Genesis 39:2- “And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
Introduction: If you have been in church for a while, you may know the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis. Joseph went through such a horrible time and yet the Bible says that amongst all that Joseph went through, the LORD was with Joseph. I sure like to know that same assurance in my own life because it brings comfort unto me. My desire is that after looking at only a couple of bad situations in the life of Joseph, we are able to find comfort in our own lives in knowing that the Lord is with us and there is no need to worry. God has everything under control.
The Lord was with Joseph:
I. Amongst his brother’s Hate and Envy- Genesis 37:4- “and when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.” Genesis37:11”and his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying”.
- Illustration- sisters hate towards her.
- Acts 7:9 “and the patriarch’s moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him”.
- Regardless of all the hate and envy that came from his own family, it is comforting to know that the Lord was with Joseph.
- Genesis 37:8-“and they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.” You know it’s bad when people hate you because of your words. The truth hurts, and Joseph was only sharing with them the truth. You and I don’t know how people are going to react to the truth however, we are not to hold back from telling the truth.
II. In the pit and through Egypt- Genesis 37:24- “And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.” Genesis 39:1-2 “and the Lord was with Joseph”.
- Joseph was in a literal pit and probably scared and confused. Scared because he didn’t know what the future held for him. Not knowing what’s going to happen next. To think he was going to die in that pit a slow and painful death.
III. In Prison- Genesis 39:20-21- “And Joseph’s master took him, and put him onto the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison. “But the LORD was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”
- Just when we think that God has left Joseph to fend for himself we see that God was with him in that situation.
- Image being in Joseph’s shoes, ending up in jail for something unjust. The apostle Paul was in jail for preaching the gospel along with other disciples. If we end up in jail because of the gospel, know that the Lord is with us.
Conclusion: If you’ve ever found yourself in a situation similar to what we have seen, you understand the gravity of the situation and the great need of God during those times.
If you have gotten through that situation, and you have relied on the Lord entirely, you understand that God is truly with us at all times and that it was Him that got you through.
If you are going through something right now, and you don’t seem to think it will get better, it may not, however, you can find hope and comfort in the Words of the Lord Jesus Christ “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” Hebrews 13:5.