Three things JOSEPH DID not do When Everything was going wrong Genesis 37:18-28
When life is good we smile and enjoy the good times. We respond to others that life is great. Our true character shows up when we are going through times of testing. Why is it when we do face hard times we have free advice that we receive from what we call our friends that seems senseless. We hear such things as “Grin and bear it, “The sun is going to shine tomorrow,” “When the going gets tough, the tough get going” and “When you get to the end of the rope tie a knot and hang on.” These words do not help us much but I know that God’s word is given to us that our bad thoughts or ideas may be replaced by God’s plan.
We have read this morning of a time in Joseph’s life which it seems that there is not much hope. His brothers hated him and were trying to kill him. He is released only to be sold as a slave and taken far away to Egypt where is a slave to one named Potiphar. From going to help his brothers he soon finds himself in prison for ten years on a false accusation. Gen 39:20 “He took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king's prisoners were held.” Would you believe that Satan was there in the prison saying to Joseph, “God does not love you? Just look at all the bad things that have come your way.”
How did Joseph do? I would like for us to consider three things in his life that kept him from doubting God’s love.
1. He did not demand understanding for what was happening to him.
A. It is not wrong to question why things are happening in our lives. This is the way that I have found people find they have something in their life they need to change to make life better. The way of a walk with Christ is a Walk of Faith. I we knew everything that was happening to us we would not have to have faith that God is working all things out together for our good. Is there a good reason or grounds for what his brothers did to him or for what happened as he served Potiphar? We might think why it happened but what did Joseph do to deserve this? He was walking with God.
B. Joseph had to completely trust God in the circumstances he found himself to be placed in and believe that God knew all that was going on. He was his dad’s favorite and life was good until he turned 17. God gave him dreams of the future but did not give the details of how it would happen. You might have a bright future with God but do you want all the details of how you are going to arrive there?
I wonder if there are some who claim to be followers of Christ today who might be facing a tough battle and want to demand of God to explain “Why is this happening to me?” They also might be saying “If you are going to treat me this way then I choose not to follow you.”
C. I would ask why some demand that they understand during hard times. Is it because we do not want to be put in a place of just having to trust the Lord in these times? I know people who work jobs to get more money so they can buy more things and then sit back and say I have everything I need. The rich man in the Bible did this and God said, “This night your soul will stand before me and what will all these goods do you?”
D. Most like to think they can make it by themselves. When hard times come we are not able to take care of ourselves and it places in the position to have to trust God. This is why God sends the hard times. He wants to draw us closer to Him. I have people I work with who do not trust in God because they feel everything is good.
E. We have seen on national TV that what people do in their personal lives is not our concern as long as they do the job they are supposed to do. I remember when Britney Spears said she could dress the way she wanted to because she was not a role model and yet many young girls wanted to be like her. Her character was ruining many a young lives.
F. We are not electing any leaders for our country this year but how many seek to be leaders and decide our future and yet say it does not matter about my character. It should not be your concern if I do drugs, commit adultery, lie, spend money foolishly, have history of crime or do not believe in God. We need to be concerned about the issues of our day.
G. Is God getting us ready for hard times with stock market falling, seeing many of our young people having to spend their lives fighting in wars, having floods, tornadoes, earthquakes and gas prices so high? What are you going to do when a loaf of bread will cost a bag of gold? Yes the bible says that will happen.
H God has said IS 55:8-9 “My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways,” declares the Lord. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts.” When we come to times when things do not make sense to us and we do not understand does not mean we will never understand.
I. There are many things we are not capable of understanding because our minds are not infinite. We need to learn to trust him even if we do not understand. We can seek to understand but we should not demand that God explain it all. IS 45:9 Does a clay pot ever argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, 'Stop, you are doing it wrong?' Does the pot exclaim, 'How clumsy can you be?' Jere 18:6 “As the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand.” IS 64:8 Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We are all formed by your hand.
J. Personally I like to trust people and that they will do what is right. In our time with 10 teen age girls in Macon, GA the Lord sent me through some tough times. Joan and I cried many tears in that place. God took us through that to teach me to be tougher on people and not be unsuspecting when people are not being truthful. Joseph as we think did not understand why all these things were happening to him. He continued to trust in the lord. The Bible says over and over, “And the Lord was with Joseph.” Joseph knew God and believed what was happening to him was preparing him to be what he was to be. He was spoiled boy in his family and now god says I need to have you go through some tough times to get you ready to be a ruler in Egypt. Are you satisfied that the Lord is with you?
II. Joseph did not give in to being bitter though he was treated wrongfully.
A. Many of the things that happened to Joseph seemed to have no reason in our understanding. He did not deserve to have these things happen to him.
B. We live in a world that is given into being bitter and feel we have a right because of how we have been treated. Some have carried some hurtful things around for many years and are very bitter. They have not learned that Jesus said, “Forgive and it shall be forgiven you.” As you read the story of Joseph we never find him being bitter with those who wronged him. When his brothers came to him for food, He gave without bitterness. He even said that God sent him ahead of them for their good. When they came for food they could not recognize him but he knew who they were. When he questioned them, Rueben spoke and said it was because they had sinned. This affected Joseph so much that he had to leave the room and weep.
C. Bitterness shortens our lives and robs us of Joy and Happiness.
A story is told about a man who was imprisoned during Napoleon's reign. While sulking in his dungeon one day, he etched on the wall the words: "Nobody cares!" A few weeks later, through a crack in the dungeon floor, a little green shoot sprang forth, reaching toward the tiny ray of sunlight that came from his small prison cell window. The prisoner began giving a portion of his daily water to the little shoot and it began to grow. One morning the man awoke to a beautiful flower. A tear rolling down his face, he crossed out the words, "Nobody Cares!" and replaced them with "God Cares!" The story goes on to tell that His devotion to the flower was reported to the Empress Josephine. She was so very moved that she convinced Napoleon to set the man free. How many times do we feel like nobody cares? God has planted little shoots of hope in each and every one of our difficult circumstances. Do you know that? Perhaps we're stepping on them, not even noticing they exist. Perhaps we're pulling the shoots before they spring forth into beautiful flowers. God wants us to be released from our prisons of despair.
III. Joseph did not fail to remain faithful.
A. Joseph did not deserve all that happened to him but he used those things to better his life as he waited upon God to fulfill His purpose for his life. Joseph chose to use the things that were against him for the good of his life. He spent 13 years as a slave and in prison when it seemed everyone had forgotten him. He knew that God does not forget his chosen people. 1 PT 5:6 “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in his good time he will honor you.”
B. Joseph remained humble under the cruelty of men. One day he was a favorite son, then he was in a pit facing death, he was sold as a slave, he was thrown into prison and still remained in God’s care trusting him completely.
Let us learn that not only are we in God’s care, we also are in God’s timing and He knows what is best for our lives. He knows all and will give us the best life we can live as we live under His care and plan for our life.
"The stars are God's fingerprints. The sun is a mere smidgen of his radiance. The moon is to remind us that he doesn't sleep at night. The vastness of space proclaims the infinity of his wisdom, while the sand pebble indicates his thoroughness with the puniest details. The lion hints at his fearlessness, the bear at his power, the hawk at his keen insight. And yet, those possess only a tidbit of God's omnipotence and omnipresence. Every tree points toward heaven; every bird has a song to sing; even every moment of wind goes in some direction. There is nothing chaotic about our beautiful designed world. All creation has a message to tell. It says, 'Listen, there is a God. There is a God!'" Brent D. Earles
