Book of Genesis - Ch. 38, Vs. 1-Ch. 39, Vs. 23 (04/08/2001)

The Word Protestant and the Language of the King James Bible

Now, there's a couple things I'd like to add to this morning's service. The word Protestant is another tool of Satan. I have never been a Protestant, I never plan on being a Protestant, and I shall never be a Protestant.

Satan has worked that into our conversation. Folks, you're not Protestants. Yes. Are we what? Are you with me now? Evidently he isn't. Protestant is a word that the devil has worked in. He wants everybody to consider themselves Protestant.

That means you come out of the Catholic Church. That is not so. That just ain't so. Our preacher used it both ways this morning. That's how prevalent it is. But that's one thing I'm a stickler on. I'm not a Protestant.

The other thing is, how many of you think that the King James is written in the language of the day? That that's the way the people talked? Nobody? I'm the only one? Surely she and I are not the only ones that thought that.

Well, what I'm going to say is kind of meaningless then. The King James was written in a language peculiar to itself. It was not the way the people talked. Now, maybe most of you don't use the King James.

You do if you're in this class. But that's not the way the people talked. It was written in a beautiful language, all its own, unlike the people of the day. Now, come to 39. Are you still arguing about 38?

Joseph Brought Down to Egypt and Raised Up in Potiphar’s House

Well, of course I have 39. Well, skip over to 39. Joseph was brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's captain of the guard and Egyptian, brought him at the hands of the Ishmaelites, which had brought him down to thither.

We're going to spend the rest of the book, short as it is, with Joseph. Now, we all remember why he got there. He is a slave, Potiphar buys him as a slave, and the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man, and he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.

Joseph rises to the top wherever he is put. It's so good to recognize the hand of God as we go through each day. And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hands.

And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him, and he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put into his hand, overseer of his house. This involved the authority and trust as the steward of the whole estate, verse 5, house and field, and verse 9, no one greater than Joseph.

On all important subjects, Potiphar would consult Joseph, who was the accountant of one responsible for everything except his wife. And it came to pass from that time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian house for Joseph's sake, and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house and in the field.

He was the last word when it came to everything except his wife. And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he knew not what he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person and well favored.

Joseph was a very, very handsome young man. Explain to me how a good character of Joseph made Potiphar a better soldier.

Jesse, that's exactly right.

That's a lesson that each of us could learn. As you work for an individual, be the very best you can. If you have an individual working for you, I hope he's the very best that he can be. Trust him. It will make you and he a better servant.

Joseph’s Refusal of Potiphar’s Wife and the Nature of Sin

And it came to pass after these things, means time has passed, that his master's wife cast her eyes all upon Joseph, and she said, lie with me. She was much younger. Sin was a rebellion against the sovereign majesty of God who presented the law to men as contrary to the unspotted holiness of God, his contempt and abuse of his excellent goodness.

The game that Potiphar's wife is playing, she had played many, many times before with other people. She was much younger than her husband. He was away most of the time, engaged in his duty. Now what she was trying to do was not unheard of.

It was not unheard of in that, well, it's not unheard of today. And I suppose that she required more attention than her husband could supply, being in the work he was in. For Joseph, this one of the supreme, this is one of the supreme tests that he encountered in his long stay in Egypt.

I dare say most men in that position would not dare to refuse a captain's wife for anything she desired. Let me say this in passing. If you have made a statement, yes or no, stick to it. Don't change your mind because of someone else.

Be sure that what you have done is based wholly, solely, only upon your own decision for several reasons. One, it gives that other person an opportunity to brag or to condemn, and it gives you opportunity to succumb to that.

Don't do it. Joseph had made a decision that he was for God first and his master second, and his wife coming in with her proposition didn't bother him at all. But he refused and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wanteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath in my hand.

There is none greater in this house than I, neither hath he kept back anything from me, but thee, because thou art his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? The sin is always, always against God.

You don't sin against each other. You may wrong each other, but you don't sin against that person. You sin against God. It sounds as though Potiphar had explained to Joseph what his duties were and what they were not.

The virtue of man ought to be measured not by his extraordinary activities, but by his daily conduct. And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day by day by day, that he hearkened not unto her to lie with her or to be with her.

And it came to pass about this time that Joseph went into the house to do his business, and there was none of the men in the house with him. She had managed to get rid of all of them. And she caught him by his garment, twice his outer coats got him in trouble, saying, Lie with me.

And he left his garment in her hand, and he fled, and they got him out. I'm reminded of one of B's brothers, one of them, the youngest one, wasn't it? When they were kids on the farm, in the summertime, he just wore overalls, cut-down overalls.

And the big brother was there. Carlos helped raise the family, and he bought—Bobby did something he didn't like. I don't know what it was, but he was running away from him. He could run much faster than Carlos, he thought.

Carlos got close enough to grab him by the back, just got the suspenders off his pants, and Bob ran out of him. Didn't slow down, he just stepped out of him and kept going. That's all he had on. But I get that picture every time I read this.

Potiphar’s Wife’s False Accusation and Potiphar’s Anger

And it came to pass when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and was fled forth that she called unto the men of the house and spake of them, saying, See, he hath brought in a Hebrew unto us to mock us.

He came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice, See how Jezebel works? It didn't take her any time to come up with this story. And it came to pass when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me and fled and got him out.

I ask you, what's worse than the scorn of Jezebel? Potiphar's wife so nearly neatly shifted the blame onto her husband. Do you see where she did that? Where did she do it? Greg. He brought this Hebrew in.

Hired the Hebrew in the first place and stated that this also because of the servants. And she laid up the garment by her until her Lord came home. And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou has brought unto us came in unto me to mock me.

And it came to pass as I lifted up my voice and cried that he left his garment with me and he fled out. And it came to pass when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did the servant to me that his wrath was kindled, but not against his wife.

Potiphar's wife directed, or he directed all of this, but not at his wife. Do you live on top of your circumstances or are your circumstances on top of you? Are you just adjusting your glasses again? Okay.

Jesse, do you live on top of your circumstances? You should. Joseph is now 28 years old, a handsome man. Now here was a delicate situation for Potiphar. He liked Joseph very much, could not afford a scandal in the newspaper or on TV.

Yet he had to do something. He knew that this was the pattern of his wife, but he had to do something. She had made it public. So he put him in the elite prison. That's the best prison that could be. The one where the rich, important criminals go.

Too bad we don't have something like that today.

Wasn't. The reason for that, I don't know, is that the king's prisoners, if they were innocent, were let go. If they were jailed, they were put to death. Some of the other prisoners were not handled that way.

Have you heard that? No, but that's very possible. Would you be discouraged now if you was in Joseph's place? Joseph's master took him, put him in the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were bound, and he was there in prison.

The Lord Was with Joseph in Prison

Now, according to Joseph's pattern, he's going to rise to the top. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. Romans 8 .28, turn over to that.

If you can't quote it by mind, somebody turn over there and read it. Somebody else turn to Ephesians 1 .11. Who has Romans 8 .28? All right.

For it is for the good of those who love the Lord and those who are called according to his purpose. Read it again. We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God and those who are called according to his purpose.

All right. Who has Ephesians 1 .11? All right. God did not let this painful imprisonment continue. I hope that you notice by now that Joseph rises like cream in every situation. The keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all of the prisoners that were in the prison, and whatsoever they did, he was the doer of it.

He can't escape his situation, but he comes to the top in any situation. Once again, Joseph, though in circumstances considerably less comfortable than whatever's house, rose to a position of trust and authority and proved to be trustworthy enough not to need any oversight.

The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand, because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made him to prosper. This all finishes. 39. Any word from anybody?

All right. Let's stand and we'll be dismissed.

Words, dismisses, please. Father, I thank you for this day you've given us, Lord. We're just taught here, Lord, and I thank you that we have the opportunity that we can study your word today, Lord, and help us to apply it in our lives, Lord, and help us to use Joseph as an example in our lives, Lord.

As long as we serve you, Lord, as you have us to do so, Lord, we'll always be under your care and worship with grace, Lord, and I just thank you that you chose us for the beginning of the afterlife, for sure, Lord.

Thank you for all the mercy and grace you've shown us over the years, Lord, and just thank you for taking care of us. We're really proud of you, Lord, and we pray that you'll bring us back, Lord, and thank you for the strong service we've had today, Lord, as you've sustained my prayer.