Joseph, the Meek One

READ Genesis 37:12-24

PRAY

Introduction

Everyone loves a good cinderella story. The unexpected rise to success or fame. Having someone go from low and counted out to on top just feels good, right?

Stories like that give us hope that theres still good things that can happen in bad times. Or that maybe the same thing could happen for us…

If you’ve ever seen the movie Cinderella or been read the story, you know what I’m talking about. A girl thats treated very poorly ends up marrying the prince. What began as unlikely ended up become true.

Tonight is the last time we’ll be in Genesis in this series. We’ll see in our text that the account of Joseph, Jacob’s son, is the first and best cinderella story. We dive into this story where Joseph is being unfairly treated simply because of his dad’s favoritism and his Heavenly Father’s revelation to him.

Joseph’s brothers didn’t like what was happening so they decided to punish him for it.

The title of my sermon tonight is Joseph, the Meek One We’ll look at our text in two sections: Dreams and Obedience and Meekness.

Dreams and Obedience

Justin preached last week on Jacob…how he wrestled with God and was in fear of Esau…and how all of this ultimately pointed to our Savior, specifically praying in the garden of Gethsemane in agony over what was to come because of our sin.

We fast forward now to Moses writing about Jacob’s sons (he had 12 of them). We pick up earlier in chapter 37 with Joseph and we’re told he’s 17 years old, not much older than you guys.

Verse 2 says he “brought a bad report” about his brothers to their father, Jacob. You’ve heard of “snitches get stitches” before? That’s basically what ends up happening!

But, that doesn’t mean that Joseph didn’t do the right thing. His brothers weren’t doing what they should’ve been and he reported this to his father, like he should’ve.

There’s things that some of you saw in school today that you should’ve told your parents or teachers about. Or that YOU should’ve stepped in and stopped. There’s stuff maybe YOU did that you should’ve told your parents about.

Fights, pictures on social media, gossip, bullying.

Saying “snitches get stitches” is a way to scare people out of doing what they ought to do: shine light in the darkness. I’m not saying you should tattle tale on everyone, but what I am saying is, if you’re a Christian in the room, being Christ like is standing up for whats right, even if that means losing some friends for it.

Now, Jacob loved Joseph more than his brothers. And he clearly showed it. Jacob gave Joseph a robe of many colors, he didn’t give something like that to any of his other sons. This is part of what led to Joseph’s brothers hating him so much.

Joseph also was given two dreams. No, not the kind of dreams where you start to fall and jolt yourself awake…but dreams given by God. How do we know these were given by God?

Because this was consistently seen throughout the Old Testament as something the Lord would use and Joseph’s dreams would clearly be seen to come true later on.

These dreams that Joseph shared with his family foretold his eventual rise to power as the 2nd most powerful man in Israel. Imagine, for those of you with older siblings, that you went to them around the dinner table and told them “yeah, I had a dream that you’re going to bow down to me at some point.” Hows that going for you?

This of course upset his brothers and family…very much so. Scripture actually says his brothers HATED him for sharing the dreams God gave him…

You may lose friends if you stand up for the gospel…maybe you won’t, but its a very real possibility. You may get made fun of, rejected, outcasted…by maybe friends or even family members!

Students, you need to decide today who you want to please with your life: humans or God? Let me tell you, there is only One’s approval you need, and it was bought for you on the cross.

Its in verse 12 where we Joseph’s obedience. While his brothers are out in the field, he goes out to check on them at the command of his dad. He gets some help along the way and eventually catches up with his brothers.

Remember what just came before this? His dreams! Predicting that his whole family would be bowing down to him! And what is Joseph doing? Obeying his father. He’s honoring his father.

Are you? Or do you ignore your parents? Do you listen to what they ask of you or are you constantly challenging them?

My awesome daughter Shiloh gave me a hard time about reading her bed time story last night…I know what y’all can be about!!

This may seem like a small point to make, but its important. Because you only have two main jobs in life right now: obey/honor your parents and be a good student, learning as much as you can. This is a good gift from God, don’t waist it!

Meekness

Once Joseph reaches his brothers is where we see meekness. His brothers see him coming and begin to plot his downfall. They want to get rid of him once and for all. Even how they describe him just feels villain like and evil.

Joseph’s brother Reuben steps in with a sort of half-baked plan (Alex Duke) and says they shouldn’t kill him, they should just throw him into a pit…so he can rescue Joseph later.

So, they end up ripping of Joseph’s robe and throw him into a dry pit. It goes from bad to worse for Joseph when a bunch of people come his brothers way and Judah has the bright idea to actually make some money off their little brother.

They end up selling him into slavery, Joseph is off to Egypt, and his brothers make it look like they killed him. This of course makes Jacob super upset, thinking his beloved son is gone.

Something you may not have noticed here is what Joseph is recorded to have said during all of this mess…….NOTHING! He said nothing. No back talk that we know of, no wrestling his way out as far as we know, just meekness.

I’m absolutely NOT saying that you should let someone do this to you whatsoever. However, I do think we could learn from Joseph in how we should trust the Lord’s plan, even in the midst of suffering.

The fact is, some of y’all back talk us leaders just when we ask you to put your phones away! I love y’all, but you know its true.

Here’s a point you can take away here: obedience costs something….Pastor Chad preached this last Sunday. If you’re going to follow Jesus, its going to cost you everything! For Joseph, it cost him being abandoned by his brothers! He was just trying to do what his dad told him to!

Joseph goes on to suffer well in Egypt. He remains pure in the face of temptation, he trusts the Lord’s power, and rises all the way to second in command in all of Egypt…which was huge!

Genesis 41:37–40 “This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. 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.””

This all sets him up to be able to bless his brothers and family when a hard famine (lack of food) hits the land.

I love you guys too much to stand up here and lie to you and tell you that God is setting each one of you up for MORE BLESSING. That’s simply not true. Don’t fall into that terrible LIE that God simply wants you rich and successful, you just gotta believe hard enough.

The TRUTH: if you are His tonight and are going through a hard season, or when you go through a hard season, God is working everything, ALL of it, together for your good.

What’s the good? Making you MORE LIKE CHIRST JESUS YOUR SAVIOR! It’s HIM we’re after, only HIM we’re satisfied in…

Maybe you’ve walked in here tonight with a ton of baggage. Your home life is really messy. Your parents keep fighting. That bully won’t leave you alone. Maybe things are just hard right now. Trust that God sees and is over all of it. He knows what He’s doing. He has you.

Maybe you don’t follow Jesus tonight and you feel the weight of all that stuff. Please, repent and believe in the gospel tonight, in the finished work of Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.

This Jesus who has purchased our salvation is the true and better Joseph!! There may not be a more clear picture of Christ in all the OT.

Jesus was completely obedient to His Heavenly Father. Like Joseph was apparently silent while being thrown into a pit and sold, Jesus was silent like a lamb before the slaughter on His way to be crucified. Jesus was sold out by Judas, a disciple close to Him…Joseph was sold out by his brothers!

Joseph resisted sin in the face of temptation, Jesus resisted sin perfectly when tempted. High up governmental officials recognized Joseph’s power…Pilate recognized Jesus was something special. Joseph ends up receiving his brothers and forgiving them for what they did to him. Jesus purchased our forgiveness with His own life.

Jesus is the true and better Joseph. Joseph’s very life recorded in the very first book of the Bible points us clearly to the Messiah who has come.

Conclusion

I have to end with highlighting one of my favorite verses in all of Scripture. Joseph had welcomed his whole family, including his brothers, into Egypt and provided them with what they needed.

His father Jacob eventually passes away and his brothers now think Joseph will punish them for what they did to him. They go to their brother and proclaim that they are his servants. Here’s how that Joseph responded: Genesis 50:19–20 “But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

What the brothers meant for evil, God did not turn around for good. No, He meant their actions for good. God did not respond to their actions, He was sovereign over them.

God is sovereign, completely in control. Over Joseph’s life, over the plan for the Messiah to come, and over your life. Take comfort in that tonight.

PRAY