Joseph: A Tried, Tested, Triumphant Faith! - Part 2 Series

Title: Joseph: A Tried, Tested, Triumphant Faith! (Part 2)

IV. The PRESERVATIVE of Joseph’s life?

a) GOD WAS WITH HIM

b) GOD WAS PROTECTING HIM!

c) God was PRESERVING HIM!

i. Through the intervention of Reuben – Gen. 37:21-22.

ii. Judah’s idea to sell Joseph as a slave – Gen. 37:26-26.

iii. The appearance of the Ishmaelite traders – Gen. 37:28.

iv. The fact that he was sold to Potiphar – Gen. 37:36

d) GOD WAS PROSPERING HIM!

Genesis 39:2 The Lord was with Joseph [4] [result?] so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.

Genesis 39:5B the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph.

Psalm 23:1a The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want... ea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

e) IT IS THERE THAT THE PROTECTION AND THE PROVISION OF GOD IS- BUT IT ALSO MEANS, AND DON’T MISS THIS…

d) GOD WAS PROTECTING HIM, PRESERVING HIM, PROVIDING FOR HIM, BUT ALSO PROVING HIM AND PERFECTING HIM, MOLDING HIM, AND SHAPING HIM INTO THE MAN THAT GOD HAD APPOINTED AND ANOINTED HIM TO BE!!

f) God cannot entrust big things to small people – He must stretch them, into size! Let’s…..look at…

V. The PURITY – of Joseph’s life!!

Genesis 39:6 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!”

A) Perspective?

1. Joseph could have gave in to a sexually immoral culture.

a) An article I recently read stated something interesting about sexual immorality:

Modern culture has tried to redefine sexuality as a personal right to be exercised any way an individual wishes. Sexual behavior is considered a personal choice, akin to the decision of whether to buy a house or rent a condo… The only sexual expression considered “wrong” is what is deemed distasteful to the definer. However, social acceptability varies so greatly that even the vilest of acts would be considered justified by many. So, before we can determine why sexual sin is such a big deal, we have to define sexual sin.

Fortunately, man has never been given the privilege of defining sin. The One who created sexuality also has the right to set the boundaries for it, and the Bible is clear about the guidelines. When God created the first man, Adam, and brought to him the first woman, Eve, He joined them together in marriage and pronounced it “very good” (Genesis 1:31; 2:18, 24). At that time, God introduced sexuality and set the boundaries for its expression. God created a union between a husband and wife that He called “becoming one flesh” (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:6; Mark 10:8; Ephesians 5:31). He then defined any sexual activity outside of the husband-wife relationship as a violation of His gift.

2. Anyway…..JOSEPH followed the BIBLICAL MANDATE!

1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.

TITUS 2: 11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

Genesis 39:8 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?”

B) Proof!

1. That statement was made in the Patriarchal Age.

a) The era before the law was given – it therefore proves Paul’s point in:

Romans 2: 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)

b) Law (God’s requirement’s are not yet etched in stone, but upon the human heart!

c) Man is after all, made in God’s image and likeness!

d) It also proves something else:

C) PERSISTENCE!

1. TEMPTATION IS NOT A ONE TIME EXPERIENCE – IT WILL FOLLOW YOU ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE!