Joseph’s brothers sell him as a slave. While being a slave, Joseph is sold to Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials and then ends up in prison. Everywhere Joseph goes, so goes the presence of God.
“ The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.” Genesis 39:2-6
From the time Potiphar put Joseph in charge of his household, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian, because of Joseph. Because God was with Joseph, everything Joseph did was blessed. The blessings of God were not contingent on Potiphar but on Joseph. Potiphar is getting a taste of who God actually is because Joseph’s life is lived in God. There is this passage in Ezekiel 47 where Ezekiel is having a vision. He is shown this river that is coming from the entrance of the temple. This river flowed all the way to the ocean. Everywhere this river went it brought life and healing. The trees were lush and the leaves brought healing.
Jesus talked about a river of living water in John 7:37-39, “Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. “
We who believe have become the temple of God. That picture of the river flowing from the temple is a picture of you and me. This picture of Joseph is a picture of us. We are the light of the world. We go where it is dark and bring light. We go to those who are thirsty and give them something to drink. We are carriers of the glory of God. Everywhere we go, so goes the glory.
Joseph got thrown in prison for something he didn’t do. But here was the reality beyond the circumstances, “But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 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. 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.” 21-23
EVERYWHERE you go, so goes the God of all glory! Come on somebody!