"Joseph" (1) - Genesis 37

“It’s Not Over”

Illustration about not quitting.

Principles:

God’s Word is Perfect and will bring us through the storms

God will be present in the midst of a storm

God is working to prepare us for something greater.

Read Genesis 37.

1. Joseph’s Story

a. Joseph’s Family Dynamic

Genesis 37:1 KJV 1900

1 And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

His father’s influence caused Joseph and his brothers to settle into the ways of Canaan. They lived and loved the things of the world.

1 Peter 2:11 NKJV

11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,

Mike Stone said, “What you permit, your kids will prefer, and their kids will practice.”

Do you live like a stranger in this world?

b. Joseph’s Father’s Devotion

Genesis 37:2–3 KJV 1900

2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.

He was loved by his dad.

Jacob copied — he did the same his father did. He loved one of his sons more.

He demonstrated this love by giving him a coat of many colors.

c. Joseph was Favorably Dealt With

This coat wouldn’t have allowed Joseph to do manual labor. So the youngest became the supervisor

Genesis 37:12–14 NKJV

12 Then his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” So he said to him, “Here I am.” 14 Then he said to him, “Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.” So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem.

d. Joseph had Foretelling Dreams

Genesis 37:5–11 NKJV

5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. 6 So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: 7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. 9 Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” 10 So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” 11 And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

This is God communicating with Joseph!

e. Joseph was Fervently Disliked

Genesis 37:4 NKJV

4 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.

Here’s where it gets dicey for Joseph.

2. Joseph’s Storm

Illustration about the storm

What did Joseph’s storm involve?

a. The Plan

Our enemy hates us.

They hated Joseph so much that they couldn’t even call him by name.

“That dreamer.”

Genesis 37:19 NKJV

19 Then they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming!

Then they start to plan against him.

Genesis 37:20–23 NKJV

20 Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!” 21 But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father. 23 So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him.

“let’s see what comes of these dreams.

b. The Pit

It was empty.

It was a place where there was no care for human life.

It was hopeless.

What’s your pit?

c. The Pessimism

d. The Promise