Bible Study Online Article
The scriptures have taken us back to the account of Joseph. When we last left him, he had been betrayed by his brothers and sold off into slavery. It's at this point, the scriptures informs us that the Ishmaelites had taken Joseph down to Egypt. A short while later he would be sold to an Egyptian officer, who was captain of the guard in Pharaoh's court, who went by the name - Potiphar. From within this passage, we are told that the Lord was with Joseph and that he was prosperous while he lived in the house of his new Egyptian master. Now this little bit of information is something that we need to really get excited about. Why so? Well, let's think about the household that Joseph had come from for a moment. Keep in mind that Jacob was a very wealthy and well respected man in the land of Canaan. Jacob's favorite son was Joseph and being that his older brothers had forfeited their rights to the birthright of the first born, because of their sinful actions - that birthright had now fallen on Joseph. Joseph brothers were not only Jealous of him, but they felt threaten by the dream interpreter as well. This is why, at first -- they sought to kill him... but then later on, would agree to have him sold. Joseph loved his family and was loyal and obedient when it came to them, and yet - he now finds himself, having to endure an unfair season of hardship. Joseph would have every right to be angry, bitter and sad - being that he was forced in this unjust situation, and yet he did not follow down a destructive emotional path, like most of us would have done. But instead, in spite of his current life conditions, he stayed true and obedient to the one true God. For the Lord was with Joseph in everything that he did, and it was for this reason - success came at whatever Joseph had decided to put his hands towards. The favor of the Lord was found to be so strong with Joseph, that his new master had notice it as well: "When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and he entrusted to his care everything he owned." (Genesis 39: 3-4) Let's take a closer look at this scripture for a moment, as we notice Potiphar reaction to the blessed effects that the Lord was bestowing on Joseph life, while the dream interpreter was in the midst of his storm: "Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and he entrusted to his care everything he owned." What this means is that Joseph was no longer a lower class servant in Potiphar's household, for he was now the head steward of the entire household. The dream interpreter has now earned the respect and favor of his new master, without compromising his relationship with the one true God. It's not clear on what type of success that Potiphar had before Joseph had come along, but the captain of the guard made a very wise decision when he placed Joseph over everything he had. For now, everything that Potiphar own and did in the field had the blessing of the Lord. Potiphar had now found favor in the Lords eyes, for Joseph's sake. I find it very interesting that this same type of situation had happened to Joseph's father Jacob, back when he worked for his father-in-law Laban. Being that Jacob was himself forced from the wealthy estate of his father's household - due to the rift that he had with his brother Esau. Jacob would work for Laban in unfair conditions for fourteen years and although altogether he was with Laban for twenty years - fourteen of those years were unfair. Although Jacob was treated unkindly, he did not turn bitter, for he also stayed obedient to the one true God and therefore the Lord was with him and success followed the promise bearer in all that he did. I would also like to point out that, Laban's household was blessed for those fourteen years, also for Jacob's sake. Jacob would come out of that ordeal a well respected and wealthy man and now we find his son Joseph going through a similar situation. Or, so it seems?
Jacob - The Path of Uncertainty **YOUR CURRENT SERIES WOULD BE HERE** 69) Joseph the Interpreter of Dreams 71) Joseph & The Pit of Darkness 72) Jacob the Father of Sorrow 73) The Importance of Judah's History 75) The Reaping Season of Judah 76) Tamar's Revenge 78) <-CURRENT PAGE-> 79) Potiphar's Wife Pursues Joseph 82) The Dreaming Cupbearer & Baker 84) Joseph's Dark Dreams Interpretation 85) Joseph the Overseer of Egypt  CrossDaily.com Web Search where you can VOTE FOR THIS SITE & other great ones. Christian search engine, directory & voting index. You'll find Bible, chat, churches, jobs, music, reviews, software, theology, & more. See the best sites!
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