From The Prison To The Palace Series

Pastor Allan Kircher

Shell Point Baptist Church

26 Jan 2014

Genesis 41:1-44

FROM THE PRISON TO THE PALACE

Intro:

• We last saw Joseph; he was languishing/Egyptian prison.

• he had broken no laws

In prison because he had:

• Done the right thing and honored God in his life.

• Refused the advances of a wicked woman.

When we last saw Joseph:

• He was in a place of hardship/still faithfully serving the Lord.

• He was a man who had his priorities in order.

Wherever Joseph was, he could be counted on to be faithful.

• Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s chief butler dream….

• Asked/butler’s help in securing his release from prison

• butler was released from prison

• he immediately forgot all about Joseph

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Text today..

• going/watch/Joseph/delivered/prison/promoted/palace!

• Going/see/unseen hand of God at work in this man’s life

• going to see what the Lord did for Joseph

• He can do for you and me.

He knows where we are, and in His time, He knows how to bring us out of our prisons and place us in the palace.

Let’s join Joseph once again and notice the circumstances God used to move Joseph From The Prison To The Palace.

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I. v. 1-14 JOSEPH AND PROVIDENCE

• anyone looking/life/Joseph

• Must have appeared/Lord had forgotten all about him.

• He/faithful servant/Lord, but he was in a prison

• Doing time/crime he had not committed.

• Only looked like God had forsaken him.

• God/working behind scenes/accomplish His eternal purposes.

God used three amazing turns of events to bring about Joseph’s release from prison.

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A. v. 1a Providential Delays

• Joseph waited/prison “two full years”/after/butler/released

• Not told how long he was there before those events.

From 18 to 30…….young people…..

• Surrender your 20’s to serve the Lord/enormous way.

God used/long/grinding years/prison/teach Joseph patience and dependence.

• God placed Joseph/waiting room

• Left him/until some very valuable lessons had been learned.

• Taught Joseph/wait/Lord

• Trust the Lord, in spite of the situation at hand.

Have you ever experienced one of those waiting rooms in your life?

• time when/Lord seems/forgotten your address

• times/like your prayers are not being answered

• nothing is going like you planned

• Seems God is not interested in you or your need at all.

Providential delays are never easy, but they are designed to focus our faith and increase our dependence upon the Lord.

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v. 1b-8 Providential Dreams

dreams caused Pharaoh much concern.

• V 8 tells us he was “troubled”

• word/idea of being “disturbed, or greatly distressed”.

• He called for his “wise men”.

• These men/supposed/communicate/Egyptian “gods”

• Then share/Pharaoh the counsel of those “gods”

• they could not interpret the dreams either

• God closed their minds/caused them all/drawn blank/matter.

I know/sure these men never heard from their so-called “gods”

• Times past/would/ventured a guess.

• This time they were silent before Pharaoh.

• Providential work of the Lord in Joseph’s life.

• God sent the dream to Pharaoh and he also sent a blank mind to all of Pharaoh’s counselors.

• God/working behind the scenes to accomplish His eternal plan and purpose.

• Isn’t that a blessing?

Pharaoh/thought he/control/everything happened in Egypt.

In truth, God was/control of all things, even/heart/king/Pro. 21:1.

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This passage should serve to give us hope today!

• Let me tell you why.

• Our God is sovereign over all things Psa. 135:6.

• Kings rule/pleasure of the Lord Dan. 2:21

I refuse to worry about elections because I know God’s purpose will not be thwarted by a Democrat or by a Republican.

He will accomplish His purposes in this world.

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• God does not speak through dreams in our day.

• Joseph’s time they did not have the Bible.

• Did not have a complete revelation of God’s Word. We do!

• In our day, God speaks through His Word, alone!

• The Bible is superior to dreams and visions.

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v. 9-14 Providential Deliverance

• Butler finally shakes/cobwebs/mind/remembers Joseph.

• Tells Pharaoh the story and Joseph is delivered from the prison and brought to the palace.

Hand of God is seen/sequence of events.

• Joseph is brought to Pharaoh only when Pharaoh has been brought to a place of desperation.

• Any other day/powerful ruler would not have listened.

• On this day he had no choice!

• desperate for answers

• Willing to listen/anyone who could possibly give them/him.

Our God operates His universe on split second timing.

From the orbit of the tiny parts of every atom to the precise movements of galaxies, God has everything on a schedule.

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When we want to see something happen, we want it now.

• need to learn God orders events

• the very timing of those events