Introduction:
A. The story is told of a dinner party that was headed for disaster.
1. One man, an insurance executive, was monopolizing the conversation with a lengthy account of recent litigation involving his company.
2. Since the two other guests were lawyers, the host and hostess were becoming increasingly uneasy.
3. The insurance executive angrily concluded his story, saying, “And in the end, guess who ended up with all the money?”
4. No one ventured to answer his question, so the man answered his own question, shouting, “The Lawyers – they are the ones who ended up with all the money!”
5. An awkward silence fell over the party, until the wife of one lawyer said, “Oh, I love a story with a happy ending!”
B. Joseph’s story is one of the most captivating and illuminating in all the Bible, and on top of that, it is one with a happy ending.
1. Joseph’s life and our journey through it has been anything but boring.
2. His ups and downs have been so extreme – like the world’s biggest roller coaster.
3. He was adored, and pampered by his father as he grew up in a hostile environment of angry brothers.
4. They so envied him that they considered killing him, so they threw him into a pit in the desert.
5. Deciding rather to make a handful of shekels off him, they sold him to slave traders who carried him off to Egypt.
6. There in Egypt he was purchased by a high-ranking official named Potiphar.
7. In Potiphar’s household, Joseph was soon appreciated and promoted to head steward.
8. Later he caught the eye of his boss’s lustful wife.
9. Obedient to his God, and determined to maintain his purity, Joseph resisted Mrs. Potiphar’s advances, only to be falsely accused of sexual assault.
10. As a result of her false accusations, Joseph wound up in an Egyptian dungeon, but there, once again, God blessed him and he was trusted and respected, and was promoted.
11. After serving others, there in prison, and after having been forgotten for several years, Joseph was then lifted by God out of that place and virtually overnight was elevated to the position of prime minister – Pharaoh’s right-hand man.
12. Then, finally, after a separation of more than 20 years from his family, Joseph was reunited with his brothers and his father while he was successfully managing the crisis situation brought on by a famine.
C. What a life and what a ride and what a happy ending.
1. Think of the contrasting words that characterized Joseph’s experiences: despair/triumph; dungeons/high positions; and rejection/promotion.
2. Sometimes such contrasts in life can cause a person to forget about God altogether.
3. Sometimes such experiences can cause a person to decide to abandon family and friends.
4. Neither was the case with Joseph.
I. The Story
A. Today we want to bring the story of Joseph to an end – we want to look at the rest of the story – we all like happy endings, and that’s what it was.
1. The Bible says: 27 Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number. 28 Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven. (Gen. 47:27-28)
2. So eventually, the seven-year famine ended, and prosperity returned to Egypt.
3. The fertile Nile delta area, where Joseph had settled his family, began to produce and so they prospered financially and numerically.
4. For 17 years Jacob enjoyed the blessings of God of this bounty from the fields along with his growing family.
B. The Bible continues: 29 When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”
“I will do as you say,” he said. 31 “Swear to me,” he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. (Gen. 47:29-31)
1. Making promises to the dying is nothing unusual – it was something frequently done back then, and it is still done today.
2. Because of all of God’s promises to Jacob and his ancestors about the land of Canaan, Jacob wanted to be buried back home in Canaan, the Promised Land, with those who had gone before – he did not want to be buried in Egypt.
3. Joseph agreed to do what his father wanted, and he did the oath-taking custom of his time.
a. Putting one’s hand under the person’s thigh was the tradition of Joseph’s time.
b. Our oath-taking customs are much different.
c. We might seal the deal with a handshake, or raise our right hand and promise, or like kids, cross our heart and hope to die.
4. Don’t you love the picture of the aged patriarch, Jacob, leaning on his staff as he worshiped God?
C. That scene was then followed by another touching and significant scene as Joseph’s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, were brought in to see their dying grandfather.
1. Manasseh and Ephraim were not little boys. By now, they were young men. 17 years had passed since Jacob came to Egypt, and these grandsons had been born before their grandfather came to live in Egypt.
2. The Bible says: 5 “Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.”
10 Now Israel's eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.
14 But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim's head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh's head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.
Then he blessed Joseph and said, “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm —may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly upon the earth.” (Gen. 48:5, 10, 14-16)
3. Because Joseph had been a special son to Jacob, Joseph’s sons were special to their grandfather as well.
4. Jacob adopted Joseph’s first two children as his own, and in so doing that divided Joseph’s inheritance in the land of Canaan between them.
5. All of this becomes greatly significant later in the history of the nation of Israel, as two tribes in Israel are Ephraim and Manasseh (Joseph had no tribe).
6. It is also interesting how that Jacob, who was second born, yet who stole the birthright and blessing from his older brother, Esau, identified with Ephraim and advanced him ahead of his older brother, Manasseh.
D. The story continues. The Bible says: 1 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come. 2 Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.” 28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him. (Gen. 49:1-2, 28)
1. Despite his age and infirmity, Jacob’s memory was nothing short of remarkable.
2. He could name each one of his boys, and he could describe their individual natures and recall with pertinent detail the lives they had lived.
3. Although he had not always disciplined them appropriately or wisely, he knew his sons well.
4. No doubt the Lord assisted Jacob at this touching moment by providing the prophetic insight passed on by this aging father.
5. From the firstborn, Reuben, through the youngest, Benjamin, Jacob blessed not only his sons, but the 12 tribes that would descend from them.
E. Then Jacob’s story ends with these words: 33 When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people. (Gen. 49:33)
1. That’s the way to die!
2. Death is not something to be feared, shunned or avoided.
3. Death is something to be shared with family members and friends who have accompanied us through life’s sojourn.
4. Death is something to be preparing for along the way, and when it is obvious that our time is nearing, how wonderful to be able to gather family and friends and offer up blessings and say good-by.
F. As Jacob was gathered to his people, Joseph and the rest of the family were left to grieve.
1. The Bible says: 1 Joseph threw himself upon his father and wept over him and kissed him. 2 Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him, 3 taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days. (Gen. 50:1-3)
2. Whoever has endured the loss of a loved one knows only too well the grip of grief that tightens itself around you.
3. We certainly don’t grieve like the rest of men who have no hope, because we have the hope of the resurrection, but we still grieve.
4. When someone we love dies, it is a big loss.
5. Never again, in this earthly life will we hear their voice, or their laughter, or their counsel or comforting words.
6. Never again, in this earthly life, will we share happy moments, or warm embraces with them.
7. We all can certainly identify with the surge of grief that overcame Joseph.
8. It hurts when loved ones die.
G. And so all Egypt mourned with Joseph – another sign of how much Joseph had endeared himself to them and earned their respect.
1. Pharaoh gave Joseph permission to take his father’s body home for burial.
2. The great company of people must have made an impressive funeral procession from Egypt up to the Promised Land in Canaan.
3. Once they arrived at their destination, they buried Jacob in the family burial site as they had promised.
H. The return to Egypt must have included long moments of reflection – the process of grieving takes time – often months and years.
1. Joseph’s brothers not only experienced the grief of losing their father, they also experienced fear as guilt over their past actions toward Joseph came to the forefront of their minds.
2. The Bible says: 15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: 17 ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept. (Gen. 50:15-17)
3. This is another glimpse into the gentle and tender side of Joseph.
a. His brother’s wrestlings over past and already forgiven sins moved him to tears.
4. They worried that Joseph had been kind to them only for their father’s sake, and that now that dad was gone, Joseph would get revenge.
5. Without hesitation, Joseph offered them reassurance. The Bible says: 19 But Joseph said to them, “Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. (Gen. 50:19-21)
6. Joseph truly was a man of faith, integrity and grace.
I. The Bible says: 22 Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father's family. He lived a hundred and ten years 23 and saw the third generation of Ephraim's children. Also the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph's knees.
24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” 25 And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.”
26 So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt. (Gen. 50:22-26)
1. What a way to bring someone’s life to a close!
2. The Spirit of God wastes no time moving from Joseph’s renewed expression of grace to his last words.
3. At the ripe old age of 110, Joseph’s magnificent life came to an end, leaving us a great example to follow.
4. The end of Joseph’s story is also the end of the book of Genesis, but it is not the end of the nation of Israel.
5. God’s story continued after Joseph, and God’s story continues in His people today – we are a part of that story of faith, integrity and grace.
II. The Application
A. As Joseph’s story comes to a happy ending, there are three enduring lessons that I want to highlight.
1. These are lessons we have given some attention to during this sermon series.
2. These are the lessons I hope to keep at the forefront of my thinking, and I hope you embed them into your minds and hearts also.
B. First, from Joseph we learn that God sovereignly works all things for His glory and for our good.
1. No matter what happened to Joseph, he trusted that God was at work and that God would bring it to a good end.
2. The sooner we realize that God is in charge and that we must simply trust Him, the better off we will be.
C. Second, from Joseph we learn that we must live a life free of bitterness regardless of what happens to us.
1. This second lesson obviously flows from the first lesson, we just mentioned.
2. If we are trusting God with our lives, then we also trust him to deal with those who may have done us wrong along the way.
3. Bitterness is a cruel and deadly companion in life.
D. Finally, from Joseph we learn to face death being right with God and with others.
1. As the apostle Paul saw the end of his life approaching, he wrote these words: 6For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Tim. 4:6-8)
2. God’s grace and mercy allow us to face life and death with a clear conscience.
3. Although our goal in life should be perfection ( maturity/completeness) – holiness – that is not was saves us – we are saved by grace, through faith.
4. Our goal, like Joseph’s and Paul’s should be faithfulness.
5. Our goal should be to fight the good fight, to finish the race, and to keep the faith.
6. Then, like Jacob, Joseph, and Paul, we can face our death with assurance and confidence and peace.
E. One of my favorite broadcasters of all time was the late Paul Harvey.
1. Sadly, he died last year at the ripe old age of 90.
2. Paul Harvey had an authoritative baritone voice and distinctive staccato delivery that attracted millions of daily listeners for more than half a century
3. His trademark greeting was “Hello Americans! This is Paul Harvey. Stand by! For news!”
4. A 1985 survey found that the four most popular radio programs on the air nationally were four of his broadcasts in different time slots.
5. Another sign of his success and popularity was the contract that ABC Radio Networks awarded Mr. Harvey, when he was 82 years old – it was a 10-year, $100 million contract.
6. Paul Harvey was a student of biographies, and so in 1976, he inaugurated a five-minute daily broadcast called “The Rest of the Story.”
7. Each “Rest of the Story” story recounted the life of a history-maker. Without revealing their identity, he told the story, reveling quirky tidbits, coincidences and twists of fate, and then at the end of his narrative, he revealed their identity, and said, “Now you know the rest of the story.”
8. Paul Harvey descended from five generations of Baptist preachers. In high school, he was a champion orator, and a teacher helped him get his first radio job, at KVOO in Tulsa, when he was 14 years old.
9. Now you know the rest of his story.
F. And more importantly, now you know the rest of Joseph’s story.
1. Each of our stories are still being written.
2. If we submit ourselves to God, and trust in the Lord, then the ending of our stories will be happy.
3. We will receive the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to us on that day.
4. May God be with each of us as we live out the rest of our story.
G. So how’s your story going?
1. Is it heading toward a happy ending?
2. Or is there a need for a significant plot change?
Resources:
Joseph: A man of Integrity and Forgiveness, by Charles Swindoll, Word Publishing, 1998
