The passages and verses for today’s post will be without further explanation or comment. This is because they will connect with a post coming up later in this week. Careful and thoughtful readers might be able to guess at a common theme. However, what I am actually going for is more subtle than might first seem to be the case. The first passage is from the Book of Genesis:
Now Joseph was taken down to Egypt, and Potâ²i-phar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishâ²maelites who had brought him down there. 2Â The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian, 3Â and his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hands. 4Â So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. 5Â From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had the Lord blessed the Egyptianâs house for Josephâs sake; the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had, in house and field. 6Â So he left all that he had in Josephâs charge; and having him he had no concern for anything but the food which he ate.
Now Joseph was handsome and good-looking. 7Â And after a time his masterâs wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and said, âLie with me.â 8Â But he refused and said to his masterâs wife, âLo, having me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my hand; 9Â he is not greater in this house than I am; nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife; how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?â 10Â And although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie with her or to be with her. 11Â 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, 12Â she caught him by his garment, saying, âLie with me.â But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and got out of the house.
(Genesis 39:1-12)
Then we move to Second Samuel:
2Â It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking upon the roof of the kingâs house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. 3Â And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, âIs not this Bathsheâ²ba, the daughter of Eliâ²am, the wife of Uriâ²ah the Hittite?â 4Â So David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. 5Â And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, âI am with child.â
…
26Â When the wife of Uriâ²ah heard that Uriâ²ah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband. 27Â And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.
(2 Samuel 12:2-5, 26-27)
Finally, we close with Song of Solomon:
10Â My beloved is all radiant and ruddy,
    distinguished among ten thousand.
11Â His head is the finest gold;
    his locks are wavy,
    black as a raven.
12Â His eyes are like doves
    beside springs of water,
bathed in milk,
    fitly set.
13Â His cheeks are like beds of spices,
    yielding fragrance.
His lips are lilies,
    distilling liquid myrrh.
14Â His arms are rounded gold,
    set with jewels.
His body is ivory work,
    encrusted with sapphires.
15Â His legs are alabaster columns,
    set upon bases of gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon,
    choice as the cedars.
16Â His speech is most sweet,
    and he is altogether desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
    O daughters of Jerusalem.
 (Song 5:10-16)