Joseph: Who You Are When You Do Not Know What God Is Doing Series

Title: Joseph Finding Hope when we don’t know what is going on.

Theme: To show that many times our relationship with God is about a process and if we don’t give up on the process God will show us great and mighty things ahead

Text: Genesis 37 – 41

NOTE: I used a message by Andy Stanley "Joseph and the Process" for much of the notes. I also added my notes.

Introduction

Opening Scripture

When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him." So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, "Before your father died he commanded, saying, 'Thus you shall say to Joseph: "I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you." ' Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, "Behold, we are your servants." Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

(Gen 50:15-21)

This is one of the most incredible stories of forgives. Joseph (who had all the power) was willing to forgive his brothers. This to me took a lot. This whole story gives a glimpse into Joseph’s family. If you look closely, you’ll see the ugliness of

Selfishness

Petty Jealousy

Envy

Hatred

Favoritism

Competition

The book of genesis has 50 chapters, 14 of them are dedicated to Joseph

Joseph’s Family- NOTES

1. He didn’t choose his parents.

Nor how his life would be impacted by them.

His family wasn’t his greatest asset.

Overcoming his family members and their history was his first major hurdle.

In order to survive / succeed, in order to make it, Joseph determined not to allow his family to define his character.

2. His father (Jacob -which means deceiver.) was a schemer.

Jacob learned to maneuver and manipulate people

Jacob probably learned how to con and scheme from Rebekah his mother

She too was deceitful also her father Joseph's granddad Laban was a schemer himself,

He deceived Joseph's father into marrying Leah Rebekah's sister first Although he didn’t love her.

This was a household with a sordid past.

Lying - deception - manipulation were a tradition in his family

There was much distrust and jealousy.

He could have easily kept the family tradition

He could have easily followed the family path,

But he chose another course.

He abandoned his family’s way and sought God's way.

And God guided his steps,

As Joseph God will guide you if you will surrender in obedience to Him.

3. He lost his mother early in life.

Rachel, Joseph's mother died during the birth of his brother Benjamin.

For the rest of his childhood, he was raised by a stepmother and his father.

He was left to cope in life without the com¬forting, nurturing touch of a mother

The nurturing touch of a mother is an important part of human life.

Maybe your life has been marked by hurts and you can’t seem to recover.

If so, you can relate to Joseph.

Rachel was Jacob’s choice wife

Jacob’s favoritism of Rebekah carried though to Joseph

Her death changed the dynamics of their home

When you lose a mother regardless of age

The loss is profound even grown men cry at the lose of a mother

We are still learning the effects on children who face life without either of both natural parents

Now Joseph would raised by Leah,

At best stepmother, child relationships require work

Leah’s children resented their father’s attachment to Joseph

This resentment paved the way for bitterness

Joseph suffered The hatred of his siblings,

The betrayal of his family,

Family can be brutal. The problem with having an aught with a family member is they are still there. Other people just move on but family is still there. And you live in it.

The rejection of his peers And yet he never lost hope

Some people never recover from just one bad experience,

But Joseph lived through 13 years of one negative circumstance after another,

Yet he never gave up on God's plan.

Joseph Had a Dream

Genesis 37 gives us a little more insight into Joseph’s life. Yes, his father had given him a special coat. Some translate it as a coat of “many colors”. It distinguished him as the special child of Jacob. But this was not what tipped the brothers over the edge. Joseph had dreams.