Joseph: The Lord Was With Him

introduction: Genesis 39:1-3, 21-23

1. God answers prayer and intervenes in very important family matters. The examples of:

1) Abraham and Sarah, Joseph’s great-grandparents (Genesis 12:1-3 – God’s promise to Abraham; Genesis chapter 21 – the miraculous birth of Isaac)

2) Isaac and Rebekah, Joseph’s grandparents (Genesis chapter 24 – God’s provision of a wife for Isaac; Genesis 25:24 – Rebekah pregnant with twins Esau and Jacob)

3) Jacob and Rachel, Joseph’s parents (Genesis chapter 29 – Jacob meets and falls in love with Rachel; Genesis 30:22-24 – God enables Rachel to give birth to Joseph)

personal application: Pray and ask God to intervene in your life and in your family.

2. The dangers of showing favoritism

1) The example of Joseph’s Father Jacob/Israel, who loved Joseph more than his other sons (Genesis 37:1-3)

2) The earlier example of Joseph’s grandparents: Isaac loved Esau; Rebekah loved Jacob (Genesis 25:28)

3) The warning to each of us (James 2:1-4, 8-11)

personal application: God does not show partiality (Romans 2:2, 6, 11), and we shouldn’t either.