Sermon Central
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Israels Family Tree Joseph
Contributed by Mark Aarssen on Oct 5, 2012 (message contributor)
Summary: Do you ever wonder why bad things happen to good people? It takes real faith to trust God when your world is crashing down around you but that is exactly what Joseph did.Maybe like Joseph God is using you as an example to the rest of your family to show
Israels family tree - Joseph
The Story of Joseph Genesis 37
The story of Joseph is one that reminds us just how dysfunctional a family can get. Jacob (Israel) is the grandson of Abraham and he has inherited the blessing of the Living God the same blessing that was first made to Abraham.
17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.
Thats a pretty wonderful family inheritance but for Jacobs son Joseph it will come at a personal price. Joseph is Jacobs favorite son out of all twelve. Jacob even goes so far as to flaunt his favoritism by dressing Joseph in a brightly colored cloak. This creates some very honest resentment in his eleven brothers in fact you could say that they were envious of the fathers love for their younger brother.
To make matters worse Joseph is a dreamer who doesnt know to keep his dreams to himself. After describing his dreams to his brothers they become indignant by what they hear. Joseph tells them that they will one day bow down to him. Joseph is coming across as impertinent and proud and someone had better put him in his place. But in fact Joseph is just sincere and trusting in God and the plans God has reveled to him through his dreams. Joseph is content in his faith.
Has God given you an idea of what he sees in your future?
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Despite whatever you may be going through right now God will bless your life if you like Joseph hold on to your faith.
Josephs brothers throw him into an empty well then they fake Josephs death and break the news to their father who is inconsolable. The brothers hope that by their actions the future that Joseph described for them will never come true and that they will never have to bow down to their little brother.
Maybe they were thinking their father Jacob would put Joseph above them somehow at some time in the future and that thought created such envy in them that they cut Joseph off?
Have you ever lashed out at someone maybe even a family member for what you thought might happen before it happened?
This sounds like an awful family to build a nation from doesnt it? Once again we see Gods mysterious plans at work.
Isaiah 55:8 NIV
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
He was dealt some pretty bad cards. Now sold as a slave he had to make the best of it.
The bible says that “the Lord gave him success in everything he did. Genesis 39:3
Do you ever wonder why bad things happen to good people? The bible says that the Lord was with Joseph. Everywhere that Joseph went the people around him benefited. When he worked for Potiphar Egypts Captain of the Guard Joseph was so good at managing the house that he was put in charge of everything.
That is until Mrs. Potiphar accused Joseph of a crime he did not commit. Joseph must have wondered what the deal was he got sold out by his brothers became a slave in Egypt and now was headed for prison for a crime he did not commit. In all of this Joseph had done nothing wrong and still things went from bad to worse.
It takes real faith to trust God when your world is crashing down around you but that is exactly what Joseph did.
Once in prison Joseph was seen as someone who could be trusted and was even put in charge of many duties that the warden would normally have.
In prison he meets the Pharaohs baker and cup bearer. Both of them are afraid because of the strange dreams they have had. Joseph has a God given gift for interpreting dreams. As it turned out Joseph interpreted both dreams and it was good news for the cup-bearer but bad news for the baker. Having given the cup-bearer the good news Joseph requested that he mention his case to the Pharaoh when he got out.
It took two years before the cup-bearer remembered Joseph but when he did the Pharaoh was glad to meet Joseph since he had a dream that no one could interpret. By Gods grace Joseph was able to tell the Pharaoh about a famine that was coming.
