My Final Study Project - Names of God - Jehovah: Part One

Hey guys,
So at Capernwray this last year, from time to time we would do Study projects. This was when we were given a passage of scripture to read and ask God to show us what He wanted us to share with our home group. For the names of God study project, there were 4 names that different people in the home group got. Either Jehovah, Elohim, El Shaddai and Adonai. I got the name Jehovah. For the project we were also to find a story in the first 5 books, on from psalms and one from the gospels that shows God in that character to you. So here is how God showed Himself to me as my Jehovah: as my LIFE.

Genesis 39
v. 1-6 "Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. The LORD was with Joeseph, so he became a succcessful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. Now his master saw that the LORD was with him and how the LORD caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he put in his charge.
It came about that from the time he made him overseer in his house and over all that he owned, The LORD blessed the Egyptian's house on account of Joseph; thus the LORD's blessing was upong all that he owned, in the house and in the field. So he left everything he owned in Joseph's charge; and with him there he did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate."

This chapter shows where Jospeph ends up after being sold by his brothers. Now if I had been sold, I'm pretty sure I would be kind of bitter, and it would take me quite a while to get over my hurt and move on. However, none of that hurt is even mentioned here. No bitterness or hurt are even talked of once. THis really stuck out to me as the first sign that God's life must be present here with Joseph.

What I think is so awesome then is that in my eyes it's almost like Joseph lost his life because He's in a whole new place. But in v. 2, it says "The LORD was with Joseph , so he became as successful man." I think the connector between those two ideas is so important. It doesn't say the LORD was with Joseph AND he became successful, it says SO. This means that the LORD's life in Joseph was thriving and so this made him successful. If it hadn't have been God's life in Joseph, things would have happened very differently.

God's Life and presence in Joseph was so evident outwardly also. Potipher, his master noticed by how everything that Joseph did prospered. It's just natural that people will usually have some things they do go well and other things not so well. But i says in v. 3 that ALL he did prospered. This would be very easily apparent.

Later on in theis chapter, Joseph is put in prison because God's life in him caused him to resist his master's wife. But he still got blamed for attacking her. But again, God appears clearly as his life because nothing is mentioned of him complaining. In v. 21 we see Joseph prospered even in prison by how God with him made the chief jailer favor him and have some freedom even in prison.

Some side principles I see in this account have to do with how we allow God to take complete control of our lives. One was at the beginning of the story when Joseph from what we know had just been sold into slavery and to me it seemed like he lost his life because he lost his life with his family. But God's life in Jospeh is apparent whereever he goes. And actually maybe by Joseph being aweay from "home", God's Life could be even more apparent. When we allow God to take control and allow Him to live in us, He is with us no matter where we go. As it says in Prov. 18:24, He is closer than a brother, especially Joseph's brothers. In Matt. 28:20, God tells us He is always with us, even to the end of the age. At all times He is perent in us.

Also, in Matt. 12:48-50, Jesus refers to His followers as His mother and brothers. So really, when God is Life in us, whoever He puts around us that are also following Him is our family. We should not let our earthly family be what we depend on for life, because Jesus is our life and the only true source of it. This is definitely something I've been learning this year. Before Christmas, I was pretty much feeling anxious, heavy hearted and gross asll the time and this was a chage for me, because at my house I was pretty much energetic and "happy" all the time. I really thought going home at Christmas would being be back to "normal". But I didn't find fulfillment there like I wanted to. I was only when I came back to Capernwray that Jesus started restoring and rebuilding me. I'm beginning to learn that He is my Life and to see that He is all I need because He, Himself IS Life. I think this is how Joseph opened himself and allowed God to live in his stead.

Another way that we can allow God to live in us and have control, is by not complaining but rather, giving thanks and trusting Him in all circumstances. Joseph never complained as far as we know and God prospered him. 1 Thess. 5:16-18 "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." In Col. 3:23 we see that we are to do our work, whatever it may be, heartily and as unto the Lord.

To end this section Gen. 45:5 "Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve LIFE."