The Dreamer

The favor of God

There is no question that one of the main emphases of the account of Joseph is the favor of God in his life. In fact, the news that God was with Joseph is repeated eight times in chapter 39 alone:

• “the Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man” (39:2)

• “the Lord was with him” (39:3)

• “the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand” (39:3)

• “the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house on account of Joseph” (39:5)

• “the Lord’s blessing was upon all that he owned” (39:5)

• “the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him” (39:21)

• “the Lord was with him” (39:23)

• “whatever he did, the LORD made to prosper” (39:23).

The message is clear, isn’t it? Even though Joseph was away from his homeland; even though he had been betrayed by his brothers; even though he was no longer a free man; and even though he ended up in prison: still the Lord was with him. To be sure, God eventually brought Joseph full circle and granted blessings that were more obviously blessings (see chapters 40–41). But often God’s saints do not experience this turnabout in their situations until the world to come, as Hebrews 11, for instance, makes clear. So let us put away once and for all the idea that God’s blessing necessarily equates to health, wealth, and prosperity. That is not the consistent teaching of the Bible. In fact, the Bible and experience often teach exactly the opposite.

On the other hand, let us not deny the fact that, in Genesis 39–41, the blessing of God was, in some ways, related to success and prosperity. In Potiphar’s house, in the prison, and in Pharaoh’s court, God made Joseph successful. God made him, if you will, a good businessman—a wise manager. And we do not discount the fact that the blessing of God may rest on some of us in similar ways. In fact, many of God’s people are successful at what they do. God has given them financial security, influence on people, and respect from their peers. But the question is: “Why?”

Well, notice that all of Joseph’s prosperity actually funneled into the hands of other people. The fact that Joseph “became a successful man” did not make him personally wealthy. What actually happened was that God’s blessing in the life of Joseph made Potiphar personally wealthy (39:5), rescued Pharaoh’s kingdom (ch. 41), and preserved Joseph’s family through famine (ch. 42 and following). That’s interesting, isn’t it? Even when God was blessing Joseph with great success and power, it was not about Joseph’s health, wealth, and prosperity. God blessed Joseph so that Joseph could be a constant blessing to others! Furthermore, God prospered Joseph so that he might have a testimony for the Lord in high places. Because of his success as a manager, Joseph was able to influence Potiphar, the chief jailer, and eventually Pharaoh himself for the Lord!

Most of us are not exactly like Joseph—serving high up in the government, or impacting a nation’s finances. But in our spheres of influence, are we using the manifest blessings of God (be they influence, position, popularity, or money) to bless others and speak for God? Think of it like this: What would you do if God really did send you a five-thousand-dollar check in the mail? Would you immediately get about alleviating the misery of others, blessing the missionaries, or helping your church complete its building campaign? Or would you simply burn it up, making all your problems go away?

The faithfulness of Joseph

It goes without saying—and it follows all we have just said—that those who are under the favor of God are expected to demonstrate faithfulness to God. And Joseph certainly did! Take a closer look:

Joseph’s integrity

Scanning over 39:1–6, we observe the great faithfulness with which Joseph served in Potiphar’s house. He was worthy of notice (39:3) and eventually of promotion (39:4). In fact, his integrity under Potiphar is summed up in verse 6: “[Potiphar] did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.” Literally, the Hebrew says, Potiphar “did not know what was in his house.” He did not need to. After all, Joseph would take care of things!

What a challenge Joseph is to us! Are we known as the most trustworthy employees in our workplaces? Would our bosses entrust us with their checkbooks? Can we be trusted to be on time, and to obey orders? These are the kinds of believers—the Josephs of the world—whom God uses to adorn the gospel and attract unbelievers to himself.

Joseph’s chastity

Potiphar so trusted Joseph that he left him alone at home with his wife. Again I ask: Is this true of us? Can we be trusted alone with another man’s wife or husband, or daughter or son? Can we be trusted alone on the internet? Joseph could be trusted! But notice that, even though he was trustworthy, he went an extra mile in fleeing temptation. Day after day, Potiphar’s wife would put on her perfume, bat her eyelashes, and urge Joseph to give in to her seduction. But day after day, Joseph would refuse “to listen to her to lie beside her or [even to] be with her” (39:10). There is the practical key to Joseph’s sexual purity—he refused even to “be with her”! He took great pains to make sure they were never alone together. That is why verse 11 makes a point of noting that, on one particular day, it did not work out that way.

Isn’t this a stark contrast from what we saw in Joseph’s brother Judah in chapter 38? Judah walked right up to the seductress; Joseph avoided her altogether. What about you? Do you take great pains not to be alone with a member of the opposite sex? This is the only sure way to avoid temptation—and false accusation.

Joseph’s industry

 Notice how Joseph, when it came to the gift of interpreting dreams, did not bury his talent in the ground! This may not seem all that extraordinary once he was out of prison and standing before Pharaoh. After all, if you or I had an opportunity to impress the CEO of our companies or stand before Congress, we probably would not slouch around either! But remember that this audience with Pharaoh (ch. 41) was precipitated by his faithful use of his gift in a very different setting—the jailhouse (ch. 40)! There Joseph was—in prison and falsely accused. But in the form of the cupbearer and baker, along came the opportunity to put his spiritual gift to work. What would you have done? I’ll tell you what might have gone through my mind: “I’m not going to go out of my way trying to help these two. Nobody appreciates me around here, anyway. Potiphar wouldn’t listen to me. His wife betrayed me. These Egyptians are all the same. Why should I go out of my way to help these two criminals?”

Perhaps this is precisely where some of us are in our churches, small groups, or careers—jaded, disillusioned, or discouraged. So we have decided that we will no longer serve on the committee, no longer speak up on that issue, no longer be a member of the team, no longer teach the class. If that describes you, take a long look at Joseph. Lying in that jailhouse he had every excuse in the world just to roll over and play spiritually dead. He had every excuse to bury his talent in the ground. But he didn’t. Instead, he stayed committed to the Lord; he used his spiritual gift; and eventually God used that gift to get him into the throne room of Pharaoh! And God would do similar things with us if we would only serve him without losing heart!

Which came first?

The two main portraits in Genesis 39–41 show the favor of God and the faithfulness of Joseph. But which came first? Was it that the faithfulness of Joseph resulted in the favor of God? Or was it that the favor of God gave rise to the faithfulness of Joseph? Or was it both?