This lesson is compatible with the "Joseph" Flash-A-Cards from Abeka Books.  

Scripture References: Genesis 39:20-23; 40:1-23

“Bring me Joseph.  NOW!!!” Potiphar was furious.  He just got home after a long, hot day, and his wife came rushing to him in tears.  “Joseph tried to do something horrible!”  [Visual 3.3]  She, of course, was lying!  “Look at the Hebrew slave’s tunic.  He left it with me after he tried to hurt me!  How could you do this to our household?  How could you buy a Hebrew slave who would come here and hurt us?  This is all your fault, Potiphar!”

Potiphar was so angry he could hardly speak.  He had trusted Joseph with EVERYHTING in his house.  And Joseph tried to steal his wife away!  He just couldn’t believe how Joseph had tricked him.

Potiphar had fallen for the lies of his wife!  He should have known that Joseph was a good man who loved God and other people.  He should have remembered all of the hard work that he had seen from Joseph.  But in his anger, I imagine Potiphar said “Joseph, I never want to see your face again!  You are going to prison for the REST of your life!”  He then grabbed Joseph by the arm and roughly led him to the prison.  “Throw this man into the darkest prison cell!” he told the prison keeper, the man in charge of everything going on at the prison.  The prison keeper must have wondered what horrible crime Joseph had committed to make Potiphar so angry.  He escorted Joseph to a prison cell and locked the door behind him. 

I imagine a few days passed before the prison keeper noticed that Joseph seemed like a nice man.  He was always praying and singing to his God.  He never used curse words like all the other prisoners, and even the guards did.  He didn’t steal the other prisoner’s food.  I imagine he gave some of his own food to the sick and weak prisoners.  There was something different about Joseph, and everyone had noticed. 

One day, the prison keeper called for Joseph to come to his office.  “Joseph, I think you are a good man.  So, I’m going to give you a job.  Don’t let me down!  I want you to help take care of the sick prisoners.  You can leave your cell to get water and food for them.  You can go for the bandages and medicine in the prison supply room, too.  You can’t leave the prison, so don’t try to escape or you will be caught and killed!”  I think the prison keeper half expected Joseph to try to escape the prison.  But Joseph never did.  He took such good care of the sick prisoners that soon, there were less and less sick men.  Days passed and they were getting better!  They usually just died from neglect.  And he noticed that everyone seemed to be in a little better mood, too.  He decided he could trust Joseph.  So, he called for Joseph to come to his office again.  “Joseph, you are going to help take the food to all of the prisoners during mealtimes.  Here are the keys to the prison cell doors.  You can unlock the doors to take the food inside.  Don’t forget to lock the doors when you leave.  But you can’t have the keys to the main prison door.  If you try to escape, I will still kill you.  And if any of the other prisoners escape, you will be responsible…and you know what THAT means!”  Joseph was learning how to work hard in the prison, just as he had learned to work hard at Potiphar’s house.  That hard work was how God was teaching him many things.  Remember how Joseph was at his home, back when he was the favorite son?  Did he have to work hard there?  No way!  Everything was given to him.  He was spoiled and prideful!  But he had to learn how to serve others.  He needed to learn not to be prideful.  Pride is a sin!  We all are prideful now and then.  We all think we are better than someone else.  But God loves us all and want us to treat others well.  Joseph was learning this.  And he was learning to depend on God each day.  I’m sure he prayed that none of the prisoners would try to escape.  He would be killed if they did!  He had to trust that God would keep that from happening.  He probably still prayed he would be able to see his family again someday.  I’m sure he thought about them often.  I’m positive he thought about the dreams God had sent him and wondered how on earth anyone would ever bow down to him.  He was a slave.  He had become important in Potiphar’s house after a while.  But now he was a lowly prisoner.  People didn’t bow down to prisoners!  Joseph had to trust that God was with him and would help him.  And Joseph did just that!

And God blessed him!  The bible says in Genesis 39: 21 “But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”  Even though Joseph wasn’t perfect, God gave him mercy!  God gives us mercy, as well.  Joseph didn’t know the name of the savior God had promised.  We know his name, now.  It’s JESUS!  But Jesus was still in heaven in Joseph’s time.  He hadn’t come down to earth to be born in a manger yet.  That would happen many, many years after Joseph.  But Joseph put his faith in God, that God would send someone to die for his sins.  Joseph had the mercy of God.  Just as we can have the mercy of God when we put our faith in Jesus, that He died on the cross and rose again for our sins!  That is such a SPECIAL, WONDERFUL gift.  And God promises to be with us when we put our faith in Him.  God was with Joseph in that prison.  He helped him every single day.  I don’t think the prison was a very nice place to be.  It was probably dark, and smelly.  Not everyone was  friendly there.  Not all of the guards were friendly either.  I’m sure they beat the prisoners regularly.  But God helped Joseph in those hard times in his life.  Isn’t God good?!

Joseph got more and more responsibility from the prison keeper, as he saw what a good job Joseph was doing.  Finally, the prison keeper said “Joseph, you are in charge of all of the prisoners.  You will take care of everything they do.  I won’t even need to be here to supervise you, because I know you will do a good job.  I can finally relax a little bit!  Maybe I’ll even take a vacation!”

Joseph had risen to the top of the prison, just as he had risen to the top of Potiphar’s house!  [Visual 3.2]  Who did that?  Joseph, or God?  God!  God had blessed Joseph, again.  Next week, we will learn about two VERY important prisoners that Joseph would meet. 

Right now, let’s pray and that God for His promise to always be with us and help us if we put our faith in Jesus.