God was still there, God was still working.
Can we trust God to keep His promises and to do the impossible?
Will we trust Him?
God at work, fulfilling the promises He made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
Why Egpyt?
- God wanted the family in Egypt for about 400 years - where they could live securely, and grow from 600 persons into a nation. God would then bring them back, able to conquer the war-like tribes of Canaan.
- The Egyptians were proud and exclusive and avoided contact with other nations. In Egypt the Israelites would be formed into a separate nation.
Bright, handsome, innocent, happy Joseph the dreamer was going to play a most important part in God's great plan of redemption for all the nations of the world.
Joseph was clearly his dad’s pet - advertised by the special coat. Unsurprisingly Joseph is highly unpopular with his 10 half-brothers. (He also has one own brother, Benjamin about 4-5 years old)
Joseph’s dreams got him into trouble.
- Dreams about his brothers’ sheaves which bowed down to his sheaf and about the sun, moon, and stars which represented a future bowing down of his family to him.
- Dreams for which his brothers never forgave him and which would eventually came true.
One day…… Jacob sent Joseph along (60 miles or so!) to find out how the brothers are doing pasturing the sheep and to take them food. How easy for the brothers to spot him from far off - that multi-colour coat was a dead give away! “Look, here comes that dreamer!” Come on, and let us kill him, and throw him into one of the pits; and we will say, ‘Some evil beast has devoured him.’”
Envy grew to murder! Hatred turned every bit of warmth to stone.
But……..Reuben was not ready for murder. As it worked out, all the brothers went with his suggestion to rather throw Joseph into the pit to die. They wasted no time in carrying out the deed, after which they sat down and ate bread (!)
But God’s eye was on the boy in the dark dank pit.
Next thing, the chewing brothers, looked up and saw a caravan coming. Judah had a light-bulb moment! Let’s sell the little brat: no blood on our hands, a little bit of money - about $12. And off the dreamer went with the caravan on their way to Egypt.
Ooops they had to tell their father SOMETHING so they quickly killed a goat, dipped Joseph’s coat in the blood and sure enough Jacob surmised Joseph was killed by a wild animal. The father wept inconsolably for his son. Everyone tried to comfort him - even the two-faced brothers.
And so 20 years went past…….
Joseph was 17 when he became a slave in Egypt.
He was 30 when called from prison and soon after became prime minister of Egypt.
Joseph’s slave-life:
- Potiphar spotted him at the slave market, looked him over and paid for him. Joseph the free spirit was sold and sold again: no longer his own, no life of his own.
- Did he grapple with a sense of being wronged? How would he keep his heart free from bitterness about his brother’s treachery?
- Joseph didn't seem be be a sour, brooding and embittered man. He didn’t let the darkness into his own heart.
Joseph’s work-life
- Joseph, true and trustworthy, worked so excellently that Potiphar “left all that he owned under Joseph’s care; he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.” Genesis 39:6.
- Joseph earned his master’s fullest confidence and filled a prominent role. Did he remember his own boy’s dreams of greatness as he found himself so honoured?
Joseph’s temptation
Joseph met his temptation on the basis of pure principle. He says to Potiphar’s wife in response to all her approaches, “No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"
- Utter loyalty to his master Potiphar who had trusted him implicitly with all that he had. Could he wrong a man who put this confidence in him? Instead of treachery, Joseph ran away from her.
- Utter loyalty to God. “How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" Joseph and king David agreed that all our sin is against God and that all our wrong against others have reference to God.
Joseph in prison
- Sometimes it costs very dearly—to be true to God.
- Joseph is in prison through doing right which was nothing in comparison with what would have been the consequences—had he done the wickedness to which he was tempted.
Prison life - what blot on his CV and his young life. He could easily have thought: “So, this, then, was the reward of being true to God and to duty!”
Once again, Joseph rose to a place of honour when the chief jailer put him in charge of everything. The jailer had no further worries once Joseph was in charg.
Joseph’s secret of success.
- As a slave: ”The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man.”
- As a prisoner: “The Lord was with Joseph, and showed kindness unto him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.”
