I Have a Dream Genesis 40-41

Intro

Tell the story

Samuel Emadi- Moses gives more time in Genesis than he does any other character—striking given the significance of the other main characters: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

While Moses keeps Joseph center stage in Genesis 37-50, God is the main actor

God is Sovereign

Define Sovereignty

Psalm 103:19 “The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.”

Sovereignty-Packer, Concise Theology, “God’s dominion is total: he wills as he chooses and carries out all he wills, and none can stay his hand or thwart his plans.”

Providence- God’s works of providence are, his most holy, wise, and powerful, preserving and governing all his creatures; ordering them, and all their actions, to his own glory (John Frame)

God’s sovereignty on display

Joseph’s ability to interpret the dream of the baker/cupbearer and Pharaoh’s dreams accurately

The magicians/wise men could not interpret the dreams/foreshadows the Exodus—God has no rivals

Genesis 41:16 “Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.””

Genesis 41:28 “It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do.”

How Sovereign is God?

He is sovereign over creation

He is sovereign over humans

God sovereignly rules over the free actions of human beings

Joseph’s brothers/Potiphar’s Wife/Potiphar/Jailer/cupbearer/Pharoah

Proverbs 21:1 “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.”

Pharoah Exodus 4:21 “And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.”

What about the Fall? If God is in sovereign why is there evil in the world?—Remember when we were going through Genesis 3 I said I would address this question as we moved through Genesis. I will, but not now/come back

What if God were not sovereign?

What if Jacob had not favored Joesph and given him a special coat

What if a man didn’t happen to find Joesph wandering around in Schechem looking for his brother, telling them they had gone to Dothan

What if Joesph went back home instead of traveling to Dothan

What if Joseph’s brothers killed him (even accidently when they threw him in a pit)

What if the band of Ishmaelite traders had not been traveling through Dothan

What if Judah hadn’t spoken up and suggested they sell him instead of killing him

What if someone besides Potiphar bought Joseph, what if his wife did not falsely accuse him of rape

What if Potiphar would have executed him instead of placing him in the royal prison

What if he was not assigned to the Baker and Cupbearer in prison, what if Joseph didn’t ask what was troubling them

What if the cupbearer didn’t speak up

What if Pharoah had not listened to Joseph and promote him

THEN THE DREAM GOD GAVE JOSEPH WOULD NOT HAVE COME TO PASS

Therefore, God can predict the future because he had ordained it

John Piper, Providence “The world and even thousands of Christians give no praise and thanks to God for millions of daily, life-sustaining providences because they do not see the world as the theater of God’s wonders. They see it as a vast machine running on mindless natural laws,”

ILL- Have you ever thought how different your life could be if you made different significant but small choices? EX-planting Redeemer

If God is not completely sovereign, the future is up for grabs.

God is Faithful

We see in the entire book of Genesis and in the Joseph story that God is faithful and keeps his covenant promises

God’s promise to Abraham are being fulfilled in Joseph: Great name, descendents, later kings will come from his offspring, land, blessing to the nations

Blessing will flow to the nations through Abraham’s seed

Potiphar

Pharoah/Egyptians

Royal offspring

Prince of Egypt- READ 41:38-44

Joseph’s rise to the royal court, is not merely God’s vindication for Joseph’s faithfulness. It is evidence of God’s unwavering commitment to restore human rule through the son of Abraham

Through Joseph God is reversing the curse through the seed of Abraham

God’s faithfulness to his covenant promise is seen through the unfolding drama of redemption

Daniel

Exile who interprets dreams, is exalted to rule, and becomes a blessing to Babylon

Daniel 2:47 “The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.””

Daniel 4:3 “How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.”

Jesus

Galatians 3:16 “Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.”

Galatians 3:13–14 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.”

God keeps his promises

Why is this so important?

Our entire life is based on the promises of God in Christ

How could Joseph remain faithful after experiencing hard providence? Hope in a God who keeps his promise!

John Webster, Christ our salvation- To keep going, people need hope: the sense that there really is a direction to life, that all those little steps of faith and love are going somewhere. Steadfast hope is about active, persistent, enduring commitment to keep going—…out of a sense that our work isn’t pointless but has its end in one thing: the Lord Jesus Christ. His coming, his presence, and his vindication gather up our works and give them a goal that sustains us when the only thing we want to do is give up.

Big Idea- Because our sovereign Father keeps his promises, we must invest our entire life in his kingdom

ILL- Imagine Logan Eitel has been your financial advisor for years. And everything he has told you to invest in has been incredibly profitable. He has a history of being able to forecast high yielding investments. And he comes to you and says, “I have an investment opportunity for you that will make your wealth beyond your wildest dreams. But to take advantage of this opportunity you have to be all in. You have to invest everything you own, not just a portion of your wealth, or even 75% but everything you have, and I promise in a couple of years you will reap the reward. Would you be all in?

I am your spiritual financial advisor, I’ve seen the future and I have an investment to offer you that will make you wealthy beyond your wildest dreams. Are you all in?

I have a dream I am investing my life upon, a vision of the future that is worthy of all I have-Did you know the Bible ends with a dream or vision of the future? Revelation is written to show God’s people that he is sovereign and keeps his promises. And if we persevere to the end, it will be worth it. For we will inherit a kingdom that cannot be shaken…

Conclusion

Big Idea- Because our sovereign Father keeps his promises, we must invest our entire life in his kingdom

Will you lay up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and were thieves do not break in and steal?

Will invest your life in the pursuit of God? Will you make abiding him in his word and through prayer a priority?

Will you invest in Redeemer, using your spiritual gifts to help our church flourish? Will you give him your whole heart, holding nothing back?

Will you invest your time, talent, and treasure in the kingdom of God?

Will you work to pass down your spiritual treasure to your children and grandchildren?

Will you give yourself to being a disciple who makes disciples?

Will you give everything you have to gain a treasure you cannot lose?

Giving your life to anything but God is a bad investment. Let us not settle for making mud pies in the slums when a holiday at the sea is offered to us.

ILL- Jordan and Hannah at Malibu Jacks in Louisville. Spent 30 dollars and had enough tickets to buy a piece of candy

Will you invest your life on the power and promise of God? You can do so knowing that your investment will yield a treasure that cannot be measured or lost, because our sovereign Father keeps his promises!