It's almost like boy, you know if I'm in charge of this even I'm gonna mess this up Joseph. Can you handle this?

I don't even trust myself to do it as well as you but also there's some interesting wording here. He did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. Except for the bread which he ate verse 9.

This is likely a euphemism. Hebrew scholars point out the difficulty of this phrase. It sounds to us on the surface like he had charge over everything except, you know Potiphar eating dinner. Everything but Potiphar's mealtimes.

But it's a euphemism. It's meant to be a play and the idea is he has charge over everything, but Potiphar he has access to everything but Potiphar he can partake of everything but Potiphar so this except the bread which belong to Potiphar.

That's a euphemism and you see that again in verse 9 nor has he kept back anything from me. This is Joseph speaking to Potiphar's wife nor has he kept back anything from me. But you because you are his wife, you know, you are the bread the one exception to my authority.

And then also you have another euphemism in this word. No, this is this verb you die in Hebrew, which is always used. Adam did, you know knew his wife Tamar or Judah never knew Tamar again. So this is again the language of euphemism.

He did not know. Except the bread that he ate. Now also you have here allusions to Eden. Joseph we're told was handsome in form and appearance like mother like son. Rachel was beautiful in form and an appearance.

So chip off the old block here and it's noticeable. There's only a few times in Scripture where men are called beautiful in form a handsome in appearance David and Absalom that's like father like son and also here with Joseph.

But this is also setting up an allusion to Eden. I'm gonna talk more about that next week. It's it's amazing how this is actually pulling Echoing language from Genesis 2 and 3 so we're gonna look at that next week.

But here just notice this allusion. Joseph comes as that fruit of desire as far as Potiphar's wife is concerned. She notices that he is beautiful pleasing to the eye.

Desirable.

And it came to pass as a result of this verse 7 That his master's wife cast longing eyes on Joseph and she said lie with me so she notices. You know that Hebrew slave. He's really doing a great job. He's so diligent.

I've really never met a man with that kind of integrity. Boy, I kind of wish Potiphar was like that. Boy, you know if Potiphar had even half of of the diligence and the strength and the looks of Joseph I'd be so happy.

She she begins to turn this prospect over into her mind and before long. She it's not only looking at him with a longing gaze, but she's actually calling him lie with me. I love what John Calvin says here.

Good application. He says this describes an impure a dissolute look. She had often looked upon Joseph without sin right when he first came there off the slave docks. It's just you go do this you go get that.

But now in time. This is a long time. This is potentially over the course of a decade if not more. That she begins to look at him look upon him become attracted to him. She casts her eyes upon him. Calvin says she contemplates his beauty more boldly than became a modest woman.

And Though we and and here we see eyes. Are the torches that inflame the heart to lust the eyes are the torches? Think of your eye as a torch that it flames. Your heart to lust. No wonder Job makes a covenant with his eyes.

The senses Calvin says readily embrace the occasion of sin Which is presented to them and then eagerly convey it to the mind. So the senses as it were in fallen nature lay hold of opportunities for sin and they convey it to the mind.

That's why so much of scripture speaks to the condition of a darkened mind or. For the Christian the need to renew our minds so that we don't conform to the ungodliness of the world. Our senses especially our eyes Convey wicked opportunities to our minds and our minds being darkened arrive at bondage to sin.

Wherefore Calvin warns let everyone endeavor to govern his eyes his ears. Every member of his body unless he wants to open many doors to Satan to the innermost affections of his heart. What a beautiful image that is.

Your heart having these doorways in the center of your heart as it were is your your most intimate and desired Affections that which ought to be reserved for God the first commandment having no other gods before him.

Nothing else that competes for affection in your life. That's guarded by these many doors which are opened by your senses conveying information to your mind. And if you want to fling those doors open then you can use your eyes your ears any part of your senses to find opportunity and occasion to sin and Thereby jeopardize the very affection of your heart opening up a new rival Lord in your life.

But look at Joseph. We'll come back to that. But look at Joseph the master's wife calls out to him. He was so diligent that every time she said do this do that do this do that. It was right away right away right away right away.

Then she says lie with me and He refuses verse 8, but he refused. This is probably the first time in years that Tamar had heard the word. No from the slave Joseph. She must have been falling backward.

What do you mean no.

What do you mean. No and.

Joseph gives his reason. If you know anything about this is not Downton Abbey, right? This is not Joseph going. Well, you understand madam. This is you don't speak To one in authority over you like this if you're a slave.

But he's so incensed with conviction that he lets it roll off. Look at his plea look.

It's like no you look you listen.

My master does not know what is with me in the house, and he's committed all that he has to my hand. There's no one greater in this house than I nor has he kept anything back from me. But you because you are his wife.

How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?

Again.

Hebrew replicating emotion by broken vocabulary. You'd translate that last something like this this this wickedness this great this great sin. It's like this is a gas. This is a bucket. This is. He won't even let his mind go there.

We'll talk about this next week, but I can't resist I can't resist peeking into Genesis a little bit nor has he kept anything from me, but you Adam Eve look. Every tree in this garden.

I've made beautiful and.

Full with nourishing fruit pleasing to the eye of any of it partake and eat and delight. Except for this one thing that I'm holding back from you. And it was because it was that one thing that was held back from them.

But the serpent was able to gain a foothold and deceive the woman and the woman being deceived ate the fruit and Adam stood by. Paralyzed like a coward as he then took the fruit to eat after his wife.

Not Joseph. This is the one thing That my Lord my master has not allowed me to have and therefore this is the one thing. I will not partake of. How could I do this great wickedness and sin against God?

You can see Joseph's heart through his reasoning. It's interesting where he begins. It's almost like he just begins where am I right now in this moment in this house in this situation. And then as he goes he keeps on ratcheting it up higher and higher and higher until he's addressing himself before God.

He considers his relationship to his master. Look at the authority. My master's given to me. Look at all that. He's entrusted to me. Not only the blessing that he's received but that that position of trust he trusts me.

Not just what he's given me. He trusts me. Look at the privilege I have and therefore the responsibility that belongs to that privilege. Everything's been given to me, but you and that's a trust that I will not breach and and then it's like he gets even beyond His immediate circumstance and he gets to the biggest picture of all how could I sin against God?

Somehow in that long ripping away as a slave Down in that caravan to Egypt being cast into the household. Joseph has not lost his faith in The vision that God had given him. He was walking by faith and Not by sight.

It is a sad thing. Isn't it brothers and sisters that the reasons that Joseph's Joseph gives here To not sin to not commit adultery are often the very reasons. That some men commit this sin look where I am look at the authority I have.

Look at what's been entrusted to me. Really? This is the only thing left you see I Wish we could say it was just them over there, you know, it was just those those backward ministries those backward beliefs.

No reformed ministers have ever been compromised in this way. The stain of adultery has passed over reformed pulpits, but it hasn't and It seems like again, there's just this idea well. Look how I'm blessed look at how I've arrived.

This is just the next thing for me now. This is not a one-time event. You almost wish it could be a one-time event. You almost wish this was the battle and he was successful and that was it but we read in verse 10 As she spoke to Joseph day By day, he did not heed to her.

So this is not a one-time offer a one-time Seduction. This is a continuous day by day. Joseph cannot flee he's in bondage. He's still a slave though. He has all authority. He cannot just run away as a fugitive from the household.

So he must stay and put up with this constant source of temptation. This constant voice in his ear to be turned aside and to compromise his faith and become corrupted by sin. He's experiencing that day by day.

Does that reverberate into typology you bet? We wish temptation was a one-time battle, don't we you wish that you could resist it successfully and you'd never have to resist it again. But that's not how wars are won.

Right, you wish it could be decided in one battle. Well, that's never how a war is won. It's always battle after battle after battle after battle and There's losses and there's sacrifice. And you learn what not to do as you keep fighting this good fight.

But the key is that you resist it day after day after day and you never ever use the fact that God's mercy renews every morning of every day to be an excuse to sin that day because every day matters and Living on presumptive mercy is a sure way to hell.

Even mighty Samson fell. Not at first and not the second time. But even mighty Samson fell eventually, but we have to be reminded of what we were told in verse 2 The Lord was with Joseph. Day after day he's being tempted but day after day the Lord is with him.

Day after day the adulterous his voice is echoing through the streets of the in Proverbs 5 through 7 and Day after day God is whispering in his ear. Stand fast in the Lord. Stand fast put on your armor Joseph.

You're about to go by her living room. Joseph put on your armor. Get ready to flee. Her steps lay hold of hell. His answer was firm. He could have said look at my situation. I'll never see my family again.

I'll never reenter the land. He could have fallen into a depression and said yeah, of course. Of course, I'm gonna take you up on this Potiphar. Who has to know? Look where obedience has gotten me. You know, I used to be diligent and obedient to my father.

Look where that got me. No, but he's walking by faith. So even when he's a slave in Egypt, he's still Obedient still diligent still disciplined still sacrificial and then when that brings fruitfulness and blessing.

He doesn't throw it all away as so many men among us do. He stands firm. This is a living historical example of the wisdom of Proverbs 5 through 7. Resisting the allure of the adulterous which is is more than just sexual immorality.

It's spiritual adultery. And this is part of the literary background of the story of Joseph. Joseph's Narrative in Genesis takes on elements of wisdom literature. In fact, I was reading a little bit this week.

There was many examples of Jewish writings that use the story of Joseph in this way to become wisdom literature or even what you'd call a novella sort of Moralizing novella very famous one that seems to be from the first century called Joseph and assonant and it it picks up on.

What does it mean to have integrity before God when you're living among foreigners? Right, so diaspora Jews would have been reading this to understand. This is this is who I am. I'm. I'm a Hebrew, you know, I'm called to a higher standard than the Egyptians so to speak around me.

With her enticing speech. We read the disaster of Proverbs 7. This is what would have happened had Joseph given in had Joseph given his strength to women. Rather than preserving that strength for the woman of Proverbs 31 if he had given his strength to women.

If he had pursued the impulses of his flesh, this is the result. Listen brothers, this is the result. With her enticing speech. She causes him to yield with her flattering lips. She said she seduces him.

Immediately he goes after her like an ox to the slaughter. I don't know. I know we have some butchers here. I don't know if any of them have led Oxes to slaughter, but I I in my mind I picture a rather dumb bulky animal being trotted up the ramp.

Oh, this is great, and they don't know what's behind door number one as a fool to the correction of the stocks till an arrow Is stuck in his liver as a bird hastens to the snare. He didn't know it would cost his life.

So listen to me children. Pay attention to the words of my mouth. Don't let your heart turn aside to her way. Don't stray into her path. She's cast down many wounded. And all of them who were slain by her were strong men.

All of them this is God's wisdom. Portrayed in the life of Joseph all of them who were slain by her were strong men. Strong men the serpent is more deceitful than we could possibly ever understand. He's been studying human nature for thousands and thousands of years.

Men of authority are slain by her. Men of power charisma men of fruitfulness and blessing. Men of achievement. Men of kingdom effects. Have been slain by her if we don't take these things to heart. We're like dumb oxen being carted up the slaughter ramp.

Bunyan and Pilgrim's Progress. He describes Christian you remember when Christian flees the city of destruction. He has to first trudge through the slow of despond and It's always kind of funny to me.

Faithful gets out of the city destruction. It's almost like how did you get through the slow and he's like Oh, I went a different way. I didn't have to go through that. It's like what? But he took a different path out of the city and the path that he took Along to the to the wicket gate, right?

That's where the evangelist was directing Christian go to the wicket gate and faithful flees from the city of destruction a little bit after Christian. But when he is on the way to the wicket gate, he's accosted by this woman Proverbs 7 woman.