During this fall at the church where I serve, we have
been spending our time together in a sermon series entitled 12. During this series, we are looking at a
section of the very first letter that is recorded for us in the Bible called
the book of Genesis. In this series, we are traveling on a journey with a man
named Jacob and his family.
Last week, we looked at a bizarre and disturbing event involving
Jacob’s son Judah that revealed for us the timeless truth that our investment
in rebellious relationships will lead us toward rebellious behavior. Just as it
was for Judah, when we invest in relationships that rebel against God and God’s
word, we run the risk of those relationships leading us to rebellious behavior,
because our friendships and our relationships determine the quality and
direction of our life..
This week, I would like for us to spend our time together
by picking up where we left off last week. And as we jump back into this
section of the very first letter that is recorded for us in the Bible, called
the book of Genesis, we will see the focus of this story shift back to Joseph,
who was one of the twelve sons of Jacob. Moses makes this shift beginning in
Genesis 39:1. Let’s look at it together:
Now Joseph
had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the
captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him
down there. The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was
in the house of his master, the Egyptian.
Moses brings us into this section of the book of Genesis
by providing us the context and characters of the story. Two
weeks ago, we looked on as Joseph’s
brothers, as a result of their father Jacob’s favoritism toward Joseph, seethed
with anger and jealousy. And out of that anger and jealousy, Joseph’s brothers
threw him into a pit and then asked the question “should we sell him or should
we kill him?”
On the suggestion of Judah, the rest of the brothers
agreed that they should sell Joseph. The brothers then sold Joseph for 20
shekels of silver, which was the going rate for slaves, to a band of Ishmaelite
traders. Joseph was then taken to the
nation of Egypt and sold into slavery to a man named Potiphar, who was the head
of the secret service of the nation of Egypt under Pharaoh, who was the ruler
of Egypt.
Moses tells us that even though Joseph had been sold into
slavery in a foreign land, the Lord was with Joseph. Now this phrase reveals
the reality that the Lord was present and actively at work in Joseph’s life.
And as a result of the Lord’s presence and activity in Joseph’s life, Moses
tells us that Joseph became a successful man. In spite of living as a slave
away from family and friends, Joseph was prospering.
Joseph was successfully able to earn a position working
as a house slave, instead of working in the fields like the vast majority of
slaves. And as Potiphar observed Joseph’s prosperity and success, in spite of
his circumstances, Potiphar came to a conclusion that launches us into this
story in verse 3:
Now his
master saw that the LORD was with him and how the LORD caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph
found favor in his sight and became his personal servant; and he made him
overseer over his house, and all that he owned he put in his charge. It came
about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he
owned, the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house on account of Joseph; thus the
LORD'S blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. So
he left everything he owned in Joseph's charge; and with him there he did not concern himself with
anything except the food which he ate.
As Potiphar looked at his slave Joseph’s life, he saw the
evidence of the Lord’s activity in Joseph’s life, which resulted in Joseph
achieving success in whatever he was involved in. And as Potiphar watched the
success that Joseph was having, Potiphar recognized that it was the Lord that
was responsible for Joseph’s success. You see, Joseph was the vehicle that God
was using to reveal himself to Potiphar. And as a result, Moses tells us that
Joseph found favor in Potiphar’s sight. Now this word favor is the same word
that is translated grace in our English Bibles.
In other words, Joseph found approval in Potiphar’s sight.
And that favor and approval from Potiphar resulted in a
promotion for Joseph. Joseph was promoted to the position of being Potiphar’s
personal servant, which would be similar to what we call a personal assistant
in our culture today. Joseph became Potiphar’s right hand man and was placed in
charge of all of the affairs of his estate. Joseph was appointed to oversee and
manage all of Potiphar’s property and servants.
Moses then tells us that from
the time that Joseph received his promotion, the Lord blessed the Egyptians
house and that the Lord’s blessing was upon all he owned. The Lord granted
Potiphar success and prosperity. Potiphar, recognizing that his promotion of
Joseph had resulted in success and prosperity for himself and his family,
responded by giving Joseph even more responsibility. Moses tells us that, with
Joseph in charge, Potiphar did not concern himself with anything except the
food which he ate. Now this phrase was an idiom of the day that referred to
one’s private affairs. So, with the exception of Potiphar’s private affairs,
Joseph was in charge of everything.
And here we see God’s promise
to Abraham in Genesis 12 coming to fruition in the life of Joseph. The Lord was
blessing Potiphar as Potiphar promoted Joseph. And things seemed to be looking
up for Joseph. As a result of the Lord’s presence and activity in his life,
Joseph had risen from common slave, to household servant, to Potiphar’s
personal assistant. Joseph’s life seemed to be taking a turn for the better.
And as things took a turn for the better, we see Joseph come face to face with
a temptation that flowed from his success.
We will look at that temptation
tomorrow…
No comments:
Post a Comment