Joseph 5

Genesis 39:19–23 NKJV

19 So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, “Your servant did to me after this manner,” that his anger was aroused. 20 Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. 23 The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.

Sometimes the Christian life seems like prison.

Intro: The life of Joseph is pretty awesome story. It has surprises, sadness. Josephs has many lessons that we can learn from. One of those lessons we will learn today.

Here we find Josephs at one of the lowest points in his short life. (He had been through a lot in his short life)

He had been sold into slavery, bought by Potiphar, he is put into a place of authority. He not only found favor in Potiphar’s eyes, he would favor in Potiphar’s wife eyes. Elab

She tries to get him to commit adultery with her and when he refuses, she lies (elb) and now Joseph’s life, once again has taken a turn for the worse, and all because he did the right thing.

Now he is in prison. Here Joseph would learn some very valuable lessons. He would learn the truth about how God would help in the years ahead.

Josephs wasn’t the only godly man to go through a prison experience. Many great men in the bible were cast into prison.

(Daniel, Jeremiah, Hosea, John the Baptist, John, Peter, Paul, and Silas)

How does this apply to us today? If you want to grow in your faith, (if you are putting forth the effort to grow in your faith) you are going to have a spiritual prison experience.

When you go through these times it can cause great anxiety, frustration, but we have to put our trust in the Lord, these times in the end will be a greater blessing.

A prison experience is times of difficulty that we go through, if you are going to lead a faithful life of Jesus, you are going to go through these times.

These times (prison expense) God leads us though these times to help us to become stronger as Christians and to bring him glory.

Daniel, thrown into the lion’s den.

Paul and Silas, beat and chained, in prison.

As we look at Joseph’s prison experience we will see some truth that will teach how to be blessed, how survive our prison experiences.

I. The prison of injustice. VS 20

VS 20

Genesis 39:20 NKJV

20 Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.

(Where the king’s prisoners were bound) COME BACK TO THIS

1. He had stayed faithful to God, (VS 3) he worked hard to get to the place in Potiphar’s house. Now he had lost all of that.

a. He went from nice living quarters, to a prison.

b. He went from freedom (even though he was a salve) to bondage.

c. He went from being in charge, to being the new kid on the block, or the new man on the cell block.

d. He went from a place of good living to a place of suffering. This had to bring him anxiety and pain. His whole life had come apart again. Elab

e. I’m sure Joseph cried out to the Lord in fear and frustration.

f. We will face prison experiences.

Job 14:1 NKJV

1 “Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble.

Eccl 2:22-23 “

Ecclesiastes 2:22–23 NKJV

22 For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart with which he has toiled under the sun? 23 For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

h. I would imagine Joseph was experiencing some fear.

There will times in our life when we will go through these times too. No one is exempt from trouble. But we do have a choice of how to respond to those experiences.

i. Remember, God has you where you are for a reason. That is a precious lesson to learn.

Song G.A Young

“God leads us along”

Sometimes on the mount where the sun shines so bright

God leads his dear children along

Sometimes in the valley, in the darkest of night

God leads his dear children along

Some through the waters, some through the flood.

Some through fire, some through the blood

Some through great sorrow, But God gives a song,

In the night season, and all the day long.

j. Regardless of the we are under at the moment, God is still leading his children. You may be oppressed by the circumstances of life, but I am blessed by the author of life when I am lead along by him.

II The prison of broken dreams VS 20

Genesis 39:20 NKJV

20 Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.

1. When Joseph’s brother sold him into slavery, and now he is in prison, it must have seemed like all his dreams had been a mistake.

a. He had dreamed that God was going to do something special in his life. He could have felt like God had forgotten about him. He must have felt alone, and defeated by the trails and problems that he was facing.

b. The prisons of live can leave you feeling that way. Problems pile against us, and at times you may feel like you have been deserted by God.

c. See, the devil uses these times to feel us with lies, “If God really cares then you wouldn’t be going through this”

“You trusted God, now look what he going through”

d. If you have ever felt this way, or of there ever comes a time when you do feel this way, remember, God really does care.

e. People may forget about you and forsake you. But God knows where you are and what you are facing.

Luke 12:6-7 (Verse about the hairs of your head)

Luke 12:6–7 NKJV

6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

f. Never forget that truth that God knows where you are. He knows about your prison. You have to learn to trust God no matter what. Even when you don’t like where you are.

i. Sometimes our plans have to change, sickness, the death of a loved one.

III. The Lord is with you even in your prison. VS 21-23

VS 21

Genesis 39:21 (NKJV)

21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

But the Lord was with Joseph:

1. This was the first blessing of Joseph imprisonment. BUT, the Lord was with Joseph.

a. Having the presence of God was great blessing in his life.

b. God is omnipresent; and no one can escape the presence of God. But the presence of God that favored Joseph is that special that brings us close to Him, and is a blessed fellowship with God and abundant favors from God. It was something very special.

c. This is the 2nd that scripture emphasized that the presence of God was with Joseph. Elab how thing prospered at the home of Potiphar.

d. Now here he is thrown into prison, things looking pretty dark for him, But the Lord was with Joseph.

e. Knowing that the Lord was with Joseph should encourage us. When we live faithfully for the Lord, in spite of suffering we go through. Never will we be in a place that the Lord is not with us.

f. Others may forsake us, but the Lord never will.

VS 21b

1.God showed him mercy:

I think things, at least for being in prison were going pretty good for him. No chains, no one could hurt him,

a. God will show us mercy.

VS 21c

1. God gave him favor in the sight on the prison keeper.

a. When you are going through your prison times in life, God can raise up friends, or out people in your path in places where don’t expect it.

VS 22

Genesis 39:22 NKJV

22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing.

Joseph was in charge of all the prisoners. (The Kings prisoners)

a. He was now in charge of the other prisoners.

b. I believe one big thing Joseph had going for him, was wisdom. He used great wisdom in the situations that he was in.

c. Joseph kept moving on, making the best of a bad situation. Staying faithful, and the Lord blessed for it.

c. One of the worst thing you can do during when trouble times come is sit around and do nothing but worry and pout or wallow in self-pity. That just makes things worse.

d. You have to get up and get busy if you want to light at the end of the tunnel. Keep on praising God, look for His blessings.

That’s what Joseph did at Potiphar’s house, and in prison.

e. Doing his duty well brought improvement in his situation both at Potiphar’s house and in prison.

f. Doing his duties well in prison eventually got resulted in him getting out of prison.

VS 23

Genesis 39:23 NKJV

23 The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.

1. Because Joseph had the presence of the Lord with him, he was trusted so much, the keeper of the prison didn’t worry about what Joseph did.

a. Mat. 25:21

b. God saw that Joseph was faithful to his responsibilities in prison so he would give him a great responsibly in the palace.

c. It the same thing when things are not going our way, if we stay faithful during our prison times, God get through more and you will be a stronger Christian.