Notes from sermon heard on Sunday 7 February 2016
Genesis 39 verses 20 - chapter 40 verse 14
We are continuing to think of the places Joseph served in and the fruit evident in his life as a result. We turn now and see him in a strange and foreign environment, in the prison house. There is one thing that is evident about Joseph. This young man knows the Lord. It tells us that the Lord was with him (verse 21). Remember when the apostles were preaching in Acts and they were arrested by the leaders of their day. There was one thing evident about the apostles - here were men who had been with the Lord Jesus. That is what makes the difference. It is the time spent in the presence of the Lord. As Joseph stepped into the prison house the jailer knew something was different about him. He had the Lord. Have you got the Lord today? Is he your Saviour? Is your advocate? Have you trusted him as Saviour and Lord? Have you taken time to bow the knee, acknowledge you have come short of God`s glory and taken time to ponder whether you will in heaven one day? Are you saved by God`s grace? Are you walking in his ways today? Joseph was not living with his father now. It had been easy in that environment where there was a friendly and caring atmosphere, easy to live for the Lord. Nor was Joseph in Potiphar`s house where things were comfortable for him. He was there in a prison house now. Have our circumstances changed? Do we change when times get difficult? Or do we still show others the Lord is with us?
The impression that Joseph makes. We see him walk through the prison house and the keeper is arrested by him. Everything changes around him because there is a man of God in the place - verses 21 to 23. God was already working in the heart of the jailer. Everything was eventually handed over to Joseph`s hands. God was working in that situation. There is an unseen hand working in our lives to work out God`s plan. Joseph didn`t walk in with a chip on his shoulder as if the world owed him something. There was one thing on his mind - the Lord himself. Joseph could have dwelt on what his brothers did to him. One morning his father had told him to go and see how it was with his brothers. The brothers saw him coming and said "here is that dreamer coming again." They sold him to the Ishmeelites who took him down to Egypt. He had to stand in the market place before Potiphar saw something in him that struck him as different. Potiphar brought Joseph to the comforts of his house. Joseph eventually took charge of Potiphar`s house because the Lord was with him. Then a vindictive woman, Potiphar`s own wife set out to destroy his character. She told lies about him, ridiculed him with no truth to it at all. Joseph ran from the woman but she told all sorts of lies and Potiphar had to listen to them. It doesn`t say Potiphar believed them but that he listened to her. If Potiphar had listened and believed the lies he would have had Joseph executed there and then on the spot. He hadn`t the bottle to stand against his wife. Instead he put him in prison. This young man didn`t have a chip on his shoulders. He didn`t think `if these people hadn`t turned against him he wouldn`t be where he was now`. Many a teenager gets into trouble today, commits crime and goes up before the magistrates. We hear their story and it comes out that they had a bad start in life. Many hadn`t a start like Joseph had. He had been betrayed, abused yet he gave his heart and life to God and his policy was simple - God will sort things out. He was believing that "all things work together for good to them that love God." He thought of his brothers and their treatment of him. Remember Joseph said years later "you meant it for evil but God meant it for good." The Psalmist was able to say "the Lord has done wonderful things for us whereof we are glad." Every step of the way God was leading Joseph. He knew God was in every part of it. God is in every part of our lives - the happy and sad times, the difficulties and disappointments. Joseph just saw each situation as another rung on the ladder. He allowed God to justify his situations. There maybe lies told about us just to blacken our character but do we allow the Lord to take us through those situations? Romans 12 "avenge not yourselves but rather give place unto wrath, for it is written Vengeance is mine, I will repay saith the Lord."
The influence he bore. Imagine his situation for a moment. He was settled in Potiphar`s house. Potiphar basically allowed him to get on with things. He allowed him to know his financial situation, to organise the servants and carry on with the siituation there. Now he is here in the prison house. Imagine when that door opened and the smell and stench hit him, as he listened to the taunts and ridicule of others in that place. "O how the mighty are fallen" we might have said. Here`s a young man who would bear the truth before them. Very soon the laughs and taunts would quieten down because the atmosphere changed. Potiphar`s house lost the blessing and presence of God that day. Genesis 39 verse 5. God looked on Joseph and favoured his blessing on him and all that Potiphar had because of Joseph. Potiphar listened to malicious rumours and lost the presence of God, he forfeited something he would never regain, God`s presence in his house. The Children of Israel in Samuel`s day went out to fight the Philistines. They were defeated every time so the Israelites decided to go back to Jerusalem and bring the Ark of the Covenant with them. They wanted the presence of God with them. The Philistines heard the cry in the Israelites camp when the Ark arrived. They wondered what was going on. It was to them just a box overlaid with gold but it was a symbol of the presence of God not his actual presence. Phineas` wife gave birth one day. it was the day that the Ark was stolen away. She named the child Ichabod because "the glory of God has departed." Now Joseph had left Potiphar`s house God`s presence was taken away. All because of a woman who started an evil campaign against Joseph. It was redirected to the prison house. What sort of an influence do you bear today? Remember Lot who received word that Sodom and Gomorrah were going to be destroyed. He pleaded with his family to run for their lives. They mocked and laughed at him - why - because they never seen him in this situation before. How is my influence in the home today? How is my influence over my family circle? Joseph went into the situation and his influence began to bear on the jailer. The jailer eventually gave everything over to Joseph`s control. Things began to change because of his influence. Have we the presence of God in our homes today? Have we the presence of God in our churches today? Many have lost the presence of God in their worship. Barnabas in Acts went down to Antioch to inspect the work there. In Acts 11 we read that he saw there was a mighty work of God going on. What does it say of Barnabas? "He was a man full of the Holy Ghost and faith and much people was added unto the Lord." He honoured God and God honoured him. Remember Daniel - everything was going alright in Babylon. King Belshazzar threw a great feast and everyone gathered with him to celebrate. Suddenly a man`s hand began to write on the wall. Everyone saw the king`s countenance change. The King looked at the writing and didn`t know what it meant. His very knees started to knock together. So much fear came on him. He called for all his wise men and philosophers but they couldn`t read the writing. There was a old grandmother who remembered Daniel. "There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods, and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods was found in him" (Daniel 5 verse 11). Daniel was brought in and he interpreted the writing on the wall. When things are going well anyone will do but when things get difficult, when our face is against the wall as Belshazzar`s was will they be any use to us? God was the influence in Joseph`s life.
The interest he showed. Chapter 40 verses 6 and 7. 2 others came into the prison house - the baker and the butcher. Joseph was just a few steps from the throne of Egypt yet he was in the prison house. God is about to step into his life. Joseph was not feeling sorry for himself. Joseph asked these 2 men why they were sad. He had time for them. Is there an interest in others? Whether a man is saved or not? Do you have an interest in someone near you today?
The information that he gave. These 2 men had dreams and Joseph interpreted them. They came to a man who offered good advice and instruction. The information we give - we have a message to give of God`s saving grace in our hearts. What information do you have? Does it stem from a relationship with the Lord?
