Introduction:
A. The story is told of a man who went shopping with his wife at a local department store.
1. They purchased a piece of luggage and a cooler.
2. As the man was waiting for his wife to finish the rest of her shopping he dragged the luggage and cooler with him to the shoe department where he found a place to sit.
3. A clerk asked if he could be of assistance.
4. “No, thank you,” the man replied. “I’m just waiting for my wife.”
5. At that point, a man nearby said, “I’m waiting for my wife, too, but I never thought of bringing a cooler of food and an overnight bag with me. What a great idea!”
B. How many of us enjoy waiting?
1. Most of us don’t like waiting for anything.
2. We don’t like waiting at traffic lights.
3. We don’t like waiting in check-out lines.
4. We don’t like waiting in waiting rooms at doctor’s offices or hospitals.
5. And we certainly don’t like waiting for God to answer our prayers and waiting for God to change our difficult circumstances.
C. That’s exactly where we left Joseph a couple of weeks ago – in a dungeon prison, waiting on God.
1. For the most part, Joseph’s experiences in life have been difficult.
2. He may have been born a favored son, but his life was filled with disappointment, mistreatment, and rejection.
3. He had experienced slavery, false accusations, and imprisonment.
4. Two weeks ago, we left Joseph alone in prison.
5. Now, after a gap of two full years, we pick up his story again.
D. If you remember, when we left him, he had told the cupbearer two years earlier, “Now that I’ve told you the meaning of your dream, don’t forget me. Keep me in mind when things go well with you, and when you get restored to your position.”
1. But as we discovered, the cupbearer failed to remember or mention Joseph.
2. Two full years passed after that event – that’s a long time to be forgotten!
3. After all Joseph had been through, why would God allow something like that to happen to him?
4. The answer is that God was still at work in his life and was preparing him for a special assignment.
E. Those two years must have been very difficult.
1. They represented a long, dull, slow-moving grind.
2. That’s what it’s like when we’re in a period of waiting.
a. Nothing seems to be happening, just wait, wait, and wait some more.
3. What we don’t realize is that although it seems that nothing is happening, in reality a whole lot of things may be happening.
a. God is usually very much at work during these times of waiting.
b. God is working on us during those times, and God is working out situations apart from our involvement.
4. So, let’s return to our story.
I. The Story
A. The Bible says: When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile, 2 when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. 3 After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. 4 And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. 6 After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—thin and scorched by the east wind. 7 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream.
In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him. (Gen. 41:1-8)
1. Imagine Joseph’s situation that day – it was a day like any other day.
a. That morning dawned like every other morning over the previous two years.
b. Joseph had no idea that he was about to experience a major turning point – an amazing promotion.
c. Unknown to Joseph that morning was the fact that during the night before, Pharaoh had a bad dream.
2. The king of the land dreamed of seven fat cows who were devoured by the seven gaunt, starving cows.
a. Surely he awoke thinking that something he ate wasn’t sitting too well on his stomach.
3. Before long he fell back asleep and his dream continued.
a. This time he saw a stalk of grain with seven plump and healthy ears, then seven thin, scorched ears sprang up and devoured the seven healthy ears.
4. When Pharaoh awoke the next morning he was troubled by the dreams.
5. He sent for his wise men and told them his dreams, but they could not interpret them.
a. I’m actually impressed that the men didn’t try to make something up.
B. That’s when the light bulb came on in the cupbearer’s mind.
1. The Bible says: Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. 10 Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. 11 Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. 12 Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. 13 And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.”
So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh. (Gen. 41:9-14)
2. So when Pharaoh heard that there was someone around who could tell him what this troubling dream meant, he naturally said, “Go get that man.”
3. So, Joseph who had no idea what was coming, was dragged out of the prison and taken to Pharaoh.
4. Notice that Joseph took a moment to clean himself up before he went before Pharaoh.
a. No doubt after all that time in prison, Joseph was disheveled and tattered and heavily bearded.
b. Although the Jews considered the beard to be a sign of maturity and spirituality, the Egyptians were clean-shaven and considered beards to be offensive.
c. So Joseph shaved and washed and changed his clothes.
d. He prepared himself to meet the king.
C. So Joseph went before Pharaoh and the conversation began like this: The Bible says: Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”
“I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.” (Gen. 41:15-16)
1. Let’s pause and imagine this long-awaited moment for Joseph.
a. It had been years since Joseph had been a part of the real world.
b. Consider the startling contrast from a dingy dungeon to Pharaoh’s palace!
c. There he stood, freshly shaven and wearing a clean robe – and the Lord was still with him, as we can see in his first response to Pharaoh – God was the one in whom Joseph depended.
2. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “According to my sources, you’re the guy with the answers – you can interpret dreams.”
3. Joseph’s reply is right on, “Wait a minute. I don’t have the answers, but God does. I can’t, but God can!”
4. Talk about humility and integrity.
5. Joseph didn’t try to sell himself or in any way work the situation.
a. He didn’t say, “Yeah, I’ve got the answers, and what are they worth to you? What’s in it for me?”
D. Pharaoh proceeded to tell Joseph his dreams – we won’t read that section, let’s drop down to vs. 25.
1. The Bible says: Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. 27 The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.
“It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, 30 but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. 31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. 32 The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.
“And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. 36 This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.” (Gen. 41:25-36)
2. So both of the dreams had the same meaning.
a. Egypt was going to have seven years of abundance that would be followed by seven years of famine.
b. Not only would God’s plan be carried out, but God is going to do it soon.
3. In addition to the interpretation, Joseph also offered a recommendation.
a. Egypt was going to need someone to organize a rationing process.
b. They would need a man of discipline and foresight who could be trusted to handle the job.
c. I really doubt that Joseph gave this advice thinking that he would be the one appointed over the project.
d. If he dared hope at all it would have been to be released from his imprisonment.
e. But God had bigger things in store for Joseph.
E. The Bible says: The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. 38 So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?”
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”
So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and men shouted before him, “Make way!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt. (Gen. 41:37-43)
1. What an amazing turn of events!
2. What a promotion – from the pit to the palace.
3. Only a few hours earlier, Joseph was a scruffy, ragged, and forgotten prisoner in the dungeon.
4. Now he was royally garbed, wore a gold necklace around his neck, had Pharaoh’s signet ring on his finger, and rode in a fabulous chariot.
5. I wonder what Joseph was thinking at this moment?
6. I think he must have been saying to himself over and over, “Praise be to God.”
7. All of this was God’s doing. It wasn’t by luck or hard work, although there was some faithfulness that he been required of Joseph.
II. The Application
A. So what lessons would God want us to learn from this part of the story of Joseph?
B. I would like to focus on one main lesson that we learn from this period of Joseph’s life and that is that during the waiting periods of our lives, we must simply trust God.
1. I know that is easier said than done.
2. There are several aspects of trusting during the waiting that I want us to think about.
C. First of all, as we trust God, we shouldn’t be surprised by periods of delay.
1. What good parent doesn’t know the importance of helping their child learn the lesson of delayed gratification?
2. Every child wants what it wants and they want it now, right?
3. But always giving our children everything they want the second they want it is not good for them.
4. Learning how to wait patiently for something is an important thing to learn.
5. God often employs the waiting period in teaching and shaping His own children.
a. Abraham had to wait 25 years for the birth of Isaac the son of promise.
b. Moses had to wait 40 years in the wilderness before the burning bush.
c. Elijah had to wait beside a brook being taken care of by ravens.
d. Noah waited 120 years for rain.
e. Paul was hidden away for three years in Arabia.
6. So, when we are trying to be a faithful follower of the Lord, we can expect that there will be times of waiting, and during those times we must trust in the Lord.
D. Second, as we wait on the Lord and trust in the Lord, we should be looking for the lessons He is trying to teach us.
1. See, God has two primary objectives for each of us.
a. First, God is concerned about our maturity – He is trying to grow us and develop us.
b. Second, God is concerned about our usefulness – He wants to prepare us for His purposes.
2. A.W. Tozer made an interesting statement. He said, “It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.” (A.W. Tozer, The Root of the Righteous, Christian Publications, Inc. 1986, pg. 137)
3. Like Joseph, Job is another follower of God whom God put through a period of suffering.
a. Although Job questioned what God was up to and wanted an explanation, Job also said: “But He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10)
b. Gold must go through the fire in the refining process and so must we.
4. Most of us are very familiar with James’ amazing statement in James 1: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)
a. We want to be mature and complete, but we need to understand that those things come the hard way.
b. They can only come through tests and trials.
5. The story is told of a time when the Lord appeared in a dream to a man.
a. The Lord showed him a large rock, and charged him to push against the rock with all his might.
1. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulder set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing it with all his might.
2. Each night the man returned to his home sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.
b. One day, the adversary effectively placed thoughts into the man’s weary mind: “You have been pushing against the rock for a long time, and it hasn’t budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to move it.”
1. “Why kill myself over this?” the man agreed. “I’ll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort and that will be good enough.”
c. But the man also took his thoughts to the Lord. “Lord,” he said, “I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not been able to budge that rock. What is wrong? Why am I failing?”
d. The Lord responded compassionately, “My friend, when I asked you to serve me with all your strength, which you have done, never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move the rock. Your task was to push. And now you come to me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown, and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have, yet you haven’t moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in my wisdom.”
6. We may not know or understand what God is up to in our lives, but we can trust that the Lord is doing something through our suffering and our time of waiting, and we can trust Him.
a. Just like Job, we can say: “When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”
E. Third, as we wait on the Lord and trust in the Lord, need to trust in the Lord’s timing – Because we realize that God is always on time.
1. One of the things we learn is that our timetable is rarely the Lord’s timetable.
2. I love the old saying: “God is never late; He’s seldom early; He’s always right on time.”
3. God did what needed to be done in Joseph’s life on just the right schedule, and He does the same with us.
4. May we learn to trust that God will always act on our behalf at just the right time.
F. Finally, I want to suggest that we can learn the same lesson that we discussed during our last lesson on Joseph and that is that the Lord is always with us.
1. No matter where we are or what we are going through, God is with us.
2. God does not leave us alone. He does not abandon us.
3. Although God may allow us to be unfairly mistreated, He is with us always.
a. God was with Joseph when his brother’s sold him into slavery.
b. God was with Joseph when Mrs. Potiphar falsely accused him and he ended up in prison.
c. And God was with Joseph while he waited for the cupbearer to remember him.
4. God is with us and that should make all the difference in the world.
5. I want to end with the Scripture Reading we began with, because it speaks of God’s presence and our ability to not be afraid or discouraged.
6. Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their forefathers to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. 8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:7-8)
G. May God help us to learn to trust Him even while we wait for our promotion from the pit to the palace.
Resources:
Joseph: A man of Integrity and Forgiveness, by Charles Swindoll, Word Publishing, 1998
How to Survive A Crisis, Sermon by Thomas Ward, Sr., SermonCentral.com
I Can See Clearly Now, Sermon by Victor Yap, SermonCentral.com
Dealing With Delay, Sermon by John Hamby, SermonCentral.com
From the Pit to the Palace, Sermon by Dean O’Bryan, SermonCentral.com
