How Do We Use Our Eyes?
And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. Genesis 39:7
Read Genesis 39:5-7
How do young men observe young ladies and young ladies observe young men? Potiphar’s wife looked upon Joseph with sinful eyes. The marginal notes of the Dutch Staten Bible declare, “She looked with dishonourable eyes and unchaste lust upon Joseph. She saw in Joseph an object to satisfy her lusts.”
If we look at Rebecca’s life, we see a completely different example. We read, “And Rebecca lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel … took a veil and covered herself” (Gen. 24:65-66). We must realize that the same Hebrew word for physically seeing is used here as in our text, but this act is translated very differently! Rebecca saw Isaac with different eyes than Potiphar’s wife did when she looked at Joseph. Rebecca had different principles! That’s the whole point.
Our world is wicked in its view of sexuality and human relationships. Its un-biblical analysis denigrates human life to a consumerist worldview, upon which the world consumes their sexual appetites. Job is an example of how our view in this regard should be different than that of the world; he publicly confessed, “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” (Job 31:1). If there ever was a time that we ought to prayerfully sing Psalter 415:7, it is today.
Thought: Is that your conviction too?
Psalter 415:7 (based on Psalm 25) Yea, the secret of Jehovah Is with those who fear His Name’ With His friends in tender mercy He His covenant will maintain. With a confidence complete, Toward the Lord my eyes are turning; From the net He’ll pluck my feet; He will not despise my yearning.