Joseph’s life in prison as an innocent man (a dark time). How God uses our dark times of life. How to deal with dark times in life.

1. © Dr. Pothana
Joseph
From Prison to Freedom
Surviving Darkness in Life
• Joseph’s life in prison as an innocent man (a dark time).
• How God uses our dark times of life.
• How to deal with dark times in life.

2. Genesis 39:19-41:40
Joseph: From Prison to Freedom
Surviving Darkness in Life

3. Lesson Today
• Joseph’s life in prison as an innocent man (a dark time).
• How God uses our dark times of life.
• How to deal with dark times in life.

4. Introduction to Genesis39
• Joseph is the great-grandson of Abraham.
• His brothers sold him as a slave at age 17,
instead of killing him.
• They told their father (Jacob) that he was
dead.
• Joseph served as head of Potiphar’s
household in Egypt as a slave.
• Joseph is falsely accused of attempting to
rape Potiphar’s wife.

5. Genesis 39:19-20
19 When his master (Potiphar) heard the story his wife
told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,”
he burned with anger. Joseph’s master took him and
put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners
were confined.

6. Prisons in Egypt in 1889BC
• The king’s prisoners were held in a separate prison
from other criminals.
• It was believed to be better than a general prison
• Imprisonment in jail was unique in this area of the
world.
• The Israelites did not use imprisonment as a form of
punishment in the Old Testament.

7. Genesis 39:20b-23.
20b But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the Lord
was with him; he showed him kindness and granted
him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the
warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the
prison, and he was made responsible for all that was
done there. 23 The warden paid no attentionto
anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was
with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

8. Joseph’s Reality
• Joseph was in prison for a false accusation with
no legal recourse as a Hebrew slave.
• He had no place to run, even if he escaped.
• As a young man in his early 20’s, he appeared to have
no future before him.
• His reality was one of prison and darkness in life.

9. What are the types of darkness weexperience as
humans?
1. Outer Darkness – circumstances of life.
‐ We do not control all circumstances.
‐ Joseph did not control his slavery in Egypt or
the reason for his imprisonment.
2. Inner Darkness – Loss of hope.
‐ You feel like your life has become a prison.
‐ No comfort can be found.

10. A Description of Darkness inLife. Psalm 88:1-4.
1
2
3
4
LORD, you are the God who saves
me; day and night I cry out
to you.
May my prayer come
before you; turn your
ear to my cry.
I am overwhelmed with
troubles and my life
draws near to death.
I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
I am like one without strength.

11. Psalm 88:5-7.
5
6
7
I am set apart with the dead,
like the slain who lie in the
grave, whom you remember
no more,
who are cut off from your care.
You have put me in the
lowest pit, in the darkest
depths.
Your wrath lies heavily on me;

12. Psalm 88:8-10.
8
9
You have taken from me my closest friends
and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined and cannot
escape; my eyes are dim
with grief.
10
I call to you, LORD, every day;
I spread out my hands to you.
Do you show your wonders to the dead?
Do their spirits rise up and praise
you?

13. Psalm 88:11-14.
11
12
13
14
Is your love declared in the
grave, your faithfulness in
Destruction?
Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,
or your righteous deeds in the land of
oblivion?
But I cry to you for help, LORD;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
Why, LORD, do you reject
me and hide your
face from me?

14. Psalm 88:15-18.
15 From my youth I have suffered and been close to
death; I have borne your terrors and am in despair.
16 Your wrath has swept
over me; your terrors
have destroyed me.
17 All day long they surround me like a
flood; they have completely
engulfed me.
18 You have taken from me friend and neighbor—
darkness is my closest friend.

15. Points in Psalm 88 that fit Joseph’slife:
• Darkness is something that can last a long time even
for a believing Christian.
• There is no better place to learn about the grace
of God than in darkness.
• There is no better place to become a person of
greatness than in dark times.

16. How did Joseph cope with imprisonment?
1. He allowed God to bless him through other
people.
‐ Genesis 39:21 .
21 the Lord was with him; he showed him
kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of
the prison warden.
‐ God blesses us through others even whenwe
don’t see it.

17. Part-2
How did Joseph cope with imprisonment?
2. Joseph honored God in his work as a prisoner.
‐ Genesis 39:22 .
22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all
those held in the prison, and he was made
responsible for all that was done there.
‐ Ecclesiastes 9:10a .
10a Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with
all your might,

18. How did Joseph cope withimprisonment?
3. Joseph had to redefine how he measured success.
‐ Genesis 39:23 .
23 The warden paid no attention to anything under
Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph
and gave him success in whatever he did.
‐ Success was now defined as to how well he
served other prisoners.
‐ Service to other prisoners was possibly
meal preparation, cleaning cells and
managing other prisoners.

19. How should a Christian define ormeasure success?
• 1 Corinthians 10:31 .
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever
you do, do it all for the glory of God.
‐ Success is measured by how much you
are glorifying God with your life.
What is the chief end of man?
‐ Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to
enjoy him forever.

20. How did Joseph cope withimprisonment?
4. Joseph had “hope” because he trusted God to fulfill the
dreams before his slavery.
‐ Genesis 37:6-8a .
6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were
binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly
my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves
gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”
8a His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign
over us? Will you actually rule us?”

21. How did Joseph cope withimprisonment?
5. Joseph knew God was watching over him and
had circumstances under His control.
‐ Genesis 39:21 .
21 the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness
and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison
warden.
‐ Genesis 39:23 .
23 The warden paid no attention to anything under
Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph
and gave him success in whatever he did.
‐ The light in Joseph’s dark circumstances of life was
the favor of God resting on him providing
inner peace.

22. Genesis 40:1-23Summary.
• The king’s cup bearer and baker end up in prisonwith
Joseph and have dreams they do not understand.
• Joseph offers to seek God’s help to interpret the
dreams.
• Joseph’s interpretation from God is correct.
• Joseph asks the chief cupbearer to remember him to
Pharaoh when he gets released – but he forgets for 2
years.

23. More Lessons from Prison in Genesis40.
• God puts us where He needs us.
‐ The connection with the chief cupbearer
will become important 2 years later.
• God is preparing us for a special mission even when
we don’t know it.
‐ Joseph would manage the whole food supply
of Egypt and The Middle East.

24. From Genesis 40:8
“Do not interpretations belong to God?”
• Look at this verse in relation to our circumstances and
not our dreams.
• We cannot always know the reasons why God puts
us in certain circumstances.
• God knows the end from the beginning.
• We must have faith and trust God in all circumstances.
• The meaning may not be known on earth.

25. How do you have faith in times of darkness?
• Taking God at His Word.
‐ Psalm 86:11a .
11a Teach me your way, LORD,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
• Knowing things will happen as He has
said.‐ 2 Corinthians 1:9 .
9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of
death. But this happened that we might not rely on
ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
‐ God will accomplish His plan for your life as you yield to
Him, even in darkness.

26. Comfort for us in darktimes.
• Romans 8:28
28 And we know that in all things God works for
the good of those who love him, who have been
called according to his purpose.
‐ Not just in some things.
‐ In all things.

27. What is sustainingfaith?
• Walking by faith and not by sight.
‐ Romans 4:19-21
19 Without weakening in his faith, he (Abraham) faced
the fact that his body was as good as dead —since he
was about a hundred years old —and that Sarah’s womb
was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief
regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in
his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded
that God had power to do what he had promised.

28. Summary of Genesis41:1-40:
• Joseph gets out of prison.
‐ Pharaoh has troubling dreams and his magicians
cannot interpret them.
‐ The cupbearer finally remembers Joseph can
interpret dreams.
‐ Pharaoh believes Joseph’s interpretation of a 7-
year famine.
‐ Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of the famine
preparation.
‐ Joseph is now in his 30’s.

29. ClosingThoughts:
• Our life circumstances may feel like darkness or
imprisonment, but believers have hope because
of Jesus taking our darkness for us.
• God wants us to trust Him with every circumstance of
life.

30. Respond @
Dr. Pothana
8309511427