Believers' experience of life
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I want to
Temptation. It seems to pop up out of nowhere—although it comes from somewhere! It may be drugs—or ice cream. A party at school—or a pity party. A click on a computer, an alluring fantasy, or a sudden invitation. The feeling of something in a shopping cart—or maybe, the cart is online. The tidbit of gossip that is demanding a place on your tongue. The thought of putting a knife into someone who has it coming—maybe not a literal knife, but sticking it to a person you love, and twisting the knife so it hurts even more.
How do we handle temptation?
This morning, we are going to go over a believer’s experience of life, and specifically Joseph, Son of Jacob’s, experience of life. We will explore how Joseph was successful because God was with him, how Joseph was faithful to God, even in great temptation, and how even after being tossed into prison, Joseph was faithful to God, and still prospered. God is with His people as much when they are suffering as when they are peacefully prospering. With God, man can prosper as much during times of affliction as in times of ease.
Before we get into the text today, I feel we need to do a brief background look at Joseph. In , we can read about how Joseph was not very well liked by his 11 brothers. I am not saying that his brothers were not given reason, but regardless, he was not liked at all. We read where he tattled on his brothers to his father. Jacob favored Joseph over his other brothers, Joseph would tell dreams to his brothers and father that probably came off a bit arrogant. ,
Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought ha bad report of them to their father.
Joseph was favored by his father over his brothers, which caused more issues between him and his brothers, Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.
Joseph was given a couple of dreams and his brothers took it as him being arrogant, even Jacob took the second one with a bit of concern, 5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
So, we have established that Joseph does not have a good relationship with his brothers, at all. Jacob wants Joseph to go find his brothers and see how they were doing with the their flock. And this is not a simple little quick walk out to the pasture either.
Jacob’s sons were supposed to be in Shechem, but when Joseph arrived, a man said his brothers took the flock to Dothan which is about another 5 miles north. This trip that he was sent on is roughly 100 miles from Hebron.
As his brothers saw him approaching him, with all the hate and jealousy they felt towards him, they conspired to kill their brother. Reuben spoke up and persuaded them to change their mind and instead he was sold to a caravan of Ishmaelites on their way to Egypt.
, They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer.20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits.[b] Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” 21 But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.”
, Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels[c] of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
Then we see what the brothers did next in , Then they took Joseph's robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son's robe or not.” 33 And he identified it and said, “It is my son's robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.”
And now, Joseph’s new journey starts, , Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
One day, Jacob wants Joseph to go find his brothers and see how they were doing with their flock so he sent him from Hebron to Shechem. When Joseph got to Shechem, a stranger pointed him to Dothan as he had overheard the brothers mention going there. This was by no means a quick walk out to the pasture, as Hebron to Dothan was about 100 miles.
2. Joseph was faithful to God, even in great temptation by Potiphar’s wife ()
As I mentioned, Joseph’s brothers do not like him at all, as the author mentioned they hate Joseph. So, when his brothers saw him approaching him, with all the hate and jealousy they felt towards him, they conspired to kill their brother. Reuben spoke up and persuaded them to change their mind and instead he was sold to a caravan of Ishmaelites on their way to Egypt, who sold Joseph to Potiphar. The brothers covered their tracks with their father by dipping Joseph’s coat into goats blood and said a wild animal killed their brother.
3. Even after being tossed in prison, Joseph was faithful to God, and prospered ()
We finally catch up to where the story takes us and today’s scripture passage. .
1 It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her, 3 and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. 4 She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. 5 Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she bore him.
6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord put him to death. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother’s wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother. 10 And what he did was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and he put him to death also. 11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, till Shelah my son grows up”—for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father’s house.
12 In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua’s daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And when Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,” 14 she took off her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16 He turned to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” 17 He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “If you give me a pledge, until you send it—” 18 He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, “Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood.
20 When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her. 21 And he asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?” And they said, “No cult prostitute has been here.” 22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, ‘No cult prostitute has been here.’ ” 23 And Judah replied, “Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her.”
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.
1. Trusting God and following His commandments allows us to be successful
1. Trusting God and following His commandments allows us to be successful
1. The first point I want to make this morning, is that by trusting God and following His commandments allow us to be successful.
This is why the backstory is important. Remember earlier I mentioned that Joseph had 2 dreams where his family would bow down to him. Joseph truly believed these dreams were from God and they were going to be fulfilled. For some reason, he felt the need to tell his father and brothers, and his brothers hated him for this. Hated him so much, that they sold him to some travelers into slavery that led Joseph into the service of Potiphar in Egypt.
If we read verses 2-6 again,
If we take a closer look at ,
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.
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.
Four times in chapter 39, it mentions that “The Lord was with” Joseph, so we can clearly see, that even with all that Joseph had going on, all this adversity, God was still with Joseph, and was not abandoning him. One commentator says, "Although all human supports have failed, and Joseph is far removed from the community of faith and the land of promise, God stays with him. God's presence, neither localized geographically nor dramatic or spectacular, is an unobtrusive, working-behind-the-scenes kind of presence." Matthew Henry wrote, “It is God’s presence with us that makes all we do prosperous. Those that would prosper must therefore make God their friend; and those that do prosper must therefore give God the praise.”
And as a result of God's presence with Joseph, "he became a successful man." In fact, three times in this chapter Joseph is said to be "successful" or to "succeed."
Because of this success that Joseph had, Potiphar took notice. Everything that Joseph did for Potiphar was blessed. So much so, that Potiphar eventually put Joseph in charge of everything he had in the house and field, and Potiphar had no concern for anything except for the food he ate.
The only reason Potiphar more than likely didn’t put Joseph in charge of his food, is because Egyptians had their own laws concerning food and did not eat with the Hebrews. This was an expression of high confidence and honor, and something not to be taken lightly.
We see this work ethic described by Paul in New Testament as he wrote to the .
23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
Potiphar was so satisfied with Joseph’s conduct, that the master only had to enjoy his estate while Joseph took all the care and trouble of the estate. Joseph, was in a low spot, but he still followed and trusted God, and he found success.
Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 79). Peabody: Hendrickson.
Putting our trust in God and following what he commands us allows us the ability to be prosperous. says,
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
2. Following God’s commandments and our faith in God helps us to turn away from temptation
2. Following God’s commandments and our faith in God helps us to turn away from temptation
Following God’s commandments and our faith in God helps us to turn away from temptation
Following God’s commandments and our faith in God helps us to turn away from temptation
The second point today, is following God’s commandments and our faith in God helps us to turn away from temptation. Let’s go over , Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.
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.
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.”
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.”
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.
So we have a young man, who was in a wealthy family, suddenly stripped of all that and sold as a slave in a strange land. What a change in his life. But Joseph, as we read, did not just sit idly by in self-pity.
Fun fact: Joseph is the only man described in the Bible as being handsome in form and appearance, and his mother Rachel is the only woman described as being beautiful in form and appearance.
Several commentators wrote that ancient women of Egypt were very loose with their morals, and Potiphar’s wife was using her superior station to her benefit. Joseph refused his masters wife’s advances day after day. He did not want to betray the trust Potiphar put in him, and he did not want to sin against God. Kent Hughes writes, "The grand deterrent to Joseph's sinning was the awareness that God sees all and that a sin that no one knows about, committed behind locked doors in a dark room, is actually done in the presence of a holy God. Joseph believed this. And I am convinced that the personal realization and conviction of this truth is the strongest deterrent to sin that there is."
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Matthew Henry wrote three arguments that Joseph urged upon himself. “First, He considers who he was that was tempted. “I; others may perhaps take their liberty, but I cannot. I that am an Israelite in covenant with God, that profess religion, and relation to him: it is next to impossible for me to do so.” Secondly, What the sin was to which he was tempted: This great wickedness. Others might look upon it as a small matter, a trick of youth; but Joseph had another idea of it. In general, when at any time we are tempted to sin, we must consider the great wickedness there is in it, let sin appear sin (), call it by its own name, and never go about to lessen it. Particularly let the sin of uncleanness always be looked upon as great wickedness, as an exceedingly sinful sin, that wars against the soul as much as any other. Thirdly, Against whom he was tempted to sin—against God; not only, “How shall I do it, and sin against my master, my mistress, myself, my own body and soul; but against God?” Note, Gracious souls look upon this as the worst thing in sin that it is against God, against his nature and his dominion, against his love and his design. Those that love God do for this reason hate sin.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Illustration - Deceitfulness of Sin
Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 80). Peabody: Hendrickson.
Illustration - Deceitfulness of Sin
One of the largest freshwater turtles is the alligator snapping turtle. Found primarily in the southeastern United States, these massive turtles have been known to weigh close to 250 pounds. They are carnivorous, and while their diet is primarily fish, they have been known to eat almost anything else they can find in the water—even in a few cases small alligators! The alligator snapping turtle relies on a uniquely deceitful method of foraging for fish.
The turtle will lie completely still on the floor of a lake or river with its mouth wide open. At the end of the turtle’s tongue is a small, pink, worm-shaped appendage. The turtle wiggles the end of its tongue so that it looks like a worm moving through the water. When a fish comes to eat the worm, the turtle’s jaws rapidly close, trapping the fish so that it cannot escape.
Similarly to the snapping turtle’s lure, temptation comes in the guise of something desirable, but it always carries destruction with it in the end. If we could see the end result rather than the tempting part, it would be far easier to resist. But Satan knows this, so he cleverly disguises what is deadly in the guise of something pleasurable.
If we read from , we see that the temptation to Joseph grew worse.
If we read from , we see that the temptation to Joseph grew worse.
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.
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.
The temptation towards was happening day after day, and then when an opportunity arose where nobody was in the house, she grabbed his garment to try and force him towards her. He wanted to get himself out of the danger of further temptation. I read that the garment he wore may have been the only thing he had on, so it is quite possible he left the house with nothing on. He did not care, he just needed to get himself out of this situation.
Joseph could have said, “Nobody will know!” or “Everyone else is doing it!” But instead, he lived to please God and made it a point to make no provision for the flesh. Paul wrote in ,
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
As one commentator put it, “It is better to lose a good coat than a good conscience.”
3. Even in troubled times, our faith and trust in God can still allow us to prosper
3. Even in troubled times, our faith and trust in God can still allow us to prosper
The third point this morning is that even in troubled times, our faith and trust in God still allow us to prosper.
Remember earlier when I mentioned how Joseph’s brothers hated him for being the favorite and for his dreams…well now, Potiphar’s wife hated him. She hated him so much, probably a bit out of embarrassment of rejection. She called in the men of the house to lay down the accusations, then waited with Joseph’s garment until her husband got home, anger probably getting worse. says,
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.
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.
She was even mocking Potiphar at this point, “The Hebrew you brought among us” and “This is the way your servant treated me.” Normally, this would be a crime punishable by death, but you see here that Potiphar took him and just placed him in prison. Prison is bad, but death would have been much worse for Joseph. The passage said that Potiphar’s anger was kindled, but not who it was directed towards. Many commentators mention that Potiphar may not have fully believed his wife’s assertion and may have thought about reinstating Joseph at some later time. Potiphar more than likely had to punish Joseph to avoid the disgrace of his house, but he wanted to do it in a more gentle way to preserve Joseph.
For the second time, Joseph had avoided death. His brothers, who hated him for his favor with his father and dreams, plotted to kill him, but instead sold him into slavery. Now, a failed temptress, hated him for his rejection of her because he did not want to wrong his earthly master or his God, probably hoped the Hebrew would have been put to death but instead, Potiphar put him in prison.
If we read the final three verses, ,
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.
Moses made the point in verses 21 and 23 to show that God was still with Joseph. God saw the faithfulness in him, saw him avoid the temptation of Potiphar’s wife out of obedience to God. God in return, showed him mercy, and gave Joseph favor in the site of the jailer. The keeper of the prison was under Potiphar, and he committed all of the prisoners that were in the prison unto Joseph’s charge. And because God was with Joseph, once again, whatever Joseph did in that prison, the Lord made it prosper.
I want to bring up the 3 main points again this morning.
but God was still with Joseph. God saw the faithfulness in him, saw him avoid the temptation of Potiphar’s wife out of obedience to God. God in return, showed him mercy, and have Joseph favor in the site of the jailer.
1. Trusting God and following His commandments allows us to be successful.
2. Following God’s commandments and our faith in God helps us to turn away from temptation.
3. Even in troubled times, our faith and trust in God can still allow us to prosper.
Can we be successful without trusting God and following His commandments? Sure we can, if we are after material success and not spiritual success. Personally, I consider success living as God commands, loving family and friends, loving strangers and treating them fairly, living life for God, putting God above all and having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ…that to me is success. Knowing that when my time is done here on earth, I get to spend an eternity with my God and Lord Jesus Christ.
Does following God’s commands and our faith in God prevent us from being tempted? Nope, but it helps us with that temptation. Jesus was in the desert for 40 days before Satan started tempting Jesus. Jesus was flesh and he was able to turn away from the temptation, so if we are to be Christ like, why should we think we cannot also be able to turn away from temptation. It is never an easy thing, but we need to be like Joseph, and flee from it.
As for number three. Trouble times, can we still prosper with having faith and trust in God? We can, but we also know that have a promise of suffering for our God.
I want to close with this that I found on Facebook. Pastor Chris Galarneau’s wife Kellie put post that sums things up pretty well, and it touches on this very subject.
“The Bible says that God will never give you more than you can handle”
A sentiment that gets passed along during difficult situations.
Somehow we think this phrase brings comfort and understanding to tough times.
But there’s a BIG problem with it....
First of all, this phrase is NOWHERE in the Bible. Seriously. Look it up if you don’t believe me.
Second of all it actually teaches a dangerous and erroneous train of thought.
We do know that bad things happen. We are promised that we will have “suffering” in this life. Whether it’s due to our own bad choices, or the actions of others, we know that soul crushing and suffocating suffering will come.
But God doesn’t want us to “handle” anything. He doesn’t want us to carry that burden. To be weighed down under its oppression.
Instead he asks us to “cast our burdens on Him, because He cares for us”!
He wants to handle it! Not us. He asks us to trust His plans and timing. He’s not doling out “burdens” for us so He can witness how well we “handle it”.
So next time you are facing something that has you weighed down, don’t attempt to handle it on your own. It’s pointless and futile!
Let go. Give it to Him. And then be at peace that the one who CAN actually handle it has it all under control!