The Journey of Joseph: From Pit To Purpose

The Persecution of Joseph

Genesis 37:12–20 NIV

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.”

Genesis 37:21–27 NIV

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.

Genesis 37:28–36 NIV

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.

Introduction -

Last week we talked about what?

I remember when I went to Emmanuel my teammates didnt like me because I was a Christian ministry major and because they thought I was all good good with the coach.

Body -

Favor Can Bring Persecution

Genesis 37:19 NIV

19 “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other.

We saw last week that Joseph has favor from his father but we also saw that this made his brothers very upset.

Jealousy had taken them over and they we controlled by it

We see here that this jealousy drove them to plot to kill Joseph.

His brothers were evil men

we even see in verse that they just sat down and ate

We also see that in verse Gen 37:26

Genesis 37:26 NIV

26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?

So we see here that the Lord’s favor can bring persecution

Jesus did not promise us a life without persecution and trouble. Jesus himself died

We have to remember this when we are facing persecution. That this is normal.

But we also have to remember that we dont need to fall into the same trap of Joseph’s brothers. Jealousy can be a very powerful emotion that can drive us to do evil things so we have to keep it in check

Philippians 1:27–30 NIV

27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

Examples -

Cain and Abel

The Disciples

Why do you think God would allow Joseph to be persecuted?

Has there ever been a time when you have been persecuted because you were favored?

God Protects Us In Persecution

Genesis 37:21–22 NIV

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.

We see here that even though Joseph went through persecution God protected him i this persecution.

Reuben stood up and even planned to come back and get him

Genesis 37:30 NIV

30 He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?”

We see here that when Joseph was being persecuted God protected him in this time by having Reuben speak up

God does the same thing in our lives. He protects us from persecution

Examples

Missionaries that have been protected in persecution

Has there been a time when God has protected you in the midst of persecution?

God Moves In The Pits of Life

This would have been the lowest time in Joseph's life.

Could you imagine being Joseph in this moment. Wondering what to do. Wondering where God is.

But even in the midst of this God was moving.

Genesis 37:36 NIV

36 Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.

God was working in this to move Joseph to Pharoah. If this hadn’t of happened we know from later that his family would have starved and died.

I believe that this has some kind of representation of Jesus with Joseph being mocked and persecuted and it intern saving those who persecuted him.

We all have times when we are in pits of our life. Maybe it is because we brought ourselves there or we are there because of no fault of our own.

Sometimes It Takes Pits To See What God Is Doing

So when we are in the pits we have to look to God and see what he is doing

Example -

I was in deep depression when my parents separated

David

What is a time when you have been in a pit in your life?

How did God move in this pit?

Conclusion -

Favor Can Bring Persecution

God Protects Us In Persecution

God Moves In The Pits of Life