Blessed as a Servant

The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field. Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. (Genesis 39:2-6) 

There are many people that equate the blessing of the Lord with material wealth. However, as we read and study our focus passage, we can see this is not always the case. God had a purpose and a plan (just like He does for you and me) for Joseph; prior to that plan unfolding in his life God used the circumstances that Joseph unrighteously had been thrust into to shape and mold him. 

After being sold into slavery by his own brothers and reported dead to his father Israel (Jacob), he could have just given up and rejected God. Instead, Joseph honored God in all that he did, so much so that the man he was sold to could see how blessed Joseph was and how that translated into his household. By Joseph’s trust in God, diligent work which God blessed, Joseph showed Potiphar that God was real. As followers of Jesus, we need to learn from this life lesson that Joseph experienced and live out the same principle today; others should see the difference Jesus makes in our lives by the way we work.  

This is how Joseph was blessed as a servant. The LORD was with him, as stated in our focus passage. His brothers who sold him into slavery went home and slept in their own beds among their families. Joseph was a slave, yet he was free. The brothers were free, but slaves to their secrets, shame, and guilt.  

Joseph remained faithful unto God even amid what must have seemed to be the worst time of his life, little did he know that it was going to get worse before it got better for him. Because of his good witness and stewardship as a slave to Potiphar he was given a position as overseer of his master’s entire household; this allowed him a modicum of some freedom even as a slave. The blessing of the Lord upon Joseph translated to Potiphar’s household; this reveals that as we honor God at our work place His blessings upon us can be translated to our place of employment. Joseph rose to the top; we must realize that this did not happen overnight, and we should not expect that. We need to act just as Joseph did, not with expectation of moving forward in this world but serving God faithfully regardless of our status in the world. 

Even though Joseph was a slave, he lived as a free man because of the Spirit of the Lord that was upon him and with him. We, too, can live like that since God has given us the gift of His Holy Spirit, 2 Corinthians 3:17. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Are you living free like Joseph did? If not, you should be as a child of God John 8:36. If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 

Dale LaFrance (please look up Colossians 3:22-24) 

Prayerful Reunion

Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the LORD who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you’: I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I have crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies. Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children. For You said, ‘I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.  (Genesis 32:9-12) 

It has been just over 20 years since Jacob fled from the face of his brother Esau and Isaac after deceiving them to receive the blessing meant for Esau. When He departed, he carried only his staff and what he wore, now he is returning home with much more than he had, having been richly blessed by God. 

Jacob receives news that his brother is approaching with a troop of 400 men, and greatly fears for his life. Because of his fear he divides his group into two companies. He left home for fear of his life because of Esau’s threat to take it after stealing his blessing. Because of that, he plans to send the first company out before the second to great Esau, having his wives and children in the second company to protect them from Esau. At this point Jacob is trusting in himself, and not God for deliverance from his brother. 

As we look at our focus passage, we can see that Jacob has come to his senses and realizes that he is trusting in himself and not the Lord for deliverance. He comes humbly before the Lord and begins to pray back what the Lord has revealed to him and even prays back the promise the Lord gave to him in Genesis 28:13-15, (in short) “I will surely treat you well.” How often do we as God’s children forget His promises, as did Jacob? We also act in fear and unbelief when we don’t lean into God and His promises to us. We too must come to our senses and do the right thing as Jacob did, pray to the Lord with humility, full of faith, with thanksgiving, and by using God’s Word. 

Jacob’s fear was good because it led him to prayer. Jacob’s fear was good because it led him to take a review of his life. And Jacob’s fear was good, because it led him to seek out a suitable outcome, which was a promise from God. Sadly, many of our prayers fall way short of the mark, because there is none of God’s Word within them: that is because there is little of God’s Word within us. We need to hide God’s Word in our hearts so that we will not sin against Him and so that we can remember His promises to always be there for us. God is not offended when we remind Him of what He has promised us! As a matter of fact, I believe He delights in it when we do remind Him. 

It’s my hope that we learn from Jacob’s prayer to call upon God in the same manner as he did. Repenting, with humility, and reminding God of His promises to us; to never leave us nor forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:18) 

Dale LaFrance (please look up Hebrews 13:5-6) 

The Deceiver Was Deceived

Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.” And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast. Now it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. And Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?” And Laban said, “It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.”  (Genesis 29:21-27) 

Years earlier, Jacob had tricked his brother Esau into forfeiting his birthright to him. Then sometime after with the help of his mother Rebekah he deceives Isaac, his father, into receiving the blessing that was promised to Esau. This deception caused a major rift in the family and so Jacob was sent to Rebekah’s brother Laban to seek a wife and to get away from the wrath of Esau. 

Jacob travels to his uncle Laban’s land and first meets Rachel at a well and is taken by her beauty; so much so that he makes a contract to work for seven years to have her hand in marriage. Laban sees a great opportunity here to get some labor for several years at the expense of his daughter and so agrees.  

We must note that Laban saw that Jacob was head over heels for his younger daughter Rachel and because of that decided to use that to his advantage by withholding some vital customary information. After seven years the wedding feast is planned. Leah must have been let in on this devious plan of Laban’s, and Rachel had no knowledge of it until it was too late. Whether Leah was in agreement with the plan or not, she had to obey her father’s wishes as was the custom of the day. When Jacob realizes he has been deceived, and loving Rachel so much, he readily agrees to another seven years to earn Rachel’s hand in marriage. 

Laban’s deception towards Jacob was very similar to the deception Jacob put upon his father Isaac and his brother Esau. This is a perfect example of reaping what one has sown! We must also note the consequences of what this deception had on both families. It brought anger, jealousy, and even a divide in the families. 

When Jacob deceived his father and cheated his brother, God did not change His plan to choose Jacob to receive the birthright. Instead, God took Jacob to the school of difficult experience to discipline him. Disobedience to God’s plan may not necessarily derail God’s plans for our life, but it will greatly affect how we end up experiencing it. One may end up spending 20 years working for someone like Laban while God teaches a few things. 

The truth is, God does not need our help to bring His plan to fruition. All He wants from us is our faithful obedience! With that in mind: When we see how God was correcting Jacob for his deceptive disobedience to his family, it in no way justified Laban’s deception. The fact that God does work all things together for good never excuses the evil things that man does. 1 Peter 3:10 reminds us; For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech.” 

Dale LaFrance (please look up 1 Peter 2:1 & 2:22) 

Love God Over All

Then they came to the place of which God told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.  (Genesis 22:9-13) 

When God first called Abraham (Abram) he had very little faith (Genesis 12). From that time until the Lord asked Abraham to offer up his only son Isaac, Abraham’s faith had grown from very little faith to total faith in what God said and commanded. 

There are many with a worldview that believe that only a cruel God would ask someone to do what was asked of Abraham; however, this view stems from not knowing God and from the Lie Whisper (Satan), the enemy of God. Abraham’s act of obedience revealed not only his faith in God and the promises that God had made to him, but also, his love for God over all things in his life including his only son. 

When God called me in my early 20’s there were things in my life that I had to lay on the altar. Interestingly, God did not ask me to do that right at that moment when He called me. Just like Abraham, I had to begin to grow in my faith as I learned to walk with God and to hear His voice as I searched the scriptures. As I grew in my faith and saw how God was moving in my life and growing me, He revealed to me that there were things that I needed to place on the altar. These things were things that I loved and cherished, and God knew that. Just like Abraham I had to obey God and do what I was asked to do if I truly loved and trusted Him. 

We all must be honest with ourselves and with God when it comes to those things in our life that we cling to. Most times those things are other people, whether it’s a son or a daughter, wife or a husband, or maybe someone we are very close to. Other times it can be a prized possession. Maybe it’s a job or a coveted position in society, and yes it can even be material things like a bank account. As we grow in our faith walk with Christ, we will eventually be asked to lay all that we have put before God on that altar and give it to Him. This will never look the same for each of us initially; however, the result will be! God will truly be the replacement for whatever it is we lay on the altar, and He will always be true to His promises to us. 

Abraham did not need to plunge that knife into Isaac, his only son, to reveal his total love and obedience to God. God saw that Abraham was willing and that was enough. When God finds His faithful people willing to make the sacrifice He demands, He often does not require it. This is how we can be martyrs without ever dying physically for Jesus. We live the life of a martyr right now. We all can display the same heart Abraham had when we show God that we are willing to give up whatever it is that God asks of us for Him. 

God wants all of us, He wants our complete devotion and love. Do you give it to Him? Are you obeying James 4:7-10? Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. 

Dale LaFrance (please look up Matthew 16:24)