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Genesis 37:36; 39:1-6
THE LORD WAS WITH JOSEPH
Intro:
Try to put yourself in Joseph’s shoes for a moment.
You are seventeen years old.
You are the favored son in a family of twelve sons.
Your father had chosen you to be the head of the family and he had given you a beautiful robe to symbolize this fact.
You are on the path to power, influence and prominence in your family.
Then, in a moment of time, everything is gone.
You are stripped of your coat.
You are betrayed by people who should have loved you.
You are separated from your father.
You are sold as a slave and carried off into a strange land.
Imagine the humility of being examined and sold in a slave auction.
Imagine the lies Satan must have told him.
In many ways, you are just a simple country boy from an unsophisticated family, and you find yourself transported to the capital city of the most advanced nation on the earth.
Imagine how Joseph must have felt as the camels crested the last hill and the wonders of ancient Egypt spread out before him on the planes of Giza.
The great pyramids would have been standing in Joseph’s day.
In fact, they would have been over a thousand years old when his great-grandfather Abraham visited that land many years before.
Joseph would have seen the Sphinx, the great Egyptian temples and the opulent palaces of the Pharaoh and his people.
It must have been a great culture shock to this young man from the country.
On the surface it seemed that circumstances could not have been worse for young Joseph.
In truth, those difficult days were mere stepping stones along the path to greater glory.
It may have appeared that all Joseph’s dreams had been shattered, but the God Who gave the dreams in the first place was working behind the scenes to ensure that they would all be fulfilled in His time.
What no one could see in all this trouble surrounding young Joseph’s life is stated clearly in Gen. 39:2.
In that verses, the Bible says, “And the Lord was with Joseph.”
I want us to learn this great truth that our God is always with His people to see them through their trials; to accomplish His plans in their lives; and to use them to point a lost world to Himself.
I want us to join Joseph in the early days of his slavery.
I want to show you the ways we know “the Lord was with him.”
As we study these truths please keep in mind that what the Lord did for Joseph, He will also do for you.
Let me share with you the ways God blessed this young man.
I. 37:36 GOD PROTECTED HIM
A. As I stated a moment ago, it seemed that all had fallen apart for Joseph.
Yet, if you will take a minute to examine the facts, it becomes clear that Joseph was in the hand of divine providence.
Considering all he faced, too many things “just happened” to fall into place for him.
Consider:
· The intervention of Reuben – Gen. 37:21-22.
· Judah’s idea to sell Joseph as a slave – Gen. 37:26
· The appearance of the Ishmaelite traders – Gen. 37:28.
· The fact that he was sold to Potiphar – Gen. 37:36.
Potiphar is called “the captain of the guard”.
His position seems to have been that of chief executioner.
He was like the head of Pharaoh’s secret police.
He was responsible for protecting his boss and for dealing with those who dared attack the Pharaoh.
Potiphar, by virtue of his position, would have been in contact with many of the dignitaries and political officials of Egypt.
It is not outside the realm of possibility that Joseph would have been introduced to many of the influential people who would later serve him.
· God set everything up just like it needed to be so that Joseph arrived exactly where he needed to be at the exact moment he needed to be there.
· Joseph might have been a slave, but he was safe in the arms of divine providence.
He might have been separated from his earthly father, but his heavenly Father went with him and before him into Egypt.
B. You can see how much control the Lord has by looking at the actions of the people involved in this account.
Joseph’s brothers, the Ishmaelite traders, and Potiphar were all serving their own selfish interests.
His brothers wanted rid of Joseph and his dreams.
The Ishmaelites were out for a profit.
Potiphar was just looking for a good deal on a slave.
What they could not see is that they were all unwittingly accomplishing the purposes of a sovereign God.
Isn’t it a comfort to know that God can use lost people to accomplish His purposes?
Isn’t it a blessing to know that all the events of our lives are part of God’s plan for us?
C. While the events of Joseph’s life appeared to be out of control, they were actually being controlled by God.
You see, Joseph was being protected by the Lord.
Notice how God protected him.
· By God’s presence – Gen. 39:2
· By God’s providence – The dreams God gave Joseph in Gen. 39:5-11 were not off track.
They were being fulfilled, in God’s time and in God’s way.
I am sure those dreams sustained Joseph during the dark days of his servitude.
You and I have the same protections that Joseph enjoyed.
· We have His presence – Heb.
13:5 Matt.
28:20
· We have His help to deal with our past, our problems and our pain His way – Eph.
4:29-32 (Ill.
We do not have to become bitter, angry or unforgiving.
We can display a sweet spirit, even during the most trying of times with our Lord’s help!)
We have God’s promise that all “things work together for our good”, Rom.
8:28
A lot of what happens in life does not make good sense, but it does not change the fact that God is in control of everything that happens to us, Eph.
1:11 Isa.
46:10 2 Cor.
4:17-18 Rom.
8:18
D. Obedience to the Lord may lead us into the eye of a terrible storm.
This proved true in Joseph’s life.
This was also true of the Lord Jesus, Ill.
Isa.
53:10
As I have told you before, God’s purpose in our trials is not to harm us, but to develop us.
We can trust Him to protect us and grow us amid the hardships of this life, Jer.
29:11 Our God is in control!
II.
39:2-3 GOD PROSPERED HIM
A. When Joseph arrived in Egypt, he no longer had his coat of many colors.
He may have lost his coat, but his character was very much intact!
The coat Jacob gave Joseph was a symbol of his position in the family.
It marked him as the overseer.
It marked him as the head of the family.
It marked him as the one in charge of all things.
It marked him as a man with authority.
Joseph’s authority did not come from a robe.
His authority did not come from some piece of cloth.
Joseph’s authority came from his character!
He was a godly young man who walked before his father in absolute integrity.
When Joseph lost his coat, he lost nothing that made him a great man.
Joseph’s greatness did not come from the clothes on his body, but from the character of his heart.
He may have worn the humble garments of a slave, but he was still a man of character and integrity!
(Ill.
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