FROM THE DUNGEON TO THE PALACE
We have been talking about the life of Joseph.
Today, we will look at his promotion to be the second highest in the land.
The last time we saw Joseph, he was languishing in an Egyptian prison.
He was in prison for doing the right thing and honoring God in His life.
He was in prison because he refused the advances of a wicked woman.
But I think the real reason why Joseph was in prison was for God to mold his character.
God has always a unique way of transforming our lives.
He does it His way in order that the best result can happen.
In order to prepare Joseph for something bigger and greater ahead, God had to confine him in a dungeon.
A dungeon is a strong, dark cell usually underground as in a medieval castle.
There, God had to transform, reconstruct, remodel and change completely the outlook of Joseph's life.
God wanted him to be a better man.
He placed him in an underground prison so that he could lift him up.
And that is what God does in our lives as well.
He wants to mold us, change us and transform us.
We had to start from the very bottom so that He could elevate us to the highest position.
At the same time, God had to place Joseph in the most difficult situation of them all.
Joseph had to be exposed in a place of hardship, grief and calamity.
Joseph had to experience danger, discomfort and misery.
Joseph had to learn to wait for a long time before his promotion.
And we had to learn to wait as well for our promotions to come.
And many times, we face hardships of various kinds.
But don't give up, your promotion is at hand.
There, Joseph had to learn how to be faithful in serving the Lord.
There, he had to learn to grow his faith.
There, he had to learn to build his emotional stability.
There, he had to learn to hold on to his dream until God will lift him up.
And there, we had to learn godly character as well.
From, the dungeon to the palace.
From the prison cell of transformation to the palace of great responsibility.
A place of great challenges, great honor, prestige, recognition and tribute.
Many of us will find it hard to adopt to the complete change of situation but not Joseph.
Joseph was ready, prepared and available.
He had been equipped and qualified through years of testing.
The long wait has ended.
It is time to expose him publicly to determine the strength of his character.
In the same manner, after God has tested our character, He will then lift us up.
After many years in the dungeon, he will promote us in the palace.
He will only promote us when we are ready.
The word promotion means advancement of rank or position of authority.
When a person has been promoted for instance, he or she has been given an important task to do.
It is like granting a person a public recognition of honor which was not acknowledged before.
You see, people are longing for such promotion to happen in job, in school, in a company, in career, in society, in government, etc.
They aspire for it.
They crave for it.
They strive and yearn for it.
Someday, their promotion will come and the long wait is over.
But there are people who would not wait.
They are impatient, restless and anxious to take hold of their promotions right away.
Are you ready for your own promotion?
God said that they are not yet ready but they insist that they are ready.
And so, they would manipulate their situations to their own advantage.
They would step on other shoes to acquire that break.
They would lift themselves in order to be noticed by men.
They would seize, snatch and grab their own promotions.
But that is to their own disadvantage.
Ultimately, when a person is not ready for that position, he would not perform well.
People will get hurt.
There will be interpersonal problems.
And God has many ways of taking him out.
The higher he rises, the greater the fall.
My prayer is that you will no grab any promotion that does not belong to you.
That you will be patient and faithful as you wait for your own promotion to happen.
In due time, God will give it to you.
My prayer is that you will be ready by then and fulfill your obligations well.
Let us remember first of all that God is the one who enables people to be promoted.
It is not the work of men.
It is not the work of the company executives.
It is not the work of the government officials.
It is not our own making.
It is God alone who exalts, extols and honors people of proven character, talents and giftedness.
Once their appointed time has come, God will lift them up.
No one can stop them.
No one can block them.
No one can take that which belong to them.
Psalms 75: 6-7 (NIV) "No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt themselves. It is God who judges:
He brings one down, he exalts another."
He looks at our hearts and when he sees that we are ready, He gives it to us.
He promotes us when the time has come.
In the same manner, God is the one who brings down people when they are not ready for it.
They will not be able to handle the emotional pressures involved with such position.
They would not be able to handle the character required for such spot.
When a person has achieved his promotion unfairly, God will bring justice when justice is due.
It is God who judges fairly, reasonably and adequately.
And so, there should not be any striving involved to acquire that promotion.
God is requiring faithfulness for each one of us.
If you are focus on what you are doing currently, promotion will come.
The call comes from the Lord.
John 15:16 (NIV) "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit - fruit that will last - and so that whatever you ask n my name the Father will give you."
God is in control of our lives.
He is working behind the scene even when we cannot see His activity.
He has a great plan to deliver us and to promote us in His time.
Our primary duty in all the situations and circumstances of life is to be faithful.
We must seek ways to glorify Him as we wait patiently for Him.
Someday, God will accomplish His purposes in our lives.
Are you growing impatient with your situation?
Are you seeking meaning in the things you face in life?
Are you lost?
Do you need to get saved?
You must come to Christ and get the help you need.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR GOD'S PROMOTION:
I. Joseph was ready when the opportunity for his promotion came. I MUST DEVELOP MY SKILLS.
Genesis 41:14-16 (NIV) "14 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. 15 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.” 16 “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”
The promotion of Joseph happened so suddenly.
He was brought before Pharaoh quickly, hastily and hurriedly.
He only had the short time to shave and change his clothes.
He had to stand before the Pharaoh right away.
There was no time for him to readjust to the society.
Not even time to eat some good food.
No time to be interviewed by the media.
Pharaoh had to tell him right away his dream.
And he had to say something to Pharaoh.
Any word that Pharaoh does not want to hear will mean Joseph's sudden death.
And so, God has prepared him for such as this.
Joseph has been in God's molding process for a long time.
It is time to talk to Pharaoh about God.
He was ready with his skills when the opportunity comes.
He had that skill when he was in the dungeon.
He will have the same skill when he faces the king.
In the same manner, we had to be ready when the opportunity comes our way.
Sometimes the opportunity will knock only once.
Once you lost it, you've lost it forever.
Don't wait until an opportunity comes before you start preparing for it.
That will be too late already.
You should prepare yourself early; the sooner the better.
That way, when the opportunity comes, you are ready to take advantage of it.
People will see you to be in the right place at the right time.
So, how do you prepare yourself for future opportunities?
Stay informed on general matters.
But concentrate on what interests you more.
Accept any challenges ahead.
Practice what you are good at especially your individual skills or talents.
Acquire more experience on things you are passionate about.
Attend seminars or conferences whenever available on your particular expertise.
Be faithful on little things because these matters a lot.
Someday, you will be needing all these things when the opportunity knocks on the door.
Remember, only God can open the door that no one can shut.
Someday, you can better serve the Lord in that particular area of your expertise.
Ephesians 5:16 (NIV) "Making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil."
Matthew 24:44 (NIV) "So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect him."
I Cor. 16:13 (NIV) "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong."
II. Joseph was wise to give counsel when asked. I MUST GAIN WISDOM. Genesis 41:33-36 (NIV) 33 “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.”
Joseph told Pharaoh the interpretation of the dream.
There will be seven years of abundance or plenty in Egypt.
The harvest will be good and people everywhere will have food to eat.
After that, however there will be seven years of severe drought and hardship in the land.
All the abundance of Egypt will be forgotten and famine will ravage the land.
These things will happen soon.
God has firmly decided it.
That is why Pharaoh had dreamed it twice.
God revealed that to Joseph.
And Joseph told Pharaoh about the interpretation of the dream.
It will happen for sure.
The future of Egypt is at stake.
But Joseph did not stop there.
There are more things that he needed to tell Pharaoh.
What good are those information when he did not tell him what to do next?
And so, the next thing that Joseph did is to give wise counsel or advice to Pharaoh.
He must look for a discerning and wise man who will be put in charge of the land of Egypt.
They are to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.
They should collect all the food of these good years and store them in the cities for food.
These food will be held in reserve for the country.
These food will be used during the years of famine that will come upon Egypt so that the country will not be ruined by the famine.
The country will be spared from famine and calamity.
There is the difference between presenting a situation and giving you advice about what to do with that situation.
Joseph not only presented the real situation but gave an advice on what to do next.
That is godly wisdom.
That is wise counsel.
Many people don't have that.
It is like having the right or correct diagnosis of the problem and the right or correct medication to solve the problem.
You identify the problem well and you give the right treatment.
Many times, people come to us with emotional, financial, spiritual or relational problems.
When we listen, we seemed to be overwhelmed with their problems.
We feel the heaviness and the emotion involved.
Because we don't have the godly wisdom to give wise advice.
However, there are those who are able to discern and see the real situation.
They recognize and understand the problem.
They can figure out the real issue.
They can anticipate and detect the difficulty.
But they have difficulty giving the next step.
They don't know what to do next.
They are stuck up with the problem that they have no solution to it.
My prayer is that if you want to grab the opportunity, you need to have godly wisdom.
You will identify, diagnose and pinpoint the real problem and you will give the precise and accurate solution.
These are words of wisdom that only come from God.
It is the ability to discern or judge what is true and right.
It is the ability to see things from a different perspective that others don't see.
It is not much on the scholarly or those who are educated although these things count also.
But godly wisdom transcends the limitations of the human mind.
It can see far and beyond the future.
My prayer is that you will have godly wisdom.
It will help us to see past the surface of the situation or the person and understand things better.
It will give us the words to speak so that others will understand and come to a peaceful resolution.
Do you need wisdom? Ask God.
The writer of Proverbs urges us to search diligently for something far more precious, wisdom.
This strenuous search for wisdom is actually a search for God Himself.
When we know God, we know wisdom.
There will be many opportunities when people will call you and ask for advice.
They will seek advice regarding financial matters, marriage, abortion, sex,
Godly wisdom does not boast.
It is not arrogant.
It does not condemn.
It does not seek to intimidate through loudness of voice or a stern behavior or seek selfish ambition.
Those things are worldly and come from Satan.
Godly wisdom is from God.
We must seek for godly wisdom.
That is what Joseph had.
That is why Joseph was able to give wise counsel to Pharaoh.
Luke 21:15 (NIV) "For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict."
Prov. 28:26 (NIV) "Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe."
Proverbs 21:30 (NIV) "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord." .
III. Joseph was prepared to enter the service of Egypt when requested. I MUST BE READY FOR SERVICE.
Genesis 41:37-46 (NIV) "37 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[a]?” 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. 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.” 41 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,[b] and people shouted before him, “Make way[c]!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.
46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt.
Here we find Joseph prepared to enter the service of Egypt when requested.
The wisdom of Joseph pleased Pharaoh.
The king acknowledged that it was the Spirit of God who gave him such wisdom.
He knew that there is no one like him in all the land of Egypt.
And so, Pharaoh gave him an on the spot job offer that he could not refuse.
"You will be in charge of my palace and all my people are to submit to your orders"
That was the big break that he was looking.
All these years of preparation was for that single day of opportunity.
Now, it is time to shine, to blossom, to glow brighter than ever.
The king took his signet ring and put it upon Joseph.
Joseph was dressed in fine linen and had a gold chain in his neck.
He was only thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
There was no arrogance displayed.
There was no abuse of authority.
There was no manipulation of situations.
There was only humility, responsibility and dedication to the work because he knew that God placed him there for a purpose.
At the same time, he did his job well because he was trained well in the dungeon of Egypt.
In the same manner, we must be ready to serve when the opportunity comes our way.
My prayer is that God will promote you in your particular careers.
My prayer is that out of these group of people, some of you will be CEO, CFO, COO, and others of big corporations.
Don't just be content in flipping burgers in Mac Donald's all your life, nor washing dishes in the restaurant.
You can do better than that.
My prayer is that these young people we have will finish their education and will become managers and owners of big establishments.
Nothing is impossible with God.
May these years of preparation serve as groundwork for your future success in life.
Someday, your promotion will come and my prayer is that you will be ready for it.
But I believe that the most important promotion will come to you if you serve the Lord rather than men.
When you realize that you have a calling from God wherever you are.
You can bloom where you are planted.
Your job is your ministry.
Bring your co-employees to Christ.
Minister to them and let Christ be exalted.
At the same time, you can support the ministry, the church or the mission field financially.
You have a task to do in serving God.
But there are people who have been called into full time ministry.
They are not just satisfied in serving the Lord in their jobs.
They want something better.
And so, they serve the Lord as pastors, church planters, evangelists, missionaries, teachers, and others.
Their pay does does not matter because their reward is in heaven.
This is a higher calling that will bring tremendous joy and satisfaction to your souls.
This is true greatness.
You see, greatness is not found in a title, position of influence or salary.
True greatness is found in servanthood - when you begin to serve other people.
There are many people who have left their secular jobs so that they can serve the Lord full time.
In closing, let me share to you my testimony.
Many years ago, after my graduation from College, I worked as a Bank employee for several years.
I was in charge of inspecting the sugar cane plantation of sugar planters who wanted to get some loan from our Bank.
I would first inspect their sugar plantation to determine the loan amount needed.
Then, I would appraise their properties for collateral and make some character analysis of borrowers whether they could pay their loans or not.
I worked hard, did my research well and tried my best to be objective.
I would always show utmost professionalism to my clients.
There were several times when my clients would offer some money in order to influence me for a favorable appraisal but I would always decline.
I was guarding my personal reputation the best I can.
I was also a Christian then, and so, I knew that I was serving the Lord not men.
I even started an office Bible study for my office mates who were interested to know more about God.
There were several who attended but most of my co-workers were busy pursuing material things rather than spiritual matters.
For many years, I tried to be faithful in doing my work and in serving God.
The Bank I was working at that time was expanding so fast and setting up local branches all over the country.
Every now and then, they would promote workers from our Branch and assign them as officials in newly opened branches.
But it seems I was often bypassed for promotion to higher position.
I have discovered that those who have been promoted have close ties or association to the management.
I don't have such backing.
Because I don't attend drinking sessions or play mahjong or play cards with our officers.
Most of my co-employees did and that is why they were promoted fast.
But these things did not bother me.
I knew the Lord is with me and I continued to work hard.
Until one day, the Lord finally promoted me to a higher calling.
After ten years of working in the Bank, the Lord called me into full time ministry.
That was my promotion.
It was not in the Bank but it was in the church.
It was not before the Bank Manager but before the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
There was no higher calling than that.
And so, on April 25, 1989, I resigned from the Bank and had never looked back since.
I now recognize that those years of working in the Bank were part of my preparation to become a pastor.
The first thing I did in serving the Lord was to get the floor mop.
It rained hard the night before and there was water all over our ministry center.
I was busy cleaning the center because I know it was the the start of something good ahead.
I have never regretted my decision.
This is my calling and I have such joy and satisfaction in serving God.
After almost 25 years of serving the Lord in full time ministry, I can tell you.
We have never experienced hunger or borrowing money from people.
We lived according to our means.
My wife and I had never experienced being out of job, not a single year.
The Lord even brought our entire family here in the United States.
It is a miracle.
In all those years of ministry, I saw many lives came to know Christ.
I have officiated in a lot of weddings, child dedications, house and business dedications, funerals, etc.
I have preached hundreds of sermons and counseled hundreds of people.
I have seen people's lives changed for the better, marriages restored and leaders rise up to become pastors themselves.
I tell you, it's worth the time and the energy investment.
My reward is waiting for me in heaven.
In the same manner, we must be ready to serve God when the opportunity comes.
Joshua 24:15 (NIV) "But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
I Samuel 12:24 (NIV) "But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; considerwhat great things he has done for you."
I Peter 2:9 (NIV) "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
