God's Plentiful Provision - available to the exploited

People all over the world, and yes, right around the corner from us, are trapped in darkness and sin. There may be some who are here today or some who have joined us on our livestream that feel trapped - unable to get away from some sin or addiction that has control over you.

There are others in our world who are vulnerable and exploited by evil people and evil systems. God specializes in releasing us from the trappings of our own sinful decisions. I am thankful for His power that can work within us to overcome the traps of the evil one. He also offers restoration to the vulnerable and exploited people of our world.

Let’s take a look at our text this morning that introduces the story of a vulnerable and exploited individual who was able to rise above the circumstances.

Genesis 37:1–36 NIV

1 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. 2 This is the account of Jacob’s family line. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. 5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. 9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind. 12 Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, 13 and Israel said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them.” “Very well,” he replied. 14 So he said to him, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. When Joseph arrived at Shechem, 15 a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?” 16 He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?” 17 “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. 18 But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. 19 “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. 20 “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.” 21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said. 22 “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing— 24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it. 25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt. 26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed. 28 So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. 29 When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. 30 He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?” 31 Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.” 33 He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave.” So his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.

This chapter, thankfully, is only the beginning of Joseph’s story. It introduces us to one of the best known stories of the Old Testament. In today’s terms, what we have here is an early account of human trafficking. Joseph was sold into slavery by family members that he should have been able to trust - his brothers.

While in Egypt, Joseph was a slave to Potiphar, and he was further exploited when he was thrown into prison after Potiphar’s wife lied after being rejected by Joseph. But God was with Joseph even in the prison. Even in the darkest times of his life, God was still with Joseph.

When we continue on in the story, we find that God gave Joseph favor with the prison warden and later used him to interpret Pharaoh’s dream and help to provide for the people of Egypt. Having gained Pharaoh’s favor, he was given a position that was second only to Pharaoh in all of Egypt. In that position, he helped to secure provisions for all the people, and this position gave him the power to help his family. God also gave Joseph the opportunity to forgive his brothers and reconcile his family.

In the story of Joseph, we see an example of how God brought good out of a situation that was clearly meant for evil. God can bring not only deliverance, but restoration in spite of the situation.

God does not approve of slavery and exploitation. Perhaps that statement didn’t really need to be said. After all, He is a loving and merciful God. But sometimes we may read a story like this and think that God was behind the very idea of Joseph being sold into slavery. But God did not plan Joseph’s exploitation. We can, however, see in this story that God used something that Joseph’s brothers meant for evil and instead used it for good. This is not an endorsement of evil, but a testimony to God’s power to redeem and restore in spite of the situation!

Sadly, in our culture today, human trafficking touches things all around us, including the food we buy, the entertainment we enjoy, and the clothing we wear. While it may be impossible to completely avoid all things that benefit the traffickers, we are certainly responsible to avoid it when we can. There is no such thing as a victimless crime. When we act selfishly in these matters, it affects the vulnerable.

God is with people in their pain.

The Scripture reminds us multiple times that “the Lord was with him.” Even in the darkest and loneliest moments, God never abandoned Joseph. Joseph was betrayed by his family, enslaved, falsely accused, and wrongfully imprisoned, but God’s presence was always with him. Though people disappointed Joseph, God never failed him. Even in his darkest, most painful circumstances, God was with Joseph. Wherever you are, God is there with you, too (Hebrews 10:23).

God brings forth good from evil.

God is a God of restoration. What others meant for evil, God was able to use for good.

Sometimes others will try to harm us or use us for their own benefit. Sometimes they succeed. But God is never blind to our pain. God sees. God knows. God cares. God is able to bring both healing and restoration. And God can use us to bring His healing and restoration to victims of trafficking and exploitation. Over these next few weeks, we are going to look at this dark scourge that plagues our world still today. It seems that there is little we can do, but we can connect with those who are actively involved in helping to alleviate the suffering and end oppression. We can do our homework and make sure we aren’t supporting people who exploit, and we can give to those who are helping to ease the suffering. Just mark on your check or envelope “Freedom Sunday” or go to tithe.ly and select “Freedom Sunday” to give. We will keep that option available for a few more weeks. I believe that is what God would have us do.

The Communion Supper, instituted by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a sacrament, which proclaims His life, His sufferings, His sacrificial death, and resurrection, and the hope of His coming again. It shows forth the Lord’s death until His return.

The Supper is a means of grace in which Christ is present by the Spirit. It is to be received in reverent appreciation and gratefulness for the work of Christ.

All those who are truly repentant, forsaking their sins, and believing in Christ for salvation are invited to participate in the death and resurrection of Christ. We come to the table that we may be renewed in life and salvation and be made one by the Spirit.

In unity with the Church, we confess our faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. And so we pray:

Holy God,

We gather at this, your table, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who by your Spirit was anointed to preach good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, set at liberty those who are oppressed. Christ healed the sick, fed the hungry, ate with sinners, and established the new covenant for forgiveness of sins. We live in the hope of His coming again.

On the night in which He was betrayed, He took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread, gave it to His disciples, and said: “This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

Likewise, when the supper was over, He took the cup, gave thanks, gave it to His disciples, and said: “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me.” Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Matthew 26:27–29, Luke 22:19)

And so, we gather as the Body of Christ to offer ourselves to you in praise and thanksgiving. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us and on these your gifts. Make them by the power of your Spirit to be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ, redeemed by His blood.

By your Spirit make us one in Christ, one with each other, and one in the ministry of Christ to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, let us pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, broken for you, preserve you blameless, unto everlasting life. Eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.

The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, shed for you, preserve you blameless unto everlasting life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.