The Forgotten Main Character

Turn to Genesis 39. Many of you know exactly whose life we will be looking at today but I don’t want you to zone out because you’ve heard this before because this sermon is going to look at the story in a completely different way.

Many sermons have been written on Joseph’s life. We gravitate toward the story of Joseph because the situations that he was put in are just mind-boggling.

His brothers sold him into slavery

As a slave, he became the head of one of the most prestigious houses in Egypt.

Someone tried to commit adultery with him

They lied about him so he went to prison

He was pulled out of prison and made the most influential man in the biggest empire in the world

The point is, this story is soooooo interesting, and we gravitate towards it.

There are even many comparisons that people make between Joseph and Jesus. I am not here to talk about that. Today, I want to remind you about the forgotten main character in the life of Joseph.

God wants you to lean on Him because He is worth it.

The question is why? Why can we lean on God?

God is With You

Genesis 39:2 “2 And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.”

Whenever this idea of the Lord being with Joseph is brought up, it is closely connected to the ways that God was blessing him. This is not the prosperity gospel but it’s just the simple fact that we should seek to have God’s presence with us because that makes every challenge easier.

The point is, when God is with you, you will be blessed…

Maybe not monetarily

Maybe for a time you’ll even end up falsely accused in prison like Joseph.

But even during all of that, God will be with you.

Joseph was faithfully serving in Potiphar’s house and yet God’s presence led him to prison.

Genesis 39:20 “20 And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.”

Genesis 39:21 “21 But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”

How important is God’s presence to you? Let’s just think for a minute, if a contract was handed to you right now, there was two check boxes that you can choose from:

Next to one check it says “life on your own.”

Next to the other check box it says “possibly be led to prison, possibly die a martyr’s death, possibly live a life where there is never a lot of money to splurge, possibly live a life where people are against you, but have God’s presence.”

Which one would you actually choose?

God Has Not Forgot You

Genesis 40:23 “23 Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.”

Genesis 41:1 “1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.”

Joseph was in prison for 2 years and was forgotten by man but God never forgot him.

What is so hard about this is that this wasn’t just a short period of time. It was 2 years. If I was in Joseph’s shoes I would be asking God where he was. I would be questioning His purpose.

“Why am I in here for so long?”

“What is my purpose here?”

We really see no signs of any such questions from Joseph. He seemingly had a patient faith that God would deliver.

God never forgot Joseph.

Even today, we don’t know why it was apart of God’s plan for Joseph to be in prison that long but we can trust that God had a purpose.

Today you may be asking, “Why am I dealing with this?”

For Dr. Amsbaugh: This italicized point is just another idea for if I ever expanded this sermon for a longer sermon but the first 2 are the only I am preaching and submitting for lab.

God is Able

Genesis 41:16 “16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”

Conclusion

If you ask Joseph “Was it worth it”

I think he would tell you yes. Even though he was sold into slavery and sent to prison for a crime didn’t commit, he would tell you that God is with you. Even though he was in prison for two years, he would say that God will remember you. It is worth it to lean on God.

Even though a life following God can be hard sometimes, having God’s presence is always worth it.

Even though you can be in a bad situation for a period of time, God has never left you.