Joseph in Prison –
Testing, Trusting & Triumph
Gen 39:20-40:23
2 Corinthians 4:7-12
How many people like
exams?
Wearisome, burn the
midnight night oil
God sets examinations
for us all – We learn the basic lessons as he entrusts great tasks
to us.
Think of Abraham
waiting for his promises son or Moses who spent time in the
wilderness. We could also think of David who went through a lot
before being crowned as King.
God is training,
preparing & setting hard examinations.
Testing
Look at the tests that
were given to Joseph.
Joseph was a boy who
was truthful, honest and reliable.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9
4 Phrases
1. Troubled on every
side – adversary, strong, leaving him no room to fight back. If you
give up you will suffer spiritual loss.
1 Corinthians 3:15 If
any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself
shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
Lay your life on the
altar and the flames will soon begin licking round the sides of the
altar to consume the sacrifice.
Romans 12:1 I beseech
you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service.
2. Perplexed – idea
of someone whose supplies are almost finished. He had come to the end
of his strength and his resources are all but gone.
Look at Joseph in
Genesis 40:14-15
3. Persecuted v9 –
Hunted
John 15:20 Remember the
word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord.
If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they
have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
If we are living for
the Lord we will always have enemies.
Matthew 5:10 Blessed
are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven.
4. Cast down – you
have received a terrible blow. The fighter is being counted out.
Think of Joseph – the
pit, the journey across the desert, sold as a slave, prison
Psalm 105:18 Whose feet
they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:
Trust
God did not Send Joseph
there alone.
Genesis 39:20, 21, 23
God was at his side
teaching him to trust him.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 We
are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are
perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not
forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
Genesis 49:23-24 The
archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: But
his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong
by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the
shepherd, the stone of Israel:)
Isaiah 43:2 When thou
passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the
rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the
fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon
thee.
Footprints in the Sand
One night I
dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes
from my life flashed across the sky.
In each
scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes
there were two sets of footprints,
other times
there were one set of footprints.
This
bothered me because I noticed
that during
the low periods of my life,
when I was
suffering from
anguish,
sorrow or defeat,
I could see
only one set of footprints.
So I said to
the Lord,
"You
promised me Lord,
that if I
followed you,
you would
walk with me always.
But I have
noticed that during
the most
trying periods of my life
there have
only been one
set of
footprints in the sand.
Why, when I
needed you most,
you have not
been there for me?"
The Lord
replied,
"The
times when you have
seen only
one set of footprints,
is when I
carried you."
Mary
Stevenson
Psalm 105:19
Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him.
It was said
of Christ in Hebrews 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he
obedience by the things which he suffered;
Jeremiah
29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the
Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected
end.
Triumph
2
Corinthians 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the
Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our
body.
This is the
triumph that Christ would shine through.
He noticed
the anxiety and worry on the other prisoners faces.
He was in
touch with God – the dreams were revealed to him.
He doesn’t
mention the hatred of his brothers or the wickedness of Potiphar's
wife. He is living a life of victory rather than bitterness and
blame.
He was
faithful with the baker.
Psalm 23:4
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will
fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they
comfort me.
