Have you been betrayed by the people you trust? Have you been abandoned by your family? Are you a victim of false accusations and suffering injustice? Have you been punished by the crime that you did not committed?
We can surely relate to the story of Joseph after he handles the series of humiliating story of his life. At the end, he positively declares God’s goodness above every humiliating event in his life.
Gen 41:51 Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: "For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house."
Gen 41:52 And the name of the second he called Ephraim: "For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction."
There are three secrets on the character of Joseph that makes him overcome all the challenges and trials of his life
I. HE DID NOT LIVED BY THE PAIN OF THE PAST – (Manasseh)
Gen 41:51 Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: "For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house
Considering the series and progression of sufferings and injustices that Joseph went through, but he did not allow bitterness and pain eat his heart. He overcomes the spirit of bitterness, resentment, pain and the desire to take vengeance. He rose above the valley of despair and proven himself victorious by the grace and mercy of God whom he serves faithfully.
a) He was a victim of maltreatment
Gen 37:4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
b) He was kidnapped and was thrown to a cistern
Gen 37:23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe-- the richly ornamented robe he was wearing--
Gen 37:24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it.
c) He was sold as slave to Ishmaelite
Gen 37:28 So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
d) He was sold again to Egyptian Potiphar
Gen 37:36 Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.
e) He was falsely accused and put in prison
Gen 39:19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, This is how your slave treated me, he burned with anger.
Gen 39:20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison,
Somebody stated it well; “We are product of the past but we are not slaves of it.” Joseph did not allow the series of negative circumstances to ruin his whole life. He did not live in the cave of self pity and join himself with crying party of the losers. He step and walk through those negative events in his life and use all the lessons he learned from them as he rise above every problems and sufferings.
Application 1: Pain can be your gain if you will not consider it a chain but for you to be trained.
II. HE CHERISHED THE BLESSING OF THE PRESENT – (Ephraim)
Gen 41:52 And the name of the second he called Ephraim: "For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction."
Other’s hearts may become callous and hard after the series of tragedy and misfortune but not Joseph. His heart remains fresh and pragmatic. His faith always focuses on the God whom he believed. Hence, he is able to appreciate the beauty of God’s vindication and splendor of His mercy and grace.
a) He recognize the presence of God while he work as slave
Gen 39:2 The LORD was with Joseph and blessed him greatly as he served in the home of his Egyptian master.
Gen 39:3 Potiphar noticed this and realized that the LORD was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did.
Gen 39:4 So Joseph naturally became quite a favorite with him. Potiphar soon put Joseph in charge of his entire household and entrusted him with all his business dealings.
Gen 39:5 From the day Joseph was put in charge, the LORD began to bless Potiphar for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs began to run smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished.
Gen 39:6 So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t have a worry in the world, except to decide what he wanted to eat! Now Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man.
b) He recognize the hand of God while he was in prison
Gen 39:21 But the LORD was with Joseph there, too, and he granted Joseph favor with the chief jailer.
Gen 39:22 Before long, the jailer put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison.
Gen 39:23 The chief jailer had no more worries after that, because Joseph took care of everything. The LORD was with him, making everything run smoothly and successfully.
c) He recognize the hand of God by the promotion given to him by Pharaoh
Gen 41:37 The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials.
Gen 41:38 So Pharaoh asked them, "Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?"
Gen 41:39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you.
Gen 41:40 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."
Gen 41:41 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt."
d) He recognizes that God is the one who is behind all his suffering and success for divine purpose.
Gen 45:4 "Come over here," he said. So they came closer. And he said again, "I am Joseph, your brother whom you sold into Egypt.
Gen 45:5 But don’t be angry with yourselves that you did this to me, for God did it. He sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives.
Gen 45:6 These two years of famine will grow to seven, during which there will be neither plowing nor harvest.
Gen 45:7 God has sent me here to keep you and your families alive so that you will become a great nation.
Gen 45:8 Yes, it was God who sent me here, not you! And he has made me a counselor to Pharaoh-manager of his entire household and ruler over all Egypt.
e) He recognize the purpose of all the suffering and pain he had been through
Gen 50:20 "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.
Here is the evident secret of Joseph’s success. He is successful and victorious because the Lord is with him. Indeed, the presence of God makes the difference. The question is not how big the problem is or how many storms will come into our ways. What is matter is the presence of God. If God is with us we will emerge and rise victoriously above every negative circumstance and problems. If God is with us, there is no reason to fear!
Application 2: You can imprison and even crucify the body. But if the heart and spirit is free, there is always reason to celebrate because of the God’s grace and mercy.
III. HE BELIEVED GOD’S PROMISE FOR HIS FUTURE – (God)
Gen 41:51 …"For God has made…”
Gen 41:52 …"For God has caused…”
After that the dust of tests and trials settled on the ground and the victory and success has been achieved. Joseph, the dreamer quickly realized that what has been achieved is just execution of God’s promises, the fulfillment of his God-given dream and the completion of his destiny and future. It is God and not men caused them to happen.
a) The first dream of his future
Gen 37:5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more.
Gen 37:6 He said to them, Listen to this dream I had:
Gen 37:7 We were binding sheaves of corn out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered round mine and bowed down to it.
Gen 37:8 His brothers said to him, Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us? And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.
b) The second dream of his future
Gen 37:9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. Listen, he said, I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.
Gen 37:10 When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?
Gen 37:11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
The word of God is our strong foundation. Joseph was able to overcome all the trials and pain in his life because he receive the word from God through his dreams. He hangs on to his God-given dream and believes that God is in control. He came to realize that God has a purpose for his life in spite of the situations that he is going through. He believes even in the darkness what God has promise in the day light.
Application 3: Faith has the ability to endure all hardships and troubles because it always sees the pen on the hand of God. Faith says: God will have the final words for the future. On the novel of our life, God has the final signature.
If you have been blessed, encouraged or inspired by this sermon then it’s your turn to be an encouragement too. You can do it by sending email to this contributor at spy2rb@yahoo.com or post comment on the discussion box below.
