Joseph in Egypt: God’s Providence for His People

Intro

That is where we pick up our story today.

We are not going to talk about whole lot on this year’s theme, but rather focus on God’s providence in our lives which will lead Pastor Rick to go over how the story unfolds, showing us reconciliation within God’s community.

We are going to look at God’s provision in three parts

God’s Providential Care in Joseph’s Integrity

God’s Providential Care in Joseph’s imprisonment.

God’s Providential Care in Joseph’s exaltation.

In doing this, we will be looking at a theology word that we call providence. So let me define that for you.

Providence means that God is always in control, guiding and providing for everything in the world, even when we cannot see it. He uses all things—both good and bad—for His good plan, especially to care for His people.

To put it another way…

1. God rules over everything.

2. God provides what we need.

3. God works through all events to fulfill His plan.

4. Even when life is hard, God is still working for our good.

Key Bible verses to support this:

• Romans 8:28

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.

Matthew 6:26–27 ESV

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

• Proverbs 16:9

Proverbs 16:9 ESV

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.

We could spend an entire sermon on each of these verses, but for an introduction of this sermon, just know that God is active in our lives, providing for what we need when we need it

So, with all of that in place, let’s take a look at our first point.

1. God’s Providential Care in Joseph’s Integrity

Genesis 39:1–6 ESV

1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. 5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field. 6 So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.

As the story continues, Joseph, now in Potiphar’s house, was a trusted servant, and everything he did prospered because the Lord was with him.

Potiphar recognized this and put him in charge of his entire household.

However, Potiphar’s wife took notice of Joseph and began to make advances towards him.

Day after day, she urged him to sleep with her.

How did he respond to this great temptation?

Genesis 39:8–9 ESV

But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”

She, being an evil woman refused to accept this.

One day, when no one else was in the house, she grabbed Joseph’s cloak and demanded that he lie with her.

Joseph fled, leaving the cloak in her hands.

Angered by his rejection,

she falsely accused him,

claiming that he tried to assault her.

She held up the cloak as "evidence" of his wrongdoing and told the story to Potiphar when he came home.

Potiphar,

Was furious and had Joseph thrown into prison, where the king’s prisoners were held.

But even in prison, the Lord was with Joseph.

The warden took note of Joseph’s abilities and made him responsible for all the other prisoners, seeing that everything Joseph did prospered.

Teaching:

You see, Even in the darkest situations, God was with Joseph.

His integrity did not depend on his circumstances but on his trust in God.

We have seen example after example this year of these Heroes of our faith both failing, and being victorious in the face of temptation.

The lesson that keeps coming Up in these stories is that these real historical people failed when they lacked faith in God’s provisions and had victory over temptations when their faith in God’s provision was strong.

Joseph didn't give in to temptation.

He made a stand because he knew that his faithfulness to God was more important than his immediate comfort or success.

Joseph knew this simple fact both in his head and in his heart.

Too often we know this in our head, but we allow our circumstances or desires to harden our hearts to the knowledge that joy is found in God’s glory, not sinful desires.

We know it does not lead to joy, but we fall for it over and over again.

We fall for it because our flesh is weak

We fall for it because we desire the temporary satisfaction

We fall for it because sometimes we rely on our own strength over the providence of God.

So we see Joseph’s integrity due to his faith, but there’s another important lesson here

As we talked about a few weeks ago when discussing Abraham, God's providence doesn’t always shield us from difficulty.

Too often we equate things going well with God’s favor and things going wrong with God’s disfavor.

That is not how God works however.

Often times, bad times will come upon even the righteous.

But that does not mean God is absent during our trials.

That does not mean God is not working through our bitter times.

What man means for evil, God uses for Good,

and God gives us what we need to stand firm during these times and even have joy within it.

That leads us to our second point.

2. God’s Providence in Joseph’s Imprisonment.

Genesis 40:1–8 ESV

1 Some time after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their lord the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody. 5 And one night they both dreamed—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own interpretation. 6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” 8 They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”

Brief Story Recap (Gen 39:14-41:13, summarized):

The cupbearer tells Joseph his dream,

which Joseph interprets as a prediction that in three days,

Pharaoh will restore him to his position.

Joseph asks the cupbearer to remember him when he is freed.

The baker then shares his dream, which Joseph interprets as a prediction that in three days, Pharaoh will have him executed.

Just as Joseph had said, the cupbearer is restored to his position,

and the baker is executed,

but the cupbearer forgets Joseph.

Two full years pass, and Pharaoh begins to have troubling dreams.

He dreams of seven fat cows being eaten by seven skinny cows,

and seven healthy ears of grain being consumed by seven withered ears.

Pharaoh is troubled and seeks an interpretation, but none of his magicians or wise men can explain the dreams.

Finally, the cupbearer remembers Joseph, and Pharaoh summons him from prison.

Joseph is brought before Pharaoh and listens to his dreams.

Joseph tells Pharaoh that the dreams are one and the same,

a prophecy of seven years of plenty in Egypt followed by seven years of famine.

Joseph advises Pharaoh to store up grain during the years of abundance to prepare for the coming famine.

Genesis 41:37–45 ESV

37 This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. 43 And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

Teaching:

"Joseph’s time in prison seemed like a setback,

but in God’s timing,

it was part of a much bigger plan.

God was using the cupbearer’s forgetfulness,

Joseph's imprisonment,

and Pharaoh’s dreams to set the stage for Joseph’s rise to power.

Sometimes, God’s providence means waiting in a place we don’t understand, but we can be assured that He is working, even in the waiting."

But that can be hard can it not?

"We all go through seasons of waiting.

It can feel like we're stuck in the dark,

unsure of what God is doing,

but just as God’s plan for Joseph unfolded at the perfect time, God is working His plan in us, even when we don’t see it.

I know in my life, God has over and over again provided for me and my family in miraculous ways that has allowed us to worship Him.

But again, this provision has not happened on my time table.

Often times,

his provisions is comes through at the last second when all seems lost,

but this only help strengthen my faith and trust in Him.

A story I love telling because I still worship God for it, comes from when I was 18.

Tell story, keep it short.

What stories of God’s timeful providence do you have in your life?

I encourage you to share them with people this week as both an encouragement and an act of worship to the one who provides.

But maybe you are still waiting for His provisions.

You are waiting for that…

promotion,

That child you desperately desire

Or maybe a spouse.

For some, maybe you have been waiting and praying earnestly for these things and G has not yet provided.

My encouragement to you, and to myself even, stay strong.

Don’t stop believing in the providence of God who brings forth whatever we need at the moment we need it.

It may not be in the manner we wanted it, or in the time frame that we wanted it, but praise God that His providence is wiser and greater than our desires.

Broader Church Application:

As we see God’s providence in this Story and in our lives , we also see The church, as a community, serves as a living reminder of God's providence.

We share stories of how God worked in our lives during difficult seasons.

We encourage each other to trust that God’s timing is always right, and that even when we face hardships, He is at work in us and through us."

And that leads us to our third point.

3. God’s Providential Plan in Joseph’s salvation.

Brief Story Recap (Genesis 41:14-56) summarized):

In Genesis 41:14-56, Pharaoh, calls for Joseph after the cupbearer remembers him.

Joseph is quickly brought from prison to Pharaoh.

Pharaoh tells Joseph about his dreams, and Joseph responds that only God can interpret them.

He then explains that the dreams are actually one and the same—

seven years of plenty in Egypt will be followed by seven years of severe famine.

Joseph goes on to advise Pharaoh to appoint a wise and discerning man to oversee the collection of food during the years of abundance so that Egypt will be prepared when the famine strikes.

Impressed by Joseph's wisdom,

Pharaoh not only acknowledges the interpretation but also appoints Joseph to be second-in-command over all of Egypt.

So Joseph prepares during the time of plenty for the coming time of famine. He creates store houses across the land, and stored so much food that they could no longer measure it all.

That leads us to verse 53

Genesis 41:53–57 ESV

The seven years of plenty that occurred in the land of Egypt came to an end, and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.” So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.

Teaching:

"Joseph’s promotion wasn’t just for his benefit.

It was part of God’s larger plan to preserve not only Egypt but also the family of Israel.

This is an important distinction,

lest we see God as someone who is there to make us great,

make us powerful,

or to just give us what we want as long as we are obedient and patient.

The other extreme is to see God as a cruel puppet master who only cares for Himself and allows us to suffer in the process.

The reality is, yes God cares deeply for His Glory, as He should.

But in that, He also cares deeply for us.

The two are not at odds with each other.

In fact, what we find throughout scripture, as well as our lives, is that our joy and God’s glory are very much intertwined.

We see Joseph in a horrible situation, but we don’t see Him groveling in prison.

He continues to worship God and is staying in fellowship with Him so that God speaks to Him through other people’s dream.

This is the faith that had the apostles worshiping God JOYFULLY after being arrested and beaten for the shake of Christ.

This is the faith that has people worshiping God after they lose everything in a fire or other disaster.

This is the faith that led Joseph to save lives,

including the lives of his own family,

despite the deep betrayal they had caused him.

Pastor Rick will speak on this next week, but through the saving of his family, God’s promise to the world of a Satan crusher who would come through the lineage of Jacob was able to be fulfilled.

In the middle of it all, there was no way for Joseph to see all of this, but God used it all for His Glory, and provided for Joseph even during the hard times.

Conclusion: Trusting God’s Providence in the Church Community

Final Teaching:

"Joseph’s life is a powerful example of God’s providence.

From being betrayed by his brothers to being exalted as a ruler,

God was working in ways Joseph could never have imagined.

And just as God’s providence was evident in Joseph’s life,

it is at work in our lives and in the life of the church.

We may face trials,

we may not understand the process,

but we can trust that God is at work in every season.

The church is a community where we encourage each other to trust God’s providence and live out His purpose for our lives."

One practical way we can do that is through praying together.

A regular part of our corporate worship here at Hutong is getting together to pray for each other after the message.

So I encourage you to get into groups of 3-5 people around you and pray together, worshiping God for His providence in our lives, and praying for strength to in faith as we wait for His perfect timing.