Vrs 1-6a Joseph was sold into Potiphar’s house and Potiphar realized that there was something different about Joseph “the Lord was with him” and “the Lord made all that he did prosper”
Potiphar trusted him so much that he did not even know the affairs of his own business
Vrs 6b-10 Potphar’s wife advances toward Joseph and his resolve is not to “sin against God” and she kept trying
Vrs 11-18 The wife tried to seduce him again and then made up a story to tell her husband because Joseph left his coat behind.
Vrs 19-23 So Potiphar threw him into prison and again God raised him up and the highest ranking guard put everything under his control.
What can we learn from this?
1. Vrs 2,5 and 21 The Lord was with Joseph.
-If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior the bible says in Acts 17:26-27 that He has placed you where you are so that you will seek God and perhaps find Him. 2 Peter 3:9 God desires all to come to know Him. If you are here today and wondering is God real and if so what does it mean to my life. God loves you and wants to forgive you of your sin the bible tells us that we have to trust that Jesus’ death on the cross was enough to forgive us of our sins 3 days later he rose again to prove that He was God and has victory of sin and death.
-If you trusted in Jesus as your Savior no matter where you are or what situation you are in, God is with you. At your job or school, with friends or in your family He is there with you. Jesus says He “will never leave us or forsake us.”
Hebrew 13:5 Joseph is an illustration of this passage.
2. Lets look at the other things that passage says
“Let your conduct be without covetousness;”
Joseph did not covet what Potiphar had Vrs 6-9 we see that Joseph was in charge of and had access to everything in Potiphar’s house except his wife. Instead of coveting what Potiphar had, his wife, he refused to sin with Potiphar’s wife.
Many times in life we have so much but we still covet after more, we are unhappy with or jobs or our possessions and we feel that we need better or we need more. Maybe you are not content with your relationships in life and you covet others around you because they have a girlfriend or a boyfriend or they have children you and don’t. But God is saying don’t covet be content.
3. Contentment,” be content with such things as you have.” Joseph was content event though he was sold into slavery and was no longer with his father in his own land he was still content Vrs 4 Because Joseph was content he was able to serve. And with that service found favor in the eyes of Potiphar.
Are you content with where God has placed you, your job, school and relationships. If you are not content it will show and eventually you will have a bad testimony among the people around you. When we are content in any and every situation we are a good testimony to those around us.
Content makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor."
Benjamin Franklin
When you are content you have a good testimony among unbelievers and God will elevate your positions in life.
Paul writes from jail in Philippians 2:11“for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content"
1 Tim 6:6-9 Because Joseph was content he was able to resist temptation
4. Joseph resisted Temptation. Last summer I had a message about Temptation and the focus was Jesus’ temptation. Lets take a quick look at Josephs temptation. Potiphar’s wife was aggressively pursuing him but he did not give in. Vrs 9b “How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”
Maybe you are constantly in situations where you are tempted to do something wrong, sexual sins, drunkinness, gossiping, dishonest gain.
Christian Author John Piper Said “The power of all temptation is the prospect that it will make me happier."
Whatever the temptation may be there is some advice and comfort from the Bible
-1 Cor 10:13 There is a way out
-Luke 22:40 Jesus says pray that you will not enter into temptation.
-James 1:12 says we are blessed if we endure under temptation
-2 Peter 2:9 “The Lord knows how to deliver the Godly out of temptation.
5. Joseph had respect for the authority Romans 13:1-3 Potiphar was over Joseph and Joseph was his slave. But he still respected him Vrs 8-9a This would have been a good way to mock his master “your wife wanted me”
We all have authority over us, our bosses, teachers parents, do you respect that and heed to there direction? Or do you look for and take opportunities to mock them? If you want to be a good testimony for the Lord you will respect them.
6. Even though he did everything right something bad still happened to him. He was wrongly accused and was thrown in jail. But God was still with him Hebrew 13:6 Joseph can boldly say…
You may have been struggling because you seem to have your relationship with God on track but things still seem to go wrong.
Well join the club 2 Tim 3:12 “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution”. When we suffer for doing what is right it is just a reminder that this world is not our home and we need to look toward heaven and not be to comfortable in this life on earth.
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