Integrity Series

Integrity

Series: Rising Up (Lessons from the Life of Joseph)

January 16, 2022 – Brad Bailey

Intro

Last week we started a short series to begin the new year. Our series in this first month of the new year is focused on allowing God to speak to us about rising up.

I sense that for many of us... this pandemic season has caused us to lose some spiritual vitality...and I believe that God wants us to rise up again... to rise up to all the purpose and potential that have not changed.

In the midst of a season where so much change can cause us to lose our footing...and to lose some spiritual vitality....how can we get that footing again.

The effects of a global pandemic and polarizing political drama can leave us with a sense that “everything has changed.”

And when we allow ourselves to surrender to that feeling that “everything has changed” ... we lose our deep spiritual vitality that is connected to what is unchanging.

> We need to be restored by the reality that what has changed is actually very small and secondary to all that is at hand in this gift we call life.

So we’re taking lessons on what that means from the life of a man named Joseph who was faced with rising up time and again from huge setbacks.

As we talked about last week, Joseph is one of the most intriguing figures in the Bible. The account of his life is given in the first book of the Bible...the Book of Genesis. The second half of the book gives the account of how God began calling a people to himself... a people to whom he would begin to reveal Himself...and through whom he would bless the whole world.

And this begins with his calling out of a man named Abraham... then his son Isaac... then Isaac’s son Jacob... and now Jacob’s sons... of which one is Joseph.

And Joseph’s life is given the most extensive accounting in the opening book of Genesis.

His life is one defined by taking strange turns that leave him in strange places.

And that is why his life speaks to every one of us who find that our lives can take strange turns that leave us in strange places... places that we never expected... places that can leave us feeling defeated... places we need to rise up from.

His life begins as the favored son of his father. His future looked bright. In fact he is given a vision of how he would rise up and be honored by his family.

Last week we looked at the importance of having a vision, and holding on to it, for our life. Joseph had to hold onto that vision...to let that vision define him when the forces of the circumstances declared that they define him.

As you may recall... as the favored son... Joseph’s older brothers had become filled will jealousy and hatred towards him.

So much so that one day when he is sent to join them in an area several miles away...they beat him until nearly dead and staged his death by ripping his clothes – his robe specifically - to shreds and then dipping them in goat’s blood. Then they sold him into slavery through a caravan heading toward Egypt. Then they took Joseph’s torn and bloodstained clothes to their father, saying they found them and that he must have been killed by a ferocious animal.

So what happened next? Let’s find out. And this is from the book of Genesis.

“When Joseph was taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potiphar, an Egyptian officer. Potiphar was captain of the guard for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.

“The LORD was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned.

“From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the LORD began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat!” (Genesis 39:1-6, NLT)

Let’s stop there, because there’s some important background here.

First, Joseph was sold into slavery, and his destination turned out to be Egypt – at that time, the most powerful sociopolitical force on the planet. Egypt ruled the known world.

Second, he was sold to a man by the name of Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh. Pharaoh was one of a line of rulers who were considered to be like gods.