Life of Joseph - Week 1

Week 1

God Meant it for Good

Week 1: The Life of Joseph

INTRODUCTION

Carson Freemont of Dayton, Ohio

Wheaton College to become a missionary to Hong Kong.

Fell in love with a beautiful girl– the perfect couple.

While planning the wedding she said she would not go to Hong Kong.

Carson told his pastor, “I know what I have to do. I don’t have any choice. It’s either serve God, or serve her . . . but it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”

They broke up and he went to Hong Kong alone.

“In order to use us, God sets in motion a plan for shaping us into the kind of people He wants us to be. Sometimes that means we experience awful pain, giving up what we want to keep, and going forward into areas we’d rather leave unexplored. But if we are going to be used by the Lord for his purposes, that process has to take place.”

Joseph went from the Father’s favorite to a slave, to the head slave that was put in prison for his faithfulness.- He had every reason to be bitter.

Joseph did not become bitter. God had him face difficulties to prepare him for greatness.

Carson gave up something he loved, but in the process the Lord was able to shape him into a better man and a better missionary. When he came home from his first tour, he met the most spiritual woman you could imagine. God had to break him to help him become the sort of person the Lord could use to reach people.

John F. Kennedy

Gripped the attention of America more than any other head of state. His background, charisma, youth, attractiveness and heroism made him incredibly popular.

Joseph was a man who shares many of the same qualities and rose to a position perhaps even greater, in his day. Story of youth, beauty, ambition, temptation, jealousy, suffering, forgiveness, and faith.

The line of the faithful before Joseph

Adam– walked with God

Abel– made a more excellent sacrifice

Enoch– taken to heaven because of his close walk with God

Noah, obeyed in spite of difficulties

Abraham– trusted God in the face of insurmountable obstacles.

Isaac– submitted to the Lord

Jacob– had to learn to follow God

Joseph– victorious and triumphant at every turn.

4 Reasons why Joseph’s Life Is Important to Study

Joseph’s Life Was Pivotal

It is crucial to the Old Testament story.

He links Genesis and Exodus

Joseph ended up in Egypt. His family was still in Canaan. A famine caused them to come to Egypt. Genesis 46 says he moved all seventy of them. By Exodus 1 there were two million. Then things changed, “there a rose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph”

Exodus 1:9-12 “9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel.”

A strong nation within a nation that stayed 430 years.

Joseph’s Life Was Providential

President Roosevelt– shot by a mad man.

A steel glasses case saved his life.

The President hated the glasses case.– heavy and burdensome.

The thing he hated saved his life.

Joseph probably hated his situation on many occasions.

God took the darkest events and used them as a stepping stones to move Joseph into position.

Even when Joseph didn’t understand God was at work.

– after brothers come for food.

Genesis 45:5 “5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.”

Joseph saw past the surface issue and saw God at work.

Genesis 50:20 “20 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.”

Joseph’s Life Was Prosperous

Joseph had 5 dreams recorded in Genesis.

Dream 1 put him as ruler over his family.

He was a man of prosperity.

Everything he did prospered.

Genesis 39:2 “2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.”

Genesis 39:3 “3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands.”

Genesis 39:5 “5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field.”

Even the jailer put Joseph in charge, because the lord made him prosper.

Joseph’s Life Was Pure

Joseph survived every test he was given.

The Test of Self-Pity

He was dumped into a pit by his own brothers.

Sold as a slave.

After working his way up he was thrown into prison for telling the truth.

He interpreted dreams for two prisoners and was forgotten.

Nevertheless, there is not one word of self-pity or grumbling by Joseph recorded in the Bible. He always seemed to view his situation as an opportunity to glorify God.

The Test of Sexual Enticement

Genesis 39– He left cloak behind to run.

He understood it was better to be without cloak than without character.

The Test of Self-Indulgence

He could have used his wealth and power to take revenge on his brothers or to get whatever he wanted.

He used his power for the benefits of others, saving his family and helping to feed the many nations of the world.

Many have passed the test of adversity to fail the test of prosperity.

CONCLUSION

Consider the meaning of Joseph’s Life

His life was pivotal– is ours?

Are others dependent upon us because of our faith.

His life was Providential– ours is too.

God is making all things work together for good, according to His purpose in our lives.

His life was prosperous– our can be too.

Ask God to put within your heart a vision to rise to the greatest place of influence for Christ in your world.

His life was pure– our should be too.

His life puts to rest the idea that you can’t be a Christian in an ungodly culture. He lived for God, wherever he was.