Greater Than Joseph

Recap

So we find ourselves 4 weeks into this sermon series called greater than. I like getting a running start into our study so lets recap. The first week we looked at creation, perfection, the fall, the cover up, and Adam. We got introduced to what sin is and who the enemy of the story is. Sin was now in every person who was brought into the world. Because we are made in the imagine of Adam, rather than of a perfect God. Week 2 we looked at what this sin caused God to have to do. He sends a worldwide flood to wipe out all of civilization besides Noah, his family and the animals that were in the Ark that he made because God called him to and he had faith to do it. He was spared because he walked with God and was blameless or above reproach. SHortly aafter this language was confused at Babel, and Last week dad talked about Abraham. This man would follow God when he was called to leave where he was, and God gives him a covenant. Part of that covenant was that he would have a son and his offspring would outnumber the stars. Abraham got impatient and tried taking matters into his own hands. His wife wasnt getting pregnant so he has a child with his servant Hagar. His name would be Ishmael. he was not the one God promised to use and Sarah will eventually conceive and have a son Isaac. Abraham loves Isaac more than Ishmael and Ishmael will go on to cause issues for Isaac’s decedents even up through modern day. God gives Abraham a big test. And that was to trust him with his son. Abraham will bring his son to be the sacrifice but last second God sends a replacement. This was pointing to God sending his only son as a sacrifice one day. Isaac will get married and have 2 sons. Twins. Jacob and Esau. Jacob loved Esau and his wife loved Jacob. This led to all sorts of problems until finally Jacob has to flee for his life. He ends up getting married To Rachael and Leah, as well as having kids with his wives servants. He will have 12 sons in total. Eventually Jacob will wrestle with God and have his name changed to Israel. And this is where we pick up today. Look with me at Genesis 37. I am going to be summarizing a lot of these chapters because we have so much to go through. I would encourage you to read these chapters on your own this week. So Joseph is his fathers favorite. Apparently Jacob didnt learn from the mistakes of Abraham and his own parents and continues this trend. So he buys Joseph a robe of many colors. This is significant. Firstly shepherds didnt wear robes for their jobs. They would wear more comfortable clothes. So that alone would have upset his brothers. But to make it worse it was a robe of many colors. Dye at this time was very expensive and hard to get. Imagine your younger brother gets all this extra favoritism and favor from your father. Not only this but it was signaling that Joseph would probably end up with a better inheritance which would have been reserved for the older sons. So you add all this together and its a recipe for jealousy and division. Joseph is 17 and makes things even worse because he has a series of 2 dreams where in them it showed his brothers bowing down at his feet. This pushes them over the edge and see a plan start in verse 18.

They see Joseph coming alone, wearing his robe, and they start plotting. At first they want to kill him. But Reuban doesnt let them because he wanrs to be the one who saves Joseph and earns favor with his father. So they dont kill him but throw him in a pit while they decide what to do. And along come these traders. And guess who they are. Ishmaelites. They decide we might as well get something for him so they sell him to these traders who are on their way to Egypt. They take his robe, dip it in blood and tell their father they found it and their father assumes Joseph is dead. Joseph is sold into slavery and ends up in Potiphar’s house who was an officer of pharaoh, the captain of the guard.

Joseph’s story

So now we are going to go through Genesis 39-46

Like I said its a lot of ground to cover so we are not going to read all of it. I will summarize as we go along and focus on important moments. We know from 39:2-6 that Joseph was given success in everything that he did from the Lord, his master trusted him with everything, and that the house of Potiphar was blessed because of Joseph. We also find out that Joseph is a very handsome young man. Satan now sees his opportunity to mess with Joseph. Potiphar was married. And with his wealth and status came I am sure a beautiful wife. This is speculation, but I think its a very interesting point I have heard some very gifted preachers use. The Hebrew word used when describing Potiphar can be translated as Eunuch. Meaning he might not have had the ability to have sex. A lot of time through history to work for kings this was something that men would have to do. So there might have been a void in his wife’s life and a handsome young man comes along and she begins trying to win him over. This is happening day after day. She asks him to lie with her and he refuses and doesnt listen to her. But one day he was the only one in the house so she grabs him and tries to get him to lie with her. Lets see how he reacts. Genesis 39:12

Genesis 39:12 ESV

she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house.

He leaves everything behind and he gets out of there. He runs away. Paul will right to the church in 1 Corinthians 6:18

1 Corinthians 6:18 ESV

Flee from sexual immorality.

And this is exactly what Joseph does here. He gets out of the situation that there is a temptation as fast as he can. And now comes a false accusation. She accuses him of trying to lie with her and how he left his garment behind trying to escape. Of course we know its the exact opposite. But she accuses him of this. Genesis 39:19

Genesis 39:19 ESV

As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled.

Now we dont know who Potiphar is angry with. It could have been Joseph but it could have been his wife. Because we already know he fully trusted Joseph. But being in his position he is in, he takes Joseph and throws him in prison. But Potiphar was over the prisons. So it is entirely possible Potiphar wanted Joseph to still be useful to him and puts him in charge of stuff at the prison. It could also be that he was genuinely upset at Joseph and puts him in prison with no intentions of letting him do anything there. ITs why we always have to make sure we are not making assumptions or being dogmatic when it comes to the Bible. We can easily miss parts of stories because we believe something so strongly. Do your own research and figure out what you believe. Never let anyone tell you what you need to believe about the Bible. Thats how you get wrong ideas and bad theology. But no matter what the story is behind the scenes this is what we do know. Joseph finds himself in jail wrongly. He didnt do anything to deserve to be in there. But here he is. Lets see what he does about it.

English Standard Version Chapter 39

21 But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. 23 The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the LORD was with him. And whatever he did, the LORD made it succeed.

We see God uses Joseph the same exact way in prison as he did in the house of Potiphar. Instead of him playing the victim and throwing a pity party for where he ends up, he makes the best of it and remains faithful to God’s calling on your life. I think there is a lot of things we can learn from Joseph but this one is particularly helpful for us. Now we come to chapter 40 and We are going to look at 2 people in the prison. Pharaohs baker and cupbearer. Both of these men have a dream one night. And Joseph has been gifted with the ability to interpret dreams by God if you remember his dreams back in chapter 37. So these men tell him their dreams and he interprets them as this. The Baker is going to be hung, and the cup bearer is going to be placed back into his old position. After explaining that to the cupbearer he tells him to remember him when he is reinstated because he didn’t do anything to be there. These things come to be and we see the closing note in Genesis 40:23

Genesis 40:23 ESV

Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

Now lets take a second and pause. Put yourself in Joseph’s shoes. This young man was sold into slavery into a foreign land at 17 by his own brothers. You are successful and things are looking up finally at potiphars house when false accusation send you to this pit for prisoners. Things are going well and you finally think you have your way out by interpreting this mans dream. And 2 years go by. And all hope is gone again. Can you imagine how difficult this would be? But finally. After the 2 years since the cupbearer was brought back to his old job, Pharaoh has 2 dreams. No one in all Egypt can figure out what they mean. And finally the cupbearer remembers oh yeah! There was a Hebrew guy in prison who told me what my dream meant. He might be able to help you! So 41:14 Pharaoh sends for Joseph and tells him the dreams. One is 7 plump healthy cows getting eaten by skinny cows and the other is healthy plump ears getting eaten by 7 thin, withered ears. Joseph interprets them as this.

English Standard Version Chapter 41

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine. 28 It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, 30 but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, 31 and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. 32 And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. 33 Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. 35 And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36 That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.”

Pharaoh agrees with both the assessment and the plan Joseph comes up with, So Joseph is put 2nd in charge of the entire nation of Egypt. Only under Pharaoh himself. This would make Joseph go from prison to power in hours. All of these things come to be and during this time Joseph gets married and has 2 sons. And things are going so well. God has redeemed what Joseph has gone through. But things get interesting again in Genesis 42. Joseph’s family is starving. So Jacob sends them to Egypt for food. And they bow before Joseph. Joseph recognized them but treated them as strangers. At least 13 years after these very brothers hated him for telling them they would bow to him, here they are bowing at his feet. They dont recognize him because he would have looked, dressed, and acted like royalty. And even though he can speak Hebrew he uses a translator to communicate with them. Guys lets not brush past this. It took 13 years for God to fulfill what he showed Joseph would happen. It took Abraham being about 100 to finally have his promised son. Sometimes we might not understand God’s timing. We might not understand why God is bringing us through a season. But if we remain faithful to Him He will take care of all of it. 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.

So Joseph Tells his brothers to bring food home and not come back until they bring back Benjamin. The other son who was born by Rachael. They finally convince their dad when they are starving again to let Benjamin go with them. And Joseph sees Benjamin and prepares a feast. Joseph at a few points during this whole things has had to go to his chamber and weep because he is having so many emotions. So they eat dinner together, and Joseph decides to test his brothers. He has one of his men put his silver cup in Benjamins bag. He wants to see if the brothers have changed or would still sell out the dads favorite child. So they stage this scene and catch Benjamin with the cup and say that only Benjamin needs to go to jail. But Judah has a speech, one that I encourage you to read through it on your own time and ends it by saying

English Standard Version Chapter 44

33 Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers.

Judah says take me in his place. Josephs blood is already on my hands. My father couldnt handle this, so take me in his place. This is amazing. Think of the change in tune from a man who would sell his little brother into slavery out of hatred, to one who is himself willing to receive punishment for this other brothers crime. Joseph has seen enough so in Genesis 45 he reveals himself to his brothers. He forgives them and he will go on to see his father again. He has his family move to Egypt with him so that way he can provide for them and give them safety. This is an incredible story.

Christ Connection

Now lets look at how this man points us to the coming Christ.

-Jesus was betrayed by His brothers, the people He had been called to save. They stuck Him on a cross where He would free them from slavery to sin.

-Jesus faced many false accusations. And when they were thrown at Him He said nothing. He didnt need to defend Himself. Joseph also faced these false accusations but willingly accepted the wrongful punishment for them and made the best of it.

-Jesus like Joseph was God’s vessel for saving the world. Joseph with food, Jesus from the ultimate problem, sin.

-God like Jacob had to say goodbye to His son before being reunited. But in saying goodbye to his son it would lead to salvation.

Jesus came from the tribe of Judah. He is called the Lion from the tribe of Judah. Jesus like Judah would be willing to offer Himself in our place to save us. Judah was wiling to offer himself in place of Benjamin.

Application

So this stuff is all really cool. But how can we apply it to our lives? Firstly for the unbeliever, The only way for Jesus’s sacrifice to apply to you today, is to Romans 10:9-10

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

We need to understand that we are sinners. And that sin is going to lead us to death. We confess and believe that the only way to avoid that eternal death is to believe in Jesus and what He did for you on the cross. So I urge you not to wait. Not to make excuses, but take the step of faith and follow Jesus before its too late.

For the believer in the room… When we decide to follow God and what He calls us to we will face people hating us. Including our own family. People might turn their backs on you. People might make fun of you. But it’s worth it. Dont let those things discourage you from living fully for God. When accusations come sometimes its best to sit back and let God take care of things. It takes a lot of faith to do this. But He will work things out for those who follow Him. The last thing is we need to continually be repenting and turning from our sin. And in order to do that we must be prepared for a battle. We need to be intentional and spend time with God, in His word and prayer in order to fight sin in temptation. Look around, you have brothers and sisters here who are fighting battles just like you. Build each other up. When you are struggling tell one of your brothers. SO we can pray for you and help you. God is worthy of it all. Lets pray.