When Things Just Don’t Go Right Part III
Genesis 41:41-56 Hebrews 12:1-13
We have been looking at the life of a young man named Joseph over the past few messages, and one of the things we have seen again and again is that even when you obey God, some things just don’t go right from our perspective. But setbacks are no reason to throw in the towel or give up. It’s the time to ask, "is God doing something far greater than me and my own circumstances."
We have watched Joseph go from the promise, to the pit, to the palace, to the prison and finally to Pharaoh’s throne in Egypt. This man whom his brothers thought would never amount to much of anything, is now in control of one of the most powerful nations on earth. Just because somebody tells you, "you can’t do it", doesn’t mean God can’t make it happen through you. The size of the goals for your life can have a lot to do with the size of the God you serve. The more you understand about God, the more you will realize the tremendous potential in your life.
In the darkest moments of Joseph’s life, he remembered that his God had given him a dream. He clung to the belief that God was going to make it happen. He never stopped doing his best. He never departed from a faithful moral lifestyle before His God. He never threw in the towel. He received his dream at about 17 years of age. He was almost 39 when the dream was fulfilled.
In the last message, we saw the need to think long term when God says He’s making a change in your life. We are into instant potatoes, microwave popcorn, and express mail ane e-mail. But God still makes saints the old fashioned way. God is still into taking his time to make us what we need to be, before He can put us in the position he wants us to be in. Make the most of where you are now, to be prepared when the door of opportunity comes knocking from God.
In today’s reading, Joseph is at the peak of power in Africa in the land of Egypt. But there are still some tests that Joseph must pass in order to become the person God called him to be. You see it’s one thing to get the position, but what you do once you have it can be equally if not more important.
The first test Joseph is going to face is how much will he attempt to become an Egyptian and how much will he seek to remain true to his roots. We would call it in the old days, is he trying to pass for something he really isn’t. Pharaoh gave him a new name. Son, we have to get you sounding like an Egyptian. People can’t go around calling you Joseph, it sounds to much like Hebrew. Let me give you the name Zaphenath-Paneah. Now that sounds good. And here’s a beautiful. religious woman to be your wife. Take Asenath as your wife. She’s the daughter of a priest.
Joseph is going to pass this first test. He is willing to serve in the capacity that Pharaoh wants him to, and he’s willing to have others call him what they like. But Joseph never became Zaphenath-Paneah in his heart. We know him today as Joseph. Whenever he is referred to in the Bible, he’s Joseph not Zaphenath-Paneah. He refused to forget his roots. Even with all the attempts to make him an Egyptian, Joseph saw to it that he remained one with the Hebrew people. Before he died some 80 years later, one his last requests to his people was "look, one day God is going to take you out of Egypt, and when you go, dig up my bones and take them out with you." His heart was with his people. His position didn’t cause him to forget his roots.
The second test Joseph had to pass, was what was he going to do about his past. He was in a position now to go and hunt down Potiphar and his wife for having thrown him in jail. He could take an army and pursue his brothers and pay them back for the wrong they had done to him. But you know something, Joseph decided to focus more on the present and on the future, than on getting even from the past.
Is there anyone here living in the past today unable to enjoy the present? How many lives are being eaten away, because of bitterness and the desire to get revenge for a wrong suffered in the past. As Christians, we are to be the first to be willing to forgive, and yet we find ourselves thinking, God if you don’t do something, then I’m going to have to. Really. Do we truly believe we know better than God? Do we really think our God is unjust and unfair because He didn’t punish so and so as we would have like for him to do so.
Joseph took inventory of his life and started counting up what was in his favor. He said, "I’ve got my God, I’ve got my health, I’ve got a job, and now I’ve got a wife as well. It’s time to thank God for what I have and move ahead. "When his first son was born, Joseph named him Mannessah. He chose the name because it sounded life the Hebrew word for forget. Joseph said "God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household." It’s important to recognize, Joseph didn’t forget it on his own. He needed God’s help to help him overcome the pain of his trouble. There are some things we just can’t do by ourselves.
He also was willing to let go of the good possibilities as well. He said, "I’ve forgotten my father’s household." No doubt he thought his father was probably dead now, and the only one left he really cared about was his full brother Benjamin. Joseph’s and Benjamin’s mother had died a while ago. As much as he wanted to see his brother, he was willing to let him go as well.
We cannot always live for what might be in a relationship with another person. Sometimes its necessary to just go ahead and walk away and be obedient to God. Know this, if God truly intends for you to have something or someone, God will give it to you in His timing and in His way. The devil is lying to you when he says you have to compromise with sin, in order to get what God wants you to have. Sin always buys misery.
Joseph had a second son. This one, he name Ephraim because it means twice fruitful. In English his name would have been Doubly Blessed. Each time Joseph called Ephraim, he was reminded how God had made him fruitful in the land of his suffering. People are more than willing to talk about the hard times and the struggles they are going through. But the question is, are you allowing God to make you fruitful in your suffering, or are you just having a pity party. Your life is not over because of the disaster or hard times which have come upon you. This may be your opportunity to go off in another direction in life with Jesus Christ, and discover he wants to do something in your life you never dreamed possible.
Now Joseph & Egypt was sitting pretty during the seven years of abundance. Then the famine years hit, and they hit hard. Not only in Egypt but in all the surrounding nations. The only place that had a storehouse of food was Egypt in Africa. Do you see how God is not a respecter of persons. It was an African King whom God gave the dream to about the famine. If you want to eat, you’ve got to go to Africa to eat. Now today if God gave the same wisdom to an African president, most of us would dismiss it, because He’s an African, and we know that God would either use the Americans or the Europeans to save the world.
Well back in the middle east, in the land of Canaan, the people are hungry. The crops have failed for two years. Word gets back to Jacob, who was Joseph’s father, that there was food in Egypt. He tells his sons, "you guys pack your bags and go down to Egypt and buy us some food. Benjamin, you stay here with me. I’ve lost Joseph, and I don’t want anything to happen to you."
Now the ten brothers are on their way to Egypt, probably laughing, joking and having a good time. They can’t wait to get the food they need. They have no idea, they are about to come face to face with some wrong they have done in the past. It was over 20 years ago that they threw Joseph in a pit and then sold him as slave to be banished in a far off land. All because they hated him and were jealous of him.
There is a warning in the Bible that we so often refuse to believe, "It goes like this, "you may be sure, your sin will find you out." It is amazing how many people’s lives have things come back to haunt them at the worst possible time. Before we decide to sin, we must recognize, there are some consequences which we cannot go back and undo.
They come into Egypt, not knowing Joseph is the one who sells the grain. The name on the door says Zaphenath-Paneah. Joseph’s third test is what are you going to do when your past shows up to disturb old feelings inside. The moment Joseph sees them he recognizes them. But he pretends otherwise. He even uses an interpreter to speak to them as though he doesn’t understand their language. He says "where do you come from". They tell him Canaan. Joseph tells them, "you’re lying, you’re a bunch of spies and you intend to find out where our country is undefended so that you can attack it."
They tell him "oh no. We are the sons of one man and we are honest men not spies. We were twelve brothers, the youngest one is with our father and the other one is no more." Joseph says, "You’re a bunch of liars and you are spies." To prove you’re telling the truth, let one of you go get your youngest brother and the rest of you stay here in prison until you bring your youngest brother back to me.
Joseph threw them all in jail for three days. You know something, even after 20 years, there were still some feelings Joseph had to deal with concerning his brothers, even though he had made up his mind to forget his troubles. When we hurt others deeply, even though they want to forgive us and do, it does not mean that things can simply go back to the way they were before the injury occurred. If Joseph hadn’t of made up his mind in advance to forgive his brothers, I think they might have died in that prison.
God probably troubled Joseph’s spirit a little that night, and said "Joseph, while you’re thinking about what to do with your brothers, their families are hungry and in need of food. Don’t let anger cause you to hurt those who have done nothing to you." At the end of three days, Joseph tells his brothers, "You can go, but to make sure you’re telling the truth, one of you must stay behind until you bring back your younger brother. Do not come back here for food without your brother."
Joseph’s brothers, thought he couldn’t understand their language. Right in front of him they start talking about what happened. One says, we’re being punished now for what we did to Joseph. We saw how he was begging and begging for his life and wouldn’t listen to him. We’re getting what we deserved. Rueben, says, "Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy. But no you wouldn’t listen. You sold his as a slave behind my back, and now all of us have to pay for it.
Joseph had them tie up Simeon in front of them and led him to prison. How different it was from the last time Joseph and his brothers had met. They thought back then, Joseph was out of their lives for good and they didn’t need him. We need to be careful on what terms we leave someone else. As much as we may say, "I don’t need you" and "there’s nothing you can do for me", we don’t know what the circumstances are going to be the next time our lives cross with that same person. That is why the word of God says to us Eph 4:31-32 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Joseph had some compassion on his brothers, but he wasn’t ready to fully accept them yet. He ordered his servants to fill up their bags with food and to put their money back into the sacks. On the way back to Canaan, the other brothers stopped to eat. They opened their bags and found the money in their sacks had all been returned. Instead of praising God for a blessing, they got real scared and said, what is this thing that God has done to us. They were nearly scarcely to death when they saw that money.
They told their father what happened. That man in Egypt selling grain was one of the meanest people we ever met. He accused of being spies. He locked Simeon up in prison, and he told them us we couldn’t get any more food unless Benjamin came with us." Jacob was furious. Why in the world did you have to tell the man you had a younger brother. I’m so upset with you guys. You have deprived me of Joseph. Now Simeon is gone. You think I’m dumb enough to let you take away Benjamin as well. Everything is against me. I will not let Benjamin go with you to Egypt."
Well the food was running out Rueben told his father, look we need some more supplies. If I don’t bring Benjamin back, you can put both my sons to death. Jacob says no, "If something happened to Benjamin, I’ll die right away of sorrow." Jacob was hoping the famine would end, but there’s still about five years of famine left. Finally when they had eaten the food, Jacob told his sons to go back to Egypt and get some food. They reminded him, "if we don’t take Benjamin, none of us will be coming back with anything." Jacob says oh no. Judah says "Look, if we keep talking about this, all of us will die of starvation. I will personally guarantee Benjamin’s safety. Just let us get going."
Jacob says, "okay, take him. Take the ruler some special nuts, spices, and myrrh as gifts. Take back double the amount of silver in case your money in the sack was a mistake. May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let Benjamin and Simeon come back. I don’t have any other choice.
When the brothers came back to Egypt and Joseph saw Benjamin, he had his servant take them to his house and prepare a large meal for them. Joseph’s brothers were scared to death when they took them out of line to Joseph’s house. They thought Joseph was going to have them beaten and turned into slaves since they had gotten the food and their money back the first time they came.
The moment they saw Joseph they ran to him saying, Mr. we paid for our food but somebody put the silver back in our sacks. We don’t know who put it there or anything, but we got it right here to pay it all back. Joseph calmly says, don’t worry about it. Your God gave you that money, I received your silver. About noon that day, they gave Joseph the gifts their father had sent. He asked them about their father. They said he was fine. He asked if this was Benjamin, they said yes. It’s been about 22 years since Joseph saw his brother who was just a kid back then.
Joseph was so deeply moved to see Benjamin, that he was overcome with emotion and had to go out of the room crying. He got control of himself and came back in the room to eat with his brothers, but they still didn’t know he was Joseph. He ate at a separate table because Egyptians couldn’t eat with Hebrews. The brothers were shocked because the Egyptians had seated them in perfect order from oldest to youngest. How did they know their ages? Then when they served the food, they put five times as much food in front of Benjamin to eat. He got the prime rib of the prime rib.
Joseph is still struggling to past the test of what to do with the past. He knows that he want to have a relationship with Benjamin. But he’s not sure he wants a lot to do with his other brothers. He comes up with a plan to keep Benjamin in Egypt.
Later that day he tells his servants to fill the men’s bags with as much food as they could carry, and to put each man’s silver back in his sack. He said put my silver cup in the sack of the youngest one. The next morning, the brothers breathed a sigh of relief. They had made it and gotten the food and were on their way home. After they were probably thanking God for his blessing the trip, things just didn’t go right. Joseph had sent some of his guards after them to accuse them of stealing his special silver cup.
The brothers all said, "We have not stolen anything. We brought back the extra money we got the first time. If any one of us has the cup, he shall be put to death, and the rest of us will become your slaves." The guard says, "No, only the one who has the cup shall become a slave, the rest of you will go free." Each of them opened their bags one by one. You can imagine the shock they saw, when they saw the cup in Benjamin’s bag. They all about had heart attacks. What on earth would their father say.
They all ran back to Joseph and threw themselves on the ground begging and pleading for Benjamin. Joseph says, "look he’s the one who is guilty, the rest of you can go back to your father in peace. Judah spoke up and told Joseph, "My father did not want us to bring Benjamin to Egypt. His brother is dead, and Benjamin is the only one left of his mother’s sons and his father loves him. But you said it was the only way we could get food. I told my father I would be personally responsible for his safety. I couldn’t bear to see the grief which would come on my father if I returned without his son. If my father saw Benjamin was not with us, he would die on the spot because he lives for his son. Please let me be a slave in the place of Benjamin. Don’t let me see the misery that would come upon my father.
It’s ironic that Judah is begging Joseph to let him become his slave. For if you look back into Genesis 37:26-27, you discover it was Judah who said to his brothers,"What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood." There is a verse in the bible which tells us that we reap what we sow. Some seeds take longer than others to grow, but eventually they grow.
23 years later it’s not Joseph begging for his freedom, but those who chose to enslave him begging for theirs. Joseph is forced to make a decision with his test of being able to deal completely with his past. He sees it is impossible to do good to Benjamin alone without killing his father whom He also loved. He decides to overcome the past by giving his brothers a spot in his life once again, as God had originally intended. He couldn’t get away with a partial forgiveness.
He had everyone leave the room except he and his brothers. He burst out into tears and weeping. All the years of frustration was finally coming out of him as he sought to come clean in his own heart. He said to his brothers, " I am Joseph, Is my father still living." His brothers thought this Egyptian had become possessed by a spirit of Joseph or something, because the Scripture says they were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.
Joseph had them come closer to get a better look at him. He said "yes, it’s me the one who you sold as a slave into Egypt and do not be distressed, and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. Now go get my father and your family and bring them back to this place because there is still five years left of the famine.
Can you imagine all the emotions that run through that place.? All the disaster that Joseph had gone through is now only beginning to make sense. It has taken 22 years for God to give him a vision of why he has gone through all that He has gone through. Do you see, you can’t tell how God is working in your life, if you only look at your immediate circumstances. Trouble is not going to last forever. Whatever is in your life is eventually going to pass Use those circumstances for the glory of God so that you might be in a place to preserve others.
Joseph struggled with the issues of needing to forget and having to forgive completely before he experienced his break through. He went through a very humbling period in revealing himself to his brothers. Sometimes we must be broken before we can move forward. The Scriptures said that Jesus learned obedience through the things he suffered. My friends, don’t let pride keep you from experiencing the grace of God and the mercy of God today. It may be the only way to put your relationships back in order. Jesus came to make it possible for us to find forgiveness so that we might in turn forgive others.
