Genesis 40:1-23; Key Verse: 40:23
Prepared by Providence in Pharaoh's Prison. A nice title with alliteration is "(Joseph) Prepared by Providence in Pharaoh's Prison." Defining providence, the Westminster Larger Catechism says, “God's works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful, preserving and governing all his creatures and all their actions.” The important words are "'preserving' and 'governing' all his creatures and all their actions." The providence of God is something that governs all the actions of men, even their thoughts. Acts 17:18 says, "In him we live and move and have our being." Dt 30:20 says, "For the Lord is your life." Job 12:10 says, "In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind." Dan 5:23 says, "God...holds in his hand your life and all your ways." Do you learn to see the God of providence in the details of your daily lives, especially when you confront disappointments? Providence and Sovereignty: Two important related words. Always, providence is God's sovereignty. Also, God's sovereignty is expressed through his providence. Sometimes, it falls in all the right places. More often that we would like, it seems to fall in all the wrong places, as it did with Joseph. How we each deal with providence and sovereignty will greatly impact our lives. We know this truth: when bad things happen to us, we will get better if we do not become bitter. Yet, for some, bitterness may be harder to resist than adultery. Doing good and getting bad results.
- How do you deal with life when your hopes are raised to the heavens only to be dashed to pieces on the ground?
- How do you respond when everything goes wrong after you have done everything right?
- How do you see God's goodness when bad things happen to you?
- The "Hidden" God in Joseph's Suffering (Gen 37:2-36).
- The "Hidden" God in Judah's Sin (Gen 38:1-30).
- The "Hidden" God in Joseph's Temptations (Gen 39:1-23).
- The "Hidden" God in Joseph's Imprisonment (Gen 40:1-23).
Where is God when it hurts? What seems to be especially tough is that Joseph was doing all the right things and then wrong things resulted. He did what was good and bad things happened. He carried out his father's errand to go find his brothers, and he was ruthlessly stripped, thrown into a pit and sold into slavery (Gen 37:23-24,28). When Potiphar's wife repeatedly demanded to have sex with Joseph (Gen 39:7,10,12), he resisted her because it was wicked and a sin against God (Gen 39:9). He did what was good, godly and God glorifying. Yet he was falsely accused and thrown into prison (Gen 39:17-20). In today's passage, Joseph interpreted the cupbearer's dream correctly, thus expecting to be released from prison, and the cupbearer conveniently forgot about him (Gen 40:23). Where is God when it hurts? Where is God when we need him more than ever?
Gen 40:1-23 involves:
- 2 special prisoners (Gen 40:1-4).
- 2 unique dreams (Gen 40:4-8).
- 2 specific interpretations (Gen 40:9-19).
- 2 opposite outcomes (Gen 40:20-22).
- 1 devastating disappointment (Gen 40:23).
Good biblical lessons to put into practice. Over the years, as we studied Gen 40, we emphasized the following about Joseph:
- He was mindful toward his 2 special prisoners and noticed that they were sad and dejected (Gen 40:5-6). We Christians should have a heart for others, in order to reach out to them and serve them, as Joseph did.
- He gave all credit to God when he said, "Do not interpretations belong to God?" (Gen 40:8b). We should always give all credit and glory to God no matter what we do.
- He boldly taught the Bible and proclaimed painful truths (Gen 40:18-19). We should not compromise when teaching the Bible.
- He had to learn patience when the cup bearer forgot about him for two full years (Gen 40:23-41:1). We should learn the virtue of patience and to wait on God's time schedule.
- He had to overcome bitter disappointment after his hopes of being released were raised. We should trust God's better plan.
These lessons regarding mindfulness, crediting God, bold teaching, learning patience, and overcoming disappointment are surely very important as we live out our Christian lives. When we do so, we can overcome our perpetual default of incurvatus in se (turned/curved inward on oneself). But how do we overcome our default to self? Do we simply say anthropocentrically to ourselves:
- Be mindful of others. Don't be self-centered.
- Give glory to God. Don't glorify yourself and steal God's honor and glory for yourself.
- Boldly teach the Bible without compromise.
- Be patient and wait on God.
- Overcome yourself and your disappointment.
- Now, just go do it!
We fail and we fall, for we are frail, fallible, flawed, and fallen. Surely, we should do so, and in fact must do so. Yet we fail and we fall because we are frail, fallible, flawed and fallen beings. Despite our best good intentions, even our best righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isa 64:6), because our own hearts are deceptively deceitful and flawed (Jer 17:9). So, what can we do? Is there another angle or perspective to this text for our Christian lives other than good implied instructions and information. What might be the point and the perspective of the author of Genesis from this text? Let me suggest the following theocentric perspective:
- God's goodness gives hope in dark times (Gen 40:1-4).
- God opens His door of providence (Gen 40:5-11).
- God empowers us [as God divinely empowered Joseph to interpret dreams] (Gen 40:12-19).
- God fulfills His own purpose, which inadvertently adversely affected Joseph (Gen 40:20-23).
- God furthers His own glory by delaying the answer to Joseph's understandable desire to get out of prison.
- God leads our lives by circuitous paths. He establishes His own plan of salvation for us according to His divine purposes.
- God uses one event to accomplish multiple purposes.
- God is the main Actor, not Joseph or the chief cupbearer.
- God does whatever pleases Himself (Ps 115:3; 135:6).
I. God's Goodness (Gen 40:1-4)
Planned by God. The offenses of the cup bearer and the baker were committed in the ordinary course of life. But ultimately the Scriptures say they were planned by God. Also, they were planned by God for the welfare of Joseph. That is why the cup bearer ultimately offended Pharaoh and why the baker did too, because it was by this that ultimately Joseph came to the attention of Pharaoh. It was by this that he was ultimately made second in the land, right behind Pharaoh (Gen 41:41-44). It was by this that all of the Egyptians were made to bow before Joseph, and that Joseph might be the deliverer of the chosen family when they came down from Egypt from the famine. So God works in the small things of life as well as in the great things. Prov 21:1 says, "In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him.” All of this was only possible because of the offense of the cup bearer and the baker.
Prepared by God. From the king's cup bearer and the baker, who were regarded as important high ranking servants of the king's court, Joseph surely learned the way of the palace and the intrigues of Pharaoh's court. Through these life experiences, God was "hidden" and behind the scenes in training, disciplining, sustaining, and preparing Joseph for what was to come. In his commentary on Genesis, John Calvin says, "God, before he opened the door for his servant's deliverance, entered into the very prison to sustain him with his strength." Joseph likely never thought, "God is training me through this hardship." But that was what the "hidden" God was doing. If asked in the future, Joseph would likely say that he learned more about life from being in prison than from being favored and loved by his father at home.
Assigned by God (through Potiphar). Gen 39:4 says, "The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them." The captain of the guard is Potiphar (Gen 39:1), who had burned with anger when he heard his wife's accusation against Joseph and put him in prison (Gen 39:19-20). This shows that either Potiphar has softened in his anger towards Joseph, or he has begun to suspect that perhaps Joseph was not, in fact, guilty of the things his wife charged him with. Whatever the case is, this is a sign of God’s favor on Joseph even in the midst of the prison.
II. God Opens Doors (Gen 40:5-11)
God focused rather than dwelling on past hurts. God gave dreams that burdened the 2 royal prisoners (Gen 40:5-8). When Joseph heard that they had dreams, he could have been skeptical, remembering his own dreams of being elevated to glory, but which only landed him as a forsaken slave and an abandoned prisoner. He could have said, "Just forget about your dreams. If someone interprets them for you, just do the opposite." Instead, he says, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams." (Gen 40:8b).
III. God Empowers (Gen 40:12-19)
In the lowest moment of his life, God was with Joseph to give him wisdom, insight and inspiration to interpret dreams. Though Joseph was helpless in all ways possible, the most important resource was at his disposal.
IV. God Fulfills His Purpose (Gen 40:20-23)
Forgotten. Joseph asked the cup bearer to remember him to Pharaoh when he all goes well with him in three days, so that he might be released from prison (Gen 40:14-15). But when the cup bearer was restored to his former position (Gen 40:21), he "forgot him" (Gen 40:23). He did not remember Joseph for two full years (Gen 41:1). Imagine Joseph's state of mind during this time.
Circuitous paths. John Calvin says, "When (God) might have delivered the holy man directly from prison, he chose to lead him around by circuitous paths, the better to prove his patience, and to manifest, by the mode of his deliverance, that he has wonderful methods of working, hidden from our view. He does this that we may learn not to measure, by our own sense, the salvation which he has promised us; but that we may suffer ourselves to be turned hither or thither by his hand, until he shall have performed his work." At this juncture Joseph had been a slave and a prisoner for 11 years. Two years later he would interpret Pharaoh's dream and become the second in command to Pharaoh.
Pain is God's megaphone. No one likes to experience the difficulties of life. But the difficulties of life are often the main means by which God gets our attention. C.S. Lewis says that pain in God's megaphone. May God help us to learn from Joseph's painful experience in jail, which was under divine providence. May God help us to remember that even the little, tiny affairs of our lives are affairs under his sovereign control, and it is in them that he wants to teach us, the things that make for our spiritual well being.
Another Joseph. Joseph was imprisoned, abandoned and forgotten in his dark dungeon. But centuries later, another Joseph was imprisoned, abandoned and forgotten in his dungeon of darkness, which was vastly deeper than anything Joseph ever encountered. Joseph was loved by his father Jacob, and trusted by his slave master Potiphar, and by the prison warden, so much so that they entrusted everything under Joseph's care. But the ultimate Joseph was abandoned and forsaken by everyone he knew and loved--his people, his own disciples, and even his own Father...because of our sins (2 Cor 5:21). In his dark dungeon Joseph experienced that the Lord was with him to comfort and strengthen him (Gen 39:21-23). But the ultimate Joseph was all alone on the cross with his desperate cry of dereliction, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34) Jesus, the ultimate Joseph was abandoned and forsaken, so that we who should be forsaken forever for our sins, will be welcomed into God's presence. The "worst" providence. Jesus did everything right, and yet he experienced everything wrong. He loved the most and was hated by many. He was sinless, yet he was treated as the worst of sinners. He was the very embodiment of life and he tasted the very pangs of death. He should have been commended and rewarded, but was instead pummeled and punished. He was the emblem of justice, yet he tasted the most grievous injustice. More than anyone else who ever lived, he literally experienced the worst possible providence any man ever encountered. Yet, this worst providence of all, was the providence of love for all the people of God. Do you see the "hidden" God of providence in the midst of your bitter disappointments and hurts? Do you know and experience God's presence with you in your darkest moments?References:- Duncan, Ligon. Joseph Imprisoned (Gen 40:1-23). Sermon, April 2, 2000.
- Calvin, John. Commentary, (Gen 40:1-23). Commentary on Genesis 24 to 50 for download.
- Gill, John. Exposition of the Whole Bible.
- Kidner, Derek. Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove: IVP. 1967, 192-194.
- Altar, Robert. Genesis: Translation and Commentary. New York: W W Norton & Company. 1996, 229-233.
- Johnson, S. Lewis. Joseph Prepared by Providence in Pharaoh's Prison.
- Piper, John. The Sale of Joseph and the Son of God. Sermon, Sep 9, 2007.
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