Lessons From Prison

Feature 4 – February 2019 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Lessons From Prison

In this article we want to consider two men in Scripture who were in prison and the lessons we can learn from them.

Lessons From Joseph
“But the LORD was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison” (Gen. 39:21 KJV).

Joseph is the first man in Scripture who is spoken of as being in prison. His story begins in Genesis 37, where we learn many important details. We read that Joseph was loved by his father (v.3) and, because of the sins of his older brothers, he became the appointed heir of the family (1 Chr. 5:1). These are two reasons why he wore the coat of many colors. While his father loved him, we read that his brethren hated him (Gen. 37:4). Joseph then had some prophetic dreams (vv.5-10). As there were no written Scriptures at that time, God sometimes spoke to people through dreams. Dreams that God gave Joseph told of his future exaltation and glory. When Joseph told these dreams to his brothers, they became angrier towards him. One day Jacob, Joseph’s father, sent him to his brethren to see how they were doing. Joseph willingly went (vv.13-14), displaying his obedience.

In all this we of course see a wonderful picture of our Lord Jesus. He could say in His prayer to the Father in John 17, “Thou lovest Me before the foundation of the world” (v.24). He is not only the Creator of all, but He is also the appointed heir (Heb. 1:2). As in the story about Joseph, we see the Father sending His blessed Son into this world and the willing obedience of the Son of God: “I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which sent Me” (Jn. 5:30).

What kind of reception did Joseph receive when he found his brethren? “And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him” (Gen. 37:18). In a similar way, what reception did our Lord receive here? “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not” (Jn. 1:11). In the words of a parable that the Lord told: “They said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance” (Mt. 21:38). Joseph’s brethren threw him into a pit and then sold him to the Midianite traders who brought him to Egypt. There he was sold to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt (Gen. 37:28,36).

Why Was Joseph Sent To Prison
We read that in Potiphar’s house, “the LORD was with Joseph ... And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand ... and he [Potiphar] made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand” (39:2-4). If we were putting together Joseph’s life we might have thought that this was a great ending to the account. His brothers rejected him, but he finally had a good turn of events and landed a good job in Potiphar’s house, where the LORD prospered all that he did. However, this was not God’s end of the story for Joseph; He had better plans for him, but first must come a time of further testing.

In each of our lives tests will come. Will we please ourselves and deny our God, or will we please our God and deny ourselves? The test Joseph faced is very common – and how we all need to be on guard! Potiphar’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and tried to seduce him. “Lie with me,” she said (v.7). What preserved Joseph through this trial? What can preserve us through a similar test or any other? Notice Joseph’s response in verse 9: “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” He had God before Him, and he had God between himself and the temptation. This explains why Joseph was able to stand such a test in which so many others have fallen, and it is an example of what Scripture means by the fear of God.

Joseph was put in prison because of his faithfulness and purity. He was suffering for righteousness sake (1 Pet. 3:14), but it was all part of God’s plan for him. It is as the hymnwriter William Cowper (1731-1800) wrote: “God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.”

What Did Joseph Learn In Prison
What did Joseph learn in prison? He learned that the same God who had been with him in Potiphar’s house was still with him in the prison. We read: “But the LORD was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison” (Gen. 39:21). He learned that even in such a horrible place, the LORD was with him and working for him. The LORD gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison, so he committed all the care of the prisoners to Joseph!

Some reading this are in a literal prison. Others are passing through a “prison of great trial.” Either way, be assured that if you know the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior, He will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5). He is not only with you, but as with Joseph, He is working for you. We have a God who is so great that He is able to make all things work together for good to those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28)!

Another lesson Joseph learned in prison was how to care for others passing through difficulties. He noticed that two other prisoners who had recently come into prison were sad (Gen. 40:6). Are we sometimes so preoccupied with our own problems that we fail to notice when other people are having a difficult time? Though in the midst of a trial himself, he was also able to care for others.

Joseph learned too that God’s timing is always perfect. We find in Psalm 105:17-22 a brief summary of Joseph’s life. There we read how God sent Joseph before his people, though small in number, and then briefly of the trials that overtook him. Notice verse 19: “Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.” As with Joseph, so with us, the trial must continue until God’s time for deliverance comes. After interpreting the dreams of two fellow prisoners and asking the one who would be restored to Pharaoh’s court to plead for his release (Gen. 40), Joseph was forgotten by the man and had to remain in prison for two more years. “As for God, His way is perfect” (Ps. 18:30), and this includes His timing as well. When it was time for the trying days in the dungeon to end, Joseph was immediately exalted to the second in command of Egypt! Who could do that but our God? Joseph had to wait for His time, which is an important lesson for us to learn as well.

Coming Out of Prison
“Behold we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy” (Jas. 5:11). In spite of what we may sometimes feel when we are in the midst of a stormy trial, the Lord has a purpose and an “end” for the trouble we pass through. After Job had humbled himself in dust and ashes for his self-righteous attitude (Job 42:6), the LORD restored his family, friends and wealth (vv.10-13).

Things happened in like manner for Joseph; God’s timing had come for him to be lifted out of prison. We see that the circumstances were such that only our God could arrange them. Pharaoh’s dream and the butler’s sudden remembrance of Joseph as the interpreter of dreams caused Pharaoh to bring Joseph out of prison (Gen. 41:1,9-15). After Joseph interpreted his dreams, Pharaoh exalted him to the second in command over Egypt (vv.39-44). Joseph received a bride (v.45) and became the administrator of all the land (vv.48-49). Finally, he became the restorer and savior of his brethren (Gen. 42-45).

Certainly, as Proverbs 10:22 says, “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it”! In all this we see a foreshadowing of the glory of Christ. Yet for Joseph, before he could reach the throne, the prison and its lessons were a necessary part of God’s training. Be assured that the trial you are passing through is a necessary part of God’s training for you too!

The Apostle Paul
The extent of the missionary journeys, gospel preaching and Bible teaching work of the apostle Paul is quite remarkable. Paul wrote that “from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, [a very extensive area] I have fully preached the gospel of Christ” (Rom 15:19). He then mentioned that he was looking at the “regions beyond,” hoping to visit the believers in Rome, where a Christian assembly was already established, and then travel to Spain (v.24). Truly, he was a tremendously faithful, devoted and profitable servant for Christ.

We may wonder then why the Lord allowed such a usable vessel to be shut up in prison?

Why Was Paul Sent To Prison
Paul’s fervent love for his Jewish people seems to be the reason he ended up in prison. Although he was sent unto the Gentiles (Acts 22:21; Gal. 2:7-9), he made several trips to Jerusalem. During his final trip toward the city he was warned that bonds and imprisonment awaited him (Acts 20:22-23, 21:4,11-14). Still, he went. Bible students have debated in the years since whether Paul was wrong to go to Jerusalem at this time when he was clearly warned what awaited him; nonetheless, it is to his own Master he stands or falls (Rom. 14:4).

Another example from Scripture may help us. Many years earlier, David had a right and good desire to build the temple for the LORD. But the LORD said, in effect, “No, his son Solomon would build it” (see 2 Sam. 7:2-13). If David had still insisted on building the temple, he would have been wrong, even though that desire was right in itself.

We must submit to the Lord’s perfect will for us. It is the same if we had a desire today to be a missionary in a foreign land. If the Lord tells us, “No,” we must submit. Otherwise, even though being a missionary is a very good thing and a honorable desire on our part, it would be wrong if we went in disobedience to His will.

Perhaps this was true for the apostle Paul. He desired to see his own people the Jews saved (Rom. 9:1-3), but the Lord had sent him far off to the Gentiles. It has been noticed in Acts, that when Paul went to Gentile cities and preached the gospel, Gentiles and Jews were saved (Acts 13:42-43, 14:1, 17:4). However, when he went to Jerusalem with a specific desire to reach his own people with the gospel, we do not read of even one person being saved.

What Did Paul Learn in Prison
In prison Paul learned more of the Lord’s faithfulness and grace. While he was in Jerusalem, a mob formed that was ready to kill him. The Lord, however, still had work for him and therefore sent a Roman centurion just in time to rescue him (Acts 21:27-32). He gave Paul the opportunity to speak to the people (vv.39-40). The crowd listened until Paul shared the Lord’s words that He would send him far off to the Gentiles; then they demanded his death (22:21-22).

The next night the Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of Me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome” (23:11). Although Paul’s testimony in Jerusalem seemed fruitless, the Lord took account of it, knowing the heart of His servant. How wonderful for our Lord to appear to him at such a time with that word, “Be of good cheer.” The Lord knows the word to give us at just the right time. Notice that He also called the apostle by name, “Paul”; the Good Shepherd calls His own sheep by name (Jn. 10:3). There are multitudes of believers, but the Lord knows each of His own personally – even you and me today.

A plot was formed against Paul’s life, so Paul was sent under armed guard to Caesarea (Acts 23:12,23-24). God had a purpose in this, for He makes the wrath of man to praise Him (Ps. 76:10). It was so Paul could give testimony before the Roman governors Felix (Acts 24:24) and Festus, and then before King Agrippa and Bernice (26:1-29). Hence, the rulers of this world were brought to hear the glad tidings of salvation. Our God in His grace used Paul’s imprisonment so these people could learn how to be saved. He desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4).

Paul was taken from Caesarea to Rome (Acts 27-28). Because of the difficult sea voyage, he again had opportunity to give testimony of the true God to whom he belonged, and also to learn again of our Lord’s faithful care. The Lord sent an angel to reassure him that he must reach Rome, and for his sake, all onboard the doomed ship on which they traveled would safely reach land (27:22-25).

Finally, Paul reached Rome (28:16). When he wrote 2 Timothy he was in a Roman prison, awaiting trial and execution. The apostle said that at his first defense, no man stood with him. He stood before Caesar alone. “Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthened me” (2 Tim. 4:17). What a wonderful word! He felt he was in the lion’s mouth (v.17), no doubt a reference to Caesar and an allusion to Daniel in the den of lions (Dan. 6:16), but the Lord stood with him. All human support failed, yet his Lord did not fail him in his hour of need. What a lesson for us! We may feel during times of trial that others whom we look to for support fail us. However, our blessed Lord Jesus will never fail us! He will stand with us even when others do not. Paul was very soon afterward martyred, and we do not doubt that the Lord stood by him then too, as he fell asleep “through Jesus” (1 Th. 4:14 jnd).

Summary
May we be encouraged that whatever our trial may be – in the family, our workplace, the local Christian assembly, or in prison – the Lord has a purpose in it, and He will not forsake us in the trouble. He is with us and He is for us!

By Kevin Quartell