True Success

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Joseph's situation takes a turn for the worse that is thrown in the person where his abandonment seems to be complete and his solitary confinement seems to be absolute except the Lord was with its easy to fall into the trap of complaining about her circumstances is not to say that we can't be under some heavy burdens we are certainly not immune from suffering, but today were going to see an example of a young man, one of the central figures in the Old Testament who suffered well even under the harshest of circumstances.

Were also going to learn how we might apply. His response to our own trial. Dr. scroll has were studying the life of Joseph saying that terrible predicament.

He found itself in when he was the steward of part of first house and Potter first wife relentlessly pursued Joseph in trying to seduce and yet Joseph resisted this saying how can I do this thing, this great sin and wickedness against God, and in her desperation. We recall that she grabbed him physically and when Joseph fled from her presence and ran outside that he left his garment in his hand when he flipped, so we read in verse 14 of chapter 39 of Genesis what Potter first wife did we read that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them saying see he is brought into us the Hebrew to Marcus. He came into me to lie with me and I cried out with a loud voice, and it happened when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out that he left his garment with me and fled and went outside.

We see what she's done her vanity has been crushed by Joseph's rejection and so now she accuses him of attempted rape. She said he came at me.

He wanted to lie with me and I screamed and when I screamed. I scared him off but he left his garment behind when he fled for safety. Now she's telling this to her servants and she makes it clear that the fella who did this was not an Egyptian race and ethnicity is brought into the accusation. Now I have to think of American history and imagine that this is a white woman and a black slave and the white woman tells her white foreman that the black slave has tried to rape her prejudice now moves into high gear say they said I Hebrew to mock us.

She makes a big deal out of Joseph's being and non-Egyptian.

He's not one of us who were you going to believe me or him's incredible how contemporary the Old Testament is in this description of human events, so she kept his garment until his master came home and then she spoke to him with words like the saying that Hebrew servant there again. The ethnic identification. The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came into me to mock me. So what happened this. I lifted my voice and cried out that he left his garment with me and fled outside so it was when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him saying your servant did to me after this manner that his anger was aroused. Then Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were confined. Now we wonder again why he didn't have them executed and I'm only guessing at this point is part of her had to know his wife and he also knew Joseph, and though Potter first anger was aroused initially it that would indicate that he believed these false charges. After all, she had the evidence.

There and you can imagine why he would be angered.

First of all, his wife has been violated, but not only has his wife been violated, but she's been violated by a slave and not only has she been violated by a slave, but she's been violated by a slave upon whom conifer had granted all kinds of special privileges and favors. I can imagine.

Part of her site. I trusted this kid. I trained him. I took him in my house.

I gave him responsibility over everything I have and this is how he repays me. This is how he shows his gratitude. He makes a move on. My wife and again you wonder why I didn't go out and have killed instead. He is placed in prison. There is another interesting note in chapter 39 verse 19 and 20 of the Geneva study Bible reads as follows. Though Potter first anger may have initially been directed at Joseph's subsequent action indicates that he doubted his wife's accusation, attempted rape of the Masters wife by sleigh for probably have earned a death sentence, but Joseph's punishment that is confinement with the king's prisoners was relatively mild, the can and have been relatively mild and mild compared with a death sentence and it certainly was not pleasant confinement for Joseph. The how does God reward Joseph for his obedience.

While the simple answer is, he had him thrown in the prison might come to the conclusion from reading the story that righteousness surely does not pay wonder how many times Joseph asked himself the question of Oregon. Along with this woman I wouldn't be in this predicament. I would still be enjoying the status that I had been part of her's house and instead I'm writing in prison. I wonder how many times he thought that I think if that had been me, I would've thought about it often, but I wouldn't be surprised if the thought never entered Joseph's mind as we see his conduct and his character in prison, we see that there is anything but an expression of hostility towards God for his circumstances reminding me now not so much of Jesus as the apostle Paul who was no stranger to the ancient jail system of his day. Paul spent a lot of time in prison and every time he was there it was on false charges and the apostle said of his own life. I have learned how to abound and I have learned how to be abased, and I have learned, whatever state I'm in therein to be content mess we find manifested in the character of Joseph and we read that after Joseph's master put them in the prison and he was in the prison.

Verse 21 says, but the Lord was with Joseph.

That's the second time we've heard that statement may the first time was after he was sold and the slavery and delivered into Egypt and exile from his home and from his family. We were told the Lord was with Joseph. Now Joseph situation takes a turn for the worse and he's thrown into prison where his abandonment seems to be complete and his solitary confinement seems to be absolute except the Lord was with and we see in this story, not simply the fidelity of Joseph in the midst of all of these difficult circumstances.

But even above and beyond that, we see the fidelity of God that God is promising his presence to this man and he does not depart from Chuck's.

Whether it's in slavery or in prison, God is there.

That's an extremely important point for us to remember because so often in today's environment with the health and wealth and prosperity preachers out there telling us that if you're Christian you will never suffer. You never have pain and so on, which is just a lie, and even a cursory reading of the Scriptures reveals that it is a lie and we should never be deceived by God does not promise us freedom from pain and persecution and tribulation and suffering. On the contrary, he promises that we will have that sort of thing happen to us what he promises is his presence.

And here we see it demonstrated in the circumstances of of Joseph Inc. again we are told in the New Testament by Jesus that we are called upon to provide ministries of mercy to clothe the naked, to house the solderless to feed the hungry, and what else to visit those who are in prison told the story before of the first time I was ever in a maximum security prison. It was in Minnesota and I was there with Chuck Olson. Chuck was preaching inmates and their different levels of security in the prison system. This was the highest level you had the most hardened criminals in the world contained in this place. It was a frightening place to be and Chuck preached to about 400 inmates in this old ratty auditorium and when the service was concluded there was a row of guards who escorted the prisoners back to their cellblocks and made those of us who were the visitors stand back and away and they sort of. Then after they heard of the prisoners out of the auditorium formed a phalanx from the auditorium to the exit chamber of the prison because we had to go past the ends of cellblocks and when we started in to leave the prison. These cellblocks at the ends of them which were barred. Of course were filled with throngs and throngs of prisoners screaming and yelling and banging on the bars yelling for Chuck and they were reaching her hand to the bars they wanted to touch him. They wanted to shake his hand and wanted to thank him for coming inside and Chuck to her walking together and he looked at me and smile. He said let's hope and we just can't walk right through. This is these guards. They didn't try to stop us and went right up to the bars and these guys are reaching through and grabbing us and shaken hands and crying and all the rest, Chuck Turner. Many said Republican national convention was never like this.

I got a great kick out of that. II thought that was a tremendous moment for those men on the inside and what we discovered when we went into that prison was a God had been there before we were ever there and God was in this prison with Joseph for what happens. The Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy doesn't seem like he's getting a whole lot of mercy, not getting any justice and he gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the purse just as when he was sold into slavery. God blessed Joseph in that Joseph won the favor of Potiphar is an interesting that every time Joseph is shown favoritism. He gets in trouble he was in great favor with his father Jacob. He was in the favor of Potiphar and now the warden of the prison looks kindly upon Joseph and you wonder what it was about this young man that other men found him so attractive. Not, of course, in a sexual way, but in a manly way and again I think we're seeing the manifestation of not only of Joseph's personality and of his character also of his skills, but even in prison. He begins to use the gifts that God has given him for leadership for management and for administration so the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand. All the prisoners who were in the prison for same thing that happened in Potiphar's household Potiphar had delegated that authority to Joseph to be in charge of the whole household. Now the warden makes Joseph in charge of the whole prison in whatever they did there. It was his doing the keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph's authority, because the Lord was with him and whatever he did. The Lord made it prosper. Again, this is an exact repetition of what was said of Joseph when he began to manage the affairs of Potiphar. He managed them so superbly that the person to whom Joseph was answerable stopped bothering the supervisor, nobody was looking over his shoulder and why. And the reason is given both in terms of his management of Potiphar's household and his management of the prison everything that he did prosper he was better at the job and the warden was what was the warden going to tell Joseph to improve Joseph's performance of managing the prison. This was the best run prison in the world. When Joseph was put in charge and and I think anyone who's been in the role of being a foreman, supervisor, executive or manager of any kind dreams of having employees like that that you can delegate responsibilities to them and forget about you don't have to keep coming back to the mistake did you do this did you do that the Duke follow up on this that and the other things many things fell through the cracks.

There are certain people who perform so well at their job. Don't have to chuckle. Remember once when I was visiting a businessman in Kansas who was extremely wise and he was asking about our ministry at wanted to know about our staff how well they perform. This was years ago and at that time, he said, how many employees do you have who work at Ligon near the new have to hold back and I thought for a moment thought for anybody, but I have to hold back. He said this white struggle. He said you need to find some people working there that you're going to have to put restraints on the Internet to slow them down that you're going to have to hold them back. That's what kind of person you want to have working with you since you never thought about it like that. Now that's a man asked me that question today I would say we have lots of folks in our operation that the run at top speed and they you don't have to chase after them in to come in the pants are set up all kinds of further artificial standards for them to to do the job we have a fantastic staff and we really do not were the envy of many a Christian organization or people come in here and say what you find people like that. Well, wasn't easy that wasn't done overnight, but it is a sheer delight to have people you can trust to do a job and is not great when we find them. But isn't it better if we are them.

If we are that kind of person that doesn't have to be beaten with a stick and prodded with all kinds of artificial things in order to do the kind of job worthy of our vocation and so again we have to notice that whatever circumstance Joseph finds himself to use the phrase from the him. He gives of his best to his master wherever he is.

He does his work to the glory of God and no job is too menial or too low for him to apply his energy. In this way and this is because I'm convinced of his singular relationship with God. And so the Scriptures tell us again that the Lord was with Joseph and whatever he did. The Lord made it prosper.

Joseph was in prison by the providence of God and the success that Joseph finds in prison is not simply a result of Joseph's own ability or of his own energy, but again it was the Lord who made him prosper if anybody lived the Puritan ethic it was Joseph who understood that he was to do everything in his power to the glory of God. But God who would bring the increase would be God who would bring prosper. Joseph was wrongly accused, but he continued to work hard and trust the Lord such an important lesson for each of us is in it. We are called to love even in the face of injustice.

Dr. RC Sproul series on the life of Joseph is our focus here in the Saturday edition of Renewing Your Mind, week by week were making our way through Joseph's amazing story we'd like to send you the full 20 part series. Just contact us today with a donation of any amount we've actually bundled it with several more teaching series, including knowing Christ knowing Scripture the parable of Jesus. Ecclesiastes and Galatians. There are many hours of teaching on this resource we call the RC Sproul teaching collection so contact us today with your gift of any amount you can reach us by phone at 800-435-4343 or you can go online to give your gift at Renewing Your Mind.work. I think we can readily see how today's message applies to events in our world can't wait happening right now. God's word is active and alive and we can lean on his word, even in the difficult circumstances we face are thankful for the opportunity to bring the power of the gospel.

In this way, and we thank you for supporting this ministry. When you give your gift of Eddie about today.

We will say thank you by sending you the RC Sproul teaching collection. There are eight teaching series and all and that we invite you to call us at 800-435-4343 or go online to Renewing Your Mind.org before we go today. Here's RC with a final thought. We are told in our own American heritage that one of our unalienable rights granted to us by our Creator as an endowment is the pursuit of happiness. I often wondered why that ranks right up there in the historical language along with life and liberty. The pursuit of happiness.

I was with John Piper recently in a conference situation and he made reference to the 23rd Psalm, and he got a little bit agitated when he referred to the closing verse surely goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life and so and he was agitated because he said that some mistranslation and is found in almost every edition of the Bible that it's not that mercy and goodness will follow after this person who is under the tutelage of God, but the verb there in Hebrew means to pursue to chase after and that this is what were saying here in the life of Joseph, the God's mercy from José wherever he got chases he can't out run the mercy and goodness of God, and that's what it means to submit to the providence of God where ever we are.

We can know not only that he is there that he is pursuing us with his mercy, and with his goodness will make Saturday. We will see the God continues to be with Joseph in prison, terrified dreams were disturbing his fellow prisoners and God provided an interpretation just one more incredible aspect of Joseph story will join us next week for Renewing Your Mind