24-03-2019
Genesis 37:2-11 New International Version (NIV)
2 This is the account of Jacob’s family line.
Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate[a] robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”
8 His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.
9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”
10 When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually 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've all been hurt at least once.
Getting hurt is something that is normal, even if you're a godly, spiritual person.
It is not anything new.
Joseph has been equally hurt.
What's Joseph's experience?
1) He was hated by his brother (v4).
2) He was strongly rebuked by his father (v10).
3) He was sold off by his brothers (v28).
Genesis 37:28 New International Version (NIV)
28 So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled
Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels[a] of silver to
the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
4) Presumed dead by his father (v34).
Genesis 37:34 New International Version (NIV)
34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for
his son many days.
5) Accused by his employer (Genesis 39:16-18)
Genesis 39:16-18 New International Version (NIV)
16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17
Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to
make sport of me. 18 But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak
beside me and ran out of the house.”
6) Forgotten by his friend (Genesis 40:23)
Genesis 40:23 New International Version (NIV)
23 The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot
him.
The Result:
1)
Once could easily become angry and bitter in life.
Joseph could become angry things that happened for no fault of his own.
2) One could easily become disillusioned with God.
3) One may even give up on God.
What is Joseph's response?
1) He maintained a right attitude (cf Genesis 39:2; Genesis 39:20b-21)
Genesis 39:2 New International Version (NIV)
2 The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in
the house of his Egyptian master.
When we harbour anger and bitterness, we would never feel God as close and sense His presence.
Genesis 39:20b-21 New International Version (NIV)
20b But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the Lord was with
him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison
warden.
2) He sees the big picture (Genesis 45:5-8a)
Genesis 45:5-8a New International Version (NIV)
5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves
for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of
you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next
five years there will be no plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you
to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great
deliverance.[a]
8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.
Joseph saw God's hand at work.
Have a long term vista of what God has for your life. Dont be too quick to jump to conclusion.
3) He is big-hearted (Genesis 45:8-11)
Genesis 45:8-11 New International Version (NIV)
8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me
father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. 9 Now
hurry back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God
has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don’t delay. 10 You shall live
in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren,
your flocks and herds, and all you have. 11 I will provide for you there,
because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your
household and all who belong to you will become destitute.’
Joseph was willing to reach out to be a blessing to his own brothers.
He was willing to forgive them for all the terrible things that they did to him.
It is out of a heart of forgiveness that we could have a heart of love for others.
Colossians 3:13 New International Version (NIV)
13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a
grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Forgiveness is a choice. If we chose not to forgive, we are in prison.
If we harboured unforgiveness against someone, we are enslaved. The other guy is also enslaved. You have imprisoned that guy in your heart. One unforgiveness creates two prisons.
Nobody wins. It is Satan who wins.
We should not be fighting one another, the Body of Christ.
Joseph had a heart that is so full of God to love the unlovely.
Lessons:
1)
The need to forgive if we are going to love the unlovely.
Otherwise there will be something holding us back. Any pain that we harbour in our heart, it will show.
We have been recipient of God's forgiveness. No matter how good we are, none of us is good at all. We all fall short of the glory of God.
2) The power to love and to pray as a result (Matthew 5:44-48)
Matthew 5:44-48 New International Version (NIV)
44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes
his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and
the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?
Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own
people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be
perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
It is loving the unkind, unjust and those who abuse us.
That is the life of Joseph.
God wants to do the same for us. He wants us to have the breakthroughs in our lives so that we can walk free from the heartaches, injustices and abuses.
God is a good and a great God. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. In spite of what we are going through, He will never leave us nor forsake us. He will be there for us all the way.
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