Joseph-Finding Favor

Jesus said to his disciples, “I have food to eat you know nothing about” John 4:32.
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Joseph-Finding Favor

Genesis 39:3–4 (NKJV) 3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.

Joseph was highly favored by his father Jacob AKA Israel. This love was prompted by the fact that Joseph was the son of his old age. Israel made him a tunic of many colors to express his love. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. To add injury to insult Joseph was a dreamer, good dreams, prophetic dreams. One of his dreams was an insight that these brothers would all bow in the presence of this hated younger upstart someday. These older brothers conspired to rid themselves of what they considered to be a self-serving arrogant intruder. They sold him into slavery to Ishmaelite's for twenty pieces of silver. Twenty pieces of silver—The money was probably pieces or shekels. Silver is always mentioned in the records of that early age before gold, because of its rarity. The whole sum, if in shekel weight, did not exceed $20. Joseph’s brothers dipped the many-colored coat in animal blood and told Jacob that Joseph was dead, destroyed by a wild beast.

Joseph a Slave in Egypt

Now Joseph had been taken to Egypt. Potiphar, who was an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought Joseph from the Ishmaelite's who had taken him to Egypt. We don't know too much about Potiphar. But what we now learn is Potiphar possess a keen sense of character. He is able to discern God’s blessing on the life of this young Hebrew. The word translated “officer” literally means, “prince of the Pharaoh”—that is, in the service of government.

So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then Potiphar made Joseph overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. Joseph consequently held a position of great trust and authority. This is a part of the favor that Joseph discovered. Those slaves who had been war captives were generally sent to labor in the field and subjected to hard treatment under the “stick” of taskmasters. But those who were bought with money were employed in domestic purposes, were kindly treated, and enjoyed as much liberty as the same class does in modern Egypt. Though changed in condition, Joseph was not changed in spirit; though stripped of the multicolored coat that had adorned his person, he had not lost the moral graces that distinguished his character; though separated from his father on earth, he still lived in communion with his Father in heaven; though in the house of an idolater, he continued a worshiper of the true God. This is very significant, Joseph never lost his balance regarding the many dreadful actions of his brothers. Because God was blessing Joseph, everything that was in Joseph’s hands belonging to Potiphar was also wonderfully blessed. This fact plays-out in he end as the great spiritual lesson of this Bible expose.

The Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake. It might be—it probably was—that a special, a miraculous blessing was poured out on a youth who so faithfully and zealously served God amid all the disadvantages of his place. But it may be useful to remark that such a blessing usually follows in the ordinary course of things; and the most worldly, unprincipled masters always admire and respect religion in a servant when they see that profession supported by conscientious principle and a consistent life. We do not know in what capacity Joseph entered into the service of Potiphar; but the observant eye of his master soon discovered his superior qualities and made him his chief, his confidential servant (compare Eph 6:7; Col 3:23). The advancement of domestic slaves is not uncommon, and it is considered a great disgrace not to raise one who has been a year or two in the family. But this extraordinary advancement of Joseph was the doing of the Lord, though on the part of Potiphar it was the consequence of observing the astonishing prosperity that attended him in all that he did.

Look for the next installment - Joseph and The Naughty Lady.