Distressing Delay Series

WHEN LIFE IS THE PITS: DISTRESSING DELAY

A. We are continuing our study on the Life of Joseph in a series I’ve titled: “When Life is the Pits.”

1. I chose this title because of the many DIFFICULTIES and PROBLEMS that Joseph had experienced in

his young life. He ENDURED one PIT after another.

2. But even in the PIT, God brings a RAY of SUNSHINE glimmering through the DARKNESS. The hard part is the “DISTRESSING DELAY.”

B. “The reason Joseph wound up as a SLAVE in Egypt is the result of sharing a couple of DREAMS that

he had with his BROTHERS about how they would BOW DOWN to him”- Genesis 37:5-9.

1. Joseph was only 17-years-old at the time, and I’m sure he was rather AMUSED by the thought that he

would RULE over his OLDER BROTHERS.

a. However, they didn’t find it so AMUSING, especially given the fact that he was their father’s FAVORITE SON who was given many PRIVILEGES that they didn’t have.

b. The DREAMS infuriated them, producing HATRED and ANIMOSITY toward their kid brother.

COMMENT:

So, when they had the OPPORTUNITY, they got RID of Joseph by SELLING him as a SLAVE to some MERCHANTS who were traveling to EGYPT.

2. Even in Egypt as a SLAVE, God had BLESSED Joseph by placing him in CHARGE of the household

of Potiphar—an official of Pharoah.

a. For eleven years he served Potiphar and God faithfully, despite the daily TEMPTATIONS from

Potiphar’s wife to have a SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP with her.

b. But then one day she FALSELY ACCUSED the young Hebrew of trying to RAPE her, which

OUTRAGED her husband who, in turn, put Joseph in Pharoah’s PRISON.

COMMENT:

Undoubtedly by this time, Joseph is beginning to wonder if his DREAMS of being a RULER were really from God. Being a PRISONER of Pharoah confined to a DUNGEON is far from being a

RULER.

3. But then Joseph was given a GLIMMER of HOPE that he would finally be able to PLEAD his case before the King of Egypt and get out of PRISON when he accurately INTERPRETED the DREAM

of Pharoah’s chief CUPBEARER.

a. Joseph just knew when the CUPBEARER was RELEASED from PRISON and RESTORED to his PROMINENT POSITION before Pharoah, even as he PREDICTED, that he would

REMEMBER Joseph and speak FAVORABLY about him before Pharoah.

b. Genesis 40:23- “The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.”

C. If Joseph does still BELIEVE that his DREAMS of being a RULER are from God, He’s got to be

WONDERING why God is taking so LONG.

1. Eleven years have passed, and when Joseph thinks that God is finally putting things in MOTION to make his DREAMS a REALITY . . . another DISTRESSING DELAY.

2. Genesis 42:1states that another “two full years will pass”.

a. What do you think those two years were like for Joseph?

b. Scripture doesn’t say, but we know HUMAN NATURE. How would you REACT?

COMMENT:

I can’t imagine Joseph saying, “God, I thought for a moment there that you were getting me OUT of this DUNGEON, but if you want me here LONGER, that’s FINE. It’s all GOOD!”

c. Don’t you think Joseph is UPSET and DISCOURAGED?

COMMENT:

It’s a TERRIBLE thing to be FORGOTTEN—to be FORGOTTEN by someone that you have DONE a GOOD THING for. That’s got to HURT! But even WORSE is to think that God may have

FORGOTTEN about you—the very One you have SERVED and been FAITHFUL to.

And, yet, we have no INDICATION whatsoever that Joseph TURNED his BACK on God . . . that He GAVE UP on his FAITH . . . that he said, “Okay, God, here’s the deal. I’m going to give you 6-months, and if I’m not a RULER by then . . . WE’RE DONE!”

3. “Two full years.” That is a LONG time to be in PRISON for something that you didn’t DO.

a. How did Joseph survive such “DISTRESSING DELAY” and still remained FAITHFUL to God?

b. It can only be by CLINGING to the PROMISE that God made to him in those DREAMS long ago

that he will be a RULER over his PEOPLE.

COMMENT:

Joseph had to BELIEVE that this DUNGEON was not his final OUTCOME, and that in TIME God will BRING TO PASS the BLESSING that He had PROMISED to a 17-year-old kid in a

DREAM!

MESSAGE:

I. WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM JOSEPH’S DELAYS?

A. Just when things look HOPELESS, God STEPS in- Genesis 41:1-13

1. Pharoah has a couple of TROUBLING DREAMS.

a. First, he dreams about COWS- vv. 1-4 (READ)

COMMENT:

It kind of looks like Pharoah woke up HUNGRY and is thinking, “I could sure use a STEAK right now!” He DREAMS about FAT COWS and SKINNY COWS, and the SKINNY COWS gobble up the FAT COWS. (Have you ever had a dream that just didn’t make any sense?)