Hard Times
Joseph Becomes a Slave – Gen. 37;39:1-20
Preparation for The Teacher
1. Aim: To lead the people to understand how Joseph’s enslavement is allowed to happen by God’s sovereign wisdom for the saving of many lives.
2. Explanation of the Aim: There are times when we go through hardships for reasons that are not apparent until God’s greater will is fulfilled. Joseph had to pass through many tribulations before the will of God was revealed through his life. Many Christians have to pass through adversity before they are able to understand how God uses trials to complete His purposes in our lives.
3. The Bible Story: Joseph graciously endured the malice, jealousy and deceit of his brothers who sold him as a slave
When Joseph’s Father heard of the terrible news he refused to be comforted because he greatly loved his son. Joseph’s brother’s blamed him for having a dream where he envisioned himself ruling over them. Jealousy often spoils many wonderful relationships needlessly. Since God was with Joseph, he found favor in the eyes of Potiphar, an important Egyptian official.
When we are pleasing God, He promises to bless us in many ways. Joseph also endured a false charge from Potiphar’s wife of having illicit relations with her. Immediately Joseph was sent to prison for a crime he did not commit. Twice, Joseph had to endure imprisonment, shame and rejection just as Jesus Christ who offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Joseph’s life foreshadows some of the suffering that we see in Christ. Let us trust the Lord to enrich our understanding of how to let God use unjust treatment, abuse and adversity for His greater purposes in our lives.
Ask the people to describe their natural reaction to people who would try to falsely accuse them of a crime and have them thrown into prison?
Find out what the people would do if they found themselves unjustly languishing in a dark dungeon cell with no one around to help them? What do you think Joseph must have thought when his brothers hatefully sold him into slavery? What do you do when your brother or sisters abuse you?
The BIBLE STORY tells of a malicious plot of Joseph’s brothers to eliminate him from their family. When people sin against a righteous person they must remember that the Lord protects his own. Evil men fail to realize that they will reap exactly what they have sown. Joseph remains obedient and faithful to God believing that He will work all things together for good even though it took thirteen years before he discovered God’s providential purpose for allowing him to go to Egypt.
THE MEANING FOR OUR LIVES helps the people make application to the way Joseph never lost faith in God’s ability to turn a tragedy into a triumph. Ask the people to explain how the Lord is able to use adversity for His greater purposes in our life?
Introduction
Heighten the people’s interest in Joseph and Christ by describing them as men who were reviled (Criticized abusively) but did not revile in return. Ask the people to describe their natural reaction to people who would try to falsely accuse them of a crime and have them thrown into prison?
Find out what the people would do if they found themselves unjustly languishing in a dark dungeon cell with no one around to help them? What do you think Joseph must have thought when his brothers hatefully sold him into slavery? What do you do when your brother or sisters abuse you? How should we follow Joseph’s and Christ’s example in not retaliating against those who do us evil?
The Bible Story
Our lesson about Joseph teaches us many parallels to his life and the unjust sufferings endured by the Lord Jesus. All Christians who want to be used of God should be willing to pass through much tribulation before they enter the kingdom of God. Jacob made several mistakes in treating Joseph better than his brother by dressing him in finer clothing. It is wrong for parents to give preferential treatment for one child over another.
1. Parents should love their people equally since the Lord made each of them with their unique gifts and abilities. The special treatment of Joseph led to bitter quarreling between the brothers. However, the brothers of Joseph allowed their jealousy and envy to overcome their God directed conscience when they sold him as slave to the caravan of traders. Other people may make mistakes but we are still responsible to remain honest, loving and forgiving just as Christ treats us. The golden rule says, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” It does not say, Do to others as they do to you.
2. Joseph experiences painful feelings of betrayal at the hands of his brothers but becomes better rather bitter from the trial. Let us learn how to allow the Lord to experience what Paul wrote in Romans 5:1-5 which says, “And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom He has given us.” Paul is not telling us to rejoice because of our sufferings, but to rejoice in them because we know God allows things to happen for a good reason.
3. Part of God’s purpose for allowing Joseph to pass through these dark valley experiences was so he could become more godly. The Lord knew that Joseph would become more reliant on God’s hope than any earthly future hope. Joseph learned that the love of God never allows us to go anywhere that His grace is not able to sustain us.
4. The brothers of Jacob threw him into the pit they felt no remorse. Hard hearted people are only interested in covering over their sin for fear of punishment. One sin often leads to worse sins. Deceitfulness grows in quantity and increasing severity the longer one goes without confessing and forsaking their sins. This is one vital reason that when we are guilty of the sins of commission, omission, wrong attitudes or faulty assumptions we should immediately confess our sins because He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)
5. Unless we are willing to deal with our sins immediately we will tend to become callous to the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
6. At the end of these two chapter, it appears that the wicked have prevailed, but the righteous Joseph loses on every score. Be careful not to declare anyone a victor or a loser prematurely. Allow God to work out His broader plan in and through you so that He may receive all the glory for delivering the trusting and obedient at just the right time.
7. All along God’s determines how Joseph’s adversity will be used for the saving of Israel from a great famine, for the development of the Jews as a great nation in Egypt and for their eventual deliverance with the leadership of Moses from wicked Pharaoh. What are you allowing God to use you for in regards to the building of His kingdom and righteousness?
8. Allow God’s sovereign will to be done in and through your life. Remember what God told Isaiah, “My ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts.” (Isa. 55:8,9) Job was able to say in conclusion to his adversity, "Lord, now I know you can do all things and no purpose of yours can be thwarted." (Job 42:1,2) Sometimes God allows conditions to get worse so He can do greater things through us than we have ever imagined.
Memory Verse: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isa. 55:8,9)
The Meaning for Our Lives
Make applications to the way Joseph allowed God’s sovereign will to be carried out despite the suffering he had to endure. Discuss how Joseph’s life is very similar to the sufferings that Christ had to endure at the hands of unjust men. Ask the people how this lesson helps them overcome hurt feelings? Ask the people how they will respond when they are unjustly treated by their brothers or sisters or other people?
Response
Song: "Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go."
Prayer: Ask the Lord to help you endure suffering knowing that God can develop greater godly character in your life and carry out His broader plans through you.
At Home: Ask the people to find out how they friends and family handle suffering when they are unjustly dealt with?
