JOSEPH

GENESIS 50:18-19 “And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?”

 The story of Joseph, the son of Jacob, is one of the most thrilling in the Bible. His life is filled with great changes. Great hope turns into disappointments and disappointments turn into unbelievable blessings. The principle of Romans 8:28 is illustrated well in his life “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

 Satan, who goes “to and fro in the earth” and walks “up and down in it” (Job 1:7, 2:1) was well aware of Joseph as he was of Job and is of us. He knew Joseph’s faithfulness and devotion to God. He also was well aware that God was preparing Joseph for some great purpose. He tried everything he had, every kind of temptation. He began with a temptation to be proud, because of his father’s obvious favor. Joseph overcame that, no doubt he had to do it on a daily basis. Then rejection by his own brothers, they “could not speak peaceably unto him” because of envy. Then he experienced loneliness, sold into slavery, and peril, his life was in constant danger.

Well, Satan had tried pride, and peril, now in Potiphar’s house he tries pleasure, but it was sinful pleasure, which is for only a season. Joseph dealt with this deceptive, aggressive, and persistent temptation on a spiritual basis; he called the sin of adultery, “great wickedness” instead of great pleasure. He realized this sin was primarily and foremost against God. All those so tempted ought to realize the same.  Joseph said “no” and suffered slander, and was put into prison, but God was with Joseph in prison, and in a miraculous way delivered him from prison and put him as Prime Minister of Egypt, then the most powerful country in the world. Joseph also handled that well and was used by God to deliver His people from famine. He restored him to his father and what a wonderful reunion that was, as they embraced for "a long time.” As any father, I can relate to that experience.

Satan, of course was not through, he no doubt, tempted Joseph to take vengeance upon his brothers, they had feared this and put themselves at his mercy. Joseph resisted this temptation in God’s power, he said “ye thought it for evil, but God meant it for good.” Which is the principle of Romans 8:28.

May we accept the changes God allows to come into our lives in this same manner, and in so doing, allow God to do great things in us and through us!

In His Wonderful Name,

Pastor Ed Bowen