The Joseph Experience – Prison Life 03 Series

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Last week’s homework: Did anyone check for pride in their life? We won’t ask for testimonies.

Who memorized scriptures?

James 4:6 NKJV or 1 Peter 5:5 NKJV

… “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Proverbs 3:34 NKJV

Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.

Has anyone been praying and asking God to teach them humility? Notice a difference?

Last week, we studied the results of a bad attitude problem. This week we’re going to study Joseph reaping a harvest on his attitude problem and pray some Holy Spirit inspired prayers to make a prison break for freedom. If you’re not in spiritual slavery or prison, it will be premium jet fuel for your prayer life.

I’m going to read most of the words in the scriptures. If you’re following along, you’ll notice I’m going to jump over a few words for time’s sake. Please go back and read the story when you have time.

Genesis 38 - Judah and Tamar

We’re going to skip over this wild story. It doesn’t have anything to do with Joseph, other than the fact envy and self-seeking against Joseph caused confusion and evil works (James 3:16) in Judah’s life. Remember, it was his idea to sell Joseph.

Genesis 39 NKJV

1Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. 2The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

The Bible tells us the Ishmaelites brought him to Egypt, which means he wasn’t sold here and there, he went directly to Egypt. Joseph was bought by a wealthy man, which means that the conditions he was used to at home were probably about the same. This is the Lord still trying to keep His Hand of protection on Joseph.

4So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. 5… the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field. 6Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate.

The training that Joseph was supposed to receive back home with his father, Jacob, is continuing here with Potiphar. You can’t run a country if you don’t know how to run a house with slaves as a business. God was blessing all that he did, but at the same time, Joseph was still learning the how-to from God. Sometimes the picture of Joseph is painted as if he knew everything, ancient superhuman, but that isn’t true! Everyone then and even now has to go through a learning and training process, some are faster than others, but there is still a process. We’re never told God download extreme knowledge to him or anyone else. I’m sure the Holy Spirit was leading and guiding him, no doubts, but this is Joseph’s Boot Camp. Sometimes we see great moves of God through men in the Bible and forget they’re human just like us.

(6)Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.

The Bible tells us that his mother, Rachel, was beautiful (Genesis 29:17). In addition to that, Joseph’s skin was probably a little nicer than most, no sun damage, because he was working in the tent and not so much the field with his brothers. His lighter skin in the middle east may have been very attractive as well.

7And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.”

We have to remember Joseph was a broken man. If you were suddenly taken from your family and home, from wealth to slavery, and now living in a land that’s not familiar to you; how would you feel? The language is different, the writing is different. It wouldn’t matter to you that your SLAVE MASTER is being blessed and becoming wealthier, none of it belongs to you. We have to be careful when viewing Joseph out of the painting of the mainstream idea that Joseph was happy and confident, because of the blessing. The blessing made Joseph valuable to those above him, so that they would treat Joseph favorably.

8But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand.

This was probably an ancient cougar. Captain of the guard position probably took Potiphar a while to achieve and let’s assume his wife is about his age or slightly younger. Yeah, she was probably no teenaged beauty.