This message was preached by Colin D via zoom Word of Grace Church, on Oct 18th 2020. For the audio please click here.. For the worship please Click here
It is an amazing truth! How is God working for
our good during bad things? How does He work disappointment and distress for
our good and for His glory? Let’s look at it in the life of Joseph.
Jacob leaves Canaan with nothing, but he
returns with a lot of things. Jacob is a transformed man and God changed his
name to Israel. The hostility between the brothers also ends.
Genesis
37
These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old,
was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah
and Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to
their father. 3 Now Israel
loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of
his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father
loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak
peacefully to him.
We
see that Joseph is born into a dysfunctional family. His father loved and
favoured one child over the rest. The difference in his treatment of Joseph is
obvious and so the brothers did not like him. Then we see the prophetic in his
life.
5 Now
Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even
more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I
have dreamed: 7 Behold, we
were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood
upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my
sheaf.” 8 His brothers said
to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?”
So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
Then
he had another dream
“Then he
dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have
dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing
down to me.” 10 But when he
told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to
him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother
and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of
him, but his father kept the saying in mind.”
This
is his initial life. In Genesis 37:18-36
How
can we see Jesus in here? Joseph was a shepherd loved by his father just like
Jesus. Jesus was also hated by his brothers. Joseph spoke his future
sovereignty, his robe was stripped out, was sold into slavery, etc and we see
many parallels to the life of Jesus.
Sometimes
it is our family and the people closest to us who will misunderstand us. Why
did these bad things happen to joseph? Was God with him? Even in the midst of
the difficult situations we are going through, we know he is working out
everything for our God.
Joseph
is faithful and remains faithful in the coming chapters as well.
Genesis 39: 1-2
Now Joseph had been brought down to
Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an
Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him
down there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in
the house of his Egyptian master.
Even in the darkest of situations, God did not let go of
Joseph. The plans he has are to prosper you and not to harm you. Joseph was
faithful to his father, and was faithful to Potiphar. He entrusted more to
Joseph as he saw his faithfulness and that God was with him.
“From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over
all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for
Joseph's sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had,
in house and field.”
Joseph’s presence in that house brought favour to the entire
house as well as the fields. When we are faithful with what God gives us, he
will bring blessing for our sake to the companies and colleges and institutions
we work at.
Joseph was tempted in this situation with Potiphar’s wife. What
is his response?
Verse 8-9 “Behold,
because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he
has put everything that he has in my charge. 9 He
is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me
except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness
and sin against God?”
Joseph must have been very disappointed in life. But his
disappointment did not lead him to disobey God. We can be many disappointments
in life, but the test is – will we be obedient to God even in our
disappointment.
Then a second time Joseph loses his cloak and it put him once
again into a pit – verse 19-20 “19 As soon as his master heard the words that
his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was
kindled. 20 And Joseph's
master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the
king's prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison.” Now he is not just a slave but a slave
prisoner.
Psalm 105: 17-18 “he had sent a man ahead of them,
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.18 His feet
were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron;”
If there was a time for disappointment, this would have been
it. But God is with him even in there as it says in verse 21“But the Lord was
with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight
of the keeper of the prison.”
No matter what you are going through, God is with you. Be
faithful in what He has called you to do? Joseph became a servant, became a
blessing, he resisted the temptation, was falsely accused, attempted no defence,
was cast into prison even though he was innocent – there are a few things that
mirror the life of Jesus as well.
God gave Joseph success in whatever he did.
2 notable prisoners – the baker and cupbearer were also in
the same prison. Both of them had dreams and Joseph takes note of the faces of
the people. Both of them share their dreams and he interprets them with the
help of God and then he says “Only
remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention
me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house.” But when the cupbearer was
released “Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot
him.” For another 2 years, Joseph was in
the prison. But God is sovereignly at work in all the details of our life.
God raises us, Joseph, later on and the Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge. In Gen 41:42 “Then
Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand,
and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about
his neck.” This is the third time we see that Joseph received
Joseph was numbered with the transgressors – Jesus was
crucified on the cross with the criminals. Joseph pronounced judgement on one
of the prisoners and blessing on the other – Jesus did the same on the cross.
Joseph was stuck in the prison for another 2 years and Jesus also was sent to
the grave before God raised him up.
We can be disappointed and dejected in life, but what is
important is how we behave. When we are forgotten will we continue to remember
God, knowing he has our lives in His hands. God’s purposes are greater than we
can imagine. God used Joseph’s life to protect and preserve the lives of His
people.
Let’s be people who don’t take offence and misunderstand people.
Let’s pray.
No comments:
Post a Comment