Joseph, Part 4

In part 4 of the series on Joseph, we see that God can use His people to do good things, in less than ideal places. Click here for the recording of this 7/7 Service, and you can fast-forward to 30:52 to get to the start of the sermon.

Our text comes from Genesis 39.1-6

1 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. 

2 And the Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. 3 Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did prosper in his hand. 

4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and put him in charge of all that he owned. 5 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; so the Lord’s blessing was upon all that he owned, in the house and in the field. 6So he left Joseph in charge of everything that he owned; and with him there he did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate.

Backstory…

• Jacob favors his son Joseph more than his other sons, which sets up sibling rivalry and jealousy

• His brothers conspire to kill him, and only after oldest brother Rueben intervenes is he saved

• The brothers end up selling Joseph to a band of Ishmaelite traders on their way to Egypt

• They deceive their father into believing that Joseph has been set upon and killed by a wild beast

• Thus, they think they are finished with the favored son

What is happening in our text

• V1- Joseph is taken to Egypt where he is sold to Potiphar

  • What we know about him- his name means “whom P’Ra (the sun god) has given; he was in essence the bodyguard of Pharaoh; some scholars see him as the butler to Pharaoh (ZPEB, 4.823)

  • This puts Joseph in proximity to people who would later change his life; some for the worse, and some for the better

• V2- the Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man

  • tsa.le.ach- to advance, prosper, make progress, succeed, be profitable

  • He was in the household (bayit) of his master (adon- lord)

  • It is clear that God’s favor was upon Joseph; Why? Because of God’s own sovereign purposes

• V3- Potiphar clearly saw that God (Jehovah) was with him and that God was Joseph’s source of prosperity

• V4- because of God’s blessings, Joseph found favor in Potiphar’s sight, and made Joseph his personal servant, overseer of the house, and all that Potiphar owned

• V5- from the time Joseph was made steward over all the house and possessions, the Lord’s blessing was upon both the house and Potiphar’s land

• V6- the text seems to imply that Joseph’s influence gradually grew to the point that he was in charge of all of his master’s estate;  the only thing Potiphar concerned himself with was the food he ate

So what do we learn from this?

1. When you find yourself in “Egypt” hold still; you don’t know the whole story, nor is God obliged to tell you; He is sovereign

2. God can bless you with good in less than ideal places; again, you have to learn to rest in the sovereignty of God- He can do what He wants, when He wants, for His own purposes; He owes us no explanation; we answer Him with obedience

3. At times, others can see God’s prosperity, blessing, and usage, of your life when you may not; when your head is in the trench, look up every now and again

4. Immediately, promotion comes via the hands of people; ultimately, it comes from the Lord (Ps 75.6-7)

5. God blesses right behavior out of good people; it’s the law of sowing and reaping- you reap what you sow, more than you sow, later than you sow it (Gal 6.7-9)

6. Influence tends to grow; authority tends to shrink

With authority, the more you use, the less you have; with influence, the more you use, the more you have

- Dobbins