His hand is lifted toward the clear blue sky. Suddenly, fire dramatically comes pouring down like a waterfall. As the water-filled altar is set ablaze, the fiery flames completely consume the sacrifice and the altar along with it. This is more than the audience was expecting to witness today. With an undisturbed, peaceful countenance, yet, with characteristic determination; he addresses the awe-struck audience:

“There is only one true God, Jehovah of Hosts”, he says.

The first time I read a Bible comic strip, it was about the story of Elijah; one of my favorite characters. The magazine portrayed jaw-dropping images of the heroic character in action. From that moment on, Elijah became one of my top-choice superheroes.

I will not deny it, I love superheroes. But who doesn’t like a character who has extraordinary abilities meant to fight on the side of good?

Today, the comic industry is flourishing thanks to the portrayal superheroes on the big screen. Super men and women with out of this world superpowers captivate our senses more than we realize. Thanks to these superheroes, we are, for a couple of hours able to disconnect from reality. Thanks to them, we can forget about the destruction and chaos that surround us.

We enjoy the idea of a hero that gets us out of trouble and is always ready to save the day. Ancient Israel was the same. They wanted a super hero who would rescue and free them from the harsh reality of the political oppression of their times.

Today I’d like to talk about two superheroes that the people of Israel had: Samson and Joseph.

Samson is the type of superhero the Israelites have always dreamed of. He is muscular, athletic, has TV commercial hair, and a perfect smile. He is exactly the type of leader they want.

On the other hand, we have Joseph. A handsome, young man with a baby face. Spoiled and disliked by his siblings. Sold as a slave to a foreign land. You would imagine that as a young handsome slave, Joseph is not in the best position to turn down the advances from his master’s wife. The beautiful, powerful, lustful, and depraved woman ruthlessly grabbing any opportunity at hand to tempt the young slave was more than; according to the standards of society, the young man would have been able to handle. But as we know according to Genesis 39, the story tells different.

Just for a second imagine this: Samson in the place of Joseph.  No one is there for him, warning him or telling him what to do. Do you think that he would have stood up to temptation? Do you think he would have had the same kind of determination Joseph had to remain true to God? Taking into consideration the fact that women were Samson’s greatest weakness, do you think that he would have run away from a naked woman? A naked woman who offered to give him pleasure?  Samson could have reasoned that he “needed to supply a natural need for his body”. He could have reasoned that God had “forsaken him” anyways. What better point than that, right?

Even though that could have sounded like the perfect excuse, it wasn’t. God’s principles are more than a simple suggestion and more than a list of rules, they are the key to happiness.

There was no servant greater than Joseph in Potiphar’s house. His master had trusted him with everything that he owned. Joseph could have betrayed that trust had he wanted to, yet, he chose not to. He was determined to adhere to the standards of God.

When we are alone, in private; what kind of heroes are we to God? Do we show the same kind of determination Joseph did when it comes to respecting God’s principles?

Perhaps Joseph had more than one reason to run away. In my opinion, however, he did it because he loved God more than his own life.

Do you love God more than your own life?

In conclusion, I’d like to invite you to be like Joseph. You too can have his kind of determination, in spite of the circumstances. Yes, you can be the young man who stands firm in the face of temptation, even when no one is watching.

” And she caught him by his garment, saying, lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out” – Genesis 39:12