Why Me Lord (2)

Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing “Blessed Are They that Mourn: For They Shall Be Comforted.”—Matthew 5:4

The mourning here brought to view is true heart sorrow for sin

Matthew 5:4 KJV 1900

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Why Me Lord?

The Story of Joseph

.

Introduced Jospeh when he was 17 years old ().

Relates the trauma and the drama that Jospeh experience and how for years he lived a life of mourning.

The Point

Through sinful man God works out His saving purpose.

God's secret providence is behind the darkest deeds of men and works to their (man's) ultimate good.

Genesis 50:20 KJV 1900

But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Paul’s Perspective

Romans 8:28–35 KJV 1900

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Rom

2 Corinthians 4:17 KJV 1900

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

2 Corinthians 4:1

David’s Perspective

Psalm 30:5 KJV 1900

For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Why do we need 14 chapters and 22 years of messed up family history to teach Joseph and his family this one lesson: God works everything for our good?

Summary of the Drama

A father who does not learn.

A son who is the perfect example of a spoilt brat.

Brothers who are ruthless and ridiculous.

A FATHER WHO DOES NOT LEARN

Jacob: The product of a messed up home. You would think he would learn and do better.

His parents played favorites

Favoritism leads to deception and hatred

Deception almost leads to murder

Deception leads to years of estrangement.

Did Jacob Learn?

He played favorites ().

Genesis 37:2 KJV 1900

These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

Genesis 37:3 KJV 1900

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.

Joseph was the son of Jacob’s old age from his favorite wife ().

Genesis 37:3 KJV 1900

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.

Jacob gives Joseph a coat of many colors.

Men who have children in their old age.

Jacob was 130 years old when he was reunited with Jospeh ().

Genesis 47:9 KJV 1900

And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.

Jospeh was 39 years old when he revealed himself to his brothers ()

Genesis 45:6 KJV 1900

For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.

Jacob was at least 91 years old when he had Jospeh

Favoritism leads to hatred and deception (, , , , , ).

Genesis 37:4 KJV 1900

And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

Genesis 37:5 KJV 1900

And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.

Genesis 37:8 KJV 1900

And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

Genesis 37:11 KJV 1900

And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

Genesis 37:19 KJV 1900

And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

Genesis 37:20 KJV 1900

Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

Deception almost leads to murder: Jospeh’s brothers wanted to kill him ().

Genesis 37:18 KJV 1900

And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

Deception leads to years of estrangement. (; ; )

Genesis 37:2 KJV 1900

These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

Genesis 41:46 KJV 1900

And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

Genesis 45:6 KJV 1900

For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.

Joseph had to suffer and mourn because his father Jacob, did not learn.

Sometimes we create our own mourning.

A FATHER WHO DOES NOT LEARN.

A SON WHO IS THE EPITOME OF A SPOILT BRAT

A SON WHO IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A SPOILT BRAT

Joseph knew he was his father’s favorite

because knew he was his fathers favorite he was also a rat ()

Genesis 37:2 KJV 1900

These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

Joseph was self-centered and related dreams as if he would rule over his family ().

Genesis 37:4–11 KJV 1900

And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

Patriarchs and Prophets p. 213: Joseph was “self-sufficient and exacting)

Patriarchs and Prophets Chapter 20—Joseph in Egypt

Faults had been encouraged that were now to be corrected. He was becoming self-sufficient and exacting.

Jespeh was a “Pretty Boy” and he knew it.

BROTHERS WHO WERE RUTHLESS AND RIDICULOUS

Josephs brothers were envious, deceptive, and revengeful ().

Simon and Levi were guilty of premeditated genocide: the slaughtered the unsuspecting Schechamites after their sister Dina was raped.

All ten deceived their father about the brother’s death.

Judah impregnated his daughter-in-law.

These men, ruthless as they were would become the Patriarchs of Israel.

Why do we need all this drama and trauma to make the point that God’s secret providence works behind the darkest deeds of men and works it for our ultimate good?

A father who does not learn.

A son who is a spoilt brat.

Brothers who are ruthless and ridiculous.

If I were Jospeh my question would be “Why me Lord?”

WHY vs. HOW

How?

God sends Joseph ahead, in order to save those who were trying to kill him.

Jospeh was a spoilt brat but he was a good boy.

He reported evil because he had no tolerance for evil.

He obeyed willingly

He received divine revelation in the form of two dreams and he believed that God gave these to him.

He refused to compromise his moral standards (; ).

He helps his fellow prisoners by interpreting their dreams.

His good deeds led to bad results: Pit & Prison.

For sharing his sense of divine destiny he is sold into slavery.

For refusing to compromise his moral standards he is framed and falsely imprisoned for rape.

In spite of the fact that he helps his fellow prisoners, he is forgotten to languish in a dungeon for two years.

Psalm 105:18 KJV 1900

Whose feet they hurt with fetters: He was laid in iron:

Would you want God to use you to save those who are trying to kill you?

Why do we need 22 years of all this drama and trauma to tach the lesson that God works everything for our good.

Over 22 years some significant changes tool place in the life of Joseph and his family

Joseph’s Brothers

Before

Ruthless

Revengeful

Ridiculous

After 22 years

Sense of guilt

No longer affected by favoritism

Loved their father (15x Judah mentions his father’s name in ).

The Biggest Change: Joseph

Before

Spoilt brat

Self-sufficient

Exacting

After 22 years

Genesis 42:21 KJV 1900

And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

Genesis

Genesis 40:15 KJV 1900

For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.

2

Genesis 42:21 KJV 1900

And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

,

Genesis 45:5 KJV 1900

Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

Genesis 45:7 KJV 1900

And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

Why does Go need 22 years to make one point?

There are things about our characters that needs changing and God knows that these will not happen over night.

The mourning here