The God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob … Joseph … and You
CHCC: January 20, 2013
Genesis 30-50
Today is week 3 of a 17-week sermon series called "The Story" that will take us through the Old Testament. Last Sunday, Ronnie talked about Abraham. This week we’ll focus on Joseph --- but first I want to examine what we learn about God from His dealings with Joseph’s great grandpa – Abraham; his grandpa – Isaac; and Joseph’s dad – Jacob.
The Old Testament often refers to God as Yahweh or Jehovah. But when Jehovah introduced himself, he told Moses, “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Exodus 3:6
Thousands of years later, Jesus described God the same way. He said, Have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Matthew 22:31-32
This is an interesting introduction of God. It shows us that we have a God who defines Himself by his relationship with his people. For one thing, it tells us that our God is a God who seeks relationship with flawed people. That is something we see all through the Bible – and it’s as true for you and me as it is for Bible characters.
1. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is a God who seeks a UNIQUE relationship with you.
We can see that God had a UNIQUE relationship with each of these three men. With ABRAHAM, God gave a challenging call to new beginnings. Abraham was a pioneer who explored new destinations and took great risks. Last week Ronnie talked about some of the challenges he faced and how his faith in God was tested.
God dealt with Abraham’s son, ISAAC, in a very different way. Isaac was not called to be a pioneer. His call was to maintain the inheritance passed on to him by his father. He was called to stay home and lead a peaceful life. Isaac didn’t even leave home to look for a wife. Instead he accepted the choice of a servant who went out looking for him.
Then we come to Isaac’s son, JACOB --- Jacob the schemer --- Jacob whose name means “the usurper” or “the grabber.” God used all kinds of difficulties to perfect Jacob’s character --- because Jacob needed a lot of improvement. You can’t say God doesn’t have a sense of humor. For about 30 years, Jacob worked for his Uncle Laban who was 10 times the schemer Jacob ever tried to be! At one point Jacob even wrestled with God (Genesis 32:22-32) and God gave him the new name, Israel, which means “one who contends with God and prevails.”
These men illustrate three very different personalities, and God related to them in three very different ways. You see, God is not tied into a cookie cutter or one-size-fits-all means of interaction. Have you ever gone to a store and bought clothing that says “one-size-fits-all”? There’s no way that one size can fit all! And we don’t have a one-size-fits-all kind of God.
The stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, give examples of how God works in the lives of his people. Which of these three men is most like you?
• Maybe you’re like Abraham – your life has been full of challenges and changes that have required great faith. Maybe you’re the first in your family to come to know the Lord and you’ve sort of blazed a new trail of faith.
• Maybe you’re like Isaac and you’ve grown up in a Christian home. Your life has been one of growing in the Lord and continuing the heritage of faith you were given.
• Maybe you identify more with Jacob. Maybe God has had to work on you a lot before he can bless you --- because you have a stubborn streak like Jacob where you really want to do things YOUR way. Maybe you feel like sometimes you’re wrestling with God.
Maybe you see a little of all three of these men in your life. But the point is that God’s relationship with YOU is not exactly the same as His relationship with anyone else in all of history. If you find that hard to believe, remember this is the same Creator who made every snowflake unique. Or think about your relationships with your children --- are any two alike? Or think about marriage --- which is a symbol of our relationship with Christ. People always say ... no one knows what is really going on in a marriage except the two people. That’s because no two marriage relationships are exactly alike.
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob defines himself as a God who relates to each person in a unique way. These three men were entirely different in personality and circumstance. But there is one thing all three have in common: and that’s FAITH.
2. God’s one requirement is FAITH.
The kind of faith God requires is defined in Hebrews11:6: "Without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who comes to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. "
This defines the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It’s the kind of faith God requires. But here’s what God does NOT require: God does NOT require perfection … and aren’t we glad!
Last week Ronnie talked about how Abraham tried to fulfill God’s promise of a son his own way and brought nothing but disaster. Isaac fell into a trap that’s common with parents when he gave preference to Esau above his other son, Jacob … and this set off a rivalry that caused all kinds of heartache. Jacob defrauded his brother Esau out of his inheritance, and then ended up having to run for his life to escape Esau’s revenge.
But in spite of their faults, God was able to greatly bless these men. The reason is this: all three had FAITH that God will keep his promises.
Faith is not believing that God will do what I think he should do.
Faith is believing that He will do what He has promised.
Because of the FAITH of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God was able to establish a nation that would bring blessing to the whole world.
3. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob uses difficult circumstances in order to BLESS us and to bless others THROUGH us.
After Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the STORY continues with the 12 sons of Jacob --- who form the foundation for the 12 tribes of Israel. God continued to establish unique relationships with all 12 of Jacob’s sons --- but JOSEPH is the one whose story is told in detail.
You might be surprised to realize that more than half of the book of Genesis is about JOSEPH --- from the birth of Joseph in Genesis chapter 30 to the death of Joseph in chapter 50. In fact, we have more detail about Joseph’s life than Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob combined!
Have you ever known someone who just had it all? They’ve got all kinds of talents, they’re super intelligent, they have a great personality, they’re rich, and on top of that, they’re healthy and good looking. That was Joseph! He was the golden boy --- his father’s favorite out of the 12 sons.
But Joseph wasn’t perfect. His brothers saw him as a spoiled brat. For one thing, he annoyed his brothers by bragging about his dreams of grandeur! His brothers got sick and tired of hearing about dreams where his father and brothers ended up bowing down to him. These turned out to be prophetic dreams --- but telling the bro’s about it was not smart.
They became so murderously jealous of Joseph that they sold him into slavery … and then they told his father, Jacob that his favorite son had been killed by a wild animal. Joseph was sold to an Egyptian named Potiphar, and he rose to the level of the chief administrator of that household.
That’s the beginning of a series of crazy, unpredictable twists and turns that make up Joseph’s “lower story” … But the “lower story” is really just the set-up for the “upper story”
If you’ve been attending our Pueblo Groups during the week, you know that this Bible Study Series talks about the “lower story” and the “upper story.” The lower story is what we see happening here in our earthly life. The “upper story” is what really matters --- it’s what GOD is doing through our circumstances.
In Joseph’s case, the “lower story” kept looking worse and worse. After his owner, Potiphar, made Joseph his chief steward --- Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him. This is where we see the kind of FAITH Joseph had! He told this temptress, Potiphar has withheld nothing from me except you because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?” Genesis 39:9
Pretty impressive, right? So … what was Joseph’s reward for his good behavior? The wife accused him of attacking her and Potiphar threw him in prison. The lower story was going from bad to worse!
But all the time, one thing was going right. The story says: “But the Lord was with Joseph.” That phrase is repeated over and over in Joseph’s story. The Lord was with Joseph … that’s the upper story.
While he was in prison, Joseph was promoted to position of head administrator of the prisoners. Joseph also gained a reputation as a person who could interpret dreams. Then Joseph got the opportunity to interpret a dream for Pharaoh. God gave Joseph favor in Pharaoh’s eyes … and before you know it Joseph was promoted to the position of head administrator for the entire nation of Egypt.
Now, I said “before you know it” … but it didn’t feel that way to Joseph! He spent about 21 years as a slave and then a prisoner. 21 years is a long time … and that whole time, the lower story looked horrible and hopeless. For 21 years, it seemed like Joseph’s FAITH in God was getting him nowhere.
Maybe you’ve been through times like that. It’s easy to blame God in bad times. In fact, most of the people I know who have turned away from God did it because they blamed God for their troubles and tragedies.
When everything is going wrong we need to remember Joseph’s story. No matter what, Joseph never turned away from God. And because Joseph kept faith, God was able to bless him in an amazing way – and to bless his whole family through him.
Years went by … and then the day came when Joseph’s brothers arrived in Egypt. They came to buy grain because of a famine. Joseph sold them the grain they needed, which saved them from starvation. But even more amazing, Joseph found it in his heart to forgive them. God used those 21 years of hardship to make Joseph into the kind of man who could forgive and bless his brothers.
Listen to this beautiful ending from the last chapter of Genesis:
Joseph’s brothers came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said. But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?
You intended it for evil, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Genesis 50:18-20
That is one of the most beautiful examples of forgiveness in the Bible: You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.
CONCLUSION:
Joseph’s story shows us that if we will keep trusting God, He will always work evil for good in our lives. Even if we have to wait for years, the wait will be worth it. Joseph suffered for 21 years but he led a blessed life for 72 years.
You can be sure that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob … and Joseph … is at work in your life to accomplish his good purposes.
God wants to enjoy a UNIQUE relationship with you.
You don’t have to be perfect to enjoy this relationship. God’s one requirement is FAITH. Do you believe that God exists? Do you believe he will reward those who seek Him? Then you have the qualification to come to God.
And you can trust that God’s upper story is unfolding in your life’s story …. even in the difficult and confusing times. If you keep trusting God, He will use the circumstances of your life to bless you … and to bless others through you.
