Genesis 39 – BECAUSE GOD IS WITH YOU
If you are a born-again Christian, you should have a recurring realization of the presence of God.
The moment you turned from your sins and trusted the Lord Jesus as your Savior, the one who died for your sins, the presence of God became a great reality. Romans 8:15-17, 8:9, Hebrews 13:5-6, Matthew 8:20
So, if you are a born again Christian, God is with you.
But do you understand that means you have some responsibilities because God is with you?
One of the biggest responsibilities that you have is to live a changed life in His power. 2 Corinthians 5:177, 1 Peter 1:15-16
Joseph was the next to youngest of Jacob’s twelve sons. He had made a godly stand against his older brothers. His older brothers were jealous of him and unknown to His father, had him sold into slavery in Egypt.
Eventually Joseph would rise to power in Egypt as Prime Minister and deliver Egypt though a great time of drought and famine. Also he would save his father’s household and be reunited with His brothers.
As we meet Joseph in Genesis 39 his circumstances are not good at all.
Vs. 1 – Upon coming to Egypt, Joseph was purchased as a slave by Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guards. He had gone down from being a privileged son of a wealthy herdsman to being a slave. Circumstances were not good for Joseph, but there is an encouraging thought found here in verse 2.
Genesis 39:2 – And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
The Lord was with Joseph, but Joseph did not use this fact as an excuse for not doing his best. Because the Lord was with Joseph, he demonstrated certain qualities that should be true of us, if the Lord is with us.
In this chapter there are three ways Joseph behaved because the Lord was with Him. We should behave in the same three ways because the Lord is with us.
BE CONSCIENTIOUS BECAUSE GOD IS WITH YOU – Vss. 1-6
Joseph had been mistreated by His brothers and sold into slavery (Genesis 37). He could have had a bad attitude because of the mistreatment.
Instead he evidently did his best and God prospered Him.
Vs. 3 – Notice that Joseph was active.
He would have done his work well.
He was probably what some would call an overachiever.
God is not impressed with laziness.
God blesses those who are willing to work. Proverbs 13:4
God blessed Joseph and what he did God prospered.
And please note that it was obvious to Potiphar that God was with Joseph. He could see the success that God was giving Joseph.
Vs. 4 – Joseph was put in charge of everything that Potiphar had in the house and in the fields. Later, Joseph would be in charge of the whole land of Egypt.
God blessed Joseph, but there is no doubt that Joseph was conscientious about what he was doing.
Vs. 5 – God blessed Potiphar for Joseph’s sake.
Vs. 6 – Joseph was so conscientious that Potiphar only concerned himself with one thing at home, “What’s for supper!?”
Joseph was so conscientious that he was trustworthy.
Doing our best, being conscientious, is a requirement for all Christians.
Colossians 3:17 – And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
If God is truly with us, it means that we have named Jesus as our Savior, our hope for Heaven.
If we have claimed Jesus as Savior, He is also to be the Lord of our lives.
If He is the boss, the Lord of our lives, whatever we do in word or deed should be done in His name, and be thankful to God because of Him and through Him.
Very simply, if we can do something in the name of Jesus, we should be doing it. If we can not do something in the name of Jesus we should not be doing it. Let us ask ourselves conscientiously, “Can I honestly do what I want to do in the name of the Lord Jesus?”
Colossians 3:23 – And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
This verse was spoken to slaves. There were millions of them in the Roman Empire when Paul wrote these words.
Although we are not slaves today, I believe that this verse applies to all of us who are employees or even students.
Whatever we do is to be done heartily, with enthusiasm.
That’s hard to do sometimes if we don’t like the employer or the teacher.
It’s easier to do when we are conscientious enough to do everything for the Lord first, and then for the boss or teacher.
BE COURAGEOUS BECAUSE GOD IS WITH YOU – Vss. 7-20
Joseph was doing a great job, but temptation came his way through the advances of his boss’s wife.
Vss. 7-9 – Although Joseph was in charge of his master’s house, he was still a slave.
It would have been easy for him to have given in to the sexual advances of his master’s wife. Out of expediency, pride and pleasure it would have been quite simple to give into the master’s wife. He could have even rationalize it.
Joseph had the courage, the guts to say “no” to something that was wrong.
Joseph refused because his master trusted Him as Vs. 8 says.
In Vs. 9 Joseph states that the only thing that was “off limits” to him in the house was his master’s wife.
And Joseph was bold to call adultery what it is, wickedness and sin!
And Joseph was bold enough to state that the wickedness and sin was against God!
Do you know why we often fall into sin? It is because we often give it another label, like a “mistake” or “indiscretion”
We fall to identify it as wickedness and sin against God!
Vs. 10 – Joseph had to say “no” more than once. This woman was persistent. And some of the temptations we face will be equally persistent.
Vss. 11-12 – The woman was even bolder than before when nobody was around. She grabbed him and he fled as quickly as possible, leaving the coat in her hand.
It takes courage to call sin what it is, sin against God!
It takes courage to consistently say “no” to what we know is wrong.
And it takes courage to run when the only way we can resist is by running.
When God is with us, we need to learn to run from temptation and not towards it. God provides the way of escape. 1 Corinthians 10:12-13,
I’d like to tell you that everything will turn out well when we say “no” to sin.
Sometimes we will be falsely accused if we don’t do what others are enticed to do.
Joseph was falsely accused as Verses 13-19 tell us.
The wife of Potiphar falsely accused Joseph.
Vs. 20 – Joseph ended up a prisoner because of saying “no” to sin.
So what about you? Would you rather be falsely accused when saying “no” to sin, or would you rather answer to God at the judgment for not doing what was right?
BE CONSISTENT BECAUSE GOD IS WITH YOU – Vss. 21-23
There is many a person who has stopped doing what is right because it got them in trouble.
It would have been easy for Joseph to just give up and stop serving God because doing right got him in trouble.
Joseph did not do this. Was he devastated? Probably!
Was he outraged at the injustice? Most likely!
Was he defeated? No!
Did he give up on God? No!
Vs. 21 – God was still with Joseph.
God showed Joseph mercy.
God gave Joseph favor in the eyes of the keeper of the prison.
God did not deliver Joseph from jail because God had a plan that involved the jail (See Genesis 40-41).
God may not deliver you right away from suffering for what is right, but He will show His mercy upon you as you remain consistent.
Vs. 22-23 – Joseph again did a conscientious job.
Joseph remained faithful to God. He was consistent
Joseph did his job as well as he had before.
It wasn’t long before Joseph ran the jail.
Remember this, my friend, God is keeping score.
God knows how you’ve been mistreated.
God will settle the score in his time whether it be in this life or at Judgment Day.
If you have stood for what is right and have been falsely accused, continue to be faithful! Continue to be consistent! Romans 12:19-21, 1 Corinthians 4:2
BE COURAGEOUS BECAUSE GOD IS WITH YOU –
BE CONSCIENTIOUS BECAUSE GOD IS WITH YOU –
BE CONSISTENT BECAUSE GOD IS WITH YOU – Vss. 20-23