Joseph; Genesis 39

1. Last week, a new school year began. Our students have met new teachers, started new classes, and are making new friends. It's truly the start of a new journey for them. As with any new journey, there are pros and cons. One of the best parts is the chance for a fresh start—a new experience, a new situation, a new set of circumstances. It's a chance to be renewed and refreshed. However, the downside is the uncertainty. We can't always know what challenges we'll face or how we'll navigate them as time goes on. But that's just life, isn't it? Our lives don't always go according to our plans. There will be good moments and difficult ones. Starting today, we're going to begin a new sermon series leading up to the Christmas season. We'll be looking at some of the key Biblical figures from the Old and New Testaments. Through their stories, I believe we can better understand what it means to live a life of faith and to respond to God's call. Our focus today is on Joseph. Let's turn together to Genesis 39:1-4.

Genesis 39:1–4 NASB 2020

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. And the Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and put him in charge of all that he owned.

2. The story of Joseph is one of the most beloved and well-known in the Bible. It's a tale that includes God's protection and guidance, along with Joseph's failures, successes, and the many turns his life took. Because of this, many people hope to live and experience a life similar to Joseph's. I still remember when I first became a youth pastor and a lady wanted to introduce me to her daughter. She told me she had been praying for a long time for a son-in-law like Joseph. I immediately thought to myself, "That would mean I have to be betrayed, suffer failure, be thrown in prison, and then finally succeed. Wow, that's not for me!" I politely declined her request. As I mentioned, people love Joseph's story because they see how God worked in his life, especially when he became one of Egypt's most powerful leaders. But Joseph's story isn't just about his success. That's not the main point. Instead, we can find a much more important lesson for our own faith journey with God.

3. In biblical literature, repetition is a powerful literary device used to emphasize key themes and theological truths. It's a signal to the reader or listener to pay close attention, as the repeated phrase carries the central message of the passage. The repetition of "the LORD was with him" (or a similar phrase) in Genesis 39 is a perfect example of this. This phrase appears four times in verses 2, 3, 21, and 23.

Genesis 39:2 NIV

The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.

Genesis 39:3 NLT

Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did.

Genesis 39:21 MSG

God was still with Joseph: He reached out in kindness to him; he put him on good terms with the head jailer.

Genesis 39:23 ESV

The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.

4. The repetition of this phrase is theologically significant for several reasons:

 1) It highlights the true source of Joseph's success. 

The writer wants the reader to know that Joseph's prosperity isn't due to his own hard work, good looks, or natural ability, but entirely because of God's presence and blessing.

 2) It shows God's faithfulness through changing circumstances. 

Joseph's life goes from being a favored son to a slave in a powerful man's house, and then to a prisoner. Despite these drastic and unjust events, the repeated phrase acts as a constant anchor, reassuring the reader that God's presence with Joseph never wavered.

 3) It provides a theological lens for the entire chapter. 

The repetition frames the story, from Joseph's time in Potiphar's house to his unjust imprisonment, as a testament to God's providence and unwavering care for his servant. It's the unifying theme that makes sense of Joseph's suffering and his ultimate triumph. In short, the repetition of "the LORD was with him" in Genesis 39 shifts the focus from Joseph's actions to God's presence, teaching us that God's faithfulness is the true foundation of a successful life, regardless of our external circumstances.

5. When we read the story of Joseph, it's easy to focus only on him. We see how hard he worked, his honesty, and his great leadership, and we might think he succeeded because he was just a great person. We might say, "Joseph was a good guy who worked hard, and that's why God blessed him." But the Bible, by saying the same thing over and over, gently moves us away from that idea. The writer of Genesis, Moses, isn't just telling us what happened; he's telling us why it happened. He makes a very important point in verses 2 and 3, saying, "The LORD was with Joseph, so that he prospered... Potiphar saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all that he did prosper." The message is crystal clear. It's not a secret. It plainly states that God was the one behind everything in Joseph's life.

2 Chronicles 26:5 NLT

Uzziah sought God during the days of Zechariah, who taught him to fear God. And as long as the king sought guidance from the Lord, God gave him success.

6. Think of it like this: Joseph's hard work and talents were like the seeds he planted. But God's presence and blessing were the sun and rain that made those seeds grow and produce a harvest. Without the sun and rain, no matter how good the seeds were, they wouldn't have grown. The same is true for us. We can work hard, be talented, and have big plans, but without God's presence, all our efforts will fall short of their true purpose. The real source of our success, our peace, and our joy isn't our own strength, but God's faithful presence and favor. This reminds us to be humble. It shifts the praise from ourselves to God. It keeps us from bragging about our accomplishments and instead encourages us to give thanks for the blessings that come from His presence in our lives.

Proverbs 16:9 NIV

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

1 Corinthians 3:6–7 NLT

I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.

7. Joseph's story is a powerful reminder that God's faithfulness doesn't depend on our circumstances. Think about the wild ups and downs he went through. One day, he's his father Jacob's favorite son, wearing a special coat and living a comfortable life. The next, he's a slave, sold by his jealous brothers and taken to a foreign land. Later, after rising in Potiphar's house, he's falsely accused and thrown into a dark, hopeless prison. From a human point of view, Joseph's life was a total roller coaster. Every time he seemed to get ahead, he was knocked down again. We might expect the Bible to show this chaos. We might think it would say, "God was with Joseph... but then his brothers betrayed him, and God was silent." Or, "God was with Joseph in Potiphar's house... but when he was imprisoned, God forgot about him." But that's not what the Bible says.

8. Instead, the writer uses the repeated phrase, "the LORD was with him," like a constant anchor. It's a statement about God that goes beyond Joseph's difficult situations. It tells us that God's presence with Joseph wasn't a reward for his good behavior or a temporary blessing. It was a steady, unchanging reality, even in the most unfair and painful moments of his life.

Romans 8:38–39 MSG

I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

Isaiah 43:2 NASB 2020

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.

9. This is a deep lesson for our own faith journey. We may experience times of great joy and blessing, followed by seasons of hardship, loss, or injustice. The repeated message of Genesis 39 is this: God's presence with you is not tied to your external situation. He is with you in the palace, in the prison, and everywhere in between. This truth is what gives us hope and the strength to get through tough times, knowing that even when our lives seem to be falling apart, our anchor—God's unwavering presence—remains secure.

10. The repeated phrase, "the LORD was with him," doesn't just explain individual moments in Joseph's life; it's like a special lens that helps us see the entire story. A lens changes how we view things. Without this specific lens, Genesis 39 could just be a sad, tragic story about a young man who gets a bad break. We might only focus on his brothers' betrayal, Potiphar's wife lying about him, and the miserable time he spent in prison. We might see it as a story about how a good person can suffer for no reason at all. However, that repeated phrase makes us see something more. It tells us that what looks like a string of bad luck from our point of view is actually part of God's sovereign plan. It frames Joseph's suffering not as meaningless pain, but as a time of testing and preparation, all under God's watchful eye. It's the central theme that connects his suffering to his final victory and makes sense of it all.

Jeremiah 29:11 NASB 2020

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

11. This special lens changes our view of our own lives too. When we face our own difficult seasons—losing a job, a health crisis, or a broken relationship—we're tempted to ask, "Why?" This passage encourages us to shift our focus from the "why" to the "who." It teaches us that even when circumstances are unfair and painful, God is still at work. He is still with us. He is still weaving our pain into a bigger story for His ultimate purpose and glory. The real foundation of a successful life isn't avoiding hardship but trusting in God's presence through it.

1 Peter 1:6–7 NASB 2020

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

12. In conclusion, Being blessed isn't the ultimate goal of our faith journey. It's simply a result of having faith in Christ. Instead, our ultimate goal is to be sanctified by God, because sanctification means becoming more and more like Jesus. When we do this, we start to see the world through a new lens, just like Joseph did. We also begin to feel God's presence in our everyday lives. So, let's hold on to this phrase throughout our entire lives and faith journey: "The Lord was with him." Just as He was with Joseph, God is with us and will help us follow His way.

Podcast: https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/8ab7d114-ebf1-47cb-8450-2e1f5dd0428c?artifactId=186b695e-c653-4b42-a81d-7304fcdd8202

Video overview: https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/8ab7d114-ebf1-47cb-8450-2e1f5dd0428c?artifactId=d5b3af9b-b36d-4824-8a44-943434209cef

Quiz

Instructions: Answer each question in 2-3 sentences.

• What is the main theme that the sermon series will explore leading up to Christmas?

• Why do many people find Joseph's story appealing, and what common misconception does the speaker address about desiring a life like Joseph's?

• Explain the significance of repetition as a literary device in biblical literature, specifically referencing Genesis 39.

• According to the source, how does the repetition of "the LORD was with him" highlight the true source of Joseph's success?

• How does the repeated phrase demonstrate God's faithfulness despite Joseph's changing and difficult circumstances?

• Using an analogy from the text, explain how Joseph's hard work relates to God's presence and blessing.

• How does the "constant anchor" of "the LORD was with him" challenge the idea that God's presence is dependent on one's good behaviour or positive circumstances?

• What is the "special lens" mentioned in paragraph 10, and how does it change how we interpret Joseph's story?

• When facing difficult seasons in our own lives, what shift in focus does this passage encourage us to make?

• What is identified as the ultimate goal of our faith journey, and how does it relate to seeing the world through a new lens?

Answer Key

• The sermon series will explore key Biblical figures from the Old and New Testaments to help attendees better understand what it means to live a life of faith and respond to God's call. Joseph's story from Genesis 39 is the initial focus, setting the stage for understanding God's presence and faithfulness.

• People are drawn to Joseph's story because they witness God's work in his life, especially his rise to power in Egypt. However, the speaker clarifies that desiring a life like Joseph's also entails experiencing betrayal, suffering, imprisonment, and then eventual success, which might not be what people truly wish for.

• Repetition in biblical literature is a powerful literary device used to emphasize key themes and theological truths, signaling readers to pay close attention. In Genesis 39, the repeated phrase "the LORD was with him" serves this purpose, highlighting the central message of God's unwavering presence.

• The repetition of "the LORD was with him" in Genesis 39 emphasizes that Joseph's prosperity and success were not due to his own efforts, appearance, or natural abilities. Instead, the writer consistently points to God's presence and blessing as the sole source of all his accomplishments.

• Despite Joseph's drastic life changes, from favored son to slave and then prisoner, the repeated phrase "the LORD was with him" acts as a constant anchor. This reiterates that God's presence with Joseph never wavered, showcasing God's unwavering faithfulness through all his unjust and difficult circumstances.

• The text uses the analogy of seeds, sun, and rain: Joseph's hard work and talents were like the seeds he planted, while God's presence and blessing were the essential sun and rain that allowed those seeds to grow and produce a harvest. Without God's presence, efforts would fall short, regardless of talent.

• The "constant anchor" of "the LORD was with him" in every circumstance, including betrayal and imprisonment, shows that God's presence is not a reward for good behaviour or a temporary blessing. It underscores that God's presence is a steady, unchanging reality, independent of Joseph's external situations or suffering.

• The "special lens" is the repeated phrase "the LORD was with him," which reframes Joseph's story from a tragic series of misfortunes into a narrative of God's sovereign plan. This lens reveals that what appears as suffering is actually a period of testing and preparation under God's watchful eye, connecting his pain to eventual triumph.

• When facing personal difficult seasons like job loss or health crises, this passage encourages a shift in focus from asking "why" these things are happening to understanding "who" is still at work. It teaches that even amidst unfair and painful circumstances, God remains present and actively weaving our pain into a larger, purposeful story.

• The ultimate goal of our faith journey is identified as sanctification by God, which means becoming more and more like Jesus. Achieving this allows us to see the world through a new lens, similar to Joseph, and to experience God's presence in our everyday lives.