The Dysfunctional Family

Introduction

Introduce Series...

Sometimes we are in a good place… I love my life

not that we do not have bad moments or seasons,

Some look around and wonder if God could ever bless the mess that they see themselves in…

or if God is even there, or real because the mess that they see themselves in.

This series is called, “My Mess, God’s Masterpiece”

We will look at the life of Joesph found in

Today as an introduction Joseph’s life we will look at Genesis 37:1-11

Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. 2 These are the family records of Jacob. At seventeen years of age, Joseph tended sheep with his brothers. The young man was working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought a bad report about them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons because Joseph was a son born to him in his old age, and he made a robe of many colors for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not bring themselves to speak peaceably to him. 5 Then Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 There we were, binding sheaves of grain in the field. Suddenly my sheaf stood up, and your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 “Are you really going to reign over us?” his brothers asked him. “Are you really going to rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and what he had said. 9 Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 He told his father and brothers, and his father rebuked him. “What kind of dream is this that you have had?” he said. “Am I and your mother and your brothers really going to come and bow down to the ground before you?” 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

The Dysfunctional Family

family background…

at age 75 Abram, who will be changed to Abraham, told to leave land of his father…

they are promised a child… that does not come for many years…

Ishmael born… then sent away

because Sarah was jealous…

we see jealous in our story between Joseph and his brothers

why we get jealous… we think others have what we should

understanding of God… his ability

like Heather’s pie…

Isaac born… then sacrificed

that cannot be something easily forgotten… by Mama or Isaac

Isaac was always with Mama from then on, up until the day she died

Abraham had to get him a wife, to comfort him when Mama died

enter Rebekah

Isaac and Rebekah had twin boys

Esau - Man’s man… hunter, rough and temper-mental

sold his birthright for soup

Isaac loved Esau… we are guessing because he was everything that the Mama’s boy Isaac wasn’t.

Jacob… Was loved by Rebekah

in attempt to gain a blessing from his father, after being the second son all his life, he goes along with his Mama and tricks his Dad into giving him the blessing that was meant for Esau.

then he runs… because Esau says next time I see you I am going to kill you.

He runs to a place where his mama was from… to Laban’s house and falls in love with a girl named Rachel.

Jacob, Rachel, Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah

Laban’s trick… the agreement, work 7 years for Rachel, he gets Leah, work another 7 years

14 total years work entire time, Leah knows she is not the one that is loved

Leah as several sons, Rachel has none, so Zilpah has a couple for her

Bilhah has a couple for Leah

finally, after 10 sons by three other women Jacob finally has a son with the woman he loved, with Rachel. Joseph is born.

so in a family trait that had been passed down from Abraham who loved Isaac, Isaac who loved Esau, Jacob had his favorite… and he was not afraid to show it.

Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. 2 These are the family records of Jacob.

Joseph… was 17

this answers so many questions…

Go through the text…

Jacob lived where his father lived, the land promised to Abraham… Esau moved on

Jacob, Israel, believed in the covenant of God

Family records of Jacob

starts different then most in Bible… with the story of Joseph, not a list of family

instead starts with a statement “Joseph was 17.”

the rest of the things that Joseph says and does in the passage and you wonder why would he do that, is answered in that sentence. He is 17.

Difference between daughters and son…

when he was 17, and dads favorite, he told on his brothers.

was it because he was spoiled, maybe

was it because they were sons of the slaves, and not considered as good, maybe

probably, because he was 17

Joseph had a special coat…

describe the two different types of coats

color… not regularly available, expensive, not a coat that you would work in

long sleeves… again, not a coat you would work in.

a coat that you would work in, a robe, would be short sleeves, drab colors and would tie it up around your waist.

Why does this matter… at 17, and Daddy’s favorite, Joseph was not going to be working with the rest of his brothers.

The dreams…

Anytime that you see two dreams in scripture that have the same meaning it is telling you that this is something that God is going to bring about

explain the dreams...

sheaves of wheat

stars and even the sun and moon

Why would he tell his brothers… He is 17.

God uses the dysfunctional

This dysfunctional family is a mess… What is your mess

what kind of mess are you in, were you in… afraid that you will be in soon?

This is a mess of a family…

everyone has a mess… every life is messy… are some messier, yeah, but we have a mess to deal with

you cannot go with what you see… maybe I am better at hiding my mess

some of the messes we are born into… we did not ask, and our sin did not get us there

we think, with all this mess, this dysfunction I see around me there is no way God can use me

so we try to clean ourselves up… or hide our dysfunction, hide our mess

That mess just might be there to glorify God…

Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. 8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.”

(start in middle of 7) Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself (TO KEEP ME HUMBLE), a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. 8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.”

Sufficient - suffice, enough, content

Weakness - frailty

we try to avoid the mess, but in the mess of life is where God really shines

At seventeen years of age, Joseph tended sheep with his brothers. The young man was working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought a bad report about them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons because Joseph was a son born to him in his old age, and he made a robe of many colors for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not bring themselves to speak peaceably to him. 5 Then Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 There we were, binding sheaves of grain in the field. Suddenly my sheaf stood up, and your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 “Are you really going to reign over us?” his brothers asked him. “Are you really going to rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and what he had said. 9 Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 He told his father and brothers, and his father rebuked him. “What kind of dream is this that you have had?” he said. “Am I and your mother and your brothers really going to come and bow down to the ground before you?” 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

God is Sovereign in dysfunction

God does not react… the dreams are not a mistake and Joseph’s trip to Egypt is not unknown to God

God is not giving these dreams to a young man, then after his brothers sell him going… “Oh, NO! How am I going to spin this?”

that is what we do, that is what politicians do

 He called down famine against the land and destroyed the entire food supply. 17 He had sent a man ahead of them—Joseph, who was sold as a slave.

16 He called down famine against the land

and destroyed the entire food supply.

this entire thing is orchestrated by God

17 He had sent a man ahead of them—

does God cause evil… no.

Joseph, who was sold as a slave.

but we see in Paul’s writings, Peter’s letters, and the letter from James that we are to rejoice in trials because our faith grows. God uses the mess, he is sovereign over the mess

Nothing is out of the control of God

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons because Joseph was a son born to him in his old age, and he made a robe of many colors for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not bring themselves to speak peaceably to him. 5 Then Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 There we were, binding sheaves of grain in the field. Suddenly my sheaf stood up, and your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 “Are you really going to reign over us?” his brothers asked him. “Are you really going to rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and what he had said. 9 Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 He told his father and brothers, and his father rebuked him. “What kind of dream is this that you have had?” he said. “Am I and your mother and your brothers really going to come and bow down to the ground before you?” 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

God’s grace continues in dysfunction

5 Then Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 There we were, binding sheaves of grain in the field. Suddenly my sheaf stood up, and your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 “Are you really going to reign over us?” his brothers asked him. “Are you really going to rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and what he had said. 9 Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 He told his father and brothers, and his father rebuked him. “What kind of dream is this that you have had?” he said. “Am I and your mother and your brothers really going to come and bow down to the ground before you?” 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

All of scripture points to Jesus...

8 “Are you really going to reign over us?” his brothers asked him. “Are you really going to rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and what he had said. 9 Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 He told his father and brothers, and his father rebuked him. “What kind of dream is this that you have had?” he said. “Am I and your mother and your brothers really going to come and bow down to the ground before you?” 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

God uses the dysfunction of this family, the weather patterns, the Egyptian kings to make sure that the line of Judah is kept safe…

9 Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 He told his father and brothers, and his father rebuked him. “What kind of dream is this that you have had?” he said. “Am I and your mother and your brothers really going to come and bow down to the ground before you?” 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

We must remember this as we go through the rest of the story of Joseph...

10 He told his father and brothers, and his father rebuked him. “What kind of dream is this that you have had?” he said. “Am I and your mother and your brothers really going to come and bow down to the ground before you?” 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

8 Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

God did this, not just to save Joseph, but through this, all of Israel is in Egypt, a deliverer comes (Moses), a foreshadowing of the coming Messiah, the anointed one

Out of this, the line of Judah is protected and survives… also known as the line of David

Through all of this we will see that even as the favorite, when all is said and done, Israel (Jacob) gives out the final blessings before he dies, it is not Joseph that gets the honor of having the anointed one coming from his line, but Judah

it is not Joseph that gets the honor of having the anointed one coming from his line, but Judah

For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.,f 5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.

4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him.,f 5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.

this is how amazing the grace of God is… from the foundations of the world he knew you

the line of Jesus, through all of this mess was protected, even in their dysfunction so that the messiah could come

so that the penalty for you sin and mine would be payed for

so that he could lavish his grace upon you in the BELOVED ONE, even in your mess!