GENESIS 40:1-23 “HOW TO DEAL WITH MISTREATMENT”
A) The common tendency when we are mistreated is to seek revenge!
* I think of a despondent woman walking along the beach when she saw a bottle on the sand.
* She picked it up and pulled out the cork, and Whoosh ... A big puff of smoke appeared.
* “You have released me from my prison,” the genie told her.
* “To show my thanks, I grant you three wishes ... But take care, for with each wish, your mate
will receive double of whatever you request.” * “Why?” the woman asked.
* “That bum left me for another woman ... He lied to me and deceived me.”
* “That is how it is written,” replied the genie.
B) The woman shrugged and then asked for a million dollars!
* There was a flash of light, and a million dollars appeared at her feet.
* At the same instant, in a far-off place, her wayward husband looked down to see twice that
amount at his feet. * “And your second wish?”
* “Genie, I want the world’s most expensive diamond necklace.”
* Another flash of light, and the woman was holding the precious treasure.
* And, in that distant place, her husband was looking for a gem broker to buy his latest bonanza.
C) “Genie, is it really true that my husband has two million dollars and more jewels than I do,
and that he gets double of whatever I wish for?”
* The genie said it was indeed true! * “Okay, Genie, I’m ready for my last wish,” the woman said.
* The Genie said, “OK, what is it?” * The woman said, “Scare me half to death.”
D) If anybody was ever mistreated it was Joseph!
* Our text, Genesis 40, is the third account of mistreatment Joseph experienced.
* He had been forsaken by his brethren, framed by Potiphar’s wife, and now he is forgotten by the
Butler! * He was hated by his brothers, harassed by his boss’s wife!
* I doubt that there are few among us that has not been mistreated in one form or another by either
family or friend! * As you know, the hurt and pain of being mistreated goes deep!
* I confess to you that one of the most disappointing things I have encountered in the ministry, is to
have those I have loved and helped, those whom I have been there when they needed me .......
* To turn on me and attack me either privately and publicly, to my face or behind my back!
* There have been times when those I had done the most for, did the most to hurt me!
E) How do we deal with mistreatment?
* As I said, if anyone was ever mistreated it was Joseph! * How did he deal with his mistreatment? * Let’s look at how he dealt with all the mistreatment he experienced.
(1) THERE WAS AN INWARD LACK OF BITTERNESS!
* When we read each account of Joseph’s mistreatment, you do not find one hint or suggestion that
Joseph was ever bitter about what happened.
* In spite of all that happened to him, he kept his heart free from bitterness!
A) Notice Gen.37:24, 28 ... His brothers forsook him, yet he did not become bitter!
* Notice Gen. 39:19-20 ... Potiphar’s wife framed him, yet he did not become bitter!
* Notice Gen.40:14, 23 ... The Butler forgot him ... Still he didn’t allow bitterness to fill his heart!
* Bruce Goodrich was being initiated into the cadet corps at Texas A & M University.
* One night, Bruce was forced to run until he dropped, but he never got up.
* Bruce Goodrich died before he even entered college.
B) A short time after the tragedy, Bruce’s father wrote this letter to the administration, faculty,
student body, and the corps of cadets:
* “I would like to take this opportunity to express the appreciation of my family for the great
outpouring of concern and sympathy from Texas A & M University and the college community
over the loss of our son Bruce.
* We were deeply touched by the tribute paid to him in the battalion.
* We were particularly pleased to note that his Christian witness did not go unnoticed during his
brief time on campus.”
C) Mr. Goodrich went on: “I hope it will be some comfort to know that we harbor no ill will in
the matter ... We know our God makes no mistakes.”
* “Bruce had an appointment with his Lord and is now secure in his celestial home.
* When the question is asked, “Why did this happen?” perhaps one answer will be, “So that many
will consider where they will spend eternity.”
* Joseph harbored no ill will in his heart to those who had done him wrong!
* He was free from a bitter heart! * We read in Heb. 12:15 .......
* “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up
trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;” * There are several things we see in this verse .......
D) First: There Is The Development Of Bitterness!
* The words, “springing up” means “to germinate, to grow.”
* Something happens, we are mistreated, or feel that we have been mistreated, and bitterness
begins to grow in our heart.
* One day, two monks were walking through the countryside.
* They were on their way to another village to help bring in the crops.
E) As they walked, they spied an old woman sitting at the edge of a river!
* She was upset because there was no bridge, and she could not get across on her own.
* The first monk kindly offered, “We’ll carry you across if you would like.”
* “Thank you,” she said gratefully, accepting their help.
* So the two men joined hands, lifted her between them and carried her across the river.
F) When they got to the other side, they set her down, and she went on her way!
* After they had walked another mile or so, the second monk began to complain .......
* “Look at my clothes,” he said, “They are filthy from carrying that woman across the river.”
* “And my back still hurts from lifting her ... I can feel it getting stiff.”
* The first monk just smiled and nodded his head.
G) A few more miles up the road, the second monk griped again, “My back is hurting me so
badly, and it is all because we had to carry that silly woman across the river!”
* “I cannot go any farther because of the pain.”
* The first monk looked down at his partner, now lying on the ground, moaning and asked .......
* “Have you wondered why I am not complaining?”
* “Your back hurts because you are still carrying the woman, but I set her down five miles ago.”
H) Bitterness begins to grow and develop in our life when we fail to let something go!
* Instead, we dwell on it, rehearse it and remember it, and let bitterness spring up in our hearts!
* T.S. Rendall defined bitterness as, “the atmosphere produced in us internally when we meditate
over life’s circumstances and decide that we have not been given a fair deal.”
B) Second: The Defilement Of Bitterness!
* Hebrews spoke of bitterness as that which “trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.”
* The word “trouble” means “to crowd in.” * Bitterness crowds in the heart and overtakes the
heart, robbing it of its joy and happiness ... The result is, the heart becomes defiled!
* They say a rattlesnake, if cornered, will sometimes become so angry it will bite itself!
* That is exactly what the harboring of hate and resentment against others is, a biting of oneself!
* We think that we are harming others in holding these spites and hates, but the deeper harm is to
ourselves!
* In spite of all that was done to Joseph, he refused to let himself become defiled with bitterness!
* He would not bow to bitterness. Instead of letting what happen make him bitter .......
* He let it make him better! * SO THERE WAS AN INWARD LACK OF BITTERNESS!
(2) THERE WAS AN OUTWARD LACK OF RETALIATION!
* There is no hint that he sought revenge or retaliation!
A) When we are done wrong, we want revenge! * The hostility in us cries out for retaliation!
* To get even, becomes the passion and pursuit of life! * But what a contrast in Joseph!
* In all that was done to him, he never seeks revenge and is never filled with hostility!
* We say, “You just wait ... I’ll fix __________________”
* The desire to “fix” someone for what they have done to us is a cancer of the soul!
* It will rob you of your power with God, it will keep you from being pleasing to God, and it will
rob you of the peace of God!
B) The desire and passion for revenge may not destroy others, but it will certainly destroy you!
* To seek revenge for what others have done to you, makes you insensitive of what God said in
Rom. 12:19, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is
written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”
* Revenge is not mine to worry about, but God’s! * When you are done wrong, leave it in the
hands of God! * When you seek revenge you are playing God!
* Joseph never sought revenge, even though there would be opportunities to do so.
* That was a matter he left in the hand of his God! * So, there was an outward lack of retaliation!
(3) THERE WAS A GODWARD LACK OF BLAME!
* So many times when bad things happen in life, we blame God.
* We put God on trial and blame him for letting it happen or blast Him for not stopping it!
A) Not Joseph ... He never asks God why He let others treat him the way they did!
* This whole thing of mistreatment began with a dream God had given him.
* He could have said, “God, it’s all your fault ... I simply told them what you told me.”
* “You’re the reason all of this happen ... If I hadn’t told them the dream you gave me, I would not
have been sold into slavery.”
* “If I had not been sold into slavery I would have never met Potiphar’s wife and been put into
this prison.” * Joseph did not bow to bitterness, retaliation, or blame!
B) But I’ll tell you what he did do ... Joseph Rested In The Promises Of God!
* Joseph knew that the dream God gave him was a promise of what God would do with him and
for him in the future! * It was not a day dream, but a divine dream!
* He knew that God would keep his promises, therefore instead of blaming God, he blessed God!
* When Adnoriam Judson, the missionary to Burma, saw his mission work destroyed, his converts
killed and scattered, and he himself in a filthy dungeon .......
* Someone was taunting him one day and said, “What does your future look like now, Judson?”
* He replied, “My future is as bright as the promises of God.”
* When we are mistreated, don’t blame God ... Trust God!
C) Something else Joseph did ... He Rejoiced In The Providence Of God!
* Joseph knew that God was in charge ... The dream had revealed that much to him!
* He knew that God had a destiny for his life.
* Things may have not been going like he thought they would, but he knew that God made no
mistakes, and that all things were working to his good!
* I read about a preacher who been away for a few days and when he got back one of his members
met him at the train station.
D) The preacher asked how things were going!
* The member said, “Preacher, not good, a cyclone came through town and blew my house down.” * The preacher said, “Well, sir, I am going to be honest with you ... That was God’s punishment for
the way you have been living.” * The member said, “Preacher, it also blew your house down.”
* You can blame God or rejoice in the blessed truth that He doeth all things well.
* Just because things don’t make sense to you does not mean they don’t make sense!
E) God is in charge ... God is in control! Let me ask you this and I’m through .......
* How do you deal with mistreatment? * Learn from Joseph ... He’s a good example!
