Prepared By Providence In Prison; The "Hidden" God, Part IV (Gen 40:1-23)

Genesis 40:1-23; Key Verse: 40:23

"The chief cupbearer...did not remember Joseph; he forgot him."

Prepared by Providence in Pharaoh's Prison. A nice title with alliteration is "(Joseph) Prepared by Providence in Pharaoh's Prison." Defining providence, the Westminster Larger Catechism says, “God's works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful, preserving and governing all his creatures and all their actions.” The important words are "'preserving' and 'governing' all his creatures and all their actions." The providence of God is something that governs all the actions of men, even their thoughts.  Acts 17:18 says, "In him we live and move and have our being." Dt 30:20 says, "For the Lord is your life." Job 12:10 says, "In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind." Dan 5:23 says, "God...holds in his hand your life and all your ways." Do you learn to see the God of providence in the details of your daily lives, especially when you confront disappointments?

The "Hidden" God, Part III: Joseph's Temptation (Gen 39:1-23)

Genesis 39:1-23; Key Verse: Gen 39:2a, 21a

"The Lord was with Joseph..."

David Patraeus, an American hero. This past week, David Patraeus, the head of the CIA, a 4 star general, a Ph.D. in international relations, and an American hero, resigned because he had an affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell, a 40 y/o wife with 2 children. Patraeus, 60 y/o (1952), has been married for 38 years (1974) and has 2 children. To his credit, and for national security reasons, he publicly acknowledged his affair and released a statement to Central Intelligence Agency employees on Nov 9: "I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair. Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours.” Nonetheless, he faced a sexual temptation common to many a man and woman through out history, and he succumbed to it. It was a temptation that Joseph encountered in today's text.