Introduction

Good day to all! Let us examine Genesis Chapter 39. The theme of this chapter can be succinctly summarised using the original words of the Bible: The Lord was with Joseph, and he prospered in all he did. The particular strength of this chapter lies in Joseph's exemplary conduct, demonstrating that no circumstance can sever the presence of God with him.

In our past Bible studies, we often emphasised personal blessings, mistakenly believing that blessings are the central theme of the Bible. In truth, the presence of God is the paramount theme. The presence of God is of utmost importance. If one does not recognise the significance of God's presence, they become anxious in the face of adversity and resort to discerning good and evil as soon as circumstances change, despite lacking the qualification to do so.

For instance, some individuals react negatively to those who treat them kindly and seek to edify them. They return home agitated, struggling internally, and constantly reminding themselves not to discern good and evil against the pastors. I tell them, you are not even qualified to discern good and evil! Why discern good and evil when others intend to edify and treat them well? If they still discern good and evil when treated kindly and with the intention of edification, to what extent would they discern good and evil if sold into Egypt? This is not merely partaking of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; it is consuming a truly evil fruit!

Joseph Values God's Presence

From the events following Joseph's sale into Egypt, it is evident that Joseph valued God's presence. His sale into Egypt was a stark reality. Was his future entirely ruined? This was not akin to being sent to Egypt for university studies, but rather being sold into slavery, devoid of self-ownership. Such a situation would lead anyone to despair.

Yet, Joseph miraculously refused to discern good and evil, even as a slave in Egypt, lacking self-ownership. Imagine the pain of remembering his brothers selling him into Egypt. Amidst the pain, he realised: I live to fear God! Therefore, I must not discern good and evil, for discerning good and evil leads to death. He valued God's presence, knowing that discerning good and evil is wicked, leading to suffering.

Joseph believed this was God's doing, that God had sent him ahead to Egypt to fulfil his dreams, to become a blessing to his family, even surpassing the blessing of the firstborn. Joseph rejoiced whenever he considered this as God's doing, and suffered whenever he thought of his brothers selling him into Egypt.

It would be deceitful to suggest that Joseph felt no pain. He was treated like merchandise, brought to the slave market for purchase. Once bought, he was taken home like an object. With ropes binding his hands to the saddle, he had to follow the horse's pace. Even when exhausted and falling, he had to continue, enduring hardship along the way. As a newly arrived slave in Egypt, he certainly did not become a slave overseer immediately. He would have been bullied and suffered much.

Whenever he faced hardship, he would think, if not for his brothers selling him into Egypt, he would not have suffered so. However, the Bible glosses over these hardships. Despite the hardships, Joseph refused to discern good and evil. In fact, Joseph was truly qualified to discern good and evil. Yet, many who are not qualified insist on discerning good and evil. Therefore, we must value God's presence and resolutely refuse to discern good and evil.

One hardship followed another. Just as things were looking up, he was falsely accused by his mistress and imprisoned. Who could withstand such trials? Joseph truly did not seduce his mistress. He refused her advances and was instead imprisoned. Even then, he refused to discern good and evil.

Therefore, I encourage everyone to constantly remind themselves that they are not qualified to discern good and evil, and to cease misusing and abusing the term! Joseph was imprisoned for refusing to take advantage of his mistress. As a slave, he still had some hope, but as a prisoner, he saw no prospect of release. Yet, he continued to refuse to discern good and evil. When can one withstand discerning good and evil? Only when one believes in God's work, that everything is in God's hands, that no one can deprive us of God's presence, and that no one can deprive us of God's good plans for us. Only faith can withstand discerning good and evil. Without faith, it is all empty talk.

In prison, Joseph might have shared a cell with gang leaders, high-ranking officials in the Emperor's court, or even martial arts experts. Joseph undoubtedly suffered in prison, but he refused to discern good and evil. When you refuse to discern good and evil, God is with you. Only by valuing God's presence can one overcome, for the future lies in God's hands. Most people would ask: Why is this happening? Such a question implies dissatisfaction with the present situation. But Joseph saw everything as good, believing that God was fulfilling His good plans, that God would exalt him among all peoples, making him the saviour of his family. Thus, God was with Joseph.

Many have lost God's presence because they incessantly consume the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They eat voraciously despite lacking the qualification. If they were qualified, who knows how much they would consume! Joseph's story often inspires me. Without valuing God's presence, one cannot persevere. It is truly wonderful to have God's presence in life! Without God's presence, one cannot survive. When wronged or aggrieved, one can only believe that it is part of God's good plan.

Indeed, it is God's good plan. If Joseph had discerned good and evil at that moment, he would have lost God's presence. Sold into Egypt as a slave, God was with him because he refused to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Falsely accused and imprisoned, he continued to refuse to discern good and evil, valuing God's presence regardless of his qualifications.

Others Can See God's Presence With Joseph

And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. (Genesis 39:3-4)

Joseph's refusal to discern good and evil resulted in God's presence, which others could clearly see, making him a man of God. Not only did he become a man of God, but everything he did was blessed. Whatever he was entrusted with, he would do well. Initially, he was a mere slave. The slave overseer saw that this young man was exceptional, never discerning good and evil even in the face of great adversity, and thus favoured him. If you are a manager in a business or department, you would despise those who are idle and meddlesome, fond of discerning good and evil. It is particularly annoying when those unqualified to discern good and evil still do so. God's presence with a person emanates from within. A person who refuses to discern good and evil is universally loved. Others could see that the Lord was with Joseph, and whatever he did prospered, which is truly remarkable.

A sister shared with me that she is a store manager. Above the store she manages is a flagship store with several times the customer traffic, yet her store's performance is several times better. I mentioned this sister when I last spoke about Genesis 39. Over the years, she has been constantly pastored and transformed, from being unqualified to discern good and evil, to being qualified but choosing not to, and now becoming increasingly prosperous.

When she was assigned to manage this store, its performance was mediocre. However, after she took over, its performance grew exponentially. At times, her store's hourly sales equalled the entire day's sales of other stores in the same mall. For some reason, people start queuing up before the store even opens in the morning. With God's presence, the sales soar. Of course, do not become complacent, as complacency can diminish God's presence.

In fact, business and work are both wondrous things. A small business owner in Singapore opened a shop selling handmade noodles, and it did exceptionally well. He attributed his success to his skills, claiming that his noodles would sell well anywhere, even if the landlord raised the rent. However, when he relocated, the noodles stopped selling. It was actually related to the property's blessing, not his skills. Another scenario is when a blessed person takes over a store, and the sales soar. Conversely, when a cursed person takes over, the sales plummet. Therefore, it is evident that God's presence in a person is clearly visible.

The Master Will Be Blessed Because of Joseph

You may be an employee, but God is with you, and whatever you manage will be blessed. The reason I keep saying you must have Mingding Doctrine is because without Mingding Doctrine, there is no blessing. Mingding Doctrine is believing that God has a wonderful plan for us. Walking in God's will, fulfilling what God says, and living for God, serving God is the purpose of our lives. Some people say they have heard me say these things countless times. Do not think that I will be discouraged if you complain that I have said it countless times. Even if I say it N+N times, people may not necessarily take it in. Brothers and sisters must have Mingding Doctrine; Mingding Doctrine is not outside, but inside. Live for God all your life, reject the knowledge of good and evil, value God's presence, and people will see that God is with you. Even in the place where you are, your master will be blessed because of you.

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. (Genesis 39:5)

If you let Joseph help with stock trading, that would also be good, because he will surely be blessed in whatever he does. It is good to be such a person, but it is not easy. Even if you suffer, endure hardship, struggle, feel uncomfortable, are wronged, and framed, you cannot discern good and evil. The environment cannot take away God's presence. If God is with us, what do we need money for? We ourselves are money! Some people say that I am talking without knowing the pain, then who will pay their expenses? In fact, many times God provides for my needs and the needs of my co-workers through my hands, and everything prospers. So, instead of passing on the path to prosperity and blessing to everyone, it is better to pass on Mingding Doctrine to everyone and lead everyone onto Joseph's path.

We must begin to know how important God's presence is. Doing everything smoothly and being blessed is what it means to be a blessed person. Not only are you blessed, but your master is also blessed. Jacob shepherded Laban's sheep, and Laban was not worthy of blessing but was blessed. Here, Joseph's master Potiphar was also not worthy of blessing, but God did it anyway. Really benefiting from being close to a blessed person is truly benefiting.

I wish everyone could be like Joseph. Do not think that if someone has God's presence, you can rely on them to be blessed. That shows you have not learned, have not learned the key. Every time I talk about Lot, Abimelech, and Laban, their blessings are second-hand, which is useless. Can we be like Jacob, Joseph, first-hand people with God's presence? Do not think that since the master is blessed because of him, you should also get a Joseph to follow. Such blessing is not very meaningful; having God's presence is what is meaningful!

God's Presence Makes People Beautiful

Brothers and sisters, you must know that the Bible does not consider it a good thing for people to be ugly. Just saying that people are beautiful inside is a bit hard to see clearly. Some time ago, I often talked about "pastor's wife face" not being very beautiful. Of course, not all pastor's wife faces are like that; do not discern good and evil with me.

Why is it called pastor's wife face? Once, I had something to ask a pastor for help. Before I could say a few words to the pastor, the pastor's wife came out with a fierce look on her face, which was quite frightening. The pastor, who was just talking to me, immediately became speechless when he saw the pastor's wife's expression.

If you do not know what "pastor's wife face" is, look up the portrait of Empress Dowager Cixi online. People who discern good and evil every day have twisted hearts, how can their faces be good-looking? Those who are qualified to discern good and evil will definitely discern good and evil. Even if they are not qualified to discern good and evil, they will invent some qualifications to discern good and evil. As soon as they discern good and evil, they feel uncomfortable in their hearts, and their faces are distorted. As the saying goes, the appearance comes from the heart. Such people grow to look like they discern good and evil. I ask everyone, do you want to become beautiful? If people are not beautiful inside, they cannot be beautiful outside!

So, there is a lot to learn from the matter of not being very beautiful. Later, I found that the brothers and sisters among us have become more beautiful, and it saves money. It is actually because they no longer discern good and evil in their hearts, and they no longer struggle all day long when they encounter things. A few days ago, I praised one of our sisters for becoming more beautiful. Her face used to be covered with pimples, but now her face is clean and smooth. When asked what skincare products she used, she said she did not use any, but relied on God. She used to discern good and evil very seriously, but now she has become more beautiful. This is because God's presence can make people beautiful, which is really great!

Rebekah, Sarah, and Joseph were all beautiful, which shows that God's presence is very important. So, stop smearing things on your face blindly. If you are going to smear something, smear some of God's presence. Buying God's presence is better than buying skincare products. God's presence can become the best and most beautiful skincare product! If the heart is dirty, the face cannot be good-looking. Some people like to make trouble, but it is better to get some of God's presence. Although Joseph was a slave and had no money, because he himself was money, having God's presence is more valuable than money. With God's presence, he himself is the best skincare product. Being in a good mood is the most beautiful thing!

Have Reverence for God in Your Heart

And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? (Genesis 39:7-9)

Having reverence for God in your heart is very important. The mistress harassed Joseph all day long, flirting with him, but she did not succeed. So she intensified her efforts and wanted to try other ways to force him to submit. The mistress offered herself again and again. It was the legendary situation where it is easy for a woman to pursue a man, but how many people can resist such a thing? But Joseph was too powerful, because he revered God in his heart and could not let God's presence be destroyed!

And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. (Genesis 39:10-12)

Everyone must be careful, do not think that not taking advantage of an opportunity is foolish. Joseph revered God and valued God's presence very much in his heart. You must know that God is with people like Joseph, because he has God in his heart. Some people become weak at the sight of money, women, food, and legs, and cannot resist anything. Today, there are too many temptations in the world that we cannot resist, but we must not do things that offend God. Discerning good and evil and not believing in God are both offenses against God. It is a tragedy when a person does not have reverence for God in their heart.

In any case, God was with Joseph, and he prospered in all he did. Do not think that this is just talking about Joseph, it is also talking about us. If we can imitate Joseph, God will be with us, and we will prosper in all we do. The prerequisite is that we must have this faith in our hearts. Do you believe in your heart that no one, nothing, and no environment can take away God's presence, and only your choice can destroy God's presence? If everyone can figure this out, having God's presence is infinitely good.

And she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth. And she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice: And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled forth. And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home. And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me: And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled forth. And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled. And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison. (Genesis 39:13-20)

The mistress wanted to rape Joseph, but Joseph refused. Even if his clothes were snatched, he had to run! How much courage does it take to do this? If he did not have faith in God, he would not dare to do this. Just thinking about it is scary. The mistress said that Joseph was molesting her. Where could Joseph reason? These things were not what Joseph wanted to encounter, but he encountered them. He was even falsely accused by the wicked. Who would believe that the mistress would molest a slave?

The master was very angry when he heard this, feeling that he trusted Joseph so much, but Joseph actually did this to his wife. He did not intend to ask clearly, and in a fit of anger, he put Joseph in prison. However, even so, Joseph refused to discern good and evil. Could he not feel uncomfortable after being wronged like this? Later, he named his first son Manasseh, which means that God made him forget his pain. God's presence can really make people forget their pain!

And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house. (Genesis 41:51)

When people are in pain, they must reject discerning good and evil and have faith in God. Nothing is outside of God's control. So, it is very precious for a person to have faith in God. Faith is trusting in God when we suffer injustice. Many people thank the Lord when the environment is good, but when the environment is bad, they begin to question: God, why is this? It is bad to ask this question!

Joseph could still refuse to discern good and evil when he encountered these things, and even named his child Manasseh, God made him forget his pain. God will surely make him the savior of his family, and God will surely fulfill his dreams. He always believed that his dream came from God and never doubted whether he had the wrong dream. He absolutely believed in God, because his dream came from the desire in his heart. Since he could not become the eldest son and inherit the covenant with God, he would become a person who made a covenant with God alone. God really does not care about having one more or one less person who makes a covenant with Him.

If we focus on being blessed, then whether it is being in prison or being sold to Egypt, we will not see the blessing, and we will not be able to continue. If we focus our eyes on God's presence, we can continue no matter what the environment. No one, nothing, can take away God's plan for us! When we discern good and evil, we lose God's presence. This basic principle, from Adam and Eve to today, has reached the time of Joseph, and he has become a victorious example of not discerning good and evil. The mistress wanted to rape him, so he ran away! In order to revere God, he was even wrongly imprisoned. Even in prison, he believed that God would make him the savior of his family. Later, what he believed in was fulfilled. What an extraordinary person!

So, whenever I think of Joseph's experience, it is a great encouragement to me. Compared to that, what is it that I have experienced? Every time I think of what the Lord Jesus experienced, what I have experienced is trivial. It is nothing great! I often shed tears, not because I have been wronged, but because of gratitude. Do you value God's presence today? You have to pat your chest and ask yourself!

May God bless everyone!

Genesis Chapter 39 Scripture

39:1 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.
39:2 And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
39:3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
39:4 And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
39:5 And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.
39:6 And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.
39:7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.
39:8 But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;
39:9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
39:10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
39:11 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.
39:12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
39:13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,
39:14 That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:
39:15 And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled forth.
39:16 And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.
39:17 And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:
39:18 And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled forth.
39:19 And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.
39:20 And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
39:21 But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
39:22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.
39:23 The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.