Joseph a slave

Joseph a slave.

Question of the day:  What is your favorite summer activity? (It isn't summer until you have...)

Good morning class.  This morning we are continuing with the story of Joseph.  We pick up the story with him being taken to Egypt and sold to Potiphar.  

We will read this in two sections. 

Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife

39 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.

2 The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. 5 From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. 6 So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

What does it mean to be enslaved? 

Can we relate?

"The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered." 

What is this saying?

Is God with you while you are in slavery?

Can you prosper even while enslaved?

If enslaved is too strong a word, what about when things are out of our control? Can we prosper, serve the Lord and be faithful to Him when there are things out of our control? 

Who gets the credit here?

Too often I have only thought about, prayed for, and asked for freedom from the slavery instead of asking for his blessing in the midst of it.  Perhaps there is something that God is working out for me and others and being free isn't necessary at this moment?  I'm not making excuses for being in slavery, I am just saying that enslaved or not, I can still serve God.  I can still be walking with Him and he can still be blessing me and working out his providence in my life! 

God had a plan and a purpose for Joseph.  It was way bigger than Joseph has any idea about.  

Let's keep reading...

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”

8 But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” 10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.

11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.

13 When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14 she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. 15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”

16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18 But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”

19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. 20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.

But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

What else had God blessed Joseph with?

He was handsome and well built.  Did this help him? 

Let's think about the request of Potiphar's wife. 

What do you think of Joseph's choice?

How does that translate to us?

Or does it?

Let's look at all of this and all that had led up to this point for Joseph.

• Was raised as the favored one.
• Obviously he had good strong character.
• Hated.
• Put in a pit.
• Sold.
• Enslaved.
• Still chosen and favored... why?
• Desired.
• Falsely accused.
• Imprisoned.
• Favored.
• Entrusted.

WHY?

So what do we learn about God in this story?

Is this just for Josephs benefit?

What is happening here?

Who really gets credit for this story?

Does Joseph have a part to play?

I once heard someone talk about us joining in God's plan.  Here Joseph is joining in and willing to play a role in God's plan.  

My thoughts...

Perhaps freedom isn't the most important goal, but just walking with Him daily and doing our best to serve Him and join Him in his plans.  Maybe even in the midst of our slavery He can do a mighty work and bless us and prosper us and "freedom" will even be possible while enslaved here and now.  We all know the day is coming when freedom will be ours, but in the mean time, serve, be faithful, follow our Savior and don't let the lack of freedom keep us from a life well lived with our Lord!