Leading in a Foreign Land
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Intro:
Genesis 39:1-2
Today we will continue our series titled, [Finding Jesus in Joseph]. The subject of today’s message is [Leading in a Foreign Land].
I remember the first time I left the country. I was eighteen and an evangelist who came to our church every year invited me to go to Guyana, South America with him. I had been preaching for about a year and I couldn’t wait to go on my first mission’s trip.
The man that invited me gave me “some” advice on what to bring and how to act down there, but I went very uniformed. Everyone was quick to give me advice.
Some of the advice was helpful, while others was terrifying. My dad’s boss’ wife told me, “You are going to South America, be careful there are anacondas EVERYWHERE!” I did see one, in the zoo in Georgetown.
I did see one, in the zoo in Georgetown.
Another lady told me that if I got water in my mouth or in my eyes, I would get a tapeworm, so I better be careful around their water. As a result, I showered for an entire week with my eyes and mouth closed.
I had been preaching for about a year and I couldn’t wait to go on my first mission’s trip. The man that invited me gave me “some” advice on what to bring and how to act down there, but I went very uniformed.
It was an odd feeling being in a foreign land for the first time. Their culture was different, their words were different, and their actions were different. Thankfully for me, I was able to go home in a week.
That was not the case for Joseph. As we looked last Sunday, because of Jacob’s favoritism of Joseph, his brother despised him. They were willing to sell him into slavery and not give it a second thought.
Imagine Joseph, a seventeen-year-old kid who was snatched from his home, from a life of ease, and from a father who loved him. Now he has been sold to a man named Potiphar.
We notice that Potiphar was a captain of the guard for Pharoah. The captain of the guard was an elite group of skilled executioners. They would have been responsible for killing someone had they committed a crime.
But notice what happened, though Joseph was in a foreign land, we see that the Lord was with him. That phrase is found four times in this chapter.
God had His hand on Joseph and nothing was going to change that. The Lord did not forget the dreams He gave Joseph.
Sure, the enemy came to try and stop Joseph from fulfilling His full potential. However, when God is with us, there is nothing and no one who can stop us, as long as we commit to following His plan for our lives.
As we mentioned last week, our aim in this study is to find Jesus in the life of Joseph. Throughout the Old Testament, we find types or examples of Jesus and His attributes.
Last week we focused on a Loving Father and a Favored Son. Both Joseph and Jesus were loved by their Father. However, the difference in their stories deal with the character of their fathers.
Jacob was flawed, in his heart a deceptive person. While Jesus’ Father God is perfect in all of His way.
We we focus on the next phase of Joseph’s life, we will see attributes from the life of Christ. I have three points, [Joseph’s Position of Trust], [Joseph’s Persistent Test], and [Joseph’s Poor Treatment].
Let’s begin
1. Joseph’s Position of Trust
1. Joseph was Trusted
The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field. Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate.
Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.
Genesis 39:
The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 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. 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. 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.
By the time we reach this part of Joseph’s life, he served Potiphar for eleven years. For over a decade he lived in this foreign land.
We do not know exactly when it happened, but overtime Joseph became Potiphar’s choice servant. However, this did not happen overnight. When Joseph arrived in Egypt, he came as a slave, but worse than that, he was a Hebrew slave.
When Joseph arrived in Egypt, he came as a slave, but worse than that, he was a Hebrew slave.
The Egyptians loathed the Hebrews. In their sophisticated society, the Hebrews were nothing more than shepherds who did not deserve their respect or attention.
Joseph went to Potiphar’s home as a kid, who could not understand the language. Furthermore, Joseph was a little bit spoiled when he arrived to Egypt. Remember, he wore a tunic that ensured he did not have to do any work.
Jacob, his father, treated Joseph like royalty. However, upon arrival to Egypt, he went from riches to rags. He was expected to do hard labor, but there was something different about Joseph.
Overtime, Potiphar noticed something different about this Hebrew slave. He was unlike any other slave he had. After some time Potiphar realized, the Lord is with Joseph.
Even though Joseph was thousands of miles from home, God knew right where Joseph was. He lavished His favor and love upon Joseph.
Whether he realized it or not, the secret to his success was the fact that God never left him. After eleven years of service to Potiphar, he became second in command of the household.
No longer did Joseph have to work in the fields, he was a servant of great trust. Potiphar withheld nothing from Joseph, and as a result, Potiphar was supernaturally blessed.
How could Potiphar trust Joseph, a Hebrew slave?
Because Joseph had ultimate trust in the Lord. When he was forced from his homeland, he lost his family, his language, and even his identity, but he never lost his faith in God.
He knew where he could turn and on whom he could depend. He remembered the stories passed down from his great-grandfather Abraham, to his grandfather Isaac, to his father Jacob.
Because of Joseph’s trust in the Lord, he was placed in a position of trust. But notice verse six, after we see that Joseph was in control of everything in Potiphar’s house, we find that he was handsome in form and appearance.
These few words bridge us to the next part of Joseph’s story...
2. Joseph’s Persistent Test
Do you think it would be hard to have trust?
Leading in a Foreign Land
Intro:
For eleven years, Joseph’s faithfulness and trust led him up the ladder of success. As a man in his late twenties, Joseph had moved from being outside help to manager and administrator over Potiphar’s home.
Today we will continue our series titled, [Finding Jesus in Joseph]. The subject of today’s message is [Leading in a Foreign Land].
While Potiphar noticed Joseph’s success there were two other people who did as well. First, the enemy lurked behind the shadows and watched Joseph’s trust in the Lord.
I remember the first time I left the country. I was eighteen and an evangelist who came to our church every year invited me to go to Guyana, South America with him. I had been preaching for about a year and I couldn’t wait to go on my first mission’s trip.
The man that invited me gave me “some” advice on what to bring and how to act down there, but I went very uniformed. Everyone was quick to give me advice.
Some of the advice was helpful, while others was terrifying. My dad’s boss’ wife told me, “You are going to South America, be careful there are anacondas EVERYWHERE!” I did see one, in the zoo in Georgetown.
Another lady told me that if I got water in my mouth or in my eyes, I would get a tapeworm, so I better be careful around their water. As a result, I showered for an entire week with my eyes and mouth closed.
It was an odd feeling being in a foreign land for the first time. Their culture was different, their words were different, and their actions were different. Thankfully for me, I was able to go home in a week.
Though Satan has know way of knowing the future, he did know Joseph’s dream because as an immature seventeen-year-old, he told them to everyone.
That was not the case for Joseph. As we looked last Sunday, because of Jacob’s favoritism of Joseph, his brother despised him. They were willing to sell him into slavery and not give it a second thought.
Imagine Joseph, a seventeen-year-old kid who was snatched from his home, from a life of ease, and from a father who loved him. Now he has been sold to a man named Potiphar.
Therefore, Satan desired to stop Joseph and he found a willing candidate to help, Potiphar’s wife. She watched Joseph grow from a young man into a handsome man of stature and power.
We notice that Potiphar was a captain of the guard for Pharoah. The captain of the guard was an elite group of skilled executioners. They would have been responsible for killing someone had they committed a crime.
But notice what happened, though Joseph was in a foreign land, we see that the Lord was with him. That phrase is found four times in this chapter.
Sure, the enemy came to try and stop Joseph from fulfilling His full potential. However, when God is with us, there is nothing and no one who can stop us, as long as we commit to following His plan for our lives.
As we mentioned last week, our aim in this study is to find Jesus in the life of Joseph. Throughout the Old Testament, we find types or examples of Jesus and His attributes.
Finally, she could not contain herself. She went to Joseph and propositioned him. Beyond the physical aspects of this test, ancient slaves desired to have affairs with their master’s wife because it would help them gain full control over the master’s home and eventually his property.
Last week we focused on a Loving Father and a Favored Son. Both Joseph and Jesus were loved by their Father. However, the difference in their stories deal with the character of their fathers.
Jacob was flawed, in his heart a deceptive person. While Jesus’ Father God is perfect in all of His way.
Joseph was indignant. He refused such an offer. He knew he was in a position of trust, Potiphar had total trust in him. Furthermore, to do that with Potiphar’s wife would ensure his execution.
We we focus on the next phase of Joseph’s life, we will see attributes from the life of Christ. I have three points, [Joseph was Trusted], [Joseph was Tested], and [Joseph was Tried].
But this was not the only reason for Joseph’s refusal. How could he sin against God by sleeping with Potiphar’s wife?
Let’s begin
Joseph’s self-respect, faithfulness to his master, and trust in God enabled him to say no. However, saying no to Satan is not what he wants to hear. Therefore, Potiphar’s wife was relentless in her pursuit.
Not only did Joseph refuse to sin with her, he refused to even be in her presence. Avoiding temptation is more than saying no, it is refusing to go where we know we will be tempted.
Joseph’s distance worked for a while, until one day, when he thought the house was empty, Potiphar’s wife waited for him. She grabbed ahold of his clothing, attempting to force herself on Joseph.
Joseph FLED the temptation. We need to notice this principle. When we are tempted, if we stay there and say, I really hope I don’t give in, it is likely we will.
Instead, we have to get out of the room, shut the door, and go to a new location. Why? Because we cannot reason with temptation, because temptation is unreasonable.
Clearly Potiphar’s wife proves this point. She was unreasonable, knowing what she wanted Joseph to do was wrong and immoral.
Though Joseph was not guilty, Potiphar’s wife began to spin a web of lies and innuendo. She kept his shirt with her until Potiphar came home. When entered the room, she began to weep and claim she was innocent.
ESV
She focused on Joseph’s ethnicity as well as his status in the home. She tried to paint a picture of a trusted servant who was a secret sinner.
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.
However, God knew better, even though things would get difficult for Joseph, he passed the test, proving his trust was in the Lord.
Page . Exported from Logos Bible Software, 2:30 PM April 26, 2019.
3. Joseph’s Poor Treatment
When Potiphar heard the lies of his wife we are told he became angry. At first glance, we could assume that he was angry at Joseph, but notice what he did to Joseph, he threw him in prison.
Remember Potiphar’s position. He was a captain in Potiphar’s guard. He was skilled in executing criminals. As a slave, Joseph had zero rights and he was accused of a heinous crime.
Potiphar should have killed Joseph solely on the circumstantial evidence. Joseph was a Hebrew slave who was accused of attempting to assault his master’s wife.
But instead of death, Potiphar chose to throw him into prison. Why did Potiphar show mercy? Could it be that he knew he married a manipulative woman? Perhaps his anger was less with Joseph and more with the lies of his wife.
Looking back we have this perspective. But how did Joseph feel when it happened? What did he feel when he was carted off from his prestigious position and forced to go into prison as a foreign slave?
Human nature wanted Joseph to rise up and defend himself. He could reminded Potiphar, I have served you faithfully for eleven years. I have never lied, cheated, or stole you. We do not have any mention of what Joseph said or didn’t say.
However, we do have the secret that sustained Joseph.
But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
For the third time in this chapter we see that God was with Joseph. Not once did the Lord forget or forsake Joseph. He saw in Joseph a man who was committed to the Lord, despite being severely tempted.
Even after being lied on, persecuted, abused, and severely hurt, God was still the undercurrent of strength that helped Joseph in a difficult hour.
Close:
Forced from his home as a teenager, Joseph was brought to a foreign land. He had to learn the language, customs, and culture. But within one decade, Joseph began to lead in this foreign land.
He was placed in a position of trust, passed persistent tests, but the chapter ends with him being poorly treated.
We could attempt to conjure up reasons as to why Joseph faced such difficulties, but here is where I want us to find Jesus in the life of Joseph.
When I got to this part of the life of Joseph, I read the story of a Beloved Son, who went to a foreign land, began to serve with excellence, and was dispised and lied on, resulting in His imprisonment.
Then I remembered Paul’s words in
Paul explained in
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
To think, Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, willingly left the splendor of heaven. He came down to earth, a foreign, surrounded by customs and cultures of sin that were contrary to His standard of form of righteousness.
Yet while He was here, He garnered the trust of the twelve disciples, because He had utmost trust in His Father.
While He was here, He faced persistent tests. Within a few weeks of His introduction by John the Baptist, He was ushered away to the wilderness where He was tested three times by Satan.
Each time He declared His trust in the word and commanded that the enemy get behind Him. After He overcame the persistent temptations of the enemy, He was tested by the religious leaders.
They were relentless, doing all they could to trick Jesus, hoping they could catch Him in a lie or find Him doing something illegal.
When that failed, they did as Potiphar’s wife did and flat out lied about Jesus. They were able to get Him arrested just as Joseph was arrested. But what I love about the Lord, is not once did He attempt to vindicate Himself.
Even when He had the chance to remove Himself from the cross and return to heaven, He stayed faithful to His assignment, and His eventual resurrection vindicated Him and proved His adversaries to be nothing but liars.
Can we see Jesus in Joseph. Both of them were trusted, both of them were tested, and both of them were treated poorly.
How did they survive such difficulties?
8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. 9 “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him
“And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him
9 “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him 10 and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household.
9 “And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
In all that they faced, God never left their side. And now I want to bring it home to 2019. I would love to say once we accept Christ as our Savior that all of our problems will disappear.
However, when we get saved, we have to realize that we are now leading new lives in a foreign land. Remember:
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.
We have been brought into a new dimension, we are now citizens of the Kingdom of God, living in a Godless society. Now that we have been illuminated by the light of God, we are targets for the enemy.
However, if we will continue to trust Him, despite persistent tests, even when we are treated poorly, we will thrive in our assignment and calling!
How is that possible?
The same God that was with Joseph when he was sold into slavery
The same God that was with Joseph in Potiphar’s home
The same God that was with Joseph when he was thrown into prison
and the same God who was with Jesus
Is the same God who will go with us, lead us and guide, provide and protect us, in all that we face!
Our aim and our responsibility is to first trust Him and second live a life He can trust!
God wants us to stand out as leaders in this foreign land of sin! Who wants to stand out for Him?