Children's Bible Ministry of Connecticut, USA

Joseph in Egypt

Potiphar, who works for Pharaoh as Captain of the Guard, is in the market looking for a slave. – Slide 19Joseph was now a slave in Egypt through no fault of his own. Egypt was a strange country. The Egyptians did not worship God. Their language and customs were different and Joseph was all alone.

But he was not all alone. The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put in Joseph's hand. God made Joseph successful and God made his master prosperous. (See Genesis 39:2-5)

Joseph did his work well. He had a good testimony. And others noticed it. Is the Lord with you? Can others see God by the way you live? Do you have a good testimony? Are you a blessing to others?

Joseph fled out of the house. Potiphar’s wife gathered the other household servants and deviously wailed, ‘Joseph tried to seduce me. I screamed and he ran off.’ – Slide 20The devil is not happy with our good testimony. He doesn't want us to live for God. He is a spoiler, out to soil our lives. He used Joseph's master's wife to try to bring Joseph down. She wanted Joseph to hug and love her. But he refused. Joseph said, ". . . how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" When she grabbed at him, Joseph ran fast leaving his garment behind. She used the garment to spread a lie about him that made his master angry. And Joseph was thrown into prison because of her lie.

Now Joseph was in prison through no fault of his own. "But the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison (verse 21). And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge ". . . because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper (verse 23). God made Joseph a success wherever he went.

Joseph was in charge of two of the king's servants who were thrown into prison. Finding them sad one day, he asked them what was the matter. They told him of their dreams. (Read Genesis 40:9-21). Joseph by the power of God was able to tell them the meanings of their dreams and exactly what he told them happened.

Joseph asked the butler to remember him when he got out of prison because he was unfairly kept there. "Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgot him" (verse 23).

Joseph spent two more years in the prison learning not to trust the butler or the baker or anyone else but to trust God alone and wait for His time.

God's ways and God's timing are always right. God is sovereign and infinitely wise. We dare not run ahead of Him, nor lag behind Him.

Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD!
Psalm 27:14

Joseph, part one - A Coat of Many Colors

Joseph, part two - Joseph and His Brothers

Joseph, part four - Joseph and Pharaoh

 

images courtesy of FreeBibleimages.org.

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