Immanuel - God with Joseph in slavery and in prison

The Lord Be With You

(Genesis 39:1-23, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, July 26, 2015)

[39:1] 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.

The Lord blessed Potiphar greatly because of Joseph. “The Lord was with him.”

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.

Yet he was the victim of a concerted evil attack from an enemy within the household. Joseph was unjustly imprisoned, but he once again succeeded because the Lord was with him.

Put the Word to Work: How can we be sure that the Lord is with us in our lives? Our certainty comes from His very explicit Word (Matthew 28), which is entirely consistent with the theology of the cross (Romans 8), even though we will suffer many tribulations.

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 132:11 – The Lord swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: “One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne.”

Gospel Reading—Matthew 24:3-14 – Signs of the close of the age

39:1-6a – IMMANUEL IN SLAVERY – The Lord blessed Potiphar greatly because of Joseph. “The Lord was with him.”

After an important interlude regarding the beginning of the line of Judah (Genesis 38), we now return to the story of Jacob's favorite son, Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his envious brothers. Joseph ended up in the home of an Egyptian official, Potiphar, “the captain of the guard.” We learn that “the Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man.”

Joseph lives out for us the pattern of a righteous man leading a godly life even in the land of his captivity. It is evident to Potiphar that the Lord is the source of the good that is coming through this young man. “His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands.”

39:6b-23 – IMMANUEL IN PRISON – Yet he was the victim of a concerted evil attack from an enemy within the household. Joseph was unjustly imprisoned, but he once again succeeded because the Lord was with him.

This positive appraisal led to an expansion of Joseph's duties. Potiphar trusted Joseph. But there was a substantial problem within the captain's house. His wife was attracted to Joseph and sought to bring about an immoral liaison with her husband's trusted servant. Though Joseph resisted this temptation and even tried to keep her advances as a private matter, she eventually lied to her husband when she was caught in an embarrassing spot, contending that Joseph had assaulted her. This landed Joseph in prison, though he had done nothing wrong.

Joseph's incarceration in Pharaoh's prison was providential, as the story of the man who would one day interpret Pharaoh's dreams would reveal. Meanwhile, Joseph was once again greatly blessed by the presence of the Lord in his life. “The Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” Once again Joseph's duties increased as he proved that he was a trustworthy man. But the words of Genesis 39 gave credit where credit was due. This favor was all due to the work of the Lord. “The Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.”

OUR GOD IS WITH US – How can we be sure that the Lord is with us in our lives? Our certainty comes from His very explicit Word (Matthew 28), which is entirely consistent with the theology of the cross (Romans 8), even though we will suffer many tribulations.

Michael Card has a song called “The Silence of God” that contains this line: “Even followers get lost, cause we all get lost sometimes.” We may not feel the presence of God, and we may decide that our lives are more failure than success. We need to remember these words from the famous William Cowper hymn: “Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face.” Paul David Tripp talks about someone living in basement with the windows covered up. The darkness the person experiences does not mean that the sun is not shining outside. Illustration of William Wilberforce in the final years of his life including the action of Parliament upon hearing of his death, and words on tombstone: Metaxas in Amazing Grace, pp. 266, 273-274, 275, and 278.

Don't judge God's presence in your life based on your circumstances, feelings, or personality. Value the Lord's Word, His good theology based on the Scriptures, and the testimony of the church far more than these. Jesus said, “I am with you always.” (Matthew 28:20) Surely the God who gave His Son for us will freely give us all things as we seek to serve Him well. (Romans 8:32) Though we face many tribulations, we have comfort and victory even now through God's honest truth and the faithful encouragement of friends.