1. GOD WAS WITH JOSEPH (God with Us)
Genesis 37:1-41:57
Key Verse 39:2
  “The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.”

2. Introduction
The Lord was with Joseph and blessed him with a victorious life.
The Lord used Joseph as a precious tool in his redemptive work.
We will learn how the Lord disciplined Joseph, and who the Lord is who was with Joseph.

3. I. Joseph Was a Dreamer (37:1-11)

4. Joseph’s Two Dreams

5. Not All Dreams Reveal God’s Will
Sometimes God reveals his will in a dream, but this does not mean that all dreams reveal God’s will.
We should not interpret everything through dreams.
Martin Luther said, “From the time I started religious reformation I did not seek to see dreams, visions, or angels. I only prayed earnestly to understand the Bible truthfully.”

6. Why Did Joseph Need Discipline?
The greater the dream is, the tougher the discipline is.
Joseph needed to learn humility and patience to be a leader.
In order for his excellent intelligence and political leadership to be used by God, he needed to grow especially in humility and patience.

7. II. Joseph’s Suffering (37:12-40:23)
Joseph was faithful even for a small errand. He had a sense of responsibility and faithfulness.
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest in a small matter will also be dishonest in a great matter (Lk 16:10).
In order to become a great shepherd, one should become a shepherd over one person.

8. Joseph Thrown into a Cistern

9. Joseph Is Sold as a Slave

10. Joseph’s Bloodied Robe

11. But What Did Joseph Do? In 39:2a we read, “The Lord was with Joseph.”
If we look at this expression from Joseph’s point of view, it means that Joseph walked with God.
He could overcome his hopeless situation because he had personal faith in the Lord.

12. Joseph Tempted

13. How Did Joseph Overcome Such a Powerful Temptation?
“He refused. ‘With me in charge,’ he told her, ‘my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?’“ (39:8-9)

14. Joseph Overcame Temptation, but His Situation Worsened
The world was so wicked that it trampled Joseph, who had struggled so hard to live a pure life.
Joseph wanted to be a leader, but he sank to the bottom of society, prison.
The hand of God, however, was in everything.

15. The Most Painful Thing
The most painful thing must have been people’s misunderstanding and condemnation.
He may even have doubted the love of God; his relationship with God could have been damaged.
“Why should my situation become worse when I try to live before God so earnestly? Is the Lord truly with me and does he truly love me?”
But he did not falter because he walked with God.

16. The Lord Was with Joseph
39:21: “The Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.”
The Lord’s grace given to Joseph was not to release him from the prison immediately but to give him strength to overcome a very difficult situation.
The Lord was with Joseph and strengthened him inwardly, so Joseph could overcome his challenging environment.

17. Joseph in Prison

18. Joseph’s Prison Life…
His prison life seems to have been meaningless and nothing but painful, but it was God’s amazing will.
Joseph’s dream was to become a leader, but in order to become a leader he first and foremost had to be humble.
He had to learn to be patient rather than acting according to his emotions and passion.

19. Thirteen Years?
Joseph lived as a slave and prisoner for thirteen years.
Thirteen years is too much for a young man to waste as a slave and prisoner.
However, in God’s plan it was not a waste at all; it was a necessary process for him to undergo in order become a great man.

20. Without Discipline, No One Can Be a Useful Man
David was trained severely for ten years after he was anointed as king.
Moses received forty years of discipline in the desert.
The twelve disciples of Jesus also received three years of training from Jesus.
When Joseph’s faith had deepened and his inner person could embrace the whole world, God raised him up and began to use him as a precious tool.

21. III. Joseph Became a Prime Minister (41:1-57)
“‘I cannot do it,’ Joseph replied to Pharaoh, ‘but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.’” (41:16)
He denied his own ability and glorified the Lord for all things and thereby gained trust and respect from Pharaoh and all of his officials.
He had learned humility and patience through slave and prison life.

22. “I Cannot Do It, but God will…”

23. Can We Find Anyone like This?
Joseph’s first suggestion was to look for a discerning and wise man and to put him in charge of the land of Egypt.
His second suggestion was to appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of Egypt’s harvest during the seven years of abundance.
Then Pharaoh said, "Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?" and appointed Joseph prime minister right then and there.

24. Manasseh and Ephraim
Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, "It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household."
The second son he named Ephraim and said, "It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.“
He acknowledged the Lord’s sovereign will over his life and he gave thanks to God in all circumstances.

25. Prime Minister Joseph He loved the Lord and walked with him.
His life of faith was completely God-centered.
In this way he overcame his pride and successfully performed the duties of prime minister.

26. Conclusion
The Lord was with Joseph and disciplined Joseph to go through hardships and sufferings so that he might be molded into a leader with faith, humility and patience.
In all circumstances Joseph believed in the sovereign will of God and in his goodness.
The Lord was pleased with Joseph’s faith in God and blessed him with a victorious life.