Genesis 39:1-23 - We can expect to suffer.
Genesis • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Last night, the US bombed nuclear weapons manufacturing sights in Iran, after Iran attacked Israel and after many threats to America.
In light of the US bombing in Iran, I want to speak to you as your pastor.
Not a Republican/democrat—I don’t care where you fall on the line.
This is how we are going to approach this as a Church and as believers.
We’re not going to use this to engage in stupid arguments and debates.
We’re not going to cause further division than what our country has already seen.
Josh Howerton: Christians are people who love peace. And because "evil never stops itself, it must be stopped" sometimes force is necessary to stop evil to get to peace. For that reason, it does not seem remotely controversial to me to not want Iran to have nuclear weapons.
We have this unique opportunity to lean into the gospel of Jesus Christ and be agents of peace.
We can either stain people’s view of Jesus by being division or we can helpfully point people to Jesus for hope.
1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,
Pray for our leaders, military, missionaries, and those who have suffered loss.
Pray that the Lord would be merciful and patient, drawing us to Him.
There is so much going on in our world today,
I’m not about to tell you that it’s a sign of the times—that’s a poor use to the Bible and far too many preachers have been scaring people for too long.
The things going on in Palestine, Iran, Israel, Ukraine, and Russia make us feel the struggle that we’re on the brink of a global catastrophe.
We feel the struggle of desiring peace, but there’s very little hope of it.
It looks an awful lot like Genesis out there.
The book of Genesis has been a grimy book so far, and it doesn’t look like it plans to let up.
What we have learned from Genesis and are learning from the world today:
Big Idea: We should expect suffering
Big Idea: We should expect suffering
Context
We’re shifting our attention back to the main story—Joseph.
He had just been taken to Egypt and sold to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard.
He’s a wealthy man and well regarded.
Joseph landed the best deal he could considering he’s now a slave.
Stand to read
1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 4 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. 5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field. 6 So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. 7 And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.”
Leader: This is God’s Word
Everyone: Thanks be to God
He was taken into Potiphar’s house instead of to the slave field.
Everything that Joseph touched turned to gold
He quickly gets promoted to being in charge of everything in Potiphar’s house.
From the onset, Joseph’s life in Egypt was governed by God’s providence and care.
His success was not because of how learned he is, but because God is with him.
Potiphar’s wife sees this handsome fella: “Hey, baby. How you doing?”
He’s handsome, he’s successful and blessed.
She makes a move
8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. 9 He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”
He avoids her
It’s a sin against Potiphar’s trust and against God.
He demonstrates an intense amount of integrity
She’s rich, beautiful, and all about him.
He rejects the temptation of sin.
But she is persistent in her advances toward him.
10 And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her. 11 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, 12 she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house.
This dude fled temptation just like we should.
Run hard, run far, and run fast.
Sexual sin is different than other sins.
All other sins, we’re commanded to put it to death and to fight.
The Bible commands us not to fight sexual sin, but to run away from it.
Sexual sin is a dangerous trap that slowly poisons us.
Joseph sees where this could cost him everything and offend God, so he takes off.
She has a hold of his garment, but he’s like “Get this off me!”
13 And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, 14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.” 16 Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, 17 and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. 18 But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.”
She brings this case against Joseph with three major elements.
She blames her husband for bringing him to the palace.
She puts pressure on her husband by saying, “Whom YOU have brought among us” (v. 17).
She points out that he’s not an Egyptian
This is some long-standing racial tension.
She says that Joseph was acting against the whole house, not just her.
She makes this case to frame Joseph that is trying to pull one over on them in order to mock them.
She’s brought his jacket that he left behind as evidence.
She has fabricated this story frames him for her actions.
Church, this shows us:
Suffering is not always a result of your sin.
Suffering is not always a result of your sin.
Suffering is a result of living in a broken world.
Sin had riddled the world and our existence only knows brokenness.
Sometimes suffering is a direct result of our own actions
Sometimes it’s a result of other people’s actions.
When sinners get close to other sinners, things get very messy.
In order for us to suffer well, we have to have a theology of suffering in a broken world.
The problems we run into is that we don’t want to accept responsibility and face our sins, but we’re quick to ask “Why does a good God allow bad things to happen in the world?”
People use the brokenness of the world, not to lament our sin, but to claim that God is not good.
Innocent and unjust suffering challenges people’s faith in a just and almighty God.
“God why is this happening?!”
The boy born blind
To say that God isn’t good or doesn’t understand our suffering is to clearly dismiss the cross of Christ.
Gospel presentation
Jesus took to Himself the suffering of the world.
On the cross, human suffering is revealed in its greatest depths.
The Son of God came to be with us, to share in our suffering, to take our burden upon Himself, and take the full weight of God’s wrath on our behalf.
This is why we’re gospel people.
Jesus died to give us hope in the midst of suffering.
He took our sins away
After Christ suffered and died on the cross for our sins, He rose again from the death victorious over it!
Our hope is that our suffering now will not be in vain, because those who trust in Christ will be raised to eternal life with Christ forever!
Transition
Although we may not understand why suffering is happening, we can trust that God is somehow working through it because Jesus took the ultimate suffering for us.
Joseph is unjustly accused by Potiphar’s wife.
19 As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. 20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison.
This happens quickly, because that’s likely how fast it happened.
He heard her case and threw him in prison.
As a slave, Joseph has no legal rights.
No defense. No appeal.
But this isn’t a low note for Joseph, because “The Lord was with Him” (v. 21)
21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. 23 The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.
Joseph is a man where everything he touches turns to gold because the Lord is with him.
He becomes a trustee and oversees all the prison
Joseph had trust with the jailor and the Lord made him successful at everything he did!
This should tell us something about the kingdom of God.
Church,
Suffering is inevitable, and God is still good.
Suffering is inevitable, and God is still good.
Suffering is an area we all must consider and have a theology for.
How is it possible for God to be good and suffering to be inevitable?
We live in a broken world that is broken due to our consequences.
The sovereign, Creator God is perfect and righteous in every way possible.
We deserve to remain in our brokenness and separated from Him, but He has given us grace we don’t deserve.
He sent His Son to die on the cross and rise from the dead to give us the hope of resurrection and eternal life.
The promise we cling to now is that Jesus will return and raise us up with Him.
When He does, all the suffering will be over.
Brokenness will be restored.
Death with die.
We will live with Him forever.
All we must do right now is believe that Jesus is who He says He is, that His work is finished, and follow Him.
That doesn’t spare us from suffering, but a right view of suffering should propel us to Jesus even more.
Seasons of suffering can be times of intense spiritual growth.
We ask questions like, “God, how long will this go on? Why is this happening?”
We need to ask questions such as, “Lord, what are you wanting to form in me in this season of my life?”
How do we suffer well?
Take the Next Step
Take the Next Step
Believe: The Lord is with us in times of suffering.
Do:
For sufferers: Come down and give it to Jesus.
Don’t suffer alone.
Let us pray with, bear the suffering with you.
Psalm 77
For those who will: Prepare for suffering by pursuing God in the Word/prayer regularly.
Training before the fight.
I train for the worst case scenario—When it does happen, I don’t have to figure it out.
Prayer, Bible, Church.
We can expect to suffer in this life, but God is good and invites us in.
Invitation to receive, repent, and respond
