The sojourn of Joseph is about to reach it’s apex. He has had a remarkable life of just 30 years. He has spent his entire adult life in the hands of and living in the land of the Egyptians.
The first thirteen years of his Egyptian captivity are spent in various motions. First, he is brought into the land as a Slave. Then, he is moved into the house of Potiphar, a high official in the administration of Pharoah. Then, he is entrapped by the frustrations of Potiphar’s wife. Then, he is sentenced to life without trial, hearing or appeal and placed into maximum security. Then his hopes have been raised by the predicament of a butler and a baker, who are assigned to the House of Pharoah. His anticipation becomes frustration when after asking the butler to remember him when he receives clemency, the butler does not remember his plight.
He is now in the sweet by and by. Although his life is still that of a stranger in a strange land, God has given him not revenge but reward. That is how the Lord operates – when we trust Him, He has a strange way of working things out for us. Romans 8:28 reminds us that we know, that all things work together for the good to those who love God, the called, according to His purpose.
Situations may cause Dispair, but God can give Hope.
Situations may cause Heartbreak, but God is a heart fixer.
Situations may cause trouble under the skin, but God is a mind regulator.
Situations may cause sorrow, but God promises never to leave us alone.
Situations may cause frustration, but God will work things out.
God has given Joseph a way out of his condition. It needs to be noted that God is able to take the same thing that got you into trouble and use it to get you out of trouble with it.
It was a man named Adam that got us into trouble, it was a man named Jesus that got us out of trouble.
It was a woman named Eve that got us into trouble, it was a woman used by God named Mary that gave birth to get us out of trouble.
It was a tree that was in the midst of a garden that got us into trouble, it was a tree that was planted into the ground at Golgotha, that got us out of trouble.
And it were the dreams of Joseph – that he saw his father and brothers bowing in obescience to him that got him out of trouble, and the dreams of Pharoah would now get him out of trouble.
God has decided to mess up the sleeping pattern of Pharoah. This is not an accidental sleeping disorder. This is purposeful. God has decided that this is the time to give Pharoah a dream. This is the season to give Pharoah a dream.
I often wonder if we fully understand that God moves at His own timetable. It’s a two sided coin:
On one hand, He moves when He is ready. When He feelts that the time is at hand, when He feels that the time is optimum, when He feels that the time is perfect.
However, on the other hand, He moves when He knows that we can handle it. The reason why somebody here today has been waiting on the Lord and praying and praying is that God knows that you are not ready to receive and handle the blessings of God.
The Disciples demonstrated this. They were set on a temporary mission and they decided to go on a healing campaign. They did not cast out any demons. They did not heal any blind folk. They did not even walk on any water. It wasn’t their time yet. But when the Holy Spirit descended and they received Power – they turned the world upside down.
Pharoah’s dreams have been haunting him. And no one could interpret his dream. His confidant, the Butler, now remembers that Joseph helped him. This is not happenstance. God allowed him to remember at the right time.
Somebody here has had trouble in their life and been at the brink of despair, only to remember that momma said, Trust in the Lord.
Somebody here has had heartaches to the point of giving up, only to remember that the preacher said, God is able.
Somebody here has felt like they couldn’t take it anymore, only to remember the words of the song, “The Lord will Make a Way Somehow..”
The Butler says there is somebody who can help you. I know that we are surrounded by a culture that worships inanimate objects. I know that we have the tree god, the moon god, the god of the sun, the god of the water. But there is a man who is connected to God who can help you.
Oh, thank God – that the man who is connected to God can help you! We make fun of those who are connected to God, we parody them, we belittle them, but thank God for the man of God!!
“And how can they hear without a preacher?”
”What shall we give to the man of God to shew us our way?”
”How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Gospel…”
“Faith cometh by hearing and Hearing by the word of God…”
Joseph is brought into the royal hallways of the palace of Pharoah – based not on a report, but based on a testimony. Oh my brothers and sisters, can I tell you that a testimony can open doors?
Your testimony about healing can encourage the sick.
Your testimony about God bringing you through can encourage the troubled.
Your testimony about your victory can help someone going through warfare.
Your testimony about being delivered can help someone who’s bound.
Maybe that’s where we have strayed away in the church – there used to a time when the saints weren’t afraid to testify of the Lord’s goodness. They would tell you immediately that “I thank the Lord, He woke me up this morning, He’s been better to me than I’ve been to myself, He’s the Lilly of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star, He’s my best friend…”
We live in a world now, where some of us don’t testify – but that’s one of the tricks of the Devil – he wants to remove your testimony – he wants to delete your praise – he wants to erase your shout – he wants to heel your dance.
But when I think of His goodness and what He’s done for me – I can’t help myself – I’ve got to testify.
Joseph interprets the dream of Pharoah. God has spoken to Pharoah – but Pharoah can’t hear him. God has revealed himself to Pharoah – but Pharoah can’t see him. God has given to Pharoah – but Pharoah can’t handle the revelation.
The dream is that God is getting ready to take Egypt through seven years of prosperity and seven years of famine. This is interesting to me, because Egypt was not a Christian nation. Egypt was not a monotheistic theological haven. There weren’t any Bible colleges in Egypt. But God has said that this polytheistic, self-centered, idolatrous, nation would receive seven years of prosperity and then seven years of suffering. The Bible says it rains on the just as well as the unjust!
He goes on to say that during the years of famine, it will be so bad, it will be so painful, so troublesome, that you will forget the prosperity. Oh, that’s how life is. Sometimes when life gets rough, you forget that God brought you through one burden. Sometimes when life gets tough, you forget that God can bring you out.
I’ve lived on that street:
Can I testify for a minute? When I went through my own season of personal problems and I didn’t know which way to turn. When I went was troubled on the left side, the right side, the north, the south, the east, the west, I forgot about all of the blessings that God had been good to me. And I know that you forgot your blessings….
Joseph advises Pharoah to create a new Cabinet Level office – Director of the Bureau of Land Management. To prepare the nation for what will take place. He advises him that he must find someone who is discreet (discerning) and wise. Someone who has a plan to create a surplus during the good times, in preparation for the bad times.
Maybe that’s where we fall short. We don’t prepare for the hard times. We live for the moment and don’t prepare for the hard times. Everyone in this room is going to have two times in your life – good times and hard times. E.V. Hill says that life is not lived in the ascention, but like a mountain railroad – with ups and downs.
You better learn how to prepare for the hard times.
You better learn how to save for a rainy day.
You better learn how to set aside for a storm.
Most of all, you need to learn how to pray in the good times for strength in the bad times!!!
Pharoah decides to find such a man – but even Pharoah understands that Joseph has forgotten something. Maybe the nation doesn’t need just a man with wisdom, but a man with GODLY wisdom. Not just a man who knows how to keep the books, but a man with GODLY bookkeeping skills. Not just a man who will mete out justice but will dispense GODLY mercy. He says can we find a man, a man with whom the Spirit of God lives, controls and directs?
Joseph says that because God has told you what He would not tell me, you the man!! Oh, my brothers and sisters, you ought to want those around you to say it –
You the man – of faith.
You the man – of joy.
You the man – of hope.
You the man – of prayer.
You the man – of stick-to-it-ness
You the man – of love.
You the woman – who keeps on keeping on.
You the woman – filled with His goodness
You the woman – who shouts.
You the woman – giving her Tithes!
Joseph decides to go outsight of his culture, his race, his family and appoint a slave to the highest position in the land. Oh….the Lord will make a way!! He lifts him from the lowest level of society to the highest echeslons of power –
What a mighty God we serve! Only God can make our enemies become our footstool!
Only God can take us from the cotton field to the White House.
Only God can take us from injustice to the Supreme Court.
Only God can take us from poverty to over-abundance.
Only God can take us from rags to riches.
Only God can take us from struggling in school to advance degrees.
Only God can take us from problems to victory.
Only God can take us from no-way-out to look-at-me-now.
Joseph is transferred from the Prison to the Palace – and given responsibilities unheard of for a foreigner:
He shall run Pharoah’s house
He shall run Pharoah’s people
He shall be the second-in-command
He shall wear Pharoah’s ring
He shall wear Pharoah’s designer clothing line
He shall wear Pharoah’s designer jewelry line around his neck
And then his is given the honor of honor – he shall ride in the Second Chariot. A tangible witness of the blessings of the Kingdom. The problem with many of us is that we don’t understand the priviledge and the potency of riding in the second chariot – because we always have our eyes on the first chariot.
The second chariot will get you places.
The second chariot will command honor.
The second chariot will make people go ooh and ahh.
The second chariot will allow you to ride high.
The second chariot will make people look twice.
The second chariot will let people know that the King (Pharoah) has confidence in you.
The second chariot will place you in the highest rank.
But some people won’t ride the second chariot, because they don’t understand that the power source resides in the first chariot. Pharoah is in the first chariot – and real power – the one who can appoint you or execute you is in the first chariot. If you want to live – you need to learn how to serve in the second chariot and be thankful for the ride!
I need to close here – when God has made a way for you, when God has taken care of your enemies and made your name great – you ought to just be thankful for the ride!
I’m glad that God has allowed me to serve in the second chariot!
It’s a special place for those who are willing to serve the rider in the first chariot!
I’m not gonna complain.
I’m not gonna give unreasonable service.
I’m not gonna covet.
I’m not gonna reason “what if”
But I’m gonna tell the Lord thank you for placing me in the second chariot!
I want to serve the Lord in my chariot!
I want to praise the Lord in my chariot!
I want to thank the Lord in my chariot!
Yes, things may get tough!
Yes, problems may erupt!
Yes, temptations may knock me down!
Yes, isolations may take place!
But thank God – that I’m in HIS chariot!
I’ve got someone that rides in the first chariot!
The song writer of old said it like this:
Ride on King Jesus!
Ride on King Immanuel!
Ride on King Jesus!
I Want to get to Heaven in the Morning!
I’m glad that the King in the first Chariot has made sacrifices for me!
He was born in a manger….
He was raised in a poor environment…..
Baptized in the Jordan River….
Healed while persecuted…
Ministered while castigated…
Suffered indignations too numerous to mention…..
Locked up in a Roman jail cell…..
Beaten all night long…..
Condemned to a rugged cross……
Died between two thieves…..
But early Sunday morning……He rose up from the dead……
That is my hope….
Because of the one in the first chariot – I can handle persecution
Because of the one in the first chariot – I can handle trouble
Because of the one in the first chariot – I can handle evil
Because of the one in the first chariot – I can handle opposition
Because of the one in the first chariot – I can handle death
He has conquered death –
He has opened up the path of everlasting life….
And Joseph is made to bow the knee – that is worship and elevation!
Somebody here ought to bow the knee and acknowledge that God is sovereign!
Somebody here ought to bow the knee and acknowledge that God is a way maker!
Somebody here ought to bow the knee and acknowledge that God is great and greatly to be praised!
Somebody here ought to bow the knee and acknowledge that God is the Awesome God!
Somebody here ought to bow the knee and acknowledge that if it has not been for the grace of the Lord……
(close)
