Good evening, and welcome to EBible Fellowship’s Bible study in the book of Genesis.  Tonight is study #3 in Genesis 39, and we will read Genesis 39:1-6:

And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. And JEHOVAH was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that JEHOVAH was with him, and that JEHOVAH made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that JEHOVAH blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of JEHOVAH was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field. And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.

I will stop reading there.  In our last study, we were talking about Potiphar, and we looked at that the fact that he was an officer of Pharaoh and a captain of the guard, and an Egyptian.  We saw that he was a very high ranking individual in the kingdom of Egypt, a very powerful man with great authority. 

But we did not discuss who he represents, although I am sure you are getting some idea.  In our discussion there were certain clues, but we are not going to get into that right now.  Lord willing, in a future study we will look at the spiritual meaning of this whole thing.

Right now let us look at what God said of Joseph.  He was just a teenager, aged 17, and he had been betrayed by his own brothers and sold as a slave to the Midianite merchantmen.  He was brought down into Egypt and sold to Potiphar. 

Then we read this language in Genesis 39:2-3:

And JEHOVAH was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that JEHOVAH was with him, and that JEHOVAH made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

Twice Joseph was said to be a prosperous man, and all that he did prospered.  It is really amazing that this is being said of such a young man while he is a slave in Potiphar’s house.  More than that, if we go to the end of this chapter, we read in Genesis 39:21:

But JEHOVAH was with Joseph…

This had been said in the earlier verses in Genesis 39:2-3. 

Again it says in Genesis 39:21:

But JEHOVAH was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

By this time Joseph had been thrown into prison by his master due to the wife of Potiphar who had made a false accusation against him.  From our perspective, it went “from bad to worse” for Joseph, and now he was in prison, and yet God was still with him.

Then it goes on Genesis 39:22-23:

And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because JEHOVAH was with him, and that which he did, JEHOVAH made it to prosper.

Again, JEHOVAH was with him, and that which Joseph did JEHOVAH made to prosper.  He was a prosperous man because God was making whatever he did to prosper.  It had been noticeable to Potiphar, and now it was noticeable to the keeper of the prison, and Joseph was given power and authority, and all was going well.

It is an amazing thing.  If we look at this from the world’s perspective, we would not expect there to be prosperity after being sold as a slave by your own brethren.  Then you are in a man’s house who has bought you, and you are no longer your own person.  And yet, God still says that Joseph was a prosperous man even in that situation.  Even more astounding is that he was betrayed and put in prison, but God again made everything he did to prosper.  The world would not look at Joseph in those situations and say he was prosperous in any way.  The poor man is at the “bottom,” the lowest of the low.  He was not only a slave, but he was a slave in prison.  He was not making any money.  He was not respected in the world.  Where was his prosperity?

His prosperity was with God.  So let us look at this word translated as “prosper” here.  Let us go to Psalm 118:24-25:

This is the day which the JEHOVAH hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I beseech thee, O JEHOVAH: O JEHOVAH, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.

Here, God is tying together His salvation with prosperity.  When someone became saved, he or she obtained prosperity.  Why?  It is because God is with that person: “Emmanuel…God with us.”  When God saved a sinner, that sinner became a new creature with a new heart and a new spirit, and he also has the Spirit of God indwelling him.  God is with him, and he has become a prosperous man because of God’s salvation.  He now has everything that is truly needful, even though, like Joseph and many other of God’s people, he may not have money or success in the eyes of the world.  By the world’s standards as they look at God’s people, God’s people often do not measure up.  We are as nothing, and sometimes we are so despised and seen as being like Lazarus, a ”lowly beggar.”  Remember that parable that Jesus Christ told of the rich man and Lazarus.  If there is an illustration of the world’s view of prosperity versus God’s view of prosperity, it would be that parable.  We read in Luke 16:19:

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

What a successful man!  What a prosperous man!  He was a rich man, which means he had lots of money, and when you have lots of money, you have lots of nice things.  He would have had a big house that was well-kept and decorated.  People would walk by his house and say, “Oh, one day I would love to have a house like that, but I know it will never happen.”  So people would envy the rich man for the things he had – his house, his food, and his clothing.  He was dressed in purple and fine linen, so he had the finest of clothing, and it stood out whenever he walked down the street.  Everyone knew he was a rich man.  Most other people had very plain clothing that did not indicate wealth.  It was probably clothing that signified a much lower status.  But the rich man’s clothing told everyone, “This is a wealthy man.  This is an important and powerful man.  This is a man to be respected.”  He had everything the world would uphold as desirable: “This is what life is all about!  This is why we live.  We want to attain the things of the world.”  His wealth enabled such things, and he had reached that pinnacle of success.  And he had the finest food, and he could eat to his satisfaction every day, and even leave some on the table, and there would even be crumbs that fell from his table.

And that is where Lazarus comes in.  He was not a rich man, but the total opposite of the rich man, as God tells us in Luke 16:20-21:

And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

Lazarus apparently had nothing.  He certainly did not have food like the rich man.  He had no wealth, and he had to beg to get anything to barely sustain himself, and he even desired to eat the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table.  He had no money for things.  He was out on the streets where the dogs were wandering around, and the dogs licked his sores.  What a pitiful case.  It is extremely sad and heartbreaking when we look at the physical conditions for Lazarus.  Lazarus was anything but a prosperous man, and the world would draw that conclusion, without question.  “Prosperous?  Are you kidding?  No.  But look over there at the rich man if you want a definition of ‘prosperous.’  He is the epitome of someone who had made it in life!”

By the way, let us turn for a moment to Joshua 1:6-7:

Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

This word “prosper” is a different Hebrew word, but it is giving the same idea.  Then it says in Joshua 1:8:

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

The word “prosperous” is our word from Genesis 39.  And notice the context here: “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein.”  Of course no one can do that except for someone who has become saved, and then God is with him.  So the conclusion is, “and then thou shalt have good success.”  And the word “success” is the same word translated as “prosper” in verse 7.  Then it says in Joshua 1:9:

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for JEHOVAH thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Do you see the prosperous man that will have good success?  It has nothing to do with things.  It has nothing to do with gold, silver, or money.  It has nothing to do with the big houses, chariots, or horses of that day, or with any of the luxuries of our modern day.  It has nothing to do with worldly things.  That is not what the Bible says is a prosperous and successful person.

We are bombarded today with people out there that tell us how to be prosperous and successful in life.  And then they tell you to get a degree, take this program and attain this certificate, or follow this financial formula and you will have the money, the excellent job, and the excellent things that accompany it.  And you will be successful, like the rich man in Luke 16.  If that is your desire, and if that is what you are pursing and lusting after, and if that is where you are putting your effort, it is guaranteed that you will be as successful as the rich man in Luke 16. 

But let us see what God has to say.  You may be successful as the rich man, and you may avoid the poverty of the beggar Lazarus, and from the world’s perspective, it is all good, even though it is temporal and in the finite setting of this world.  People see these outward trappings, and they have such limited ability to see spiritual realities in their natural, fallen condition.  But God has His perspective, and now He is going to give us that perspective from His vantage point of having eternal perspective.  He can look beyond today to things to come.  So after God told us of the rich man’s state and the beggar Lazarus, it says in Luke 16:22:

And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

Here, perhaps, is the one thing that being a wealthy man may grant him, which  is living a slightly longer life.  In this case, their deaths were almost simultaneous.  Lazarus is the first man that died, but the rich man also died, and it could have been five seconds later, five minutes later, five days later, or five years later.  What does it matter?  Even if it were fifty years later, it does not matter because they both died relatively close in time. 

They both died, and then God reveals the perspective on the lives of these two men from His vantage point.  We read in Luke 16:22-25:

…the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

You can see the difference, an incredibly huge difference as we contrast the lives they lived in the world with what took place after they died.  The rich man who had received good things in his lifetime is now tormented.  And Lazarus who had received evil things in his lifetime is comforted. 

Now we can see Lazarus’ prosperity.  Now we can see that he is comforted, whereas the rich man has torment.  Lazarus is with Father Abraham, which represents God.  Lazarus is with God.  And that was the key distinction we read of Joseph – JEHOVAH was with him.  And we read in Joshua 16:9 that JEHOVAH was with Joshua.  Although we could not know it from the outward representation of the life of the beggar Lazarus, God was obviously with him while he lived and suffered evil things. 

The wonderful, beautiful, and glorious truth about that is that if God is with you while you live, He will be with you after your die.  Lazarus was in Abraham’s bosom because God was with him, and God will be with him for evermore, according to Revelation 21:3:

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

So the prosperity of Lazarus could only be understood in his belief through faith (of Christ) that was deep in his soul where he knew he was prosperous because God was with him while he lived, and that prosperity would show itself only after he had died physically and passed into eternity future.  And that prosperity will show itself, more and more, forever and ever.  The prosperity of Lazarus cannot be calculated.  It is unspeakable and beyond imagination in its greatness.  The richness and abundance of his prosperity is so tremendous that no one could ever write them down, and it will continue on and on in his eternal life.

But the rich man came to an end, and he is gone forever along with all his good things.  The things he had of this world while he lived are gone.  God warns not to love the things of the world, and not to seek after them and treasure them up because they perish, and they are gone forever.  Once a person dies, his worldly treasures are gone from him, and he has nothing.  And there is no prosperity in that.