Successful Suffering
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Alternate Title: The Present God Who Prospers His People
Text: Genesis 39
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.”
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?”
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.
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.”
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.
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.
PRAY
Joseph’s First Test: Responding to Slavery
Joseph’s First Test: Responding to Slavery
(v. 1-6)
God’s Purpose in Joseph’s Suffering
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.
Display His glory for the good of His people — here we see God’s providence, grace, faithfulness, presence, and more.
Test/Refine Joseph’s Character — helping him to learn obedience through what he suffered
Preserve the Chosen family and provide for the whole world
Display the glory of Christ by creating the pattern of the suffering servant who saves his people.
Joseph is not where he wants to be, but he is right where God wants him to be, and he submits himself to God’s providence.
God’s Presence with Joseph
2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.
v. 2: “The LORD was with Joseph”
Even in the midst of terrible circumstances, Joseph is enjoying the presence of the LORD with him, like Adam and Eve enjoyed in the Garden of Eden before the Fall into sin; in redemption, God is restoring the relationship broken by sin, so that He will dwell with His people forever (Rev 21:3).
God’s Prospering of Joseph
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.
What does it mean to be successful or prosperous? Twice here it says that the LORD is causing Joseph to prosper or succeed.
How does the world measure success/prosperity?
Possessions — money, houses, cars, having lots of nice things, big bank account, investments, etc.
Power — holding an important position, having authority or influence over other people
Pleasure — having the freedom to indulge in all kinds of pleasurable experiences, satisfying physical appetites
Praise — having the approval of others; being well-known, talked about by others
These are the kinds of things the world looks at as markers of success or prosperity.
How about us as Christians? How do we think about success or prosperity?
If we’re honest, the world’s ideas about prosperity easily creep into our thinking as well, as we are surrounded by the world’s messaging in our media, such as music, TV, advertisements, or social media.
We might put a Christian spin on some of these things (possessions, power, pleasures, or praise), and it’s not necessarily bad to have these things, but that’s not true prosperity.
What does Scripture teach us about success/prosperity?
True prosperity or success is the work of God — a gift from Him.
True prosperity or success comes from living in a right relationship with God — walking with Him, getting to know Him, growing in our faith, love, and obedience to His Word.
Consider these other verses that use this same word, “to make successful/to prosper.” Notice the connection in each case with God’s Word and people’s response to it:
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
By meditating on God’s Word day and night so as to obey its commands, Joshua will prosper and be successful.
1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
By meditating on God’s Word day and night, this man comes to delight in the LORD’s instructions and obey them, leading him to avoid sin and do what’s right. As a result, he receives God’s blessing and prospers in all he does.
11 “Now, my son, the Lord be with you, so that you may succeed in building the house of the Lord your God, as he has spoken concerning you.
12 Only, may the Lord grant you discretion and understanding, that when he gives you charge over Israel you may keep the law of the Lord your God.
13 Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the Lord commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed.
David tells Solomon that God’s presence with him is the key to his success and prosperity as king in accomplishing the temple project; and Solomon needs God’s wisdom to obey God’s laws so that he will continue to prosper as king.
21 And every work that [Hezekiah] undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered.
King Hezekiah dedicated himself to the LORD; he sought to know and obey the LORD and His commands with all his heart, and so he prospered.
It seems then, that Joseph’s prosperity is due to the LORD’s presence with him and to Joseph’s commitment to meditate on God’s character and promises and obey God’s commands.
If we want to prosper in the truest and most meaningful way, even in the midst of suffering, we must spend time with God in His Word and prayer, getting to know our God, learning to trust His promises, and grow in our love, worship and obedience to God and His commands.
God’s Promises Fulfilled through Joseph
In Genesis 12:3, one of God’s promises to Abraham was that through his offspring, all nations of the world would be blessed.
God made this same promise to Isaac and Jacob as well, that all families of the earth, all nations would experience God’s blessing through the seed of Abraham.
We saw in the case of Jacob how the LORD blessed Laban on account of Jacob, spreading the blessing beyond the chosen family.
Now we see that God’s blessing is spreading to Egypt, and Potiphar and all his family and all his possessions are receiving God’s blessing.
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.
The ambiguity in this verse shows how God is working through Potiphar to prosper Joseph.
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…
God has a good purpose in Joseph’s slavery and suffering in Egypt.
God is present with him
God is prospering him
God is fulfilling His promises through him.
Joseph is passing the test.
Joseph’s Second Test: Responding to Temptation
Joseph’s Second Test: Responding to Temptation
(v. 7-12)
The end of v. 6 tells us,
6 … Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.
This sets up the second test: the temptation to sexual sin.
The Temptation - v. 7
7 And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.”
Joseph’s Response - v. 8-9
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 said “no” to the temptation
Potiphar has entrusted Joseph with great responsibility and Joseph wants to honor that trust.
Most importantly, Joseph recognizes that to give in to this temptation is not only a sin against Potiphar, but against God.
Could he have gotten away with this sin? Perhaps.
But Joseph is a man of integrity and he is committed to purity and obedience to God. Joseph knew that to sleep with Potiphar’s wife would not only dishonor his human master, but more importantly, it would dishonor God.
Living with integrity means doing what’s right even when you could get away with doing wrong.
Because of his love for God and commitment to obeying Him, Joseph refused to give in to temptation.
Perseverance in resisting temptation
But this temptation didn’t just happen once. Verse 10 tells us,
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.
This temptation went on daily for many days, perhaps even weeks or months, and Joseph kept resisting.
He wouldn’t give in to sin.
He wouldn’t even get close to sin. He did what he could to avoid her.
Pray, “lead us not into temptation” and do what you can to stay away.
The final resistance
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.
No matter how strong the temptation is, keep saying no. Keep resisting. Keep choosing to do right.
Joseph’s Third Test: Responding to Unjust Imprisonment
Joseph’s Third Test: Responding to Unjust Imprisonment
(v. 13-23)
Victim of false accusation
Potiphar’s wife chooses to lie about Joseph. Her lie is repeated 3 times:
First, she lies to the other men of the household
Second she lies to her husband,
Third, we’re told of Potiphar’s response to the lie
Notice as we read also, not only is she falsely accusing Joseph here, she is also somewhat subtly blaming her husband Potiphar for what she says happened.
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.”
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.
Potiphar is angry. But why is he angry?
Do you think he believes his wife’s lie?
I think he probably doesn’t. Let me give you a couple of reasons from the text why I think he doesn’t really believe her lie:
First, he imprisons Joseph rather than executing him. If Potiphar really believed that Joseph had assaulted his wife, I think he would have had him executed. Potiphar was a powerful man, Joseph was a slave, and I think the death penalty would certainly have been an option if her story had been true. And the place where Joseph is held is the place where the king’s prisoners are kept — so probably not the worst prison. So the punishment given to Joseph doesn’t quite seem to match the accusation.
Second, Joseph has proven himself to Potiphar as a man of such outstanding character that Potiphar trusts Joseph with everything he has. I think Potiphar knows that Joseph is an upright, godly man, and he probably knows that his wife is a wicked woman.
This third reason is a little more subtle, but in chapter 40 verse 4, it tells us Genesis 40:4 “4 The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them [the king’s prisoners, the chief cupbearer and baker], and he attended them…” It doesn’t mention Potiphar’s name there, but the title “captain of the guard” is the title ascribed to Potiphar in Gen 37:36, 39:1. So it seems that Potiphar is still interacting with Joseph there in the prison and placing him over the other prisoners. I doubt he would do that if he believed his wife’s story.
So why was he angry?
First, because his wife is lying about his best servant. God’s blessing was coming on Potiphar and everything he had because of Joseph. Because of the relationship and because she has told others the lie, Potiphar probably believes he has to do something, but he probably wished he didn’t have to remove Joseph from his household, because he knows that God is blessing him through Joseph.
Second, in this lie, Potiphar’s wife is also blaming Potiphar for this alleged assault. It’s YOUR slave, YOU brough him here. She’s not only lying about Joseph, but she’s also dishonoring her husband. My guess is that no husband probably likes to hear his wife say something like this to him.
So I think he’s angry, not because he believes Joseph actually did wrong, but because he has a terrible wife and because of her he has to lose his favorite servant.
So, v. 20, Joseph goes to jail
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.
And then, the chapter ends very similar to the way it began:
God’s Presence with Joseph
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.
God’s Promises Fulfilled through Joseph
God’s blessings continue to come to others through Joseph, even in the prison (we’ll see this more in the next chapter)
God’s Prospering of Joseph
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.
Even though his circumstances are going from bad to worse, God is still with Joseph, and Joseph is continuing to prosper even in prison.
God’s Purpose in Joseph’s Suffering
Display His glory for the good of His people — here again we see God’s providence, grace, faithfulness, presence, and more.
Test/Refine Joseph’s Character — helping him to learn obedience through what he suffered
Preserve the Chosen family and provide for the whole world
Display the glory of Christ by creating the pattern of the suffering servant who saves his people.
Joseph is not where he wants to be, but he is right where God wants him to be, and he submits himself to God’s providence.
Joseph, the Suffering Servant
Joseph, the Suffering Servant
Gave up (for a time) the rights and privileges he enjoyed as the Father’s beloved Son
Submitted to suffering as a servant to ultimately save His brothers who had sinned.
Consistently resisted temptations to sin
Suffered the punishment for the sins of others
Trusted the good purpose of God even in the midst of suffering
Suffering gave way to glory; the cross led to the crown.
10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Application:
Application:
Think biblically about prosperity
Think biblically about prosperity
Recognize that the greatest blessing in life comes from knowing God in His Word and living in obedience to Him.
Live with integrity
Live with integrity
Choose to do what’s right even when there’s no reward for it. A clean conscience is worth more than the fleeting pleasures of sin. Resist sin, and choose to do what’s right.
Trust God’s good purpose in your suffering
Trust God’s good purpose in your suffering
Joseph didn’t know how his story will end, and we don’t know what God has in store for the rest of our lives, but Joseph trusted the providence of God, and we must also. God is working all things for our good even when we can’t tell what He’s up to. Let’s trust Him.
