The Lord Was With Jospeh Series

THE LORD WAS WITH JOSEPH

Genesis 37:36; 39:1-6

Introduction

When we left Joseph in our last message, he had been betrayed by his own brothers and sold as a slave. Joseph had been sold to some Ishmaelite merchants for the price of a crippled slave. The Ishmaelites took Joseph to Egypt and put him up for sale in that land.

Try to put yourself in Joseph’s shoes for a moment. You are seventeen years old. You are the favored son in a family of twelve sons. Your father had chosen you to be the head of the family and he has given you a beautiful robe to symbolize this fact. You are on the path to power, influence and prominence in your family.

Then, in a moment of time, everything is gone. You are stripped of your coat. You are betrayed by your own brothers, the people who should have loved and protected you. You are separated from your father. You are sold as a slave and carried off into a strange land. Imagine the humility of being examined and sold in a slave auction. Imagine the lies Satan must have been telling him.

In many ways, he was just a simple country boy from an unsophisticated family, and finds himself transported to the capital city of the most advanced nation on the earth.

Imagine how Joseph must have felt as the camels crested the last hill and the wonders of ancient Egypt spread out before him on the planes of Giza. The great pyramids would have been standing in Joseph’s day. Joseph would have seen the Sphinx, the great Egyptian temples and the magnificent palaces of the Pharaoh and his people. It must have been a great culture shock to this young man from the country.

On the surface it seemed that circumstances could not have been worse for young Joseph. In truth, those difficult days were mere stepping stones along the path to greater glory. It may have appeared that all Joseph’s dreams had been shattered, but the God who gave the dreams in the first place was working behind the scenes to ensure that they would all be fulfilled in His time.

What no one could see in all this trouble surrounding young Joseph’s life is stated clearly in Gen. 39:2. In that verse, the Bible says, “And the Lord was with Joseph.” I want us to learn the great truth that our God is always with His people to see them through their trials; to accomplish His plans in their lives; and to use them to point a lost world to Himself.

Let’s look at Joseph in the early days of his slavery and see the ways we know “the Lord was with him.” As we study these truths please keep in mind that what the Lord did for Joseph, He will also do for you. Let me share with you the ways God blessed this young man.

I. GOD PROTECTED HIM (v. 37:36)

A. As I stated a moment ago, it seemed that all had fallen apart for Joseph.

• Yet, if you will take a minute to examine the facts, it becomes clear that Joseph was in the hand of divine providence.

o Considering all he faced, too many things “just happened” to fall into place for him.

o Consider:

 The intervention of Reuben – Gen. 37:21-22.

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

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

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

• Potiphar is called “the captain of the guard”.

o His position seems to have been that of chief executioner.

o He was like the head of Pharaoh’s secret police.

o He was responsible for protecting his boss and for dealing with those who dared attack the Pharaoh.

o Potiphar, by virtue of his position, would have been in contact with many of the dignitaries and political officials of Egypt.

o It is not outside the realm of possibility that Joseph would have been introduced to many of the influential people who would later serve him.

o God set everything up just like it needed to be so that Joseph arrived exactly where he needed to be at the exact moment he needed to be there.

o Joseph might have been a slave, but he was safe in the arms of divine providence.

o He might have been separated from his earthly father, but his heavenly Father went with him and before him into Egypt.

B. You can see how much control the Lord has by looking at the actions of the people involved in this account.

• Joseph’s brothers, the Ishmaelite traders, and Potiphar were all serving their own selfish interests.