The Life of Joseph | God Meant it for Good

Dr. Wayne Harrell, Senior Pastor

The Life of Jospeh: God Meant it for Good • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

Genesis 37

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I am so excited to begin this journey through the life of Jospeh. We will learn from his life - all about trials, temptation, guilt, hardships, forgiveness, and so much more.

I want you to get one to the study guides and keep your message outlines and notes and you can plan to come to my small group where we will take an even deeper dive into the study. Sunday @ 5pm.

Well - i am not that big of a TV watcher. I can watch maybe 2 hours before I am restless and feel like I am wasting my time. BUT - this series is so full of things that make TV shows popular. You’ve got deception, liars, family issues, hate, love, sex, and so much more. I want us in this series to learn that TV means something other than Television.

I want us to learn that TV stands for TOTAL VICTORY - because as we go through this series you will see that no matter the situation - God is working things out for our victory. We may find ourselves in trials, troubles, and turmoil - but GOD IS IN CONTROL and He is working it out for our God and more importantly - FOR HIS WILL AND PLAN. We will see that in the life of Joseph and also learn how that aligns with out life right here and now.

SO - What does TV stand for? TOTAL VICTORY.

Background on Joseph.

Birth to Seventeen years (Genesis 30:24-37:2)

During this time Joseph's family was in transition - everyone was unsettled, they were all on the move. There was an amount of hostility growing as his family clashed and feuded in jealousy and hatred.

Seventeen to Thirty years (Genesis 37:2-41:46)

The next portion of occurs as Jospeh reaches his young manhood. It appears that his life is becoming out of control. It is filled with enslavement, unfair accusations, and imprisonment.

Thirty Years to Death (Genesis 41:46-50:26)

The last eighty years of Joseph's life are filled with prosperity and reward under God's blessing. He had the perfect opportunity to get revenge on his brothers, to ruin them forever, but Joseph refused and instead chose to bless, protect, and forgive.

As we begin the series through the life of Jospeh, pray that God will open your eyes and hearts to the knowledge that when we face difficulties and think we have been forgotten and want to give up - what others meant for evil, God meant it for good.

We must remember that through JACOB - Josephs father would come DAVID would come. Then CHRIST the Messiah. GOD’S PLAN is VICTORY.

BACKGROUND:

Joseph was the favorite - why? He was son of the woman (Rachel) that Jacob loved the most - He was married to sisters - Leah & Rachel.

Joseph was the youngest.

Jacob was a passive father - and we will see the devastating effects of passives parenting later in the series. this leads to great issues within the family : resentment - hostility - hatred - and even the plan to get rid of the object of Jacob’s favoritism, Joseph.

1. JOSEPH DESPISED

Genesis 37:1–11 CSB

1 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. 2 These are the family records of Jacob. At seventeen years of age, Joseph tended sheep with his brothers. The young man was working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought a bad report about them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons because Joseph was a son born to him in his old age, and he made a long-sleeved robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not bring themselves to speak peaceably to him. 5 Then Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 There we were, binding sheaves of grain in the field. Suddenly my sheaf stood up, and your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 “Are you really going to reign over us?” his brothers asked him. “Are you really going to rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and what he had said. 9 Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 He told his father and brothers, and his father rebuked him. “What kind of dream is this that you have had?” he said. “Am I and your mother and your brothers really going to come and bow down to the ground before you?” 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

THEY HATED HIM! Maybe you’ve been there - the goodie -goodie sibbling that you just wanna punch in the face. Well these brothers took it to the next level.

PEOPLE - v1-2:

JOSPEH was the first born son of JACOB & RACHEL

Jacob had worked seven additional years after Laban had deceived him on his wedding night. Jacob sent Joseph to see how his ten brothers were faring as they kept the flocks.

PROBLEM v3:

Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son.

It is wrong for parents to love one child more than the others. I am sure no parent in this place has a favorite child. It is assumed that he was the favorite not only as the youngest, and child of rachel - but because jacob was such a passive parent. The good kids are easy to parent and are often the favorite.

PITFALL v4

Because Jacob loved Joseph more than the other sons, they became jealous and hated Joseph.

Later we shall see how this hatred led to problems.

PROPHECY v5

let’s go ahead and make things worse - The golden child Joseph now confront his brothers with a dream that they will all bow down before him.

God spoke to Joseph by dreams in which future events were revealed. The dream of the sheaves of wheat bowing to him, as well as the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowing to him, were a prophecy of how his brothers would later bow before him.

PERSECUTION v11

Because of jealousy and hatred, the brothers had a very poor relationship with Joseph.

Jacob knew what was going on yet looked the other way - it is not the first time, not the last time Jacob will do this, and the results are always awful - this is a picture of PASSIVE PARENTING. Knowing there is an issue and choosing not to address it.

What might have happened had Jospeh manned up and addressed the issue head on?

2. JOSEPH DEPORTED.

Genesis 37:18–28 CSB

18 They saw him in the distance, and before he had reached them, they plotted to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Oh, look, here comes that dream expert! 20 So now, come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal ate him. Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!” 21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to save him from them. He said, “Let’s not take his life.” 22 Reuben also said to them, “Don’t shed blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him”—intending to rescue him from them and return him to his father. 23 When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped off Joseph’s robe, the long-sleeved robe that he had on. 24 Then they took him and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty, without water. 25 They sat down to eat a meal, and when they looked up, there was a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying aromatic gum, balsam, and resin, going down to Egypt. 26 Judah said to his brothers, “What do we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come on, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh,” and his brothers agreed. 28 When Midianite traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took Joseph to Egypt.

PLOT

v18-20

The brothers planned to kill Joseph. Jealousy and hatred lead to murder

BROTHERLY PROTECTION

v21-24

Reuben - the oldest brother, saved Jospeh from being killed.

They decide in stead to put Joseph in a pit - something like a huge open well. - such great brothers - right? They thought they had the perfect plan to get rid of their problem, Joseph.

we cannot go through life just throwing our issues, and problems in to a pit. (while Joseph posed no real problem for the brothers other than being the favorite) many of us have real issue, real problems, real struggles, that we attempt to deal with be simply avoiding them (passive attitudes) We cannot just toss them aside like they never existed - they always have a way of coming out of the pit until we deal with the once and for all at the foot of the cross of Christ and find restoration and deliverance.

SAY THIS WITH ME: Passivity is our ENEMY.

God wants to restore you, and bring you out of the pit - you do NOT belong there - You belong at the King’s table. AMEN.

I bet they had no idea they were playing right into the dream Joseph had, nor the Plan God was working out for the good of a nation, a people, and even our own salvation.

PRISONER

vs 25-28

Joseph was sold as a slave into Egypt for twenty pieces of silver.

Typology -the study of types and similarities.

TYPOLOGY: You will learn about typology in the home / small group study. Many think that the life of Joseph and the life of Jesus mirror and in many ways they do. This makes Joseph a type of Christocentric typology.

So far we can see:

They were both the object of the fathers special love, had devine exaltation, mocked by family members, and sold for silver.

Joseph was sold for 20 pieces of silver

Jesus was given over to the chief priest for 3 pieces of silver. Both turned over by people they trusted and were close to -

Both are sold desiring death.

The weight of the brothers wrath was placed on Joseph and the weight of the sin of the world is placed on Christ Jesus.

Jealousy leads to many sins. Jealousy is of the devil. Jealousy often leads to PRIDE -

Isaiah 14:12–14 CSB

12 Shining morning star, how you have fallen from the heavens! You destroyer of nations, you have been cut down to the ground. 13 You said to yourself, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will set up my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of the gods’ assembly, in the remotest parts of the North. 14 I will ascend above the highest clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”

Satan being jealous of God allowed pride to swell in his heart to make these claims. We do this every time we think our way is better than God’s way. When really - we need to learn to trust God - the master, creator, and sustainer of the universe. He can handle it! Our lesson - Our song - GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU. BE NOT DISMAYED WHATEVER BE TIDE - GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU.

3. JACOB IS DECEIVED

v29-35

All this plotting - all the hate - all the jealousy - all the contempt - had festered and they made the plan, they took action, they got rid of Joseph. Now out of the frying pan and into the fire - they’ve gotta get a plan for what to tell daddy.

They can’t just walk in an say - hey dad - your kid that we never liked, Joseph...well he ain’t coming back no more. HE GONE DADDY! No. it had to be a perfect and believable lie.

SORROW

v29-30

Reuben, the oldest son and the leader of the family, returned to find Joseph gone.

He was filled with anger and sorrow, knowing how it would hurt his father.

He rips his clothes - he heart is hurting. Not for his brother, not for his sin, but because Reuben knew how this would effect his father. He asks his brother - NOW WHAT?

SIN

v31-33

Sin. no matter if public or seemingly hidden is a problem that must be dealt with.

Romans 6:23 CSB

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 3:23 CSB

23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;

Sin can come dressed in deception. Pay close attention to this last point.

Note how jealousy, hatred, and lying are connected to each other

SADNESS

v34-35

Jacob was filled with sorrow when he heard the lies that Joseph had been killed by an animal. His sons tried to comfort him, but Jacob refused to be comforted. Jacob, who had sinned by deceiving his brother, was again suffering like treatment.

Recall Jacob and Esau - Jacob gained the blessing of his father through deception. (Gen. 25-27) This was the BEKHORAH - the prophetic wish for fertility, and dominion.

NOW - Jacob has fallen prey to the same type of deception. THIS IS NOT KARMA. Please Christian - stop using that word. IT IS GOD WORKING ALL THINGS OUT FOR THE GOOD OF THOSE THAT LOVE AND SERVE HIM.

Jacob even goes so far as to say - This is killing me (I’ll go in the grave) and he refused any comfort from family. HE thought he had lost the one most precious to him.

Satan works by deception. from the garden of eden until this very day. He is the deceiver.

You may be convinced that you have plenty of time left to live for God, to come to Christ for salvation. The word of God says - You have an appointment and you do not know when. Satan has deceived you.

You sin is not that bad - Deceived.

It will all get better if you just forget it in the pit - UNTIL IT CREEPS OUT. Deceived.

God is calling you today to freedom, to life out of the pit, to a life of joy and understanding. A life where, even in difficulties like those Joseph has already encountered - we can trust that GOD IS WALKING WITH US - THAT GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU.

You may feel this message fits you perfectly:

You feel Despised - You have a friend that stick closer then a brother, that will never leave or forsake you - His name is Jesus.

You may feel DEPORTED - like no one loves you, like you are in a foreign land. Remember - as a believer you are in a foreign land. This world is not home. You may even feel as if you are a slave to something.

Some sin has you in its grips - you can break free right now through the power of the Holy Spirit and in the name of Jesus. Sin has no hold on you. Find your freedom today.

Maybe you feel deceived - life is not what you thought it would be. Nothing seems to be going right. Today you can ask Jesus to restore you, and remind you that what the world has meant for evil - God has meant it for GOOD. Come to jesus - He is the Way the Truth and the Life. To the one that is ready to give up, the one that is so tired - listen to what Jesus is telling you. Matthew 11:28

Matthew 11:28 NKJV

28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Come to Jesus.

TODAY - can be the day that you need to come to Jesus and lay down your life and accept salvation. Do not put it off. There is no promise of tomorrow, Joseph had no idea he was about to be thrown into the pit - and you have no idea when we will face the grave. Make sure you have a relationship with God before it is too late.

Romans 10:9 NKJV

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:13 NKJV

13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

I WAS in a restaurant having lunch and it came time to pay the bill. I asked the waiter to come over and bring me the bill. He left only to come back a few minutes later and declare that I had no bill. He told me that somebody else in the restaurant had picked up the tab. Now, I would have been a fool to sit there and argue with the waiter. I would have been a fool to not accept the gift. All I could do was say thank you. I showed gratitude for a price that had already been paid. God wants us to accept His gift. He has paid our tab. Some people are fools because they refuse to accept God’s free gift. The price of salvation has already been paid and God’s Son has picked up the tab.