Forgotten but not Forsaken

Good morning everyone.

Welcome

Kids

Online

Good morning again everyone. I am so blessed and honored that I get to stand up here every week and share the Scriptures with you all. I truly appreciate everyone and the sacrifice that you make that enables me to study Scripture and then share a bit of what I have learned with you. The hardest part is typically figuring out where to draw the line. What I mean is…how much information is to much, versus the right amount of information, ya know. I don’t wanna bore you, but I do hope to drive you to study more yourself, at least occasionally.

So this week is one of those weeks where I wrestled with what do we look at specifically. Remember, we are in a series on Joseph…a series that will finish out the book of Genesis this year for us. A series that will teach us and encourage us about God’s sovereignty and how we can trust God through whatever we are experiencing. Remember what Joseph said? Last week I gave us a sneak peak to the end of the story. Joseph says,

"As for you, you meant to harm me, but God intended it for a good purpose." —Joseph

That right there gives us hope for our own futures, as well as courage to face whatever we may be facing in our present. Just knowing that God can take our mess and use it for his glory is encouraging, isn’t it?

Now…last week we were introduced to Joseph and his brothers and the dynamic they have between them. We have met them before, but last week we were introduced to a family that was filled with hatred and envy. This week we are going to see how a family that is filled with hatred and envy easily becomes a family that uses violence and deception to get their own way.

Before we dive deeper into the story of Joseph and his brothers, let me share with you a story about Collier Landry, a man whose experience highlights the painful consequences of family dysfunction

Collier was just 11 years old when his mother, Noreen Boyle, disappeared from their home in Mansfield, Ohio, in December 1989. His father, Dr. John Boyle, was a well-respected physician, but behind closed doors, their family life was filled with tension, abuse, and manipulation.

Collier had long witnessed his father’s controlling behavior and emotional abuse toward his mother. His parents' marriage was unraveling, and his mother was preparing to leave. Then, one night, she vanished. His father told him that she had gone on a trip, but Collier, even at a young age, knew something was terribly wrong.

As suspicions grew, Collier bravely came forward to tell police that he believed his father had murdered his mother. His testimony and intuition ultimately led to the discovery of her body—buried under a newly poured concrete floor in the basement of his fathers secret new home. Dr. Boyle was arrested and later convicted of murder, sentenced to life in prison.

Just like in Collier’s story, family dysfunction leads to terrible outcomes. In the story of Joseph, though, we see how God takes what man means for evil and turns it into something good. Let’s look at how that unfolds in Genesis 37.

More importantly though, today, we’re going to see how God’s sovereignty in Joseph’s life reminds us that what man means for evil, God means for good.

So let’s go ahead and open up and read the story this morning to see what is really going on here. Turn over to

Genesis 37:12–36 ESV

Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” “I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt. When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.

What a painful story to read, right? It's hard to imagine a family falling this far into dysfunction. But it’s a strong reminder of what can happen when envy and hatred are allowed to fester.

So let’s take a little time and break down what is going on here, ok.

The first thing I want us to look at this morning is how this family filled with envy, turned into a

Family of Violence (vs.12-28)

I know that sounds harsh…after all, we are talking about a pretty important group of people here, right? This is Israel after-all. So what is going on here?

Well, last week we talked about envy and malice and we talked about how envy causes you pain if you see others succeed. Well, that’s where we are in this story. You see, Joseph’s brothers were envious of him and how well he was doing in their fathers eyes. Envy is a work of the flesh that comes from the sinful heart of man. Joseph’s brothers were so envious that they sold him into slavery. They had avoided killing Joseph physically, but in their hearts some were guilty of that sin over and over again

Curious:

Now Israel effectively made Joseph a supervisor over his brothers. Remember last week he was their apprentice, and now his job is to go out and check in on them to make sure they are doing their jobs. Of course what does he find? They’ve moved…Now, it’s interesting that they have moved, and they are now more than 60 miles from home. I mean, surely there was reasonable pasture closer to home. More than that…they returned to dangerous place of Shechem where they’ve had issues before.

Of course there is another question that it seems we should ask. Why would Israel send out Joseph, his favored son, to check on his brothers that he knows hate him with this special coat on? Why wouldn’t he send out someone else, or at least send a group of people with Joseph? Well…this is the beginning of seeing how God’s sovereignty sometimes overruled human sensibility in order to accomplish his purpose. Had the brothers not gone so far, they wouldn’t have been in the trade routes that would have gotten Joseph to his destination in Egypt. Had Israel not sent Joseph, the brothers wouldn’t have had the opportunity to send him to Egypt. In other words, The hand of God was working to accomplish his purpose. This wasn’t just for Israel and his family…but for the whole world.

Conspiracy:

Now, Joseph has been traveling 4-5 days by the time his brothers see him walking towards them. They see him walking from some unknown distance away. More than likely they way they recognized it was him was because of the special coat he was wearing. So as he is walking towards them, they start to talk about what they are going to do.

You see, a combination of hatred and envy is lethal. What happens is that hatred simmers in your heart simply waiting …waiting for the spark that will ignite a firestorm of violence. Joseph’s brothers didn’t need to be tempted to harm him…they only needed an opportunity. You see, Joseph’s brothers were already violent men…some were murders, and they were skilled at deception. So…when they saw Joseph walking up, they knew they had the perfect…opportunity.

There was a conspiracy to end the trouble with Joseph, moving from killing him to selling him. Joseph’s brothers were heartless and clearly not focused on living a life pleasing to the Lord. No, they were living lives pleasing to themselves…which is why they are where they are.

However, something interesting happens…Reuben protected Joseph from the plan to kill him that they all had first. Why is that? We could say that he did that because he loved his brother…although, you know…I bet it was more out of attempting to repair a reputation with his father. Remember Rueben previously slept with his fathers wife, Bilhah. So he had likely been cut off from dad, for doing such a shameful thing…but now…maybe he can get back in with dad if he brings back Joseph alive. He becomes the hero…not the villain….maybe if he works it just right…he can become the honored first born again. Remember the deception that runs deep in this family.

Callous:

Of course then we can just see the joy on these guys faces ripping off Joseph’s robe of honor. That’s malice…Then they dropped him into an empty pit like it was nothing. This was not a jail, this was not a hole they dug specifically for Joseph. No, this would have either been a natural hole, or maybe a dried up well, or a cistern they had dug to catch rainwater. Whatever it was originally used for, it was currently dry, so Joseph wasn’t going to drown.

Did you see what they did right after throwing Joseph, their brother, into this pit? They sat down to eat…Thats dark ya’ll…I mean, Joseph’s brothers are talking about killing him, they decide not to kill him, but to throw him in this pit, presumably for him to die of “natural causes”, that way they aren’t actually guilty. They they hop down and have a meal together. Surely hearing Joseph’s begging for help as they ate.

However, hearts that have been hardened by hatred, poisoned by thoughts of murder probably aren’t going to care about the cries of their victims. Think of what happened to Jesus as the crown chanted “crucify him…crucify him” Jesus had done nothing wrong for death, yet the crowd cheered on for Jesus to die the death of the most dangerous of criminals, or those who opposed Rome…Neither of which Jesus was guilty of. However, the people, “followed their hearts” to send Jesus to the cross. Everyone is capable of doing what Joseph’s brothers are guilty of if we allow hatred to reign in our hearts.

Jeremiah 17:9 ESV

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

As they are sitting and eating their dinner, they notice slave traders…Then Judah gets the idea to sell Joseph, instead of allowing him to just waste away inside the pit. They could make a few dollars off of him. Again…this is the callousness of brothers who are not living for the Lord in anyway. Callousness is what happens when man worships himself instead of humbling himself before God.

Going all the way back to Cain’s murder of Abel and every murder since…You have man filled with a desire to be god, instead of humbling yourself before God. Violence is what happens when our godhood is threatened.

What about you? are you humbling yourself before God…or are you worshiping yourself?

But the violence in this family doesn't stop there. It’s soon followed by something even darker—deception. Look how this family is…

Filled with Deception

Now Reuben had left the brothers while they were all sitting down eating and likely discussing their joy in getting rid of Joseph. When he went to save Joseph he saw that Joseph was gone and he was pretty panicked. When you read this at first glance you will think that Reuben’s distress is due to his care and concern over Joseph…However, realize what Reuben is actually concerned about. “Where will I go?” Reuben’s concern was for himself…not Joseph.

Now, I want us to think about all of the things that have happened here. You see, one thing has led to another and no one has had the courage to stand up for what is right in the Lord. So they have captured and threw Joseph into a pit. Then they sold Joseph into slavery. Now, they will tear up this fancy robe and put animals blood on it to deceive Israel that Joseph was killed by some animal out there by himself somewhere.

I want you to think about something for a moment. You see, God is the author of this story, and sometimes there are reminders of where we have been. When Israel, then Jacob, was younger Israel deceived his father Isaac using young goats, and now Israels sons are deceiving him using a similar method.

Look at how Israel’s sons treated him. They didn’t even take him the news themselves. They sent the robe back to Israel and had him identify it as Joseph’s, and tell the story they made up. They were so filled with hate and envy against Joseph, that they didn’t have concern for their father either. Israel was devastated by this news.

Look at your own life this morning…are you being deceptive about your circumstances…either to yourself or others?

Closing:

After seeing the violence and deception that unfolded, we’re left wondering—where is God in all of this? Let’s take a moment to reflect on His sovereignty.

First of all let’s read

Romans 8:28 ESV

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

This is interesting that for the believer, God is working all things together for good. This is helpful when faced with a situation like a family that has animosity towards each other the way Israel was experiencing. You see, we know that God did not approve the hatred or deception in these men. We know that these men were responsible for their own actions.

However, God’s sovereignty allows him to work out his purposes even when people are evil. Which is good because if you don’t remember…we are all evil and selfish being who deserve nothing on our own.

Oh yeah…there’s one more thing here…It’s kind of like an “end credit scene” from a movie…everything from that story is wrapped up, and it’s a good stopping point…but then we see something else. In vs 36 we see the scene has moved from fields to Egypt and now Joseph has been sold to a man called Potiphar. Potiphar just happens to be the captain of the guard, one of Pharaoh’s chief officers.

That means that in traveling Joseph arrived safely and at the right time that Potiphar or one of his staff saw and purchased Joseph. Now, in humanistic thinking, we would say…“Wow, Joseph really got lucky didn’t he”. However, in godly thinking…God providentially brought Joseph safely to Egypt and saw to it that he was sold to one of Pharaoh’s chief officers, Potiphar. Potiphar is the “captain of the guard”, which suggests he was head of Pharaoh’s personal bodyguard (like secret service) and in charge of official executions (that will come up later).

Joseph’s story doesn’t end in the pit. It doesn’t even end in slavery either. God was sovereignly working through all of it—his betrayal, his suffering, and even his eventual rise to power in Egypt.

And what’s incredible is that Joseph’s life foreshadows an even greater story—one that involves another Son, sent by His Father, rejected by His own, sold for silver, falsely accused, and ultimately suffering for the salvation of others. But just as God was sovereign over Joseph’s suffering, He was sovereign over the suffering of Jesus. What man meant for evil—betraying and crucifying the Son of God—God meant for the greatest good: the salvation of all who would trust in Him.

So, what do we do with this?

Recognize God's sovereignty in your own struggles. Maybe you feel stuck in a pit today—betrayed, wounded, uncertain of the future. Be encouraged: just like God wasn’t done with Joseph, He is not done with you. He is working even now in ways you can’t see.

Examine your heart. Joseph’s brothers let their hatred and jealousy grow to the point of sin. Are there areas in your own life where bitterness, anger, or resentment are taking root? Is there someone you need to forgive? Before we take communion, we’re called to examine our hearts and confess sin before the Lord (1 Corinthians 11:28).

Trust in Christ, the greater Joseph. If you’ve never placed your trust in Jesus, this is an invitation to do so. His suffering was not in vain—it was for you, so that through Him, you could be saved and set free.

This morning I’m asking everyone to take your card and write down three things.

1. A Step of Obedience: What is one specific way God is calling you to live out your faith more fully this week? (This could be in evangelism, discipleship, or personal holiness.)

2. A Person to Pray For: Who is one person God has placed on your heart to pray for and possibly share the Gospel with? Remember they are in your mind and life for a reason. God placed them in your heart to connect with. Will you do that this week?

3. A Commitment to Spiritual Growth: What is one step you will take this month to grow in your walk with Christ? For some of you…it’s time to jump in. We have our new members interest sign up out in the lobby…there’s small groups, there’s ministry teams, jump in today to join in reading Scripture daily…what is your next step to grow deeper?

Now, I’m going to pray and we will transition into a time of communion and I’ll explain some things to you then.

Let’s pray:

Communion:

Ok, so this morning we are having communion, and we are encouraging everyone to respond to the Lord’s prompting in prayer and action.

So, in a moment we will all come up and place your commitment cards in the baskets and then take your communion elements back to your seats. As you are ready, you will receive these elements and and continue in pray for your friends and neighbors.

Additionally, I would also encourage you to come forward in prayer or commitment to the Lord. The alter is open and myself and the Elders are here ready to pray with you. Simply walk up and spend a moment with the Lord, or walk up to an Elder and ask one of us to pray with you.

After a bit of time, we will close this time out by having the worship team come up and lead us in our final song of the morning.

Now, let’s talk about communion and why we do this.

Talk about purpose of communion