The following study is based on Hebrews 11:22, “By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.”
Joseph is probably one of the most talked about characters in the book of Genesis. To just gloss over his life would do a great disservice. We want to take time to look at his life and how he exercised faith.
Joseph was the favorite son of his father Jacob. He was the son from his favorite wife Rachel. So it was no surprise that the other brothers hated him because of the favoritism that the father showed to Joseph.
- His coat of many colours was one such cause of problems in the house.
- Genesis 37:3-4
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. 4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. - The whole situation in the family was a toxic one to begin with.
- 2 brothers were murders – with a capital M! Simeon and Levi.
- The oldest (Reuben) slept with the father’s wife.
- There was just trouble brewing in this family.
- It’s amazing that God chose to continue to work through this family.
To make matters worse – Joseph dreamed dreams!
- Genesis 37:5
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. - It just made things worse.
- How would you feel if you were one of the brothers?
- Was he dreaming these things because that was what he was thinking? Was he thinking that he was superior to them?
- Sure he was innocent in saying such things, but at least he could have kept them to himself. He must have known that his brothers hated him!
Needless to say, Joseph was probably growing up quite a bit spoilt in the family and God, in His providence, would turn up the heat for this family.
- We know the story – Joseph was sold as a slave to Egypt.
- It would be in Egypt that Joseph would shine like the stars in the heavens.
- As the spoilt child at home we don’t know much about him but the experience of being sold as a slave would make him to mature and grow up very quickly! Not just as a man, but as a son of God.
Let’s turn our Bibles to Genesis 39
- Genesis 39:1-2
1 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. 2 And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. - Was the Lord with Joseph because He felt sorry for him? Because he was a slave in Egypt? Hated by his brothers?
- No. The Lord was with Joseph because Joseph was with the Lord!
- In spite of what had just happened to him, he chose to remain faithful to God.
- It’s usually in these times that we give ourselves excuses to go back to our old habits or lives for a little while.
- We expect people to understand why we are being unfaithful.
- The drunkard goes back to his drink.
- The gambler goes back to the casino.
- We give ourselves excuses to go back to sin just for a little while because we’ve been through this tragic experience.
- In fact, probably many heads are turned, many people are surprised when you don’t go back to your old life and choose to remain faithful!
But Joseph, he was faithful. To what extent?
- Genesis 39:3
And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. - The heathen master saw that there was something different about Joseph. He could SEE! HE COULD SEE that the Creator God was with him!
- Everything that Joseph did, God made it to prosper
- Now I want you to think about this for a second. Joseph was a slave. What could he possibly do to show that God was with him? What was the proof of a SLAVE to show a heathen man that the God of the heavens was with him?!
- Was it because he kept himself really tidy and neat?
- Was it because he washed the toilet extra clean?
- Swept the floor extra special?
- Tended to the gardens really neatly?
- Crops grew more because of him?
- Everything that he did prospered!
- More likely it was that Joseph probably went beyond the call of duty as a slave.
- Slaves have specific jobs!
- Joseph probably went further than his job description.
- Not only did he do his job well, he probably did even more!
- He wasn’t lazy. He didn’t just do the bare minimum.
Now Remember, Joseph was just a slave. How did God prosper him?
- It really wasn’t him that was prospered. He didn’t all of a sudden find gold under his mat or inherit a better mattress to sleep on or a nicer room that was more cool during the summer.
- The prosperity really came to who? It came to Potiphar!
- He was on the receiving end of this prosperity!
- Do you see that?
- This is what we call the Abrahamic covenant that God made with Abraham all the way back in Genesis 12!
- I want to bless you, so that you can be a blessing to others!
- For what? FOR WHAT!?!?
- As evidence that we are different because of the God we serve!
Let’s continue.
- Genesis 39:4-6
4 And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. 5 And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field. 6 And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured. - God blessed the Egyptian because of Joseph.
- Isn’t that so interesting?
- This has to be material blessings – Potiphar wouldn’t understand it if it was anything else!
- The Christian must be a blessing to the world. Worldly, non-Christian, ungodly people must understand and be able to see that in us, there is something different.
- So often our outlook is different though isn’t it? We want God to bless us to the extent that people become jealous of us and ask us how come we are so successful, so blessed! We want them to want to serve God because they are jealous of us being so rich.
- But that wasn’t the case with Joseph.
- Sure, Potiphar trusted him more and let him handle the whole household. That sounded like somewhat of a promotion.
- But the prosperity really came upon the house of Potiphar.
But trouble was brewing. Just when it seemed life for Joseph was getting better, what would happen next?
- Genesis 39:7-9
7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. 8 But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; 9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? - Joseph recognizes why he is in that position. Not because of anything that he had done, but because of God guiding his life. So he was not about to go against the source of all his blessing and sin against God.
- The sin was not against himself.
- The sin was not against Potiphar.
- The sin was not against Potiphar’s wife.
- The sin was against God and God alone!
- Why? Because God was the giver of all the blessings. God was the One who brought him to this point. Ruler over Potiphar’s whole house!
- Do you recognize how God leads you?
- Do you recognize that all blessings are from above? That God is the One that blesses you?
- He’s the One that gets you that promotion.
- He’s the One that gives you all your wealth.
- He’s the One that gives you that wisdom for your studies.
- If you do realise that, it only makes you MORE FAITHFUL to Him!
- It makes you more particular about BEING FAITHFUL to Him.
So we know the story. Potiphar’s wife lies about Joseph to the husband and Potiphar ends up throwing Joseph into prison. But what would happen?
- Genesis 39:21
But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. - God was with Joseph, because Joseph was with the Lord! He still remained faithful to the Lord in spite of what had happened.
- It’s usually in these times that we give ourselves excuses to go back to our old habits or lives for a little while. Sound familiar?
- We expect people to understand why we are being unfaithful.
- The drunkard goes back to his drink.
- The gambler goes back to the casino.
- We give ourselves excuses to go back to sin just for a little while because we’ve been through this tragic experience.
- Breaking the Sabbath – it’s because I’m going through this tragic situation!
- Going back to my games – why not!?
- But not Joseph. He remained faithful.
- He had been through this before.
- And even then, you would expect that a person who has been through this 2 times now would be even more bitter. But not Joseph.
- He knew that God had been with him. He knew that God had been blessing him. It was obvious and he was blessed!
So God blesses him in prison. And what happens?
- Genesis 39:22-23
22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. 23 The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper. - Different situation, same results.
- If it works for Joseph, it will work for us today as well.
- What is the recipe to success? Faithfulness to God no matter what the circumstance.
- Look, I’m not saying that bad things won’t happen. But when we hold on to our faith in God, especially through the bad times, we will see how God will come through for us.
I want you to pause and think with me for a moment. What sort of prosperity could God give to a prison?
- Did the prison become rich? Of course not!
- So when you think of prosperity, don’t always think of it in monetary terms.
- How could a prison get rich? IMPOSSIBLE!
- So how could God make everything that Joseph did in the prison to prosper?
- Maybe it was the character of the prisoners, how they were affected for the better after Joseph arrived.
- Less cursing.
- More order in the prison.
- Maybe even the health of the prisoners improved. Who knows right?
- As a slave, God could prosper Joseph.
- Whatever his hands found to do, he did it with ALL his might.
- As a prisoner, God could proper Joseph.
- His presence wasn’t just felt by the expression that he wore on his face and his countenance.
- I’m sure there must have been peace in heart, but that peace pervaded the whole prison.
- He probably went beyond the call of duty.
- Not waiting to be served, but being active in serving others.
- As a slave, even so now as a prisoner.
- God was with him.
What was the pattern of Joseph’s life?
- He started ofd as the favorite son of Jacob.
- Then became a slave in Egypt.
- Now, a prisoner in Egypt.
- From good, to bad, to worse!
- From all outward appearances, Joseph was cursed. Or we would say today – if this is what happens when you are faithful to God, then I don’t want any part of this God!
- We tend to miss the first 15 years of Joseph’s life in Egypt. It was not that good!
- We like to focus on him being promoted. Him being a prime minister! And we forget what got him there.
- In Potiphar’s house and in the prison, God was preparing Joseph to be a wise and compassionate Prime Minister. Learning how to manage a house, then a prison, and one day a nation.
Do you discern God’s movements in the shadows and valleys of your life?
- I’m not talking about you smoking and getting lung cancer.
- You don’t need to ask God why, you know why.
- I’m not talking about you not studying and failing your exams and not getting into the course of your study.
- You don’t need to ask God why for that either!
- I’m not talking about failed relationships and failed marriages because of neglect and abuse.
- You don’t need to ask God why, the answer is obvious.
- I’m talking about those situations in life where you’ve done nothing wrong, where you don’t understand why this happened. You were faithful to your work. You did your utmost best for your studies, for your work, for whatever you were focusing your energy on, and it still flopped and failed. But you were STILL faithful! But life took a turn for the worse! If that is your life being described, then you are in good company
- Then all that is left for you to do today is hold on. To still have faith in God. To still keep being a good representative and citizen of heaven. Because in due time, God will reveal His plan to you, as to why He allowed you to go through the turmoil that you are going through today.
Some things are self-inflicted.
- In those times we must learn our lesson.
- And through God’s grace, He gives us a second chance.
- He re-establishes us and allows us to grow from it.
- That is the story of Abraham, and of Jacob.
- If we repent and turn back to Him, He will heal all our backslidings and re-establish His covenant with us.
But the story of Joseph is about God working in the shadows and valleys of our lives. Allowing us to experience failure, rejection, pain – so that we can be that blessing to others if we remain faithful to Him. God still wants to do that for us today. Just as surely as you can see Him in the sunshine, God is there with us through the storms and floods of our lives. Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou are with me. So before we get to the sunset years of Joseph’s life, we MUST understand what got him there in the first place. May God help us to be faithful like Joseph today. To be a man of integrity just like Joseph!