JOSEPH IN EGYPT

 

I asked my daughter if she’d seen my newspaper. She told me that newspapers are old school. She said that people use tablets nowadays and handed me her iPad. The fly didn’t stand a chance.

 

A man goes to the lawyer: “What is your fee?”  Lawyer says: “1000 US dollars for 3 questions.”  Man: “Wow - so much! Isn’t it a bit expensive?”  Lawyer: “Yes, what is your third question?

 

When I look at chocolate, I hear two voices in my head.  The first one says: “You need to eat that chocolate.”  The other voice goes: “You heard. Eat the chocolate

 

39 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.   2 The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. 5 From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph.  asPotiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

 

The first lesson we learn is that the Lord was with Joseph.  That is God’s promise to you.  Matt 28:20 and Heb 13:5 relay that to us.  Next, others will see the Lord’s blessing.  Potiphar saw it in Joseph.  People will know you are a Christian by how you live more than your speech.  You need to walk in the walk.  James says I will show you my faith by what, I do.  Talk is cheap.  Live the walk.  Talk about Mrs Mitts.  Thirdly, God will promote you.  You do not have to do it yourself.  Potiphar saw that the Lord was with Him so he promoted Him.  You do not have to be into self promotion or trying to scratch and fight for what you have God promotes you.  Talk about how I got to AM 930 the light.  Lastly, be faithful wherever you are.  Joseph was, listen he may have been the steward of Potiphar’s house but he was still a slave.  Joseph of was an example of bloom where you are planted.  Be faithful in the small things and do season you will reap a harvest, be blessed and get promoted.  Talk about Lawrence and his rise in his company. My brother how he started off as a milkman and then eventually owned the company.

 

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”  8 But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” 10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.

 

Lesson Two:  Joseph like all young men who are handsome and well built will be tempted.  I found that, my boys found that.  Girls throw themselves at them.  Hormones can be a problem.  Today girls are just  as  aggressive as boys.  Joseph however knew the circumstances he was in.  He knew that he was given the run of the house but he was still a slave.  Next, Joseph knew that he was entrusted with a great responsibility.  Joseph knew that it was not wise to take advantage wrongfully of his circumstances.  Great lesson here just because you can do something doesn’t mean always you should.   Always ask the question, is this right, truthful, honest, does it line up with God’s word, will I feel right about this, will this glorify God  and is it morally correct.  A great litmus test.  Thirdly, Joseph knew two things.  What she was asking was wicked.  He knew adultery was wrong.  He was not going to incur the wrath of Potiphar for a moment of pleasure.  He knew that sin was only pleasurable for a season.  Two people die a day of overdose because drugs are only pleasurable for a season, then they become a terrible master.  Joseph knew there would be consequences.  Also he knew it was a sin against God.  Now she probably said, which God.  But Joseph was a man of God and even though he was not with his family the principles they taught were with Him.  Pr 22:6, Joseph was that example.  Remember you morality and faith in God is with you, guiding you no matter where you are.  You set the example in your world.  Don’t let you example be set by the world.  I have seen this too many times where people who claim to be Christians when in ungodly company act like them.  Joseph refused to go to bed with her.

 

 

11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.  13 When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14 she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. 15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”  16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home.

 

Lesson Three:  Most of our temptations come when we are not expecting them and we are not prepared.  So what we have put into ourselves and what preparation we have done before hand will protect us.  That is why early morning prayer, study of God’s word and making certain decisions before you go out in the day will help.  Joseph wasn’t expecting her that day.  No one around, when she came onto him.  Temptation usually comes when we are alone.  What you do in your private world is you.  Gordon Macdonald stated that we must order our private world in the Lord or we will fall in the real world.  She like the world thought hey no one is around no one will know.  That is the classic excuse used by the world and abusers.  It is also the same rationalization used to excuse or justify our sin.  No one will know, I am alone so it does hurt anyone.  Wrong.  Next, Joseph fled.  Listen there are times we are to resist temptation.  James 4:7.  But there are times we need to flee.  I read Friday in a Website called Crosswalks that real men flee temptation.  Joseph saw this a no win situation and he ran.  If you are in a no win situation get out as soon as possible.  Talk about when I was young with my friends in Lethbridge.  Lastly, we learn here that when sin is rejected it will do everything to destroy you.  This is a classic hell hath no fury like a women scorned.  She accuse him of rape to her servants then her husband,  Simple lesson about the devil, sin and temptation.  It has one MO, to rob, killed and destroy.  You play with fire you will be burned.  Either immediately or later.   Now one last thought, just because you are tempted does not mean you have sinned.  Jesus was tempted it is when you give into temptation is when things happen.  Not when you are tempted.

 

Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18 But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”  19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. 20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.

 

Lesson Four:  Life is not fair.  Bad things happen to good people.   Remember though bad things can lead to good.  Rom 8:28.  The book of Job the first book written in the bible reminds us that even the righteous can suffer.  From Job we learn that satan is behind this and God can use it for his glory.  So never look at the bad times as something to be avoided.   Now bad times and suffering and here are 6 reasons why we suffer.

 

 Suffering makes us human. Suffering and adversity has existed as long as human beings have. Suffering is only as bad as we make it.  A marathon runner. If there were no suffering in running a marathon there would be no comfort, and certainly no sense of accomplishment, in crossing the finish line.

Suffering can include the most profound happiness within it. It becomes what you make it.  Your reaction is so important.

Suffering is not an indictment of our self-wort.  You are no better or worse than others.  So don’t make it about you or God. 

Suffering is a normal part of parenting, marriage, working, and every other worthwhile endeavor.” Suffering is what it is and what we make of it. Not pleasant, but generally not unbearable or unacceptable.

 

The greatest lesson here just like what happened when he was in a pit.  This is God’s means to getting Joseph to the next place in his life.  Remember bad things can be a stepping stone to your destiny.  Abraham Lincoln failed 11 times at politics before he was voted in as president.  Edison failed 32,000 times before he finally succeeded in making the phonograph.  Colonel Saunders at 62 use his 105 social security check to start KFC.

 

 But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

 

Our last lesson today is even in prison like conditions God will be with us.  He sets the captive free no matter where you are.  Talk about Watchman Nee.  Joseph testimony was that the Lord was with Him, and he was granted favor in the sight of the warden.  The warden did the same thing Potiphar had done.  Let Joseph run things.  We learn that we need to be responsible wherever we are.  Be faithful.  Did you know that faithfulness will be one of the things we will be judged on.  The biggest testimony for Joseph was the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.  Joseph was faithful and the Lord was faithful.  You do your part and the Lord will do His.  Remember in this part of Joseph’s life.  He was to whatever he was thrown into.  This stage of his life would be years.  He had gone from slave to prisoner.  Joseph could have pleaded his case and probably did but he prosper in dire times.  We must do the same.  Remember this time did not define Joseph and bad times do not have to define you.  Also remember God placed Joseph where he was for the next step and what he learned here would get him ready for His next step in life.  Good lessons to learn.