Life of Joseph #4

Becoming a Believer of Integrity and Forgiveness
The Life of Joseph #4
August 24, 2008
Pastor Ben Fleming

Take your bible and turn to Genesis chapter 40. We are studying the life of Joseph….. Last week we found that Joseph had risen to top of the ladder in the house of Potiphar. He was so trusted and so faithful that Potiphar gave him his checkbook and he turned all the details of his household to him… – he trusted Joseph because he saw the blessing of the Lord was upon Joseph…. and Potiphar was blessed because of that…… But Potiphar was married to a woman who was a wicked sex goddess…… She went after Joseph time and time again and in the end she framed him accusing him of rape by taking his robe and Potiphar had no choice but to put him in prison…. If Potiphar had thought Joseph was guilty…. he would have beheaded him immediately. But to save face – he had no choice but to put him in prison. Do you remember the end of chapter 39 last week? – let me read it again (vs. 20)….. “But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him: he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden… (vs. 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.” ……

Have you ever been falsely accused – arrested and sent to prison? I have not. Have you ever been victim of unfair and unjust treatment? In the past 13 years, I have been many times and most of you have. Children mistreat other children – parents mistreat children – wives mistreat husbands and husbands mistreat wives. Some of you have been treated unfairly by an employer – some of you have been a victim. Some of you have done the right thing and gotten in trouble and suffered because of it……. A Jewish girl in school remembers 30 years later…… at Christmas time the kids in her class exchanged gifts and when she opened hers it was a bag of garbage…… A pastor took a strong stand at church on an issue and the tires on his car were slashed and his kids swing set was destroyed……. A little kid reaches out to touch a picture and his mom says, if you touch that again I’ll break every finger in your hand.”

Every person in this room has and will suffer and be treated unfairly and unjustly in his or her life – you can count on it. You have a choice as a believer to allow God to be your defender and be God or you are going to choose to play God. When you are treated unfairly and unjustly are you going to forgive or are you going to be bitter? Are you going to be a victim ? Are you going to trust God or are you going to trust no one? Stand chapter 40 - 41:1

Remember Joseph had been the #1 servant in Potiphar’s house ------ Potipher’s wife falsely accuses him and he is thrown into prison. Notice what verse 21 of chapter 39 says, “while he was in prison, the Lord showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.” This was not a 5x9 cell. He did not get three square meals a day – have access to a library and an exercise yard. He was in a dungeon. He was in a pit again . Not only was he in a pit again but in Ps 105:18 it says “they bruised his feet with shackles, and his neck was put in irons.” Can you imagine that? Joseph had done nothing wrong. Where was God?????? He was there. The scripture says that God blessed him and prospered him and the warden saw it…. The warden saw that Joseph was different. He saw his actions and reactions. Remember: When life is unfair – God is there for the believer who focuses on Him………God does not leave the believer alone who is treated unfairly and unjustly. ………. He never has and He never will. Joseph knew that and he had learned it ---he went about glorifying God in whatever circumstances he found himself in and what he did he did for God and God blessed him. You will read nothing about him complaining to Potiphar or about complaining to the warden.

Chapter 40 tells us that sometime later, two guys are thrown into the prison . One was the king’s cupbearer and the other was the king’s baker. These guys were very important men. The bible does not tell us but these guys did something to offend the king. The cupbearer was the one who tasted the kings food and drink to make sure no one would poison him and many times the King would take the cupbearer into his confidence seeking his advice on many things…….Nehemiah was a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes The baker supervised all of the food preparation in the king’s house -- if anyone would try and kill the king it most likely would come from someone in the kitchen. These guys are not just fired from their job they are put in prison. The King suspected that at least one of them was guilty.

We can gain more info about the character of Joseph and the impact he made upon Potipher in verse 4 --- it says that “the captain of the guard assigned these men to Joseph” – who was that? It was Potipher. Potipher knew the kind of a man Joseph was and he arranges with the warden for these guys to be under Joseph’s care. These guys were special prisoners and they needed special treatment and Potipher knew Joseph would give it to them.

Application Point: God many times blends human and divine factors to accomplish His purposes in this world. This is what God was doing with Potipher, the warden and Joseph. Remember that when we are undergoing suffering – grief or pain – God will many times bring people into our lives who have undergone the same pain or similar pain. I know that is true as Cheryl and I saw God bring people after people into our lives after the death of our grandson who had similar pain….. Joseph and the two men ended up in prison together for different reason but sharing the same misery – but Joseph was able to minister to them because he was free from bitterness. He was not resentful. He was useful in the hands of God. You find no trace of resentment – hostility or desire for vengeance on his part. Because of that – he was useful in God’s kingdom – even when he was treated unfairly and was suffering himself… he cared… about other people. You and I can become like Joseph!!

Chapter 40 Vs. 4 - 5 says, “after they had been in custody for some time, both men had dreams on the same night” and then it says the next morning Joseph shows up and sees the men and says to them “why are your faces so sad?” Joseph cared about these men. He was other centered. His character shines again with his ability to look beyond his own problems and frustrations and focus on others. God wants you and me to become like Joseph……our world needs other focused people…. These guys tell Joseph that they had dreams and there was no one to explain them to them. I bet Joseph had to bite his lip when he heard that --- little did they know that they had the dreamer of dreamers sitting in their midst. Notice how Joseph uses this opportunity to point them to God with just a question in verse 8 – “do not interpretations belong to God?” Tell me your dreams. Joseph knew that God would help him.

The cupbearer tells him his dream and then Joseph interprets the dream. Vs. 12 “the three branches are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position – notice (verse 14) – “when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness: mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison.” Comments… The baker heard him give a good interpretation to the cupbearers dream so he tells him his. Joseph has no choice but to tell him what it means, (vs 18) “the three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and hang you on a tree”. The third day came and it was Pharaoh’s birthday and he lifted up the head of the cupbearer and restored him to his previous position but he hanged the baker. The cupbearer forgot about Joseph and said nothing about him to the king. Can you imagine what Joseph must have thought? “Now’s my chance – this cupbearer has the Pharaoh’s ear – he will get me out of here – but no – the scoundrel says nothing to the King. The warden did not come and announce to “Joseph – you have been remembered you are set free”. Look what chapter 41:1 says --- “When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream.” Two more years – he was forgotten – he was overlooked – he could have said to himself – look God – I have walked with You… I have served you faithfully….I spoke the truth and that man forgot me ---you have forgotten me too…… No --- he did not say that---- this young man continued to wait – to trust and to hope and to lean on God. He is just like you and me. He believed God – He had a daily communication with God and he refused to become bitter and self focused. You and I can be like Joseph.

Lessons When Treated Unfairly

1. Do not allow bitterness to capture your soul. Humanly speaking Joseph had every reason to be a bitter – resentful – unforgiving man. I do not know of anyone in this room who has been treated in their life as bad as Joseph was treated – although I am sure that your pain makes it seems like you have. Paul wrote these words to the church in

Ephesians 4:26 -27,32 “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Anger and un forgiveness in your life that is not dealt with will lead to a lingering bitterness and all other sinful kinds of behavior. Bitterness and an unforgiving spirit is self destructive – emotionally – physically and spiritually.

Do not misunderstand me --- this does not mean that we cannot speak out against injustice and especially injustice against ourselves. Joseph did when he asked the cupbearer to speak to Pharaoh about him. But Joseph waited for God to take care of things. He waited for God to right the wrongs against him. As a Pastor - I have seen many claim the name of Jesus and yet they have allowed bitterness to capture their soul. They are really in bondage as a believer. Maybe there is some area or someone in your life that you are in bondage to? Dr Erwin Lutzer says you can identify if this has happened to you. I put his list on your outline:

Are you in bondage? --- are you guilty of one?

* You are walled in by bitterness. Bitter feelings form thick walls designed to protect your own resentment.

* You are blind to your own personal faults. You choose very easily to see the faults of others but you have become blind to your own glaring faults? I know people who I am afraid to point something out in their life because of their blindness. When you do you are added to their list.

* You are in search of vengeance. Your wounded pride gives you a desire for revenge. You want the one who offended and wronged you to pay for their offenses. When they suffer or get into some kind trouble you are kind of happy.

* You are bent on destruction. You use manipulation, threats, accusations, and discord in an attempt to destroy the one who has offended you.

* You are given to idolatry. You have made the offense or offenses into an idol. Your bitterness has replaced any affection or devotion to God that you might have had. ….

Instead of bitterness Joseph chose to respond to his unjust treatment differently – he chose 5 responses--- write them down 1. He chose to live in the present and not in the past. He did what Paul did – he forgot what lied behind him. He focused on today. 2. He chose to free those who had injured him. You can choose to forgive and free those who have hurt you from your past or you can hold onto them and let them eat you alive.3. He remembered that in all the injustice done to him – God was present. When God permits evil to touch your life – He will use it for His higher purposes … 4. He choose to bless those who had wronged him and 5. He choose to not to retaliate against those who had hurt him. He trusted God to right all wrongs. Bitterness did not capture Joseph soul – it does not have to capture yours.

2. Do not allow yourself to turn away from God but turn to Him even more. Many people who are mistreated allow their bitternesses toward those who caused it to be directed towards God. This is why you find many believers who say – “I want nothing to do with the church” and that believer has not gathered with a body of believers for worship in months and years. I have a book that was written about that with the title “When Bad Christians Happen to Good People.” The author says that a high percentage of Christians leave the church and even the faith because of an offense from another believer…. He says their excuse in jumping ship is a smoke screen for the real issues confronting that believers life….. Do you think Joseph was tempted to blame God for his circumstances??? I believe he was…. but he grew in his relationship with God and Joseph chose to turn to God – he did not blamed God or question God – he drew near to God.

It might seem like Joseph had some way of looking into the future and knowing that believers were going to encounter offenses – wrongs – injustice and unfair treatment again and again. He knew that it was character of a person that counted in God’s eyes. The apostle Peter knew the same thing. Look on your outline: you ought to remember this:

1 Peter 2:18-21 “Submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God – does that sound like Joseph? But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” Joseph turn to God even more in his suffering --- Peter did and so can you and I.
Third lesson

3. Patiently wait for God to vindicate you and honor your faith and positive attitudes. Ok – up to this point – if I am counting correctly and my commentaries are correct – Joseph had been in Egypt 11 years. He is somewhere around 28 years old and most that time has been spent in prison. From the time that he told the cupbearer the answer to his dreams the bible tells us it was two years. I do not know about you but I have a hard time waiting. I have a hard time waiting on others but I also have a hard time waiting on God but I know that this lesson is true. One time: I waited and prayed for two years that God would vindicate me with two believers who had wronged me – attacked me – gossiped about me and rejected me. God brought them back in His time and our relationship is 100% restored.

Waiting on God grows our faith. Waiting on God deepens our maturity and molds our character. How long have you prayed a certain prayer? How long have you prayed for the salvation of someone? When we wait on God we grow in our trust of God. Mica 7:7 “But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior;… my God will hear me.
Proverbs 20:22 “ Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the LORD, and He will deliver you.” and then on your outline:

Ps 130:5-6 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love.”

Your world may not be filled with Egyptian dungeons or dreams to interpret or even a horrible past like a Nazi War Camp. Your mistreatment might have come in different package. It does not matter what it is or has been…. but it hurts……… some of you can still feel the pain….. You feel the rejection and how you have been treated unfairly….. God has never abandoned you or left you. He understands the pain that was brought on by the evil or disappointment of failure and he is using it to bring you into a tender sensitive walk with Him. God is good and Jesus Christ is real. May he give you the strength to endure – to trust Him to allow no bitterness in your life and that you become the man or woman of integrity and forgiveness that God intends for you to be.

Close: Please watch this video clip with me and let it speak to your heart