Joseph: Turning Setbacks Into Setups

Introduction

We have all had moments in life where we have seen a promotion we felt we deserved go to someone else. Perhaps you have been involved in a relationship ending very abruptly. Maybe a diagnosis has changed things significantly in your life. Perhaps we have seen a ministry that we love come to an end. At the very least, we can likely all say that we have remained faithful to something that left us with grief or disappointment.

If we are honest, one of the hardest questions that we as God’s children sometimes wrestle with is “Why would God allow this?”. If you have wrestled with that very question, then it might resonate with you that Joseph’s story reminds us of God doing exceptional work when all we saw was distress and heartache. In today’s scripture, Joseph has the revelation that every setback he endured had become part of God’s greater plan. Sometimes God’s providence is only understood in hindsight. But before we dive into that, let’s take a look at the historical context of today’s biblical text.

Historical Context

Most historians and biblical scholars place the life of Joseph somewhere between 19th and 17th centuries BCE. The Ancient Near East during this period can be characterized by extreme political fragmentation, intense migration shifts, and a social divide between nomadic herding communities and highly fortified urban centers.

Egypt and Mesopotamia were the two anchoring superpowers at the time, both undergoing major internal changes that paved the way for foreign influence. Canaan was a loose collection of independent city-states that connected Egypt with Mesopotamia serving as a superhighway for merchants, armies, and nomadic caravans.

The social status of the time was deeply tied to land ownership, trade security, and survival against environmental threats such as famine which is the backdrop of today’s sermon scripture. There was a military revolution occurring during this era as horse-drawn carriages, composite bows, and advanced bronze weaponry were making their appearance into battles.

So the world was changing. Comfort and its associated securities were fleeting. That said, in previous chapters, Joseph and his brothers belonged to a family community that depended on one another, that is until jealousy and frustration created a coo that pitted his brothers against him, causing them to remove him from the family nucleus. Some wanted him dead, but instead, a slightly more level-headed Reuben stepped in and talked the others into simply selling him, a merciful alternative if you can call it that, so that’s what they did. God miraculously used that action to established Joseph to a place of purposeful power, and now we find him in control of much needed resources, and his brothers in grave need.

(Slide 2) If you look to the screens you will see a 1789 oil on canvas by Anne-Louis Girodet entitled “Joseph Reconnu Pas Ses Freres”, translated “Joseph, Recognized by His Brothers”. And you can see them expecting retribution from him for their evil deed toward him all those years earlier, and begging for forgiveness. This painting is part of a significant collection at the Ecole des Beaux -Arts de Pari, “School of Fine Arts” in Paris. I don’t know about you, but for me, the painting is quite striking in its rich dark tones. Even though this painting is much removed from the renaisance era, it is easy to see that Girodet was heavily influenced by that period, a style that I very much enjoy.

Setbacks Do Not Cancel God’s Calling

(Slide 3) If we were to review the life of Joseph, we would easily discover that he was much favored by his father, a favoring that obviously sparked jealousy throughout the household. While I struggle to say that this jealousy was justified, we do have to acknowledge that it is easily understood because Genesis 37:3 literally reads that their father “loved Joseph more than any of his other sons...and he made him an ornate robe”. We also learn in the same chapter that Joseph was a tattle-tell, and that he seemingly flaunted his favored status by telling them that he had a dream culminating to them bowing down before him. So I understand what is driving this jealousy and hostility towards Joseph.

So his origin story is one of high favor, and today’s scripture also shows him in a favored position, but sandwiches between the two is an unraveling as he was betrayed by his brothers, thrown into a pit, sold as a slave, falsely accused by Potipher’s wife when he resisted and rejected her sexual advances, he was then thrown into prison and forgotten about for quite some time. His life had completely unraveled.

A casual reader would review this abrupt turning from a highly blessed life to a seemingly cursed one with God abandoning Joseph, and perhaps they would justify the abandonment as a punishment for sin, maybe pointing to pride leading to his fall. They might think “well, Joseph messed up and missed his opportunity to embrace God’s calling”. Even Joseph may have wondered what he had done wrong. But the reality is that God often uses hardship to position us for His purpose. Hardship is not a punishment, it is simply a season, but these hard seasons often drive us to doubt. Yet, when God reveals a future promise, it is His truth that should be driving our faith through those difficult periods. God revealed to Joseph in a dream that he would establish him. The promises of God, even when not yet realized, should sustain our faith.

Integrity is More Important than Immediate Success

(Slide 4) Let’s go back and revisit something I’ve already revealed. We touched on the fact that Joseph rejected the advances of Potipher’s wife. In Genesis 39 we see that Joseph was gaining favor with Potiphar, so much so that he placed him in charge of his household. God had blessed Joseph with success in everything he did, and Potiphar saw that, so he positioned him accordingly. That is the natural order. Leaders place high-functioning individuals in positions of needed influence. But then we read in Genesis 39:6 that “Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man,” and that Potiphar’s wife noticed him and wanted to go to bed with him.

Who says the bible isn’t juicy at times? But Joseph, trying to honor Potiphar, rejected her advances and ran from her presence leaving his cloak behind. In anger, she took a piece of his robe and concocted a story that he had tried to take advantage of her but ran when she screamed. Obviously, Potiphar accepted the lie as truth, burned with anger, and threw Joseph in prison.

So, Joseph did the right and honorable thing toward his master, yet his reward was prison. That stings, but it’s not uncommon, is it! Doing the right thing does not always produce immediate rewards. Sometimes, obedience makes life harder before it gets better.

Friends, culture tells us we can have our cake and eat it too. It often rewards shortcuts. But God rewards faithfulness! As soldiers of the cross, integrity is a large part of our Christian witness. People should know us as honest, dependable, compassionate, and faithful. We need to understand that our testimony is strengthened by consistent character, and God will honor our faithful representation of Him.

God is Working Even When We Don’t See It

(Slide 5) Let’s go back and re-read Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good....”

So we are back to Girodet’s painting scene with Joseph’s brothers begging forgiveness as they prepare to ask for mercy and help. How did Joseph respond? He didn’t say “Everything that happened to me was good”. No, he said “God intended it for good”. We need to understand the difference here. Evil remains evil. Betrayal remains betrayal. Sin remains sin. God never approved of his brothers actions, but He overruled them. We often think that God is simply in the business of repairing broken lives, but it’s more than that; God specializes in redemption! He transforms broken moments of injustice into opportunities of testimony. We are reminded in Romans 8:28 “that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” We must not forget that. He allows decision to occur which may have unfair outcomes of injustice to undeserving victims, but He will work it out for His good. We must believe the He is always working in situations, even when we don’t sense His presence.

Forgiveness Frees the Future

(Slide 6) Consider all that Joseph had endured to this point. He tried to honor Potiphar in dealing with his wife’s advances and it landed him in prison. His older brothers who should have been his protectors threw him in a pit and sold him into slavery. He had every reason to be bitter and angry. And now, in today’s verses, we see he has opportunity for revenge, but Joseph instead chooses mercy. His brothers expected punishment but were shown grace.

Understand, forgiveness didn’t erase what happened, but it did release Joseph from becoming captive to it. Holding anger and bitterness toward someone, refusing to forgive them, does not necessarily effect them at all, but it always holds our emotions hostage. Mercy and forgiveness allows us to walk freely into tomorrow.

The reality is that every church has people carrying wounds. We aren’t members of a club for the righteous, we are all victims of sin in a hospital for the soul with God as the Great Physician. Coming to church and refusing to move away from a grudge against someone is akin to having a gunshot wound cleaned and dressed, and then shooting yourself in the leg on your way out the door. With all of hell against us, we already navigate spiritual dangers every minute of every day, so let’s at least stop inflicting self-harm by embracing a forgiving spirit!

Your Story Can Become Someone Else’s Salvation

(Slide 7) Let’s view the last part of Genesis 50:20 one last time “...He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” Notice God’s purpose here, “...the saving of many lives”.

Joseph’s suffering was not only about Joseph, was it. God used this suffering to place him in a position that would preserve an entire nation. How else would he have breached the house of Potiphar to be elevated to a position of decision and influence? The hard road had to happen in order for the preservation of his people.

What do we learn from this? Sometimes the hardship is necessary to the blessing, and our story may lead to someone else’s salvation. It is in our difficult moments that we are being refined. It is in our own hardships that we learn to understand the power of mercy. The person who has experienced grief can comfort the grieving. The person who has overcome addiction can walk alongside those struggling in it. The believer who has endured disappointment can encourage another who is losing hope. You see, God doesn’t waste pain, He recycles it.

Closing Remarks

(Slide 8) Friends, in our lives struggle is going to come. We will likely experience playing the role of the undeserving victim at some point. Understand that God is in that moment, working it out for good. He would not make you endure the pain if He did not need you to do so. Remember that He has called you to a promise, and our Father will not allow promises to go unfulfilled. But we have power in shaping tomorrow. And that power, at least in part, is exercised through a forgiving spirit of mercy and love.