PROSPERING FROM THE PRISONS OF LIFE
Pastor Kevin W. Burden
Carter Creek Baptist Church
Sunday AM, September 21, 2008
Genesis 39:20-23 “And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison. 21 But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. 23 The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.”
The life of Joseph is a remarkable story. His life is a mixture of surprise, sadness and splendor. Joseph’s life contains many lessons from which believers can learn. One of those lessons is found in this passage.
In these verses, we find Joseph at one of the lowest point of his young life. We find him as a young man, having been sold into slavery. He is purchased by a man named Potipher, and in Potipher’s house, Joseph quickly rises to a place of authority and prominence. However, Potipher’s wife has eyes for Joseph and attempts to get him to commit adultery with her. He refuses and actually runs away from her, leaving his garment in her hand (Gen 39:7-13). Afterwards Potipher’s wife accuses Joseph of sexual assault. Her husband, a high ranking Egyptian, has Joseph thrown into the King’s prison.
It’s in this prison that Joseph learned some very valuable lessons. He learned some truths about the Lord that would help him in the years ahead. It is these truths that we need to learn today!
Joseph wasn’t the only believer to go through a prison experience. Many of the great men of the Bible found themselves cast into prison (Samson, Daniel, Jeremiah, Hosea, John the Baptist, John, Peter, Paul, and Silas). In each instance, the Lord revealed His power and providence to them.
How does this apply to us? At some time or another, especially if we desire to grow in Christ, we will all have a spiritual prison experience. These times can cause us great anxiety, frustration and self-examination, but they are meant to be the means of greater blessings from the Lord.
It is my conviction that God leads us into the prison experiences of life so we might thrive in His work and bring Him greater glory.
I would like for us to examine the account of Joseph and his prison experience. As we do, there are some truths taught here and elsewhere that teach us how to “Prosper in the Prisons of Life.” Let’s begin by examining…
#1. THE PRISON OF INJUSTICE: v 20 “Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.”
• The Bible tells us that Joseph was "bound" in the prison. He had lost his liberty and was held against his will – and it wasn’t his fault; He had done nothing wrong; in fact, he had done what was right!
• He was in a place of suffering that brought great anxiety and pain into his life. Joseph’s world had crumbled, not once – but twice! Oh, how he must have cried out to the Lord in fear and frustration.
• This is not an uncommon experience (Job 1-2). This is an experience that we all will face. There are times when everything around us seems to fall apart. As unfair as that may seem, it will be our experience.
Job 14:1 “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.”
Eccl 2:23 “For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? 23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night.”
• There are many experiences of life that we all fear, but through which we all must go! No one is exempt from times of trouble!
• We do have a choice in how we will respond to those experiences. Joseph learned the powerful lesson that a person whose life is in harmony with the will of God is free in spite of their circumstance.
Job 23:8-12 “Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: 9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: 10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. 11 My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. 12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.”
• The child of God can rest in the sure knowledge that the Lord has us where we are for a GOOD reason. That is a precious lesson to learn!
1 Peter 2:18-22 “Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear;… 19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:”
• G.A. Young, in his song, "God Leads Us Along" put it this way…
Sometimes on the mount Where the sun shines so bright,
God leads His dear children along;
Sometimes in the valley, In darkest of night,
God leads His dear children along.
Some through the waters, Some thought the flood,
Some through the fire, But all through the blood;
Some through great sorrow, But God gives a song,
In the night season And all the day long.
• That is a lesson we all need to learn. Regardless of the oppression we are under at the moment, God is still leading His children. I may be oppressed by the circumstances of life, but I am blessed by “the author of life” when I am lead along by Him!
#2. THE PRISON OF BROKEN DREAMS: v 20 “And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.”
• When Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and then sent to prison, it must have seemed to him that all the dreams he had as a young man had been a mistake (Gen 37:7-10). He had dreamed that God was going to do something special with his life. But now it must have seemed like God had forgotten all about him. Surely, Joseph felt alone, deserted and defeated by the trials and problems he faced.
• The prisons of life can leave us all feeling that way. When the problems of life mount up against us, it is easy to feel like we have been deserted by the Lord. The devil uses those times to whisper his lies and say, "Well, if God really cares about you then why are you going through this valley?" "You trusted God, and what did it get you but trouble."
• If that is the way you’re feeling, let me remind you that God really cares! Others may forget about us, but God knows exactly where you are and what you are facing. In fact, I have His promise concerning this matter.
Luke 12:6-7 “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? 7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”
• Never forget the truth that God knows where you are! He knows about your prison. The hardest part of your experience is learning to trust Him, even when we don’t like where we are!
• DEATH OF A VISION: The call to become a believer in Christ is a call to eternal life, but it is also a call to death and resurrection. There comes a time when God will ask us to die to the old life and walk in newness of life. God needs us to have a death, burial and resurrection experience in order that we may more fully identify with Christ. This is what baptism portrays. Many believers do not understand the spiritual necessity of this and become confused when they go through an experience like Joseph did.
• Consider these passages of Scripture.
John 12:24 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”
Romans 6:3 “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?”
2 Corinthians 1:8 “For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:”
2 Corinthians 4:11 “For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.”
Galatians 2: 20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Philippians 3:10 “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”
• All of these passages speak about us identifying with Jesus in death. They speak about death to self, death to the old life.
• They also speak of identifying with His resurrection.
• Every man or woman of God who has ever accomplished anything eternal has gone through this process.
Moses faced it when he started out, but he had to go through 40 years in the desert before the vision came to life (Acts 7:25cf).
David was anointed to be king by Samuel, but He had to live in caves and among the enemies of Israel before he became the king of Israel.
Gideon faced it when the Lord removed from him all possible hope of deliverance, before he was sent out with just a small band of men.
Abraham faced it when he lost all hope of seeing his wife give birth to the promised seed.
Peter faced it when all his hopes of being the great disciple of Jesus vanished into thin air with Jesus death and his denial of his master.
Paul faced it after he met Jesus on the Damascus road. He sat in obscurity for years before he was permitted to get active in ministry.
CONCLUSION (v 21-23) “But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. 23 The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.”
In this prison, Joseph had the privilege of learning some valuable lessons about God.
• He learned more about God’s Presence, God’s Providence, God’s Purposes and God’s Power.
• He learned lessons that could not have been learned under more pleasant circumstances.
Certainly, one of the greatest blessings of going through the trials of life is the truths we learn about God. These prisons of life teach us lessons about God that cannot be learned any other way.
