In Part 3 of “God’s Love” we will survey the transformation of Joseph. We have, in this story, God’s deliverance, love and provision for one man’s life in order to provide not only for his family, but two countries as well.
1. THE PIT
• Joseph’s brothers hated him because of their father’s love for him
• Joseph had done nothing wrong, it was the actions of his father that had brought forth this hatred
• Jacob had sent Joseph out to the fields to check on his brothers, when they saw him coming, they quickly devised a plan to destroy him (CH 37:20)
• So often in our lives, we fall into the pit without ever realizing we are in danger of falling in at all
• Reuben, one of Joseph’s brothers decided that ‘killing’ Joseph would much too extreme, so he rationed that they should simply throw him into the pit
• Often, within our world, many pits await us, sometimes we fall in ourselves and sometimes we allow the world to guide us into it
• “At the Nicene Council, an important church meeting in the 4th century A.D., of the 318 delegates attending, fewer than 12 had not lost an eye or lost a hand or did not limp on a leg lamed by torture for their Christian faith.”
2. THE PALACE
• Joseph was sold into slavery by the Ishmeelites, into an officer of Pharaoh’s cabinet named Potiphar.
• Potiphar’s wife made false accusations toward Joseph which landed him in the ‘Pit’ yet again
• While in prison, Joseph was joined by Pharaoh’s butler and baker
• Both had a dream, which Joseph interpreted correctly; the dreams came to pass
• Joseph asked the men to remember him once they were released from prison, the baker was killed and the butler spared.
• The butler remembered Joseph’s interpretation when Pharaoh had a dream of his own
• THE TRANSLATION:
• Joseph imprisonment indicated:
a. DIVINE LOCATION: Joseph was there not to interpret the dream’s of the two; but as an escape from prison down the road
i. Though Joseph asked the two to remember him when they were released, they forgot
ii. 13 years elapse for the butler calls to remembrance Joseph the interpreter
iii. God had placed Joseph in a ‘place of preservation’ to keep him until the appointed time of need
iv. There are times in our lives when we end up somewhere we don’t expect to or maybe in the presence of someone unexpected, these are divine opportunities to serve in specified locations
b. DIVINE TIME
i. Joseph’s imprisonment; though it seemed long and unjust, was God’s way of preserving him until it was time to fulfill the task of God
ii. After the 13 years, the butler remembered, and Joseph was brought forth to interpret the dream of Pharaoh
iii. Joseph was brought forth as an avenue to escape the drought that had been dreamed by Pharaoh.
c. DIVINE PURPOSE
i. God knew what he was doing when he allowed Joseph to fall into the ‘pit’
ii. God’s ways are always above ours
iii. He knows us better than we know ourselves and therefore has the ability to place us where he wants us, even when we may not agree with the situation
iv. “When you’re up to your neck in alligators, it’s difficult to keep your mind on the fact that your primary objective is to drain the swamp.”
v. Purpose is often something we lose focus on when we are in the midst of obtaining our objective
3. THE PROPHECY
• Pharaoh had a dream that disturbed him greatly
• THE DREAM:
a. 7 cows; fat-fleshed (healthy) and 7 cows; poor and very ill favored (unhealthy)
• It was at this time that Joseph interpreted the dream to be 7 years of plentiful harvest and 7 years of drought (Genesis 41:26-31)
• Due to the interpretation of Joseph, Pharaoh placed him in charge of the land of the people of Egypt (41:40-44)
• Joseph was a wise manager and during the 7 years of drought he was able to hold back a portion of the plenty to provide the people during the 7 years of famine
4. THE PROVISION
• Jacob and his sons and all of Israel suffered the famine as well as the people of Egypt (41:57)
• Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy corn
• These were the same brothers that threw Joseph into the pit, lied to Jacob about his death, and ultimately sold him to the Ishmeelites
• Joseph remembered his brother’s and at first made himself unknown to them (42:7-8)
• Joseph gave unto his brothers that which they came for and replaced their money with which they bought the stuff
• How difficult would this be for us to do; especially those who have double-crossed us
• Luke 6:27 “But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you.”
• Luke 6:270-38
• An enemy is to be loved by the Christian, if we fail to show that love, how then may we bring them into the fold?
• God’s provision is for us to provide for and to be provided of those we may not think are capable of doing so
• All because of Joseph’s Pit, Palace and Prison experiences that he was able to not only provide for his family, but the children of Israel as well
• Genesis 47:1-6
