The Discernment of Joseph
Discernment: Thinking Biblically • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction: As we went over last week, all of us are in need of discernment. In order to successfully live our Christian lives it is necessary for us to cultivate the skill of applying God’s Word with the purpose of separating good from evil and right from wrong so that we can then act on that knowledge.
This week we are going to take a look at an example of Biblical discernment. Part of developing the skill of discernment is taking at look at those who practiced it and following their example.
Joseph Pre-Discernment
Joseph Pre-Discernment
Now Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. This is the history of Jacob.
Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.
Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.”
And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”
So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
It is unknown to us whether Joseph was baiting his brothers with his dreams or if he was simply too immature to realize the extent of their hatred for him.
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But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.
Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more.
And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
One thing is for sure, the author really wants us to understand that Joseph’s brothers really hated him, and so by revealing his dreams to his brothers he was either rubbing salt on their wounds or he was simply too naive to realize that they hated him. Either way we see that in the early part of Joseph’s life he lacked discernment. He lacked the ability to see that either he was causing greater damage to his relationship with his brothers or he lacked the ability to discern the spirit of his brothers towards him.
So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.
And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened. Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.
Genesis 37:12-
Joseph, apparently out of touch to the degree of hatred that his brothers had for him, went out to them as they were tending the flocks. They would have killed him were it not for Reuben who probably, since he was the oldest, did not want to have to bear the blame for his brothers killing Joseph. Instead they decided to throw him into a pit (cistern; 20 feet deep) and they eventually made the decision to sell him into slavery.
Joseph in Potiphar’s House
Joseph in Potiphar’s House
Genesis 39:
Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. 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 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.
Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.
When Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt he was sold into Potiphar’s house, Pharaoh’s captain of the guard. As he was in Potiphar’s house Potiphar discerned that Joseph was discerning over all that was put in his charge. The narrative also makes clear that the discernment that Joseph had came from God. As a result of divine blessing, Potiphar made Joseph the chief discerner over all that was in his house. Potiphar trusted Joseph’s discernment to the extent that Potiphar stopped paying as careful attention to his own possessions because he knew that Joseph was up to the task. So as Joseph made both financial and logistical decisions day in and day out, he exercised the discernment that God had given him.
But Joseph was a good looking guy. In the Old Testament the announcement that someone was either handsome or beautiful in form and appearance signaled the beginning of trouble.
Can you think of any examples of this?
For Joseph that trouble came in the form of his master’s wife.
Genesis 39:
So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.
But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.”
So she kept his garment with her until his master came home.
And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.”
But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.
But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.”
So she kept his garment with her until his master came home.
Since Joseph was handsome, Potiphar’s wife decided that she wanted to have him. This offer might have been tempting had Joseph not been discerning.
It would have been tempting due to the fact that Potiphar’s wife was probably beautiful herself
It would have been tempting because Joseph was in a strategic position to take over control of his masters house
It would have been tempting because Joseph could have been tempted to think that he deserved what was now coming to him
Joseph was able to discern the fact that, although he didn’t deserve to be sold as a slave, neither had God given him permission to overthrow Potiphar. Joseph’s refusal to even be in the presence of this seductress shows his deep care for both God and Potiphar. Out of spite, Potiphar’s wife then goes about framing Joseph.
It is unclear what Potiphar thought of the situation or who he became angry with. What we do know is that the Egyptian punishment for a slave attempting to overthrow his master’s household was death. Instead of issuing the death sentence, Potiphar mercifully sent Joseph to prison. This seems to indicate that since Joseph had only ever had Potiphar’s best interests in mind for roughly 11 years, Potiphar spared his life, likely trusting the judgment of Joseph over the judgment of his own wife.
It came to pass after these things that the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt.
Joseph in Prison
Joseph in Prison
And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.
Genesis 40:
But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Even in prison, Joseph exercised discernment to the point of earning the complete trust of the keeper of the prison.
Summarize the butler and baker
Summarize the Butler and the Baker
Joseph Before Pharaoh
Joseph Before Pharaoh
Summarize Pharaoh’s dream
After two full years the butler finally remembers Joseph and recommends him to Pharaoh
Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh.
Genesis 41:16
So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”
Pharaoh then tells Joseph his dreams
Genesis 41:25-
Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do: The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years; the dreams are one. And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land. So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe. And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
“Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine.”
So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?”
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”
Due to the discerning spirit of Joseph, Joseph found himself as the second most powerful person in the world, yet he never lost sight of the fact that it was all a gift from God.
But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
Conclusion: In the life of Joseph, whether he was in Potiphar’s house, in prison, or before Pharaoh, Joseph had determined to honor God, and God, in turn, honored him with a spirit of discernment that enabled him to save the lives of God’s chosen people. May we prioritize our relationship with God, and out of a desire to honor Him, seek and ask for the gift of discernment.