Genesis 128 – When the Word Refines

God's Word is from Genesis chapter 39, verses 19 to 23.

 

“When his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, saying, ‘Your servant did to me in this manner,’ his anger was aroused. So Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed all the prisoners who were in the prison to Joseph’s hand; and 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.” Amen.

 

Joseph's Suffering and Refinement by the Word

Today's text is Genesis chapter 39, verses 19 to 23, along with Psalm 105. This is because the psalmist adds more specific details that are not recorded in Genesis.

 

We know the story of Joseph being imprisoned well. He was not imprisoned for doing wrong, but rather for trying to live rightly. At the age of 17, Joseph was wild and self-centered, a naive child who would wear his coat of many colors to the place where his brothers were toiling. With his environment completely changed, he became a slave and a servant. We often think, 'Oh, that's right. How much of a change and how difficult it must have been for a boy who grew up in the hothouse of his father's love to suddenly be sold and become a servant in someone's house?' Nevertheless, we see that he gained favor with Potiphar, and even as a young man of only 17, his master's household was blessed through him. Through this, Joseph discovered that his life was special.

 

At the young age of 17, when he became the head of the servants and was entrusted with everything, he surprisingly brought much greater prosperity to the household than before. Potiphar was very pleased as well. However, as you know, through Potiphar's wife, he faced his first and most difficult ordeal. The old Joseph might have slipped away like a loach or resorted to trickery. But to escape the temptation, he threw off his clothes and fled. As a result, we thought that God would protect him and a great blessing would come upon him, and Joseph must have thought so too. But instead, he was sent to prison.

 

The Truth of Suffering and Imprisonment

The psalmist speaks of his state in prison this way: "His feet were put in the stocks, and his body was bound with chains." This verse gives us a great deal of insight. In the verse we just read, it says that when Joseph went to prison, the keeper of the prison showed him favor and put him in charge of all the prisoners, and all the work went smoothly through him. But since such a person had his feet in stocks and his body was bound with chains, it seems the situation was not as simple as we might think.

 

Furthermore, from the verse I read to you last week, "Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him," we learn several important facts. The first is to look at his "body" to understand the verse more accurately. The "stocks" on his feet refer to foot shackles. People in Korea who watch historical dramas will easily understand what is put on the feet in prison. And his "body" was bound with chains. There is a note (a number) next to the word "body."

 

If you look at the small number written above his "body," you will see a footnote that says 'Heehon (in Hebrew, 'nephesh').' It tells us that in Hebrew, it means 'soul' or 'spirit.' If that word is not in your Bible, write a 1 and then write 'in Hebrew, it is soul or spirit.' And then put a comma and also write 'life.' This word can also mean 'life.' Also, put a period and write 'neck.' Not 'body,' but 'neck.' This is because the word 'nephesh' has all three meanings.

 

When God created the heavens and the earth, He formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. So it says, 'he became a living being.' That is 'nephesh.' It is the same word translated as 'body' here. It means 'life.' So, to put it here, it is possible to translate it as 'he was shackled at the neck' rather than 'his body was bound with chains.' It means he wore a long iron collar on his neck, which prisoners wore. This is the most natural translation that immediately makes us understand that he had his feet in stocks and an iron collar on his neck and was continuously confined in prison without being able to move.

 

The New Korean Standard Version translates it that way. But if you take that translation, it seems a bit odd that he, who was acknowledged by the keeper of the prison and in charge of all the work within the prison, would have an iron collar on his neck and shackles on his legs. So it is not unreasonable to interpret it as 'his soul was bound in iron,' using the word 'soul' or 'life.' A bound soul means a soul in great torment. In other words, Joseph was not only physically in distress, but his soul was also in great torment. Whichever translation you take, the point I want to make is clear.

 

Joseph's Unjust Feelings and Realization

The point is that while Joseph was experiencing the favor of the keeper of the prison and being put in charge of things, he was by no means a person at ease. He had no peace in his heart and was not in a situation where he could praise and rejoice, saying, 'Thank you, God.' This state of his heart is revealed in the story of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in Genesis chapter 40. After Joseph interpreted the dream of the chief cupbearer, he said this:

 

This is a very important hint that allows us to peek into Joseph's heart. "Please remember me when it is well with you, and show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house." He did not say, 'This place must be God's will. Thank you, God.' He was in a hurry to get out and was pleading with that person. The next verse tells us more accurately and surely about his heart. "For indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; and I have done nothing wrong here that I should be put into the dungeon." This means 'I am being wronged,' 'I did not commit a crime.'

 

For the first time, Joseph himself says, 'I was brought here from the land of the Hebrews, that is, the land of Canaan, without having committed any sin.' He never thought, 'Why was I sold? What did I do wrong to my brothers for them to sell me?' Joseph still thought he was wronged and came here without having done anything wrong. I'm not trying to put Joseph down, but it is necessary for you to understand Joseph clearly and to fully understand the moments of his transformation.

 

He is being wronged now. It is unfair that he was dragged here from Canaan, that he became a servant, and that he was even put in prison for a crime he did not commit. He felt, 'I am not a person who should be here.' He still did not know God's will well and did not understand what was happening to him. Of course, we cannot just say, 'He shouldn't have been like that,' just because he didn't know God's will. You know the whole story from the Bible now, but it would have been difficult for Joseph himself to realize. A person who realizes his own faults is truly blessed. It is not an easy thing. Because it is hard to see what you are doing wrong. Unless you have a clear objective standard, it's easy to think that the path you are on is always the most objective one. That is why we easily become arrogant because we don't know what we are doing wrong. The people around us know, but we don't. We often think that we are doing well. This is not just someone else's story; it is also my own.

 

Refinement by the Word, Not by Suffering

Joseph was in that kind of situation. He did not know himself well, and God was shaping him in his life. As I said last week, the Bible says, "Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him." When we read a story like this, we think, 'Joseph suffered. He went through hardship in prison,' and we connect his suffering with him becoming a great person. But that is only half of the story. It is common in this world for an immature person to mature through suffering or for a change in character to occur. A successful person might become humble after experiencing failure.

 

But the Bible is not trying to say, 'Suffering is a good teacher' through the story of Joseph. The Bible says, what was he changed and refined by? By the Word. Not by suffering. He came out like gold through suffering, but what made him like gold in that suffering? It was because of the Word. It is because of God's Word that he comes out like gold; he doesn't become gold just by passing through suffering. The same is true for Joseph's story. Unless the Word governed his suffering and worked with him in his suffering, Joseph's life would have been just hardship and he would not have gained anything that the Bible talks about. The psalmist is telling a very important story. He says that the Word refined him until the Word came to pass.

 

The Covenant of God that Changed Joseph

So, our next question is, of course, this, isn't it?

"What was that Word that changed him so much?" What is the first Word that comes to mind? What Word of God did Joseph know? The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Joseph is his dream, isn't it? God gave him a revelation through that dream that his brothers and parents would bow down to him. 'Ah, that dream, that Word, made him overcome the difficult times and suffering.' In other words, we can think that he endured by thinking, 'Someday that day will come. Although I am a servant and imprisoned here, someday my brothers will come and bow down to me. My father Jacob will come and bow down to me.' Doesn't that sound a bit strange?

 

Also, the timing does not fit. Psalm 105 says that 'until the time that the Word of the Lord came to pass' was when Pharaoh 'freed him.' It says that the Word came to pass by then. It was nine years later that he finally met his brothers. The fact that the Word came to pass by then means that it was not a Word that came to pass for his brothers or father, but for Pharaoh. What Word came to pass for Pharaoh? The Bible records that when he appointed Joseph to a high position, he "made him master of his house, and ruler of all his possessions, to bind his princes at his pleasure, and teach his elders wisdom." He elevated him to a high position to instruct and teach the nobles.

 

This is what happened until the Word came to pass. In other words, when Joseph was appointed, the problem of the land of Egypt, which was about to perish from famine, was solved thanks to Joseph, who interpreted Pharaoh's dream. Just as the problem of Potiphar's house was solved because of Joseph, the problem of the land of Egypt was also solved through Joseph. This means that the Word coming to pass meant that Egypt's problems were solved and the country became better. What does this have to do with the Word? Isn't this the Abrahamic Covenant? God promised Abraham, "In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

 

The Proof and Testament of the Word's Fulfillment

This is what Psalm 105:8 says. Let's read verses 8 and 9 together. "He remembers His covenant forever, the word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant." The beginning of Psalm 105 explains what God remembered and did, why this happened to Joseph, why the Exodus happened after Joseph, and why He led the people out of Egypt to Canaan. The reason for all these things is because of the everlasting covenant. This is God's Word. The psalmist is saying that Joseph endured all these things and became a man of God because of this covenant. What was the beginning of this covenant? "In you all the nations of the earth shall be blessed." Potiphar was blessed, and Egypt and Pharaoh are now being blessed. Because of whom? Because of Joseph.

 

Sometimes we joke, 'I believe in Jesus, but you get the blessing,' but just like that, everything is happening now because of Joseph. Because he was the source of blessing. Another promise is the covenant with Abraham, 'I have given you this land.' There is that covenant that the land of Canaan is yours. This covenant is also very important, showing how God's covenant was fulfilled in Joseph's life as time went on. In Genesis chapter 50, when Joseph was about to die, he said this: "Then Joseph said to his brothers, 'I am about to die, but God will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.'"

 

The last thing Joseph says is, 'God will eventually bring you and your descendants from this land to the promised land.' This is like Joseph's last will. We think that Joseph forgave his brothers because he realized that 'God sent me ahead of you to save you.' But that is not all. The reason he came to know God was that he looked at his life with this covenant of God.

 

The Pinnacle of Faith

Listen to this verse from the New Testament and guess which book it is from. "By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones." This is a verse from the New Testament, from Hebrews chapter 11. This verse in Hebrews 11 summarizes Joseph's life in one sentence. It doesn't say, 'By faith Joseph forgave his brothers,' or 'By faith Joseph became the ruler of Egypt.' While the story of Moses mentions everything he did by faith, the Hebrews does not discuss the reunion with his brothers, which we consider so important. Hebrews asks, 'Where was the pinnacle of his faith?' and it says that it was in his mention of the return of all these people to the land of Canaan and his command to take his bones with them at that time. Joseph confessed by faith that he belonged to that nation.

 

In other words, the fact that God promised to give the land of Canaan is what enabled Joseph to overcome and endure and be refined in all the suffering in prison, in all the life after prison, in the moment he forgave his brothers, and in everything he lived through. Think about yourselves. When you are going through pain, tears, sighs, or various problems today, how does the fact that 'the Lord will return and the kingdom of God will come' change your life? Do you realize how much we live without remembering this fact? Does your heart pound because you know that 'the Lord will return and has prepared a kingdom for us, and that eternal life is ours'? Can you overcome difficulties because of it?

 

Joseph is showing us that now. The covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, "I will make you a source of blessing. The land I have promised is your land, and the nation I am establishing is waiting for you." To put it in New Testament terms, how does eternal life enable you to live today? One of the amazing things that happened in Joseph's heart when he forgave his brothers was that he finally realized that 'Egypt is not my everything and my true home is Canaan.' "The word of the Lord tested him." While we see that Joseph was changed because of this Word, we often fail to connect it to ourselves. We quickly understand the image of Joseph who loves prosperity, but we neglect the promises of God that truly made his life powerful.

 

The Meaning of Prosperity According to the Bible

It says that Joseph prospered, and the place was none other than a prison. This is a story that makes no sense logically. We would think that prosperity is to not go to prison, or if he did go, he should have been rescued by an earthquake. But the Bible calls Joseph in prison 'prosperous.' This is the opposite of what we think prosperity means. Joseph believed that if he trusted and obeyed God, he would prosper, and he acted accordingly. But the result was becoming a prisoner from a slave. At this point, it would be understandable to be disappointed in God. Because what he got in return for believing and obeying God was suffering. The psalmist records how greatly he was discouraged, saying, "his soul was bound with chains, imprisoned in iron."

 

The Essence of Prosperity Found in Suffering

How can this happen? Joseph must have been even more surprised by what happened next. He thought it would end in prison, but he received another blessing there. The keeper of the prison put him in charge of all the prisoners, and the Bible calls him "a man who prospered in all that he did." This part may seem to not connect with Joseph's painful situation mentioned earlier. Joseph must have spent his days in tears and sighs, in pain and anguish, with his feet in stocks and his body in chains. Yet, the Bible says that God "made Joseph prosper" in all of it.

 

Therefore, the 'prosperity' the Bible speaks of does not simply mean that things go well. While it was a good thing that the keeper of the prison acknowledged Joseph and entrusted him with all the work, he was still in pain until Pharaoh set him free. Yet, the Bible calls that prosperity. So, the word 'prosperity' should be accurately interpreted in the Bible as this: Everything that the Word of the Lord uses to refine him is prosperity.

 

Every process by which God's Word refines you is what the Bible calls prosperity. It's not just that Joseph endured a difficult and painful situation. The Bible calls even the moments of exhaustion, tears, and spiritual torment prosperity. Through this process, Joseph realized several important facts.

 

First, prosperity is not related to location. Whether in Potiphar's house or in prison, God is the one who makes him prosper. It does not matter what position he is in; God is with him.

 

Second, prosperity does not come from me. Joseph learned that prosperity did not come from his own efforts or abilities. It came only from God's promise and Word. This happened because God had promised to do it.

 

Third, prosperity is different from what we think. Joseph thought prosperity was everything going well without any difficulties. But the Bible says, "Everything that the Word of God refines you with is prosperity." The Bible calls even the moments of worry and joy because of the Word, the moments of conflict, hardship, effort, and tears, prosperity.

 

The moments when you worry because of the Word, the moments when you rejoice because of the Word, the moments when you struggle, have a hard time, toil, and shed tears because of the Word, the Bible calls prosperity. Even the moments when you are troubled and feel lost because you want to live by this Word but cannot, are moments when the Word is refining you. Prosperity is not just the moment when the Word makes you victorious, nor is it just the moment when the Word causes you to fall, but all the moments when the Word refines you. It is calling the moments when gold is put into a hot furnace to be melted down, 'prosperity.' It is not prosperity when God brings you out as gold, when you come out as a lump of gold, but even the moments when all the impurities within that lump of gold burn, smell, and decay—for the children of God who know that the Lord is fulfilling His promise—all those moments are called prosperity.

 

A Life Where the Word is Fulfilled

Prosperity is thus the fulfillment of God's Word. The life of you, a child of God, is a life in which God's Word is being fulfilled. No one lives according to their own will. You might think you are doing whatever you want, but that is not true at all. The Bible says it, not me. It says that among us, 'no one lives for himself, but all live for the Lord.' Do you really do that? For whom did you eat yesterday? For whom did you come to worship this morning? Sometimes it seems like we are doing things for ourselves. But the Bible says, 'No. You may think you are living for yourself, but even in those moments, the Word is refining us.' That is why you are a prosperous person. Would you like to say it after me? "I am a prosperous person." Because the Word is being fulfilled in me too.

 

The Meaning of God Being With Us

Now, just one more thing. It is because the phrase 'God is with us' and 'prosperity' appear together. The phrase 'God is with us' is repeated many times in this text, but we tend to take it too lightly. We think of it like a predictable fairy tale. 'Of course, God is with us, do not fear or be dismayed. I am your God. Didn't I say I would be with you?' It is easy to think that way. It's like the end of a fairy tale where Snow White and the prince meet, the poison apple falls out with the prince's kiss, she wakes up, and they 'lived happily ever after.' Have you ever really experienced that? 'They lived happily ever after' is not the story after marriage but before it.

 

Doesn't 'and then the war finally began' sound more accurate for what comes next? I think if I were to write the next part of that story, it would be like this: 'Now, as the prince was taking Snow White on the horse, Snow White asked, "Why do I have to ride in the back?" and jumped off. The prince jumped off to find her. They ran away to the very end and had a big fight. Then the prince begged for forgiveness and barely got her back on the horse. This time, he put Snow White in front.' Isn't that more like the truth? Happy ending? Well, I don't know. All the fairy tales we know end with 'happily ever after,' but at the wedding hall, we all know. Everyone except the bride and groom at the wedding knows. 'Oh, boy, this is just the beginning.' Only the bride and groom think that is the end. 'Finally! We are finally married.' They don't know what they have gotten into. Only we know. Those of you who are married have gone through the same thing.

 

It happened to you and me. The same was true for Jacob. God promised him in Genesis 28, "I will be with you." It took him 20 years to return to that place. During that time, he 'was spun around,' a phrase those who have served in the military know well. 'Spun around' means to suffer by going around in circles in the same place. He went through great hardship in his life for 20 years. But the Bible says he prospered. "I will be your God. So I will deliver you from hardship and make things go well for you." No. For Joseph, "I will deliver you" became "I will send you to prison." But do you know what 'being with' means? "But I will go with you to that prison. I will be with you as a slave. I will be with you as a prisoner. And I will be with you when you later become the prime minister."

 

God's Unending Love

The phrase 'God is with us' is by no means a happy ending story where a single problem is solved, or where He even prevents us from going to prison, or where He protects us. God being with us is a never-ending story. It is the beginning of God's unending love story. It doesn't end with marriage but with the promise, 'From now on, I will truly love you. I will be with you no matter what happens.' He will never stop refining us, and He will teach us forever. He will reveal what His love is forever, and you will learn who God is forever. Until when? You will know God forever, even in heaven. You will know what His love is like. You and I will never have a dull moment in heaven. Because we will learn about His love every day in an unspeakably deep, deeper way, and we will love it, and we will be moved and rejoice because of it. There will not be a single moment to be bored, because God will strengthen you, give you life, and make you capable, thankful, and praising, even in heaven, with the words we have shared today: "I will make you a source of blessing. I have prepared a kingdom for you," and the promises, "I will return, and I will make you a ruler with me over this entire universe."

 

God's Word does not disappear just because it is heaven. It will be eternal. The Lord's promise to love you will be eternal, whether you go to heaven, to all nations, or to ten million nations. His love will be eternal. This Word that makes us so strong, the one who became flesh, is none other than Jesus Christ. That is called Immanuel. 'God is with us.' It was finally fulfilled in Him. The Lord says, "I will never leave you. I will never forsake you." How did that happen? It was possible because God abandoned His beloved Son for us. Because God abandoned His Son, He gained us, and therefore He will never let us go. God can never let go of your life, your being, these moments, and all the trials and pains you go through, which He exchanged for His own Son. It is so clear that you are so precious and are a being that God can only value most highly.

 

The Unshakable Foundation of Faith

What you believe in, what we consider prosperity, cannot protect you. A life that goes well and smoothly, a successful life, can never protect you. Just as it could not protect Joseph, his success in Potiphar's house could not protect him. The success you are hoping for, the idea that 'if only I get this, if only I get a good job, a good wife or husband, or a good house, if our bank account gets a little bigger, if I earn more money,' none of that can hold on to you. God's Word holds on to you. The Word, Jesus Christ, holds on to you. In sadness and despair, in the difficult moments of disappointment in yourself, whether in prison or in a field, in moments of loneliness and solitude, and even in the final moments as you approach death, the Lord is with you. Since the same Word that refined Joseph is alive in you, may you again realize that the life you live with the Lord as a citizen of that kingdom is the most valuable, and may your heart pound, your eyes brighten, your hands and feet gain strength, and may you run with Him.

 

Let us pray.

 

Lord, we thank you that your never-ending love, that never-ending love story, is with our hearts and in our lives. We will be with you, Lord. Just as you have never denied us, please help us to walk this path without denying you. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.