Today, we’re going to talk about Joseph. I want to start out by talking about the life of Joseph and dwell on the hardships he faced. So, let’s start with this:
Genesis 41:38-44 NKJV
And Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?" Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you." And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt." Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph's hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, "Bow the knee!" So he set him over all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh also said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt."
Now, this doesn’t seem like a hardship, does it? Becoming the second most powerful man in the
kingdom isn’t much of a hardship, but let’s look at the circumstances of his
life before this.
Genesis 37:3-4 NKJV
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.
At the beginning of his life, his father makes him the
favorite son. He bestows blessing on his life and makes Joseph’s brothers very angry.
This is an example of ENVY. His brother’s hated him and plotted against
him, just like Cain plotted against Abel.
There were some other issues, like Joseph bragging that he had had two
dreams that someday he would rule over the family. That just added to the envy.
Genesis 37:18 NKJV
Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him.
They planned to kill him.
Reuben tried to save him, by convincing them not to kill him but to
throw him into a pit, but then:
Genesis 37:25-27 NKJV
And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. So Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh." And his brothers listened.
If we kill him, there’s no money in it, but if we sell him
into slavery, we make money and he’s out of our lives. They all agreed to this, even Reuben. His heart wasn’t into saving Joseph like he’d
said only that he wouldn’t have to explain it to Jacob.
According to “The Timeline of History” Joseph was seventeen
at the time. He’s sold into slavery in
Egypt and separated from his family. He
enters the service of Potiphar.
Genesis 39:1 NKJV
Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there.
Potiphar’s trust in him is so complete that he turns over
everything to him. Joseph is in charge of it all. Everything he has is placed
under Joseph’s authority. Potiphar believed in him because he saw the hand of
God in all that he did.
Genesis 39:2-4 NKJV
The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 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 served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.
But Potiphar had a wife: She was the only thing that wasn’t
turned over to Joseph. Potiphar’s wife saw something also in Joseph. She wanted
him and tried to seduce him. But Joseph resisted her charms. He didn’t want to
betray Potiphar. He didn’t want to sin against God, and so he fled from her. In other words, he
did the right thing. Potiphar’s wife was angry, she was bitter, and she accused
Joseph of rape. He was sent to prison.
Genesis 39:19-20 NKJV
So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, "Your servant did to me after this manner," that his anger was aroused. Then Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.
Sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely accused of rape
and sent to prison. The Bible tells us
that God is with him, but look at what has happened in his life so far. What would you be thinking if you knew God
was with you, but all these bad things were happening? What’s next for Joseph?
Genesis 39:21-22 NKJV
But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing.
In prison, the Bible tells us again that the Lord was with
Joseph. He’s suffering! God is with him
and yet he’s suffering! How many times
have we seen that? Christians losing
their jobs, even though they’re in the will of God. Christians becoming ill, or family members
passing away, even though they’re serving God.
God being with us is no guarantee of a trouble-free life. In fact, many times our serving God, or being
in His will is a catalyst to assaults from the devil.
Pain, trouble and turmoil always come from the devil. The
devil has no desire to give you a happy life. Unless making you happy and
content with your life is the thing that will keep you from the Gospel. He’s
only nice to us if it will move us away from the will of God for us.
The next thing is that Joseph was put in charge of
prisoners. Two of Pharaoh’s servants
were put into the prison. They both had
dreams. Joseph interpreted them
correctly. The first was the King’s
butler, and he was restored to service of the king. Joseph asked him to remember him to
Pharaoh. The other was the King’s baker
and he was executed, both according to
Joseph’s interpretation of their dreams.
Genesis 40:21-23 NKJV
Then he restored the chief butler to his butlership again, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand. But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Joseph remained in prison. He was sent to prison because he
did the right the thing. Because he refused to sin, he’s being punished. When
bad things happen to us, often, we think that God is punishing us for some
misdeed. As a pastor I’ve heard that so many times, “I don’t know why God is
punishing me.” But here’s Joseph, he’s done the right thing and he’s stuck in
prison. God isn’t punishing him. What reason would God have to punish him, he’s
been nothing but faithful and righteous.
What we’re seeing here is a strategy of Satan. It’s a strategy designed
to wear us down and cause us to doubt God. Think about this for a
moment. What was Satan’s lie to Eve?
Genesis 3:2-5 NKJV
And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' " Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
“'You’ll not surely die,' God lied when he said that. God’s a
liar. 'He knows that in the moment you eat of it you’ll be like him.' God wants
to keep you down. He doesn’t want you to be like him. He doesn’t want you to
have wisdom." Eve began to doubt God. That’s what the devil is trying to do to
you. “These things you’re going through, that’s God punishing you. He’s not a
gracious God.”
It's now been about
thirteen years since Joseph was sold into slavery. He’s thirty years old now. That’s a long time to be suffering, isn’t
it? This isn’t the end of the story,
though. The Lord has been with him the
whole time, look at what finally happens:
Genesis 41:14-16 NKJV
Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it." So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace."
Pharaoh has a dream he doesn’t understand. Finally, the baker remembers Joseph and tells
Pharaoh that Joseph can interpret dreams, so he calls Joseph out of prison and
tells him the dream. After that he gives
Pharaoh some advice:
Genesis 41:33-36 NKJV
"Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine."
Pharaoh hears the advice and likes it. Then this happens:
Genesis 41:39-41 NKJV
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you." And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt."
This slave, this accused rapist, this prisoner is elevated
to be the second most powerful man in Egypt – The most powerful nation in the
world at that time!
All of this makes me think.
Throughout the Biblical record of Joseph’s life, we kept hearing and the
Lord was with Joseph. When he was hated
by his brothers, the Lord was with him.
When he was a slave in Potiphar’s house, the Lord was with him. When he was in Prison, the Lord was with
him. Even though the Lord was with him,
Joseph went through horrendous difficulty, but in the end he becomes the
governor of Egypt.
Did you ever think that what we go through is God preparing
us for a future that we may not see or understand. As I’ve said before God is incapable of doing
evil. Only good comes from God. All of the things that Joseph endured led to
the plan of God playing out in his life. It may be just as true that the things
you endure may be the things that bring about God’s plan for your life. The
devil may mean these things for evil but God means them for good.
Genesis 50:20 NKJV
But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
Joseph has an understanding of God’s purpose and plan for
his life and how God brings it to pass.
Romans 8:28 NKJV
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
All things work together to bring God’s purpose to light in
our lives.
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