When We Get What We Don't Deserve

A. God was with Joseph on the way down. “The Lord was with Joseph . . .” (Gen. 39:23).

1. Has anyone ever “hated” you? “His brothers hated Joseph” (37:4). “Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing” (37:2).

2. Joseph was “Poppie’s pet.” “Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children . . . a special gift made for Joseph – a beautiful robe” (37:3).

3. Did Joseph brag? “Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine” (37:7).

4. Was Joseph sent to spy on his brothers? “Go and see how your brothers and flocks are getting along . . . bring me a report” (37:16).

5. Joseph deserved a bad response, but got worse. “Come on, let us kill him and throw him into one of those pits” (37:20).

The issue is not whether you will get worse then bad,

The issue is how will you respond?

6. Is life fair? No!

7. What happens when bad guys get off easy?

a. Don’t judge, punishment will eventually come. “Recompense to no one evil for evil . . . vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord” (Rom. 12:17, 19).

b. Be positive, be polite, and do right. “Avenge not yourself . . . overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:19-20).

8. Cream rises. The favorite son of Jacob became the favorite slave of Potiphar. “He (Potiphar) put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned” (39:4).

9. Why did God honor Joseph? He chose obedience over feelings. “Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, and Potiphar’s wife began to look at him lustfully” (39:6-7).

10. Lessons from the pit.

a. Sometimes you end up in the pit because of your own doing.

b. Sometimes you end up in the pit because of evil motives by others.

c. Don’t blame others or self, look for God’s purpose for you in the pit. “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them” (Rom. 8:28).

B. God was with Joseph at the bottom. “Threw Joseph in prison . . . but the Lord was with Joseph” (29:20-21).

1. Why does God allow bad things to multiple good people? “When your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow . . . perfect and complete needing nothing” (James 1:3-4).

2. When you get what you don’t deserve. No Miranda Rights. “The Lord was with him” (29:23). Who else? David, Jeremiah, Paul, etc.

3. Would you rather be on a beach out of the will of God, or in a foreign prison in the perfect will of God?

4. The butler cup bearer did right – prison. Dreaming “within three days Pharaoh will lift you up and restore you” (40:12).

5. The butler did wrong – execution. “Pharaoh impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had predicted” (40:22).

6. Lessons from the bottom.

a. Sometimes you must help others, to get help for yourself.

b. Be true to character when you hit bottom, it will point you up. “The Lord was with him, God caused everything he did to succeed” (39:23).

c. Go back to your spiritual strength when you hit bottom (interpreting dreams). It can be your path out.

C. God was with Joseph going back up. “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you (Joseph) . . . you will be in charge of my court” (41:39-40).

1. You get to the palace through the pit, and through the prison.

2. Other people see what you really believe when you do right because of God.

a. Your trials tell the truth about you, like no other action.

b. Your trials brag on you, when you can’t brag on yourself.

c. Don’t say, “I’m aright considering the circumstances.” Say, “I’m aright considering God.”

d. Take the high road, there’s a lot less traffic.

3. You can’t be responsible for what people do to you, you are only responsible for your response.

a. Brothers were jealous – revenge.

b. Potiphar’s wife – lusted.

c. Potiphar – “Potiphar was furious” (39:19) rage.

d. Butler – forgot.

e. Father believed a lie about Joseph.

4. Look beyond your pit and prison and exalted place – look to God.

a. Joseph lived a completed life in his sons. “By faith Jacob when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons” (Heb. 11:21).

b. Joseph was guided by the long look, not by circumstances; “By faith Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He commanded them to take his bones with them when they left” (Heb. 11:22).