WHEN LIFE IS THE PITS: DISTRESSING DELAY
A. We are continuing our study on the Life of Joseph in a series I’ve titled: “When Life is the Pits.”
1. I chose this title because of the many DIFFICULTIES and PROBLEMS that Joseph had experienced in
his young life. He ENDURED one PIT after another.
2. But even in the PIT, God brings a RAY of SUNSHINE glimmering through the DARKNESS. The hard part is the “DISTRESSING DELAY.”
B. “The reason Joseph wound up as a SLAVE in Egypt is the result of sharing a couple of DREAMS that
he had with his BROTHERS about how they would BOW DOWN to him”- Genesis 37:5-9.
1. Joseph was only 17-years-old at the time, and I’m sure he was rather AMUSED by the thought that he
would RULE over his OLDER BROTHERS.
a. However, they didn’t find it so AMUSING, especially given the fact that he was their father’s FAVORITE SON who was given many PRIVILEGES that they didn’t have.
b. The DREAMS infuriated them, producing HATRED and ANIMOSITY toward their kid brother.
COMMENT:
So, when they had the OPPORTUNITY, they got RID of Joseph by SELLING him as a SLAVE to some MERCHANTS who were traveling to EGYPT.
2. Even in Egypt as a SLAVE, God had BLESSED Joseph by placing him in CHARGE of the household
of Potiphar—an official of Pharoah.
a. For eleven years he served Potiphar and God faithfully, despite the daily TEMPTATIONS from
Potiphar’s wife to have a SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP with her.
b. But then one day she FALSELY ACCUSED the young Hebrew of trying to RAPE her, which
OUTRAGED her husband who, in turn, put Joseph in Pharoah’s PRISON.
COMMENT:
Undoubtedly by this time, Joseph is beginning to wonder if his DREAMS of being a RULER were really from God. Being a PRISONER of Pharoah confined to a DUNGEON is far from being a
RULER.
3. But then Joseph was given a GLIMMER of HOPE that he would finally be able to PLEAD his case before the King of Egypt and get out of PRISON when he accurately INTERPRETED the DREAM
of Pharoah’s chief CUPBEARER.
a. Joseph just knew when the CUPBEARER was RELEASED from PRISON and RESTORED to his PROMINENT POSITION before Pharoah, even as he PREDICTED, that he would
REMEMBER Joseph and speak FAVORABLY about him before Pharoah.
b. Genesis 40:23- “The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.”
C. If Joseph does still BELIEVE that his DREAMS of being a RULER are from God, He’s got to be
WONDERING why God is taking so LONG.
1. Eleven years have passed, and when Joseph thinks that God is finally putting things in MOTION to make his DREAMS a REALITY . . . another DISTRESSING DELAY.
2. Genesis 42:1states that another “two full years will pass”.
a. What do you think those two years were like for Joseph?
b. Scripture doesn’t say, but we know HUMAN NATURE. How would you REACT?
COMMENT:
I can’t imagine Joseph saying, “God, I thought for a moment there that you were getting me OUT of this DUNGEON, but if you want me here LONGER, that’s FINE. It’s all GOOD!”
c. Don’t you think Joseph is UPSET and DISCOURAGED?
COMMENT:
It’s a TERRIBLE thing to be FORGOTTEN—to be FORGOTTEN by someone that you have DONE a GOOD THING for. That’s got to HURT! But even WORSE is to think that God may have
FORGOTTEN about you—the very One you have SERVED and been FAITHFUL to.
And, yet, we have no INDICATION whatsoever that Joseph TURNED his BACK on God . . . that He GAVE UP on his FAITH . . . that he said, “Okay, God, here’s the deal. I’m going to give you 6-months, and if I’m not a RULER by then . . . WE’RE DONE!”
3. “Two full years.” That is a LONG time to be in PRISON for something that you didn’t DO.
a. How did Joseph survive such “DISTRESSING DELAY” and still remained FAITHFUL to God?
b. It can only be by CLINGING to the PROMISE that God made to him in those DREAMS long ago
that he will be a RULER over his PEOPLE.
COMMENT:
Joseph had to BELIEVE that this DUNGEON was not his final OUTCOME, and that in TIME God will BRING TO PASS the BLESSING that He had PROMISED to a 17-year-old kid in a
DREAM!
MESSAGE:
I. WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM JOSEPH’S DELAYS?
A. Just when things look HOPELESS, God STEPS in- Genesis 41:1-13
1. Pharoah has a couple of TROUBLING DREAMS.
a. First, he dreams about COWS- vv. 1-4 (READ)
COMMENT:
It kind of looks like Pharoah woke up HUNGRY and is thinking, “I could sure use a STEAK right now!” He DREAMS about FAT COWS and SKINNY COWS, and the SKINNY COWS gobble up the FAT COWS. (Have you ever had a dream that just didn’t make any sense?)
b. Pharoah then went back to SLEEP and DREAMT about GRAIN- vv. 5-7 (READ)
COMMENT:
Now, there are two-sets of SEVEN in each DREAM. The first set of seven painted a picture of PROSPERITY, while the second set of seven depicted a clear picture of POVERTY.
Both DREAMS were about AGRICULTURE—ANIMALS and CROPS. The HEALTHY animals and crops are being DEVOURED by the UNHEALTHY animals and crops. So, in the dreams PROSPERITY is being DISPLACED by POVERTY
c. No wonder Pharoah is TROUBLED by his DREAMS- v. 8.
COMMENT:
He doesn’t understand the SIGNIFICANCE of the DREAMS, but he knows it doesn’t look GOOD. “So, he calls the MAGICIANS and WISEMEN of Egypt to come INTERPRET the DREAMS, but they have no IDEA what the MEANING is.”
2. But then the CHIEF CUPBEARER remembers Joseph and said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded
of my shortcomings”- v. 9. (IT TOOK HIM LONG ENOUGH—TWO YEARS.)
a. “He then tells the King all about how Joseph had INTERPRETED his and the CHIEF
BAKER’S dreams that turned out exactly as he said”- vv. 10-13.
b. Now, we talked about how DISTRESSING it must have been for Joseph to spend another “two
full years in a dungeon”.
COMMENT:
But what if the CUPBEARER would have REMEMBERED Joseph as soon as he was RESTORED to his POSITION and told Pharoah all about him, and Pharoah FREED him from PRISON and SLAVERY? He probably would have gone back to Canaan to be with his FAMILY. Then what would happen two years later when Pharoah had his DREAMS, and Joseph was
NOWHERE to be FOUND?
But since the cupbearer FORGOT about Joseph, when the TIME came when Pharoah had these DREAMS and needed an INTERPRETER, the CUPBEARER knew exactly where Joseph was, “There is a young Hebrew in prison who interpreted my dream two-years ago that came to pass.”
c. God had a PLAN for Joseph far greater than the “DISTRESSING TWO-YEAR DELAY” that
he had to ENDURE.
COMMENT:
God is using Joseph to SAVE His people—the Israelites, through whom His Son Jesus
Christ will be BORN, from a SEVERE FAMINE and ANNIHILATION.
Church, GOD’S TIMING is always PERFECT. We may get IMPATIENT with God when things don’t TURN OUT the way WE WANT and WHEN WE WANT IT. But God KNOWS what is BEST for us.
B. When God STEPS IN, He ACTS beyond our EXPECTATIONS- Genesis 41:14-44.
1. Pharoah sends for Joseph hoping that this young Hebrew can INTERPRET what these troubling
DREAMS mean.
a. But Joseph says to Pharoah, “I can’t interpret your dreams, but God can”- v. 16.
b. After Pharoah tells him his DREAMS, Joseph REVEALS what God says about the DREAMS.
COMMENT:
Joseph told Pharaoh that “There will be SEVEN YEARS of ABUNDANCE followed by SEVEN YEARS of FAMINE. However, the FAMINE will be so SEVERE that no one will even remember the seven years of ABUNDANCE that came before it”- vv. 25-32.
During the seven years of famine, LIVESTOCK will DIE and CROPS will not GROW, and, therefore, PEOPLE will STARVE to death. Again, POVERTY will displace PROSPERITY.
2. But Joseph does more than merely INTERPRET what the DREAMS mean, God provides a
SOLUTION through Joseph- vv. 33-36 (READ).
a. Joseph presents a 14-year PLAN for Pharoah.
(1). First, is to establish a LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE. There has to be someone in CHARGE who will make sure that EVERYTHING runs smoothly according to the PLAN.
(2). Second, is to EXECUTE the PLAN. Under the supervision of the commissioners, a fifth (or 20%) of the HARVEST during the SEVEN-YEARS of ABUNDANCE will be STORED UP so that the country will have PLENTY of FOOD for everyone during the SEVEN-YEARS of FAMINE.
b. Little did Joseph know that God was not only using him to PRESERVE the Egyptians during the seven-years of FAMINE, but ultimately to PRESERVE his BROTHERS and their FAMILIES who would become the NATION of ISRAEL.
3. “After hearing Joseph’s PLAN, Pharoah appoints him SECOND in CHARGE of all of Egypt”-
vv. 39-41 (READ).
a. “Joseph is now 30-years-old”- v. 46.
COMMENT:
Thirteen years have passed since God gave Joseph the PROPHETIC DREAMS that he would be a RULER. Now he is in SECOND COMMAND of all of Egypt, next to Pharaoh.
b. It was a long, DISTRESSING DELAY, but God had a PLAN for Joseph that He put in
MOTION the moment he was THROWN into the PIT by his BROTHERS.
COMMENT:
It will be another SEVEN PLUS YEARS before he will see his BROTHERS, but during that time God will be SOFTENING Joseph’s HEART for the DAY that his BROTHERS will come in HUMILITY and BOW DOWN before him.
II. WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM OUR OWN DELAYS?
A. WAITING is a matter of TRUSTING God.
1. Psalm 27:14- “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
a. It’s FRUSTRATING when we are in a HURRY and God isn’t.
b. 2 Peter 3:8- “…a day is like a thousand years to God, and a thousand years a day.”
COMMENT:
One of the most USELESS things to try to do is to SPEED UP God. We’re just not on the same TIMETABLE. God sees the BIG PICTURE and knows where all the PIECES fit to accomplish His PLAN for us—just as He did for Joseph.
2. It’s just a matter of giving whatever it is we want to see accomplished in our LIVES, in the LIFE of our FAMILY, and in the LIFE of the CHURCH and TRUST God to DO WHAT He does BEST in His own TIMING.
B. WAITING on God helps us to REALIZE that “IT’S NOT ABOUT ME”.
1. Proverbs 19:21- “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that
prevails.”
a. We like to make it about us: “My desires. My needs. My wants. My plans.”
b. Solomon- “God is going to do what is BEST for us, whether it is our PLAN or not.”
COMMENT:
Things don’t ALWAYS turn out the way we WANT, or even as we have PRAYED. But we have to BELIEVE and TRUST that God is LOOKING OUT for us, and whatever happens God has a PURPOSE to BENEFIT us in ways that we may not always be able to SEE.
2. No matter what you are going through, always REMEMBER that God LOVES us and KNOWS what is BEST for us.
C. WAITING on God brings tremendous SPIRITUAL GROWTH.
1. Psalm 40:1-2- “I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire, he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to
stand.”
a. David doesn’t tell us specifically in this Psalm what PIT he found himself in that resulted in him
crying to God, but he does speak of “troubles surrounding him and sin overtaking him”- v. 12.
b. It is true that the PITS in which we find ourselves are the RESULT of either OUTWARD
CIRCUMSTANCES or PERSONAL SINS.
COMMENT:
Whether our PITS are the fault of something BEYOND OUR CONTROL or our PERSONAL DOING, God still wants us to CRY to Him.
2. After “waiting patiently for the Lord”, David said “He heard my cries and He lifted me from that
slimy pit and set my feet on solid ground.”
a. David used the PIT to learn how to TRUST the Lord and to do His WILL.
COMMENT:
Times of staggering LOSSES and SETBACKS and PERSONAL FAILINGS are also times for GROWTH in our SPIRITUAL LIFE if we are willing to let God’s Spirit WORK in our hearts and not RAIL AGAINST Him.
b. Although the PITS OF LIFE may seem to OVERWHELM us, we must never give the
DEVIL the VICTORY.
COMMENT:
Through the WAIT and the DELAYS, God is WORKING through us to give us the STRENGTH and FORTITUDE to FIGHT the SPIRITUAL BATTLES that come our way.
And when the SMOKE CLEARS, we will find our FEET FIRMLY PLANTED on the SOLID ROCK of Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION:
HOW DO YOU HANDLE DELAY?
