Can I Get What I Want Through Seduction?

The Bible is full of inspirational accounts of such female heroes of faith like Abigail, Mary and Esther. It also gives us the cautionary tales of the infamous like Jezebel and Delilah. But there is a class of special women in the Bible – both virtuous and sinful – whose stories are told without mentioning their name. Often they are associated with well-known men who are named, yet they themselves remain anonymous. Who were these women and what do their experiences mean to us? Today’s focus will be on one of those infamous yet unnamed women, the wife of Potiphar. Her role in Scripture is primarily defined as the seductress who pursued Joseph when he was a slave in her household. While there was nothing honorable in her actions, there are significant lessons we can learn from them. Seduction Joseph was a strong, brilliant and very handsome young man in his 20's when he was a slave in Potiphar’s house. Potiphar was an influential officer of Egypt. He recognized Joseph’s work ethic and ability, so he placed him into his highest trust. Joseph became the overseer of the entire household. Potiphar’s wife also noticed Joseph, and she wanted him as her lover. When her proposition was plainly rejected by Joseph, she began to seduce him.  Day after day she attempted to entice him to be with her, and day after day Joseph resisted. Sound familiar? Fast forward to our day and this game of seduction Potiphar’s wife was playing sounds all too familiar. Because we are overtly loose with our sexuality and because we are so infatuated with ourselves, seducing someone into giving us want we want is commonplace and easy. Why shouldn’t we be able to have this thing, or that success, or that specific person? I deserve it! When it comes to being with that desirable one, I can make them want me as well. Do I do this? As Christians, where do we fit into all this? Is it ever appropriate to use any form of seduction to get what we want? The short answer to this lies in the basic definition of seduction, which has to do with disloyalty, leading astray and false promises. Clearly, none of these descriptions aptly fit a true Christian character. It has been said “the devil is in the details,” and that is painfully true when it comes to really understanding how seduction actually works. Check out our June 14, 2021 podcast, “Can I Get What I Want Through Seduction?” for more. We lay out “The 11 Deceptive Tactics of Seduction” as detailed in an article by Peter Krol. These tactics range from manipulating the very subtle nuances of life to brash and overt advances. They include commandeering some of the simple and seemingly harmless things in life. Things like food and spiritually-based activities can become tools of ungodly desire and passion. Seduction can be subtle as easily as it can be overt. In every case it is scary. Join us to be forewarned and forearmed!