WEBVTT

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So a few years ago, I faced the same dilemma

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that Adam has faced in preaching through Ecclesiastes.

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What do you do when you really want to teach

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through something, but you only get two or three

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chances a year to do it? I really wanted to teach

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through the life of Joseph in the book of Genesis,

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but I realized it would take seven or eight sermons.

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So I decided to do what Adam's been doing, simply

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preach the story as I had opportunity. It worked

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pretty well, and over two or three years, I was

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able to cover the life of Joseph. And I've always

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loved the story of Joseph, and there is so much

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there for us to learn. And so what I want to

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do today is draw out a significant lesson in

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the story of Joseph that might be an encouragement

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to all of us. So let me begin by asking you a

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question. How good are you at multitasking? How

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good are you at juggling? Several balls in the

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air at the same time and keeping everything on

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track. I have to confess, I am not very good

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at multitasking. Put me on a track, tell me where

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you want me to go, I'm fine. Make me handle a

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bunch of different things at the same time and

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I will crash and burn. Multitasking is not in

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my skill set. But I am pleased to announce today

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that multitasking is something that our God excels

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at. Somehow he manages to keep the entire universe

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on track and under his sovereign rule without

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ever losing track of anything or anyone. And

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when it comes to people, God is able to work

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simultaneously in the lives of different people

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to achieve his unique purposes in each one. It's

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really quite amazing. And never was that skill

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more clearly seen than in the account of God

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working in the lives of Joseph, his family, and

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the Egyptians. to do his work and achieve his

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will. God took the particular sins and issues

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in each of their lives and worked through the

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story of Joseph to bring about needed changes

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in their lives. And so that should be a great

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encouragement to all of us. And what I want to

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do this morning is look at the unique ways God

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worked in the lives of Joseph, his brothers,

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Jacob, and the Egyptians. to see how God was

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multitasking in each of them to achieve his unique

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will in the book of Genesis. So let's turn to

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Genesis 37, and we'll begin our look at our multitasking

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God with how he worked to bring Joseph to a point

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of maturity and usefulness. And as we look at

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the life of Joseph, I must confess up front that

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my view of Joseph has changed over time. I used

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to believe that Joseph was this practically perfect

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kid that his brothers hated for no reason at

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all. But as I spent more time studying the text,

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I came to realize that while Joseph was definitely

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more godly than any of his brothers, he was far

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from the man God needed him to be to do the work

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that God needed him to do. Remember, when we

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look at the lives of Joseph, far more is at stake

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than simply Jacob and his family. At stake are

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not only their survival in the future, but all

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of God's promises to Abraham, Isaac, and their

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descendants, and ultimately, our salvation. That's

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why God needed to do a powerful work in Joseph's

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heart so that when the time was right, he would

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not only be in the right place at the right time,

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a position of power in Egypt to help his family

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through the famine, but he would also be the

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right man in the right place at the right time.

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That would make all the difference in the world.

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So look at Genesis 37, verses 1 and 2. Now Jacob

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lived in the land where his father had sojourned,

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in the land of Canaan. And these are the records

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of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, when he

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was 17 years of age, was pastoring the flock

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with his brothers while he was still a youth,

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along with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of

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Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought

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back a bad report about them to their father.

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And there's a lot of history here we won't go

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into, so I encourage you to read the entire book

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of Genesis to learn more. But after Jacob and

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his family returned from his uncle Laban's, he

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settled in Canaan near where his father Isaac

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had lived. And when the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah,

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two of Jacob's wives, were out tending sheep,

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Joseph was there on behalf of Jacob. But understand

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this. All these brothers are older than Joseph.

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but the wording in the Hebrew implies that he

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is in charge. Not something that would make him

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popular in a culture where birthright mattered.

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They were working, he's supervising. And we were

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told that Joseph brought back a bad report about

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his brothers to his father. Now that word for

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bad report is almost always translated slander

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in other Old Testament texts. In other words,

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Joseph slanted his report to put them in a worse

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light. Doesn't mean they were innocent. It simply

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means he made them look a little worse than they

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were. Tattletales are rarely popular. All right,

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now look at verses three and four. Now Israel

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loved Joseph more than all his sons because he

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was the son of his old age and he made him a

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very colored tunic. And his brothers saw that

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their father loved him more than all his brothers.

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And so they hated him and could not speak to

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him on friendly terms. The second reason Joseph's

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brothers hated him was he was their daddy's favorite.

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Joseph was the oldest son of Jacob's favorite

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wife, Rachel. And even though he was the second

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youngest, dad loved him more and favored him

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over his brothers. And needless to say, the older

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brothers hated him for being daddy's favorite,

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and especially for this multicolored long -sleeved

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coat that Jacob gave him. That coat meant that

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not only was Joseph's daddy's favorite, but dad

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intended to put him in charge and intended to

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give him the family birthright. Again, don't

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expect the 10 older brothers to be thrilled with

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this whole coat thing. Every time Joseph wore

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that coat around them, it rubbed their noses

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in the fact that they were not favored by dad.

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It was like waving a red flag in front of a bull.

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Look at verses five to 11. Then Joseph had a

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dream. And when he told it to his brothers, they

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hated him even more. And he said to them, please

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listen to this dream which I had. For behold,

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we were binding sheaves in the field and lo,

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my sheaf rose up. And also stood erect and behold,

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your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to

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my sheaf. And when his brothers and his brothers

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said to him, are you actually going to reign

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over us? Are you really going to rule over us?

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And so they hated him even more for his dreams

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and for his words. Now he had still another dream

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and related it to his brothers and said, lo.

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I have had still another dream. And behold, the

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sun, moon, and 11 stars were bowing down to me.

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And he related it to his father and brothers.

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And his father rebuked him when he said to him,

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what is this dream you have had? Shall I and

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your mother and brothers actually come and bow

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ourselves down before you to the ground? And

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his brothers were jealous of him, but his father

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kept this saying in mind. All right, so the last

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reason Joseph's brothers hated him was his dreams.

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At the heart of each dream was the fact that

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Joseph was going to rule over them, and they

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were going to bow down to him. And every time

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he had a dream, he kept telling it to his brothers.

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He told them in verse 6, he told them in verse

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9, and he told them and their father again in

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verse 10. He couldn't stop talking about these

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really cool dreams he had and how he was going

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to be in charge, and they were all going to bow

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down to him. It's great. All right? And they

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hated him for it. All right? And their hatred

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reached this boiling point. So when they had

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a chance, they decided to sell Joseph into slavery

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and out of their lives forever, or so they thought.

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So what does this tell us about Joseph then at

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age 17 when he sold into slavery? It tells us

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that he was despoiled, pampered. an entitled

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son of his father, and that he let his older

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brothers know it. And while he had more of a

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heart for God than any of his brothers, he was

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not yet the kind of man God needed him to be

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to do the work that God needed him to do. So

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God worked to bring about some needed humbling

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and maturity in Joseph's life. How? First, God

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sold him into slavery in Egypt. He became a slave

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of Potiphar, Pharaoh's executioner. Nothing helps

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purge pride and self -centeredness out of our

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lives like being sold into slavery. And overnight,

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Joseph was stripped of everything familiar and

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everything he loved and forced to work as a slave

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in Potiphar's fields. How did he respond? He

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submitted to Potiphar, and he worked hard as

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a slave. And his hard work led to promotion,

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first to a house slave, and finally to chief

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steward for Potiphar in charge of everything

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that Potiphar owned. Joseph became as successful

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as a slave could be. And then hardship hit again.

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Look at chapter 39, verses 7 to 10. And it came

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about after these events that his master's wife

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looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, Lie

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with me. But he refused and said to his master's

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wife, Behold, with me here, my master doesn't

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concern himself with anything in the house, and

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he has put all he owns in my charge. And there

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is no one greater in this house than I, and he

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has withheld nothing from me except you, because

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you are his wife. How then could I do this great

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evil and sin against God? And as she spoke to

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Joseph day after day, he didn't listen to her

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to lie beside her or be with her. All right.

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Just when Joseph had earned the full trust of

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his master, disaster struck. Potiphar's wife

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decided she wanted to sleep with Joseph, something

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that was not unusual for upper -class Egyptians.

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And now Joseph faced a great challenge to his

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integrity. And his answer to her makes it clear

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that he wasn't going to betray Potiphar, but

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even more, he wasn't willing to betray his God.

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he kept his integrity refused to sleep with her

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but ultimately she accused him of attempting

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to rape her so that joseph was sent to a maximum

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security prison run by potiphar despite doing

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everything right he's back to square one but

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again Joseph kept his integrity even in prison.

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And he rose to a position of head trustee, working

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for the warden. And in chapter 40, what appears

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to be to Joseph, a timely event occurs that might

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help him get out of prison so he can go home.

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Or so he thought. Look at chapter 40, verses

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5 to 8. And then the cupbearer and the baker

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for the king, who were confined in jail, both

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had a dream the same night. Each one... with

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his own dream and each dream with his own interpretation.

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And when Joseph came to them in the morning,

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he observed them and behold, they were dejected.

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And he asked Pharaoh's officials who were with

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him in confinement in his master's house, why

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are your faces so sad today? And they said, we

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have had a dream and there's no one to interpret

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it. Then Joseph said to them, do not interpretations

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belong to God? Tell it to me, please. Both the

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cupbearer and the baker of Pharaoh were arrested

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and confined in prison with Joseph while their

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cases were being investigated. And one night

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they both had dreams, something incredibly significant

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to Egyptians. They put great stock in dreams

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and they even had dream schools. They had dream

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books to help you interpret your dreams. But

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since they are both in prison, they have access

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to no help at all. So Joseph, who had some experience

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with dreams, decided to help them. And he's careful

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to let them know that interpreting dreams comes

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from God, not him. And so he interpreted their

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dreams, stating that the cupbearer was going

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to be restored to his position and the baker

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was going to be executed. All Joseph asked the

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cupbearer to do was to remember him when he came

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before Pharaoh and to help him get released,

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something the cupbearer was more than willing

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to do. And three days later, both men were brought

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before Pharaoh and the cupbearer was restored

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to his position and the baker was executed. But

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sadly, the cupbearer forgot his promise to Joseph

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and failed to help him get released. Why? The

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simple answer is that God's plan for Joseph involved

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more than him simply getting out of jail and

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going home. And the time for that plan to be

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fulfilled was still in the future. And I'm not

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sure how many days or weeks or months Joseph

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waited to see the cupbearer return with his pardon,

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but finally it had to dawn on him that the cavalry

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was not coming. He had been in slavery and prison

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for 11 years when the cupbearer left, and he

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would be there another two years before the time

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was right. But when the time came, He was not

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only in the right place at the right time to

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fulfill God's will, he will also be the right

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man in the right place at the right time. In

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Genesis 41, Pharaoh had some dreams that none

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of his wise men could interpret. And this frustrated

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Pharaoh who felt the dreams were important but

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could not find any answers. And finally, the

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cupbearer remembered Joseph and he told Pharaoh

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about his encounter with this Hebrew slave. And

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Joseph was able to, and he told Pharaoh that

00:14:28.460 --> 00:14:32.399
he had interpreted his dream. And so Pharaoh

00:14:32.399 --> 00:14:35.299
brought Joseph up and Joseph was able to interpret

00:14:35.299 --> 00:14:38.460
Pharaoh's dreams and give wise counsel. And the

00:14:38.460 --> 00:14:40.980
next thing he knew, he was appointed ruler over

00:14:40.980 --> 00:14:44.820
all Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. So what happened

00:14:44.820 --> 00:14:48.909
in Joseph that made the difference? Well, first,

00:14:48.970 --> 00:14:51.250
there's a humility in Joseph now that we did

00:14:51.250 --> 00:14:53.669
not see when he was younger. When he's brought

00:14:53.669 --> 00:14:56.769
before Pharaoh, he gives God all the credit.

00:14:57.289 --> 00:14:59.909
Look at Genesis 41. We're going to look at verses

00:14:59.909 --> 00:15:06.529
15 and 16 and then 25 and 32. Verse 15, Pharaoh

00:15:06.529 --> 00:15:09.549
said to Joseph, I have had a dream and no one

00:15:09.549 --> 00:15:11.649
can interpret it. And I've heard it said about

00:15:11.649 --> 00:15:13.909
you that when you hear a dream, you can interpret

00:15:13.909 --> 00:15:16.980
it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is

00:15:16.980 --> 00:15:19.980
not me. God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.

00:15:20.419 --> 00:15:24.480
Verse 25. Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, Pharaoh's

00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:27.480
dreams are one and the same. God has told Pharaoh

00:15:27.480 --> 00:15:31.899
what he is about to do. And in verse 32. Now

00:15:31.899 --> 00:15:34.120
as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh

00:15:34.120 --> 00:15:37.360
twice, it means the matter is determined by God,

00:15:37.460 --> 00:15:41.370
and God will bring it about. When Pharaoh starts

00:15:41.370 --> 00:15:45.070
to praise Joseph, Joseph immediately points him

00:15:45.070 --> 00:15:47.629
to God as the only one who can help him. In verse

00:15:47.629 --> 00:15:50.309
16, it's God who will give Pharaoh an answer.

00:15:50.490 --> 00:15:53.470
In verse 25, it is God who has told Pharaoh what

00:15:53.470 --> 00:15:56.710
is about to happen. And in verse 32, it is God

00:15:56.710 --> 00:15:59.809
who has determined the matter. Nothing about

00:15:59.809 --> 00:16:04.549
Joseph, everything about God. It took 13 years

00:16:04.549 --> 00:16:07.490
of slavery and prison to get him to this place

00:16:07.490 --> 00:16:10.899
of humility. But Joseph was now the right man

00:16:10.899 --> 00:16:14.240
in the right place at the right time to help

00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:17.600
his family. And the second area God did a work

00:16:17.600 --> 00:16:20.519
in Joseph was in regard to his brothers. Let's

00:16:20.519 --> 00:16:23.019
be honest, our natural tendency would be to be

00:16:23.019 --> 00:16:25.799
angry and to hold a grudge and to try and get

00:16:25.799 --> 00:16:28.980
even. How many of us would have spent those 13

00:16:28.980 --> 00:16:31.120
years plotting what we would do to our brothers

00:16:31.120 --> 00:16:33.679
one day if we ever got the chance, especially

00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:38.169
if we rose to a position of great power? But

00:16:38.169 --> 00:16:40.889
not Joseph. And I wish we had time to develop

00:16:40.889 --> 00:16:43.289
the whole story more fully, but suffice to say

00:16:43.289 --> 00:16:45.710
that instead of getting even with his brothers,

00:16:45.870 --> 00:16:51.110
he lavished them with grace. Yes, he tested them

00:16:51.110 --> 00:16:53.090
to see where their hearts were in regard to what

00:16:53.090 --> 00:16:55.590
they did to him and whether they would protect

00:16:55.590 --> 00:16:59.309
Jacob's new favorite, Benjamin. But still, it's

00:16:59.309 --> 00:17:02.450
all grace. And look at chapter 45, verses 1 to

00:17:02.450 --> 00:17:12.829
3. And Joseph could not control himself before

00:17:12.829 --> 00:17:16.089
those who stood by him. And he cried, Have everyone

00:17:16.089 --> 00:17:18.849
go out from me. So there was no man with him

00:17:18.849 --> 00:17:21.210
when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

00:17:21.730 --> 00:17:24.569
And he wept so loud the Egyptians heard it, and

00:17:24.569 --> 00:17:28.009
the house of Pharaoh heard of it. And then Joseph

00:17:28.009 --> 00:17:31.029
said to his brothers, I am Joseph. Is my father

00:17:31.029 --> 00:17:33.930
still alive? But his brothers could not answer

00:17:33.930 --> 00:17:36.549
him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

00:17:37.660 --> 00:17:41.759
It is a very emotional scene for Joseph when

00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:44.980
he finally reveals himself to his brothers. Joseph

00:17:44.980 --> 00:17:48.700
is weeping loudly, but his brothers are dumbstruck.

00:17:48.779 --> 00:17:51.079
At this moment, they're not sure whether this

00:17:51.079 --> 00:17:53.859
is good news or bad news, that this is their

00:17:53.859 --> 00:17:59.500
brother Joseph. But look at verses 5 to 8. Now,

00:17:59.500 --> 00:18:02.440
do not be grieved or angry with yourselves because

00:18:02.440 --> 00:18:05.740
you sold me here, for God sent me before you

00:18:05.740 --> 00:18:08.450
to preserve life. For the famine has been in

00:18:08.450 --> 00:18:10.430
the land two years, and there are still five

00:18:10.430 --> 00:18:12.390
years in which there will be neither plowing

00:18:12.390 --> 00:18:15.869
or harvesting. God sent me before you to preserve

00:18:15.869 --> 00:18:18.990
for you a remnant in the earth and to keep you

00:18:18.990 --> 00:18:22.009
alive by great deliverance. Now, therefore, it

00:18:22.009 --> 00:18:26.069
was not you who sent me here, but God. And he

00:18:26.069 --> 00:18:29.029
made me a father to Pharaoh and Lord of all his

00:18:29.029 --> 00:18:33.740
household and ruler over the land of Egypt. Notice,

00:18:33.740 --> 00:18:36.559
Joseph does not rail against his brothers for

00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:39.880
the evil and the injustice they did to him. Now,

00:18:39.880 --> 00:18:42.460
more than 20 years later, he sees the big picture

00:18:42.460 --> 00:18:45.819
of God sovereignly working out his plan to preserve

00:18:45.819 --> 00:18:48.039
Jacob's family through the famine that still

00:18:48.039 --> 00:18:52.400
has five more years to run. In verse five, he

00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:55.480
says, God sent me here. In verse seven, God sent

00:18:55.480 --> 00:18:58.039
me before you. In verse eight, it was not you,

00:18:58.119 --> 00:19:01.920
but God who sent me here. Joseph is at peace

00:19:01.920 --> 00:19:05.059
because he saw the bigger picture of the sovereignty

00:19:05.059 --> 00:19:09.380
of God at work. And look at verses 14 and 15.

00:19:10.339 --> 00:19:13.299
And then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck

00:19:13.299 --> 00:19:16.259
and wept and Benjamin wept on his neck. And he

00:19:16.259 --> 00:19:18.519
kissed all his brothers and wept on them and

00:19:18.519 --> 00:19:21.079
afterwards the brothers talked with him. You

00:19:21.079 --> 00:19:24.380
would expect Joseph to embrace his full brother

00:19:24.380 --> 00:19:27.500
Benjamin and weep with him. He hasn't seen him

00:19:27.500 --> 00:19:30.529
in over 20 years. But don't miss the fact that

00:19:30.529 --> 00:19:33.250
he embraced all his brothers and wept on them.

00:19:33.609 --> 00:19:36.990
Joseph was able to set aside his anger and the

00:19:36.990 --> 00:19:39.690
betrayal and embrace his brothers because he

00:19:39.690 --> 00:19:42.990
realized God had superintended all that happened

00:19:42.990 --> 00:19:46.789
to save his family. Joseph was now the right

00:19:46.789 --> 00:19:50.869
man in the right place at the right time. And

00:19:50.869 --> 00:19:53.809
like Joseph, we need to learn to rest in the

00:19:53.809 --> 00:19:56.759
sovereignty of God. even in the midst of hard

00:19:56.759 --> 00:20:00.140
times, heartaches, disappointments, and betrayal.

00:20:01.099 --> 00:20:03.779
Joseph's humility and his refusal to take vengeance

00:20:03.779 --> 00:20:07.079
on his brother shows the fruit of 13 years of

00:20:07.079 --> 00:20:10.140
slavery and prison and nine years of a rise to

00:20:10.140 --> 00:20:14.240
a great position of power. Joseph knew God better

00:20:14.240 --> 00:20:16.819
at the end of all that, and he was willing to

00:20:16.819 --> 00:20:20.519
submit to God's sovereignty. And that's a lesson

00:20:20.519 --> 00:20:24.220
for all of us. Now, let's talk about Joseph's

00:20:24.220 --> 00:20:30.799
brothers. God set himself to the task of dealing

00:20:30.799 --> 00:20:33.839
with the evil and godlessness of Joseph's older

00:20:33.839 --> 00:20:36.940
brothers. And this won't be easy. They have lived

00:20:36.940 --> 00:20:39.880
for years in their sin and making them face it

00:20:39.880 --> 00:20:42.539
will be a hard task. And let's recount what we

00:20:42.539 --> 00:20:45.440
know about Jacob's older boys. And for sake of

00:20:45.440 --> 00:20:47.619
time, I'm just going to give you a quick recap.

00:20:48.940 --> 00:20:52.180
In Genesis 34, a man named Shechem forced himself

00:20:52.180 --> 00:20:54.900
on Jacob's daughter Dinah, and there's a lot

00:20:54.900 --> 00:20:58.119
of story in here, but it ends in treachery when

00:20:58.119 --> 00:21:00.539
Jacob's sons trick the men of the village into

00:21:00.539 --> 00:21:03.240
being circumcised, and then while they are recovering,

00:21:03.619 --> 00:21:06.140
Simeon and Levi come into the village and murder

00:21:06.140 --> 00:21:08.740
all the men, and the brothers take everything

00:21:08.740 --> 00:21:11.809
as spoil. This kind of violence put the whole

00:21:11.809 --> 00:21:14.490
family in danger since they are only a small

00:21:14.490 --> 00:21:17.569
clan in a pagan land and it forced the family

00:21:17.569 --> 00:21:22.549
to move out of that area. In chapter 35, Reuben

00:21:22.549 --> 00:21:25.410
slept with Bilhah, one of his stepmothers, a

00:21:25.410 --> 00:21:27.990
move which would ultimately cost him the birthright

00:21:27.990 --> 00:21:32.569
as the oldest son. In chapter 38, Judah married

00:21:32.569 --> 00:21:35.430
a Canaanite woman. and had three sons with her.

00:21:35.529 --> 00:21:38.210
This was something Abraham would not allow Isaac

00:21:38.210 --> 00:21:40.849
to do, and Isaac wouldn't allow Jacob to do.

00:21:41.390 --> 00:21:44.309
And eventually, through a wild series of circumstances,

00:21:44.650 --> 00:21:47.049
Judah ended up impregnating his own daughter

00:21:47.049 --> 00:21:50.049
-in -law and fathering twins with her. Again,

00:21:50.089 --> 00:21:53.430
not a shining moral example. And finally, we

00:21:53.430 --> 00:21:55.690
have the whole issue with Joseph and their hatred

00:21:55.690 --> 00:21:58.670
of him. Hatred enough that when the first opportunity

00:21:58.670 --> 00:22:00.950
to get rid of him came along, they sold him into

00:22:00.950 --> 00:22:03.549
slavery, but not after first considering murder.

00:22:04.890 --> 00:22:08.170
all in all this is a godless bunch headed downhill

00:22:08.170 --> 00:22:11.809
fast they were in danger of one of two outcomes

00:22:11.809 --> 00:22:15.490
one was becoming as godless and immoral as the

00:22:15.490 --> 00:22:17.710
Canaanites had lived among and being absorbed

00:22:17.710 --> 00:22:21.109
by them that would bring them under the curse

00:22:21.109 --> 00:22:24.289
that the Canaanites faced Or another incident

00:22:24.289 --> 00:22:26.730
like the one with Simeon and Levi murdering a

00:22:26.730 --> 00:22:29.130
village might lead to their extermination by

00:22:29.130 --> 00:22:31.769
the people around them. Either one would destroy

00:22:31.769 --> 00:22:34.349
the line of the Messiah and ruin an opportunity

00:22:34.349 --> 00:22:38.069
for salvation for the world. So God chose to

00:22:38.069 --> 00:22:52.150
act. Look at chapter 42, verses 1 to 5. Now Jacob

00:22:52.150 --> 00:22:54.869
saw that there was grain in Egypt and Jacob said

00:22:54.869 --> 00:22:57.569
to his son, why are you staring at one another?

00:22:58.130 --> 00:23:00.349
And he said, behold, I've heard there's grain

00:23:00.349 --> 00:23:03.789
in Egypt. Go down there, buy some for us from

00:23:03.789 --> 00:23:07.809
that place so that we may live and not die. And

00:23:07.809 --> 00:23:10.710
then 10 brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain

00:23:10.710 --> 00:23:14.049
in Egypt. But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother

00:23:14.049 --> 00:23:17.190
Benjamin with his brothers. For he said, I am

00:23:17.190 --> 00:23:20.450
afraid that harm may befall him. So the sons

00:23:20.450 --> 00:23:22.769
of Israel came to buy grain among those who were

00:23:22.769 --> 00:23:25.589
coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan

00:23:25.589 --> 00:23:29.150
also. So as the first year of famine grew worse,

00:23:29.349 --> 00:23:32.269
Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt. So he decides

00:23:32.269 --> 00:23:35.609
to send his 10 older sons to buy food, but he

00:23:35.609 --> 00:23:39.869
won't send his youngest son, Benjamin. With Joseph

00:23:39.869 --> 00:23:42.890
dead, Benjamin is Jacob's last link to Rachel,

00:23:43.049 --> 00:23:45.549
and he's going to hold on to him for all that

00:23:45.549 --> 00:23:48.349
he's worth. So the sons of Jacob joined this

00:23:48.349 --> 00:23:51.029
long procession of hungry people traveling to

00:23:51.029 --> 00:23:54.470
Egypt to buy food. And look at verses 6 and 7.

00:23:55.309 --> 00:23:58.450
Now Joseph was ruler over the land, and he was

00:23:58.450 --> 00:24:01.710
the one who sold to all the people of the land.

00:24:01.769 --> 00:24:04.109
And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to

00:24:04.109 --> 00:24:06.740
him with their faces to the ground. And when

00:24:06.740 --> 00:24:08.940
Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them,

00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:12.700
but he disguised himself to them and spoke harshly

00:24:12.700 --> 00:24:15.200
to them. And he said to them, where have you

00:24:15.200 --> 00:24:17.420
come from? And they said, we have come from the

00:24:17.420 --> 00:24:21.220
land of Canaan to buy food. Joseph recognized

00:24:21.220 --> 00:24:23.500
his brothers, but they didn't recognize him.

00:24:23.660 --> 00:24:26.779
And he spoke harshly to them to test them. He's

00:24:26.779 --> 00:24:29.039
putting pressure on them to see how they feel

00:24:29.039 --> 00:24:31.440
about what they did to him. And there's more

00:24:31.440 --> 00:24:35.059
back and forth that I'd encourage you to read.

00:24:35.710 --> 00:24:37.930
But after putting them in prison for three days,

00:24:38.130 --> 00:24:41.450
he brings them out and he offers to help. All

00:24:41.450 --> 00:24:44.230
they have to do is leave one brother as a hostage

00:24:44.230 --> 00:24:47.170
and bring their other brother back with them

00:24:47.170 --> 00:24:49.930
when they return and they can buy food in Egypt.

00:24:50.170 --> 00:24:53.210
Now look at verses 21 and 22. This is the key.

00:24:56.630 --> 00:25:00.390
And they said to one another. Truly we are guilty

00:25:00.390 --> 00:25:02.990
concerning our brother because we saw his distress

00:25:02.990 --> 00:25:05.589
of his soul when he pleaded with us and yet we

00:25:05.589 --> 00:25:08.670
would not listen. Therefore this distress has

00:25:08.670 --> 00:25:11.569
come on us. And Reuben answered them saying,

00:25:11.809 --> 00:25:14.309
did I not tell you do not sin against the boy

00:25:14.309 --> 00:25:18.390
and you would not listen? Now comes a reckoning

00:25:18.390 --> 00:25:22.470
for his blood. Unable to understand the harsh

00:25:22.470 --> 00:25:24.650
treatment they've received that apparently the

00:25:24.650 --> 00:25:27.500
others there to buy food didn't, the brothers

00:25:27.500 --> 00:25:29.980
begin discussing amongst themselves, why is this

00:25:29.980 --> 00:25:34.259
happening to us? And their conclusion, this is

00:25:34.259 --> 00:25:36.519
the reckoning for the blood of Joseph coming

00:25:36.519 --> 00:25:40.700
down upon their heads. 22 years later, they are

00:25:40.700 --> 00:25:43.059
still haunted by the guilt of their actions.

00:25:43.359 --> 00:25:45.880
They didn't listen to Joseph when he cried out

00:25:45.880 --> 00:25:48.460
for help. And now this man wasn't listening to

00:25:48.460 --> 00:25:51.240
them and their cry for help. And Reuben, who

00:25:51.240 --> 00:25:53.559
had been out in the field when Joseph was sold,

00:25:53.740 --> 00:25:57.299
blames their actions for bringing all this upon

00:25:57.299 --> 00:26:04.200
them. And look at verses 23 and 24. And he turned

00:26:04.200 --> 00:26:06.440
away from them and wept. And when he had returned

00:26:06.440 --> 00:26:08.859
to them, he spoke to them. And he took Simeon

00:26:08.859 --> 00:26:11.599
from them and bound him before their eyes. And

00:26:11.599 --> 00:26:14.460
then Joseph gave orders for their bags to be

00:26:14.460 --> 00:26:17.460
filled with grain and restore every man's money

00:26:17.460 --> 00:26:19.640
in his sack and to give them provisions for the

00:26:19.640 --> 00:26:23.519
journey. And thus it was done for them. Because

00:26:23.519 --> 00:26:26.400
Joseph had been speaking Egyptian to them, they

00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:28.319
didn't realize that he understood everything.

00:26:28.829 --> 00:26:31.130
that they had been saying to each other. And

00:26:31.130 --> 00:26:33.930
hearing their sorrow and guilt, Joseph was overwhelmed

00:26:33.930 --> 00:26:37.009
with emotions and he wept. He had to leave for

00:26:37.009 --> 00:26:40.369
a time. Joseph's brothers are not the same angry,

00:26:40.410 --> 00:26:43.569
bitter men they were when they sold him into

00:26:43.569 --> 00:26:46.549
slavery. Watching their father struggle with

00:26:46.549 --> 00:26:49.829
years of grief at the loss of Joseph and now

00:26:49.829 --> 00:26:52.670
having their own pleas for mercy ignored have

00:26:52.670 --> 00:26:55.789
brought them face to face with their guilt and

00:26:55.789 --> 00:26:59.430
they reveal a change of heart in them. There's

00:26:59.430 --> 00:27:02.309
one more issue Joseph wants to test them on before

00:27:02.309 --> 00:27:05.309
he's ready to receive them completely. They sold

00:27:05.309 --> 00:27:07.690
Joseph into slavery because they were jealous

00:27:07.690 --> 00:27:10.849
that he was dad's favorite. It's clear now that

00:27:10.849 --> 00:27:13.950
Benjamin is Jacob's new favorite. Would they

00:27:13.950 --> 00:27:16.349
protect Benjamin or would they be willing to

00:27:16.349 --> 00:27:20.250
sacrifice him to save themselves? So Joseph set

00:27:20.250 --> 00:27:22.269
up a way to test his brothers. After bringing

00:27:22.269 --> 00:27:25.529
Benjamin back with them, they secured more food

00:27:25.529 --> 00:27:28.170
and they got Simeon released and they left for

00:27:28.170 --> 00:27:31.650
home thinking everything is fine. But Joseph

00:27:31.650 --> 00:27:35.049
had his servant hide his special cup in Benjamin's

00:27:35.049 --> 00:27:37.450
sack. And when the men had gone several miles

00:27:37.450 --> 00:27:40.490
from the city, Joseph sent his men to apprehend

00:27:40.490 --> 00:27:43.069
them and accused them of stealing his special

00:27:43.069 --> 00:27:47.589
cup. We pick up the story in chapter 44, verses

00:27:47.589 --> 00:27:53.400
6 to 10. And he overtook them, and he spoke to

00:27:53.400 --> 00:27:56.180
them. And they said to him, Why does my Lord

00:27:56.180 --> 00:28:00.099
speak such words as these? Far be it from your

00:28:00.099 --> 00:28:02.880
servants to do such a thing. Behold, the money

00:28:02.880 --> 00:28:04.900
which we found in the mouths of our sacks we

00:28:04.900 --> 00:28:06.920
have brought back to you from the land of Canaan.

00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:09.660
How then could we steal silver or gold from your

00:28:09.660 --> 00:28:12.940
Lord's house? With whomever your servants it

00:28:12.940 --> 00:28:15.440
is found, let him die, and we will also be my

00:28:15.440 --> 00:28:18.759
Lord's slaves. And so he said, now let it also

00:28:18.759 --> 00:28:21.940
be according to your words. He with whom it is

00:28:21.940 --> 00:28:24.640
found shall be my slave, and the rest of you

00:28:24.640 --> 00:28:29.079
shall be innocent. When confronted with the accusation

00:28:29.079 --> 00:28:31.859
they stole Joseph's cups, Jacob's sons are shocked.

00:28:32.279 --> 00:28:34.940
Hadn't they been honest in the past? They wouldn't

00:28:34.940 --> 00:28:38.440
do such a thing. And they are so sure they are

00:28:38.440 --> 00:28:41.200
innocent that they offer that the one who the

00:28:41.200 --> 00:28:43.420
cup is found with should be put to death, and

00:28:43.420 --> 00:28:46.940
they will all become Joseph's slaves. And Joseph's

00:28:46.940 --> 00:28:49.779
servants counters, no, just the one with whom

00:28:49.779 --> 00:28:51.759
the cup is found will be a slave. The rest of

00:28:51.759 --> 00:28:55.480
you will be free to go. So the trap was set.

00:28:55.619 --> 00:28:59.660
Look at verses 11 and 12. And then they hurried

00:28:59.660 --> 00:29:01.779
and each man lowered his sack to the ground and

00:29:01.779 --> 00:29:04.839
each man opened his sack and he searched beginning

00:29:04.839 --> 00:29:06.740
with the oldest and ending with the youngest

00:29:06.740 --> 00:29:10.640
and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. When

00:29:10.640 --> 00:29:13.200
the search is made, the cup is found in Benjamin's

00:29:13.200 --> 00:29:15.990
sack. But remember, The older boys are free to

00:29:15.990 --> 00:29:18.930
go. They can leave Benjamin, dad's new favorite,

00:29:18.970 --> 00:29:22.190
behind and not worry about him. So how will they

00:29:22.190 --> 00:29:27.009
respond? Look at verse 13. And they tore their

00:29:27.009 --> 00:29:29.569
clothes, and when each man loaded his donkey,

00:29:29.670 --> 00:29:32.930
they returned to the city. Rather than leave

00:29:32.930 --> 00:29:35.869
Benjamin behind and save themselves, they react

00:29:35.869 --> 00:29:38.410
with mourning, tearing their clothes, and returning

00:29:38.410 --> 00:29:40.990
to the city with the servant and with Benjamin.

00:29:41.369 --> 00:29:48.319
Look at verses 16 and 17. So Judas said, what

00:29:48.319 --> 00:29:51.980
can we say to my Lord? What can we speak? How

00:29:51.980 --> 00:29:55.420
can we justify ourselves? God has found out the

00:29:55.420 --> 00:29:59.539
iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my

00:29:59.539 --> 00:30:01.839
Lord's servants, both we and the one in whose

00:30:01.839 --> 00:30:05.059
possession the cup is found. But he said, far

00:30:05.059 --> 00:30:07.500
be it for me to do this. The man in whose possession

00:30:07.500 --> 00:30:10.319
the cup has been found, he shall be my slave.

00:30:10.319 --> 00:30:14.910
But as for you, go in peace to your father. Judah

00:30:14.910 --> 00:30:17.450
is shocked by what has happened. He admits their

00:30:17.450 --> 00:30:20.049
guilt and states that they will all be Joseph's

00:30:20.049 --> 00:30:23.309
slaves then. But again, Joseph offers him a way

00:30:23.309 --> 00:30:26.250
out, stating that only the one in whose possession

00:30:26.250 --> 00:30:28.569
the couple was found shall be his slave. The

00:30:28.569 --> 00:30:31.869
rest are free to go. Will the brothers abandon

00:30:31.869 --> 00:30:35.670
Benjamin or will they choose to stand as a family?

00:30:36.490 --> 00:30:38.849
And it's now Judah who steps forward in this

00:30:38.849 --> 00:30:42.009
situation. He was the one who had convinced his

00:30:42.009 --> 00:30:44.210
brothers to sell Joseph rather than kill him.

00:30:44.450 --> 00:30:46.910
And this is the longest speech in the book of

00:30:46.910 --> 00:30:49.630
Genesis. And in it, we see Joseph's brothers

00:30:49.630 --> 00:30:54.049
stepping up to protect Benjamin. Judah had promised

00:30:54.049 --> 00:30:57.829
to bring Jacob, bring Benjamin back to Jacob

00:30:57.829 --> 00:31:00.910
safely. And now faced with the prospect of returning

00:31:00.910 --> 00:31:03.569
home to Jacob without him, Judah can't do it.

00:31:03.589 --> 00:31:09.460
Look at 27 to 31. He says, your servant, my father

00:31:09.460 --> 00:31:12.579
said to us, you know that my wife bore me two

00:31:12.579 --> 00:31:16.319
sons and one went out for me. And I said, surely

00:31:16.319 --> 00:31:18.799
he was torn in pieces and I have not seen him

00:31:18.799 --> 00:31:23.099
since. And if you take this one from me and harm

00:31:23.099 --> 00:31:26.200
befalls him, you will bring my gray hair down

00:31:26.200 --> 00:31:29.779
to shield and sorrow. Now, therefore, when I

00:31:29.779 --> 00:31:32.240
come to your servant, my father, and the lad

00:31:32.240 --> 00:31:35.180
is not with us since his life is bound up with

00:31:35.180 --> 00:31:39.160
the lad's life. When he sees that the lad is

00:31:39.160 --> 00:31:43.559
not with us, he will die. And thus your servants

00:31:43.559 --> 00:31:45.619
will bring the gray hair of your servant, our

00:31:45.619 --> 00:31:50.039
father, down to Sheol in sorrow. Again, there's

00:31:50.039 --> 00:31:51.839
more here and I encourage you to read through

00:31:51.839 --> 00:31:54.500
all of it. But Judah tells Joseph that Benjamin

00:31:54.500 --> 00:31:58.019
is the only son left of his mother and his father's

00:31:58.019 --> 00:32:00.619
life is bound up in Benjamin. And if the brothers

00:32:00.619 --> 00:32:04.220
return home and Benjamin is not with them, Jacob

00:32:04.220 --> 00:32:07.710
will die from grief and sorrow. Look at verses

00:32:07.710 --> 00:32:13.150
33 and 34. Now, therefore, please let your servant

00:32:13.150 --> 00:32:17.470
remain instead of the lad as a slave to my Lord

00:32:17.470 --> 00:32:19.950
and let the lad go with his brothers. For how

00:32:19.950 --> 00:32:22.450
shall I go to my father if the lad is not with

00:32:22.450 --> 00:32:26.329
me? For I fear to see the evil that would overtake

00:32:26.329 --> 00:32:32.990
my father. Judah offers a solution. Joseph should

00:32:32.990 --> 00:32:36.119
let Benjamin go. And Judah will remain as Joseph's

00:32:36.119 --> 00:32:38.740
slaves since he had offered himself as the guarantee

00:32:38.740 --> 00:32:42.180
for his brother's safe return. And he begs Joseph

00:32:42.180 --> 00:32:45.539
to spare his father the grief and the sorrow

00:32:45.539 --> 00:32:49.339
that losing his youngest son would bring. Judah

00:32:49.339 --> 00:32:52.119
and his brothers have passed the test. Given

00:32:52.119 --> 00:32:54.680
an opportunity to save themselves at the expense

00:32:54.680 --> 00:32:57.740
of dad's new favorite, Benjamin, they refuse.

00:32:58.099 --> 00:33:00.700
They can't put their father through that again.

00:33:01.180 --> 00:33:04.119
They would stand as a family. and protect their

00:33:04.119 --> 00:33:07.720
brother. And it is at this point that Joseph

00:33:07.720 --> 00:33:11.839
finally reveals himself to his brothers. We're

00:33:11.839 --> 00:33:15.279
tempted to think that we can hide our sin and

00:33:15.279 --> 00:33:17.559
that we can get away with it and that somehow

00:33:17.559 --> 00:33:20.920
it will never come out. But God is never pleased

00:33:20.920 --> 00:33:24.420
with hidden sin in his people and he always works

00:33:24.420 --> 00:33:27.220
to expose it for the sake of bringing freedom

00:33:27.220 --> 00:33:31.839
and forgiveness and healing in our lives. In

00:33:31.839 --> 00:33:34.200
the end, Joseph's brothers confronted their sin

00:33:34.200 --> 00:33:36.799
and faced it and became better men because of

00:33:36.799 --> 00:33:39.720
it. And they also learned to stand as a family

00:33:39.720 --> 00:33:43.599
and protect each other. And God used Joseph to

00:33:43.599 --> 00:33:46.619
do it. But all this had to be dealt with before

00:33:46.619 --> 00:33:49.160
God could bring true healing and wholeness to

00:33:49.160 --> 00:33:54.019
Jacob's family. There was no other way. All right,

00:33:54.019 --> 00:33:56.720
let's talk about Jacob. See, our impression of

00:33:56.720 --> 00:33:59.400
Jacob Usually colored by the fact that he's one

00:33:59.400 --> 00:34:01.440
of the three great patriarchs of Israel, right?

00:34:01.539 --> 00:34:05.900
I mean, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But we often

00:34:05.900 --> 00:34:09.099
forget two truths about him. The first one is

00:34:09.099 --> 00:34:11.539
that for much of his early life, Jacob was a

00:34:11.539 --> 00:34:14.239
liar and deceiver, and he would lie, cheat, or

00:34:14.239 --> 00:34:17.340
steal to get ahead and get what he wanted. It

00:34:17.340 --> 00:34:19.320
was something the older sons had watched for

00:34:19.320 --> 00:34:21.960
years, this tug -of -war between Jacob and his

00:34:21.960 --> 00:34:25.909
equally corrupt Uncle Laban. But second, even

00:34:25.909 --> 00:34:28.409
after God had done much work in Jacob's life,

00:34:28.570 --> 00:34:32.610
Jacob still had a glaring sin issue. You see,

00:34:32.650 --> 00:34:36.130
Jacob was an idolater. And I don't mean he worshiped

00:34:36.130 --> 00:34:39.489
the pagan gods of Canaan. His idolatry was much

00:34:39.489 --> 00:34:42.769
more subtle. He worshiped the idol of his sons,

00:34:43.050 --> 00:34:46.769
first Joseph and then Benjamin. And he had convinced

00:34:46.769 --> 00:34:49.530
himself that the entire future of his family

00:34:49.530 --> 00:34:52.070
depended on these two, and he did everything

00:34:52.070 --> 00:34:57.400
he could do. to protect them. He favored them

00:34:57.400 --> 00:35:00.159
over their brothers, and that brought anger and

00:35:00.159 --> 00:35:03.139
strife and jealousy into his family, but either

00:35:03.139 --> 00:35:06.920
Jacob didn't notice or Jacob didn't care. They

00:35:06.920 --> 00:35:10.719
were Rachel's boys, and they, as the only sons

00:35:10.719 --> 00:35:13.280
of his favorite wife, he held on to them and

00:35:13.280 --> 00:35:16.260
protected them with everything he had. So let's

00:35:16.260 --> 00:35:18.179
go back and see how he did that. Go back to Genesis

00:35:18.179 --> 00:35:28.039
37, verse 2. It says, these are the records of

00:35:28.039 --> 00:35:31.699
the generation of Jacob. And Joseph, when 17

00:35:31.699 --> 00:35:34.320
years of age, was pastoring the flock with his

00:35:34.320 --> 00:35:36.480
brothers while he was still a youth, along with

00:35:36.480 --> 00:35:39.519
the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his

00:35:39.519 --> 00:35:42.019
father's wives. And Joseph brought back a bad

00:35:42.019 --> 00:35:45.159
report about them to his father. Joseph was caring

00:35:45.159 --> 00:35:47.320
for sheep with his older brothers near home.

00:35:47.619 --> 00:35:50.280
And as we saw earlier, the wording here implies

00:35:50.280 --> 00:35:53.119
that Joseph was in charge, even though all these

00:35:53.119 --> 00:35:56.000
brothers are older. Even more, they're all out

00:35:56.000 --> 00:35:59.260
in the field working. And Joseph is supervising

00:35:59.260 --> 00:36:03.199
for dad, watching them. Jacob kept Joseph close.

00:36:03.639 --> 00:36:08.619
And look at verses 12 and 13 of chapter 37. And

00:36:08.619 --> 00:36:11.119
the brothers went to pasture their father's flocks

00:36:11.119 --> 00:36:14.219
in Shechem. And Israel said to Joseph, are not

00:36:14.219 --> 00:36:16.340
your brothers pasturing the flock in Shechem?

00:36:16.440 --> 00:36:19.280
Come and I will send you to them. So he said

00:36:19.280 --> 00:36:23.559
to them, said to him, I will go. Now, all 10

00:36:23.559 --> 00:36:25.960
of Joseph's older brothers are out caring for

00:36:25.960 --> 00:36:28.900
the flock several days from home. Where was Joseph?

00:36:30.000 --> 00:36:34.920
Ah, he's home with dad. All right. Jacob had

00:36:34.920 --> 00:36:37.719
no qualms about keeping Joseph out of harm's

00:36:37.719 --> 00:36:40.440
way. Why? Because he loved him more than his

00:36:40.440 --> 00:36:43.980
other sons and he held on to him tightly. Joseph

00:36:43.980 --> 00:36:47.579
was his future. And it wasn't just Joseph. Look

00:36:47.579 --> 00:36:57.539
at Genesis 42, one to four. Now Jacob saw there

00:36:57.539 --> 00:36:59.960
was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons,

00:37:00.119 --> 00:37:02.619
why are you staring at one another? He said,

00:37:02.699 --> 00:37:04.980
behold, I've heard there is grain in Egypt. Go

00:37:04.980 --> 00:37:07.239
down there and buy some for us from that place

00:37:07.239 --> 00:37:10.820
so that we may live and not die. And then the

00:37:10.820 --> 00:37:13.099
ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain

00:37:13.099 --> 00:37:16.300
from Egypt. But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother

00:37:16.300 --> 00:37:19.159
Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, I'm

00:37:19.159 --> 00:37:23.159
afraid that harm may befall him. Why is this

00:37:23.159 --> 00:37:27.059
significant? The famine is severe. The family

00:37:27.059 --> 00:37:30.619
faced starvation. They needed everyone who could

00:37:30.619 --> 00:37:33.539
go to Egypt to buy food to go and bring back

00:37:33.539 --> 00:37:37.539
as much food as they could. But even in these

00:37:37.539 --> 00:37:40.420
dire circumstances, Jacob won't let Benjamin

00:37:40.420 --> 00:37:44.219
go. With Joseph gone, Benjamin is Jacob's last

00:37:44.219 --> 00:37:46.780
link to Rachel, and he's willing to cling tightly

00:37:46.780 --> 00:37:50.199
to them, to him even at the risk of starvation

00:37:50.199 --> 00:37:54.090
for his family. Rachel's sons have become Jacob's

00:37:54.090 --> 00:37:58.789
idols. So what happened? Well, God began to slowly

00:37:58.789 --> 00:38:02.269
pry loose the death grip Jacob had on his sons.

00:38:02.949 --> 00:38:05.329
First, he used the hatred of his brothers to

00:38:05.329 --> 00:38:08.570
have Joseph sold into slavery in Egypt, where

00:38:08.570 --> 00:38:11.570
God would need him later. And Jacob was forced

00:38:11.570 --> 00:38:15.730
to let go of Joseph. And now God is going to

00:38:15.730 --> 00:38:18.849
force Jacob to release his death grip on Benjamin.

00:38:19.690 --> 00:38:22.429
The older sons had returned from Egypt with food

00:38:22.429 --> 00:38:25.389
for their family, but without their brother Simeon,

00:38:25.429 --> 00:38:28.269
who's being held hostage until the brothers return

00:38:28.269 --> 00:38:31.909
with Benjamin. What Joseph knows that his father

00:38:31.909 --> 00:38:34.889
and brothers don't know at this point is that

00:38:34.889 --> 00:38:37.869
the famine has six more years to run. Joseph

00:38:37.869 --> 00:38:41.130
knows they will have to return to Egypt for food,

00:38:41.230 --> 00:38:44.789
and Joseph is willing to buy this time. So how

00:38:44.789 --> 00:38:49.000
does Jacob respond to all this? with great stubbornness.

00:38:49.039 --> 00:38:54.800
Look at chapter 42, verses 36 to 38. And their

00:38:54.800 --> 00:38:57.400
father Jacob said to them, you have bereaved

00:38:57.400 --> 00:39:00.599
me of my children. Joseph is no more, Simeon

00:39:00.599 --> 00:39:03.360
is no more, and you would take Benjamin. All

00:39:03.360 --> 00:39:06.980
these things are against me. And Reuben spoke

00:39:06.980 --> 00:39:09.840
to his father saying, you may put my two sons

00:39:09.840 --> 00:39:12.079
to death. If I do not bring him back to you,

00:39:12.750 --> 00:39:15.289
Put him in my care and I will return him to you.

00:39:15.590 --> 00:39:20.230
But Jacob said, my son shall not go down with

00:39:20.230 --> 00:39:23.809
you for his brother is dead and he alone is left.

00:39:23.949 --> 00:39:26.409
And if harm should befall him on the journey

00:39:26.409 --> 00:39:29.210
you are taking, then you will bring my gray hair

00:39:29.210 --> 00:39:34.130
down to Sheol in sorrow. When the brothers arrived

00:39:34.130 --> 00:39:36.210
back in Canaan with the food and they informed

00:39:36.210 --> 00:39:38.849
Jacob of all that happened in Egypt and how the

00:39:38.849 --> 00:39:42.010
ruler there kept Simeon as a hostage and warned

00:39:42.010 --> 00:39:45.489
them not to return without Benjamin, their youngest

00:39:45.489 --> 00:39:48.590
brother, this caused Jacob to explode at his

00:39:48.590 --> 00:39:51.309
sons. They've cost him Joseph, they've cost him

00:39:51.309 --> 00:39:53.610
Simeon, and now they want to take Benjamin away.

00:39:54.590 --> 00:39:57.090
Even Reuben's offer to let Jacob put to death

00:39:57.090 --> 00:39:59.630
his own sons if he doesn't bring Benjamin back

00:39:59.630 --> 00:40:02.050
fails to move him, although I don't know how

00:40:02.050 --> 00:40:04.030
killing his own grandsons would have made him

00:40:04.030 --> 00:40:08.610
feel better. Jacob is adamant. Benjamin is not

00:40:08.610 --> 00:40:13.510
going to Egypt ever, period, end of discussion.

00:40:14.769 --> 00:40:18.170
Jacob is willing to even sacrifice Simeon to

00:40:18.170 --> 00:40:22.980
protect Benjamin. But understand, This is a statement

00:40:22.980 --> 00:40:26.239
made on a full stomach. When the sons have brought

00:40:26.239 --> 00:40:28.920
back enough food to last for some time and the

00:40:28.920 --> 00:40:32.900
family has eaten. But as the famine drags on

00:40:32.900 --> 00:40:36.000
and he begins to hear the cries of hungry children

00:40:36.000 --> 00:40:39.960
at night, God is slowly wearing down Jacob's

00:40:39.960 --> 00:40:44.219
idolatry of Benjamin. Look at chapter 43, verses

00:40:44.219 --> 00:40:48.300
1 to 5. Now the famine was severe in the land.

00:40:48.679 --> 00:40:50.420
And when it came about that they had finished

00:40:50.420 --> 00:40:52.320
eating the grain which they had bought in Egypt,

00:40:52.599 --> 00:40:55.360
their father said to them, Go back and buy us

00:40:55.360 --> 00:40:58.260
a little food. But Judah said to him, saying,

00:40:59.139 --> 00:41:02.599
The man solemnly warned us, You shall not see

00:41:02.599 --> 00:41:05.820
my face unless your brother is with you. If you

00:41:05.820 --> 00:41:08.340
send our brother with us, we'll go down and buy

00:41:08.340 --> 00:41:11.159
you food. But if you do not send him, we will

00:41:11.159 --> 00:41:13.440
not go down. For the man said to us, You will

00:41:13.440 --> 00:41:16.980
not see my face unless your brother is with you.

00:41:17.210 --> 00:41:19.789
When the food they brought from Egypt is finally

00:41:19.789 --> 00:41:23.070
gone, the crisis hit. And Jacob's orders his

00:41:23.070 --> 00:41:26.590
sons to go back to Egypt and buy more. But Judah

00:41:26.590 --> 00:41:29.170
reminds him that the man in charge has warned

00:41:29.170 --> 00:41:31.690
them they must bring their younger brother with

00:41:31.690 --> 00:41:35.469
them or they won't be able to buy any food. And

00:41:35.469 --> 00:41:38.050
after some whining about his sons telling the

00:41:38.050 --> 00:41:40.570
man in Egypt about their brother, Jacob finally

00:41:40.570 --> 00:41:44.539
surrenders. He realizes the circumstances are

00:41:44.539 --> 00:41:47.800
so dire, he must either send Benjamin to Egypt

00:41:47.800 --> 00:41:55.599
or watch his family starve to death. God is prying

00:41:55.599 --> 00:41:59.519
his fingers off his last idol. And Jacob finally

00:41:59.519 --> 00:42:02.500
surrenders to the sovereignty of God. God has

00:42:02.500 --> 00:42:05.579
brought Jacob to the place he wants him. Look

00:42:05.579 --> 00:42:10.300
at verses 13 and 14. Jacob says, take your brother

00:42:10.300 --> 00:42:13.440
also, arise and return to the man. And may God

00:42:13.440 --> 00:42:16.360
Almighty grant you compassion in the sight of

00:42:16.360 --> 00:42:20.199
the man so that he will release you, release

00:42:20.199 --> 00:42:22.800
to you your other brother and Benjamin. But as

00:42:22.800 --> 00:42:26.179
for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am

00:42:26.179 --> 00:42:30.269
bereaved. Jacob releases Benjamin to return to

00:42:30.269 --> 00:42:32.929
Egypt with his brothers. But notice Jacob's prayer.

00:42:33.090 --> 00:42:36.730
He calls out to God Almighty, El Shaddai, to

00:42:36.730 --> 00:42:39.150
watch over his sons and return them all safely

00:42:39.150 --> 00:42:42.610
to him. He must entrust everything about his

00:42:42.610 --> 00:42:45.869
future to the one true God who holds his future

00:42:45.869 --> 00:42:50.139
in his hands. God is sovereign. And even more,

00:42:50.239 --> 00:42:53.659
when Jacob cries out to El Shaddai, to God Almighty,

00:42:54.039 --> 00:42:57.360
he is not lifting up some casual prayer. This

00:42:57.360 --> 00:43:00.920
cry to El Shaddai goes to the very heart of God's

00:43:00.920 --> 00:43:04.539
covenant with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. Look

00:43:04.539 --> 00:43:14.420
at Genesis 17, verses 1 and 2. It says this.

00:43:14.880 --> 00:43:17.900
Now when Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared

00:43:17.900 --> 00:43:21.380
to Abram and said to him, I am God Almighty.

00:43:21.860 --> 00:43:25.380
Walk before me and be blameless, and I will establish

00:43:25.380 --> 00:43:28.880
my covenant between me and you, and I will multiply

00:43:28.880 --> 00:43:33.440
you exceedingly. When Abraham was 99 years old,

00:43:33.500 --> 00:43:36.039
God appeared to him and reconfirmed his covenant

00:43:36.039 --> 00:43:39.800
with Abraham, and he promised to multiply Abraham's

00:43:39.800 --> 00:43:42.980
descendants greatly. And because he is El Shaddai,

00:43:43.139 --> 00:43:46.599
God Almighty, He can take one elderly man and

00:43:46.599 --> 00:43:49.380
woman and multiply their descendants till they

00:43:49.380 --> 00:43:52.219
are as the stars of heaven in the sand on the

00:43:52.219 --> 00:43:55.420
seashore. And Jacob has begun to see that fulfilled.

00:43:55.739 --> 00:43:59.239
His family now stands at 70 people, and he calls

00:43:59.239 --> 00:44:01.980
on God Almighty not to remove his blessing, but

00:44:01.980 --> 00:44:04.340
to continue it and to bring his sons back to

00:44:04.340 --> 00:44:09.199
him safely. Look at Genesis 28, verses 1 to 4.

00:44:18.190 --> 00:44:21.150
So Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and charged

00:44:21.150 --> 00:44:23.869
him and said to him, You shall not take a wife

00:44:23.869 --> 00:44:26.630
from the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Paddan

00:44:26.630 --> 00:44:29.610
Aram, to the house of Bethuel, your mother's

00:44:29.610 --> 00:44:32.190
father. And from there you shall take a wife

00:44:32.190 --> 00:44:34.210
from the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother.

00:44:34.510 --> 00:44:37.789
And may God Almighty bless you. and make you

00:44:37.789 --> 00:44:41.170
fruitful, and multiply you, and may you become

00:44:41.170 --> 00:44:44.409
a company of peoples. And may he also give you

00:44:44.409 --> 00:44:47.110
the blessing of Abraham to you and your descendants

00:44:47.110 --> 00:44:50.510
with you, that you may possess the land of your

00:44:50.510 --> 00:44:55.889
sojournings, which God gave to Abraham. After

00:44:55.889 --> 00:44:59.429
Jacob had stolen Esau's blessing, Isaac and Rebekah

00:44:59.429 --> 00:45:02.789
sent him away to Patamaram to find a wife. But

00:45:02.789 --> 00:45:06.050
don't miss what Isaac prayed for Jacob. He asked

00:45:06.050 --> 00:45:09.329
God Almighty, El Shaddai, to bless Jacob's time

00:45:09.329 --> 00:45:12.789
there and make him fruitful and gratefully multiply

00:45:12.789 --> 00:45:17.090
his descendants. And may Jacob and his descendants

00:45:17.090 --> 00:45:20.550
inherit the blessings of their grandfather, Abraham.

00:45:20.769 --> 00:45:24.769
It was God Almighty that Isaac asked to go with

00:45:24.769 --> 00:45:27.690
his son and bless him. Now look at Genesis 35.

00:45:34.780 --> 00:45:40.480
verses 9 to 12. Then God appeared to Jacob again

00:45:40.480 --> 00:45:43.860
when he came from Padom Aram, and he blessed

00:45:43.860 --> 00:45:46.599
him. And God said to him, your name is Jacob.

00:45:46.739 --> 00:45:50.079
You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel

00:45:50.079 --> 00:45:52.719
shall be your name. And then he called him Israel.

00:45:52.900 --> 00:45:56.510
And God said to him, I am God Almighty. Be fruitful

00:45:56.510 --> 00:45:59.809
and multiply, and a nation and a company of nations

00:45:59.809 --> 00:46:02.110
shall come from you, and kings shall come from

00:46:02.110 --> 00:46:04.650
you. And the land which I gave to Abraham and

00:46:04.650 --> 00:46:07.929
Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the

00:46:07.929 --> 00:46:12.500
land to your descendants. After you. When Jacob

00:46:12.500 --> 00:46:15.159
returned to Canaan years later, God appeared

00:46:15.159 --> 00:46:17.500
to him again and reconfirmed the covenant he

00:46:17.500 --> 00:46:20.400
had made with Abraham and Isaac. And God promised

00:46:20.400 --> 00:46:23.960
to greatly bless and multiply Jacob's descendants

00:46:23.960 --> 00:46:26.880
and to make a mighty nation out of them. And

00:46:26.880 --> 00:46:30.460
God calls himself El Shaddai, God Almighty, to

00:46:30.460 --> 00:46:33.619
remind Jacob that no matter how things look at

00:46:33.619 --> 00:46:36.900
any given moment, God has the power to do what

00:46:36.900 --> 00:46:39.900
he has promised. His descendants will multiply.

00:46:40.239 --> 00:46:43.260
and the covenant of Abraham and Isaac will be

00:46:43.260 --> 00:46:46.780
fulfilled. And it is not an accident at this

00:46:46.780 --> 00:46:49.260
moment when the sovereignty of circumstances

00:46:49.260 --> 00:46:52.900
have pushed Jacob to the brink, when the future

00:46:52.900 --> 00:46:55.480
of his entire family is threatened by famine

00:46:55.480 --> 00:46:58.300
on the one hand and the ruler in Egypt on the

00:46:58.300 --> 00:47:01.679
other, that Jacob cries out to El Shaddai, God

00:47:01.679 --> 00:47:05.519
Almighty, to remember his covenant with him and

00:47:05.519 --> 00:47:08.179
to save his family through all this and to keep

00:47:08.179 --> 00:47:11.889
his word. Jacob's only hope was that God Almighty

00:47:11.889 --> 00:47:15.469
would hear him and answer him. And that is exactly

00:47:15.469 --> 00:47:19.610
where God wanted Jacob, placing all his hope

00:47:19.610 --> 00:47:24.329
and trust in the covenant -keeping God. Jacob's

00:47:24.329 --> 00:47:28.230
idolatry of his sons has ended. The future of

00:47:28.230 --> 00:47:31.110
Jacob's family didn't depend on Joseph or Benjamin.

00:47:31.309 --> 00:47:35.550
His family depended on El Shaddai, God Almighty,

00:47:35.769 --> 00:47:40.309
his only true hope. We need to be diligent as

00:47:40.309 --> 00:47:44.429
well. We live in an age where subtle idolatry

00:47:44.429 --> 00:47:47.530
can steal our devotion from God Almighty. And

00:47:47.530 --> 00:47:50.130
we need to do a constant heart check to guard

00:47:50.130 --> 00:47:52.630
our hearts from being seduced away from the one

00:47:52.630 --> 00:47:56.070
true God. But we can take comfort here as well.

00:47:56.429 --> 00:48:00.070
We too are in a covenant relationship with El

00:48:00.070 --> 00:48:03.190
Shaddai, God Almighty. And no matter what our

00:48:03.190 --> 00:48:06.429
circumstances, what challenges we may face, El

00:48:06.429 --> 00:48:09.150
Shaddai is our all -powerful covenant -keeping

00:48:09.150 --> 00:48:12.489
God who will do what he has promised to do for

00:48:12.489 --> 00:48:15.530
us through his son, Jesus Christ. That is why

00:48:15.530 --> 00:48:18.570
Paul can assert with confidence that he who begun

00:48:18.570 --> 00:48:21.599
a good work in us We'll perfect it until the

00:48:21.599 --> 00:48:24.780
day of Christ Jesus. The same El Shaddai who

00:48:24.780 --> 00:48:27.440
was working in Jacob's life is working in our

00:48:27.440 --> 00:48:30.719
lives. Finally, let's talk about the Egyptians.

00:48:31.059 --> 00:48:33.559
I want to briefly mention the Egyptians and how

00:48:33.559 --> 00:48:35.900
God was sovereignly working with them during

00:48:35.900 --> 00:48:38.820
this time. It's no surprise that the Egyptians

00:48:38.820 --> 00:48:41.360
thought they were the big dog on the block. I

00:48:41.360 --> 00:48:43.940
mean, their military and agricultural might allowed

00:48:43.940 --> 00:48:46.420
them to dominate and intimidate all the nations

00:48:46.420 --> 00:48:49.320
around them. And Pharaoh was considered a god.

00:48:49.460 --> 00:48:51.639
And the idea that there was a god greater than

00:48:51.639 --> 00:48:55.500
Pharaoh was ridiculous. But God is about to humble

00:48:55.500 --> 00:48:59.480
this would -be god. And in Genesis 41, Pharaoh

00:48:59.480 --> 00:49:02.719
has two dreams. And feeling they're important,

00:49:03.019 --> 00:49:05.630
Pharaoh did what Pharaohs always did. He consulted

00:49:05.630 --> 00:49:08.530
his magicians and wise men and dream interpreters

00:49:08.530 --> 00:49:10.989
to give him insight into the meaning of his dreams.

00:49:11.510 --> 00:49:14.110
But a strange thing happened this time, maybe

00:49:14.110 --> 00:49:17.989
for the first time. His advisors are lost to

00:49:17.989 --> 00:49:20.110
know what his dreams meant or to give Pharaoh

00:49:20.110 --> 00:49:26.769
any insight. They are stumped. Now what? Pharaoh

00:49:26.769 --> 00:49:28.710
was desperate to know what the dreams meant.

00:49:29.250 --> 00:49:31.929
Enter Pharaoh's cupbearer, who just remembered

00:49:31.929 --> 00:49:35.630
he might have an answer. Look at chapter 41,

00:49:35.750 --> 00:49:43.630
verses 9 to 13. Then the chief cupbearer spoke

00:49:43.630 --> 00:49:46.190
to Pharaoh, saying, I would make mention today

00:49:46.190 --> 00:49:49.210
of my own offenses. Pharaoh was furious with

00:49:49.210 --> 00:49:51.349
his servants, and he put me in confinement in

00:49:51.349 --> 00:49:53.769
the house of the captain of the bodyguard, both

00:49:53.769 --> 00:49:57.010
me and the chief baker. And we had a dream on

00:49:57.010 --> 00:49:59.289
the same night, he and I, each of us dreamed

00:49:59.289 --> 00:50:01.409
according to their interpretation of his own

00:50:01.409 --> 00:50:04.579
dream. Now a Hebrew youth was with us there,

00:50:04.699 --> 00:50:07.639
a servant of the captain of the bodyguard. And

00:50:07.639 --> 00:50:10.199
we related them to him and he interpreted our

00:50:10.199 --> 00:50:12.639
dreams to us. And to each one he interpreted

00:50:12.639 --> 00:50:15.719
according to his dream. And just as he interpreted

00:50:15.719 --> 00:50:20.320
us, so it happened. He restored me in my office

00:50:20.320 --> 00:50:23.929
and he hanged him. Seeing Pharaoh's concern,

00:50:24.170 --> 00:50:26.369
the cupbearer suddenly remembers his encounter

00:50:26.369 --> 00:50:28.789
in prison with this Hebrew youth who was able

00:50:28.789 --> 00:50:31.110
to interpret both his and the baker's dreams.

00:50:31.369 --> 00:50:34.010
And the interpretation was completely accurate.

00:50:34.170 --> 00:50:37.730
With nowhere else to turn, perhaps this young

00:50:37.730 --> 00:50:41.909
man could help Pharaoh. Don't miss the irony

00:50:41.909 --> 00:50:45.920
here. The most powerful king in that part of

00:50:45.920 --> 00:50:49.059
the world is forced to seek the help of a Hebrew

00:50:49.059 --> 00:50:52.099
slave and prisoner to try and understand his

00:50:52.099 --> 00:50:55.420
dreams. God is confronting Pharaoh with his own

00:50:55.420 --> 00:50:58.719
powerlessness and God's own sovereignty over

00:50:58.719 --> 00:51:02.519
human affairs. It is only through the servant

00:51:02.519 --> 00:51:05.260
of Almighty God that Pharaoh can understand what

00:51:05.260 --> 00:51:08.260
his dreams mean and what he needs to do. And

00:51:08.260 --> 00:51:10.460
Joseph, after he's cleaned up and brought before

00:51:10.460 --> 00:51:13.530
Pharaoh, continues. to point this out. As we

00:51:13.530 --> 00:51:17.170
saw earlier, in verse 25, God has told Pharaoh

00:51:17.170 --> 00:51:20.090
what he's going to do. In verse 28, God has shown

00:51:20.090 --> 00:51:23.010
Pharaoh what he's about to do. In verse 32, God

00:51:23.010 --> 00:51:25.090
has determined what's going to happen and will

00:51:25.090 --> 00:51:28.630
bring it about soon. Pharaoh isn't the one driving

00:51:28.630 --> 00:51:32.309
this bus. God is. And Pharaoh is merely a passenger.

00:51:33.030 --> 00:51:35.849
Pharaoh is so impressed with Joseph, he decides

00:51:35.849 --> 00:51:38.289
that no one is better to put in charge of preparing

00:51:38.289 --> 00:51:41.980
for the famine than Joseph. Again, the most powerful

00:51:41.980 --> 00:51:45.159
king around is going to entrust great power and

00:51:45.159 --> 00:51:47.780
the complete future of his kingdom to a man who

00:51:47.780 --> 00:51:50.360
hour before was the head trustee at a political

00:51:50.360 --> 00:51:55.780
prison. Why this matters is that it might have

00:51:55.780 --> 00:51:58.719
saved Egypt from great hardship and loss in the

00:51:58.719 --> 00:52:02.440
future had future pharaohs remember who was ultimately

00:52:02.440 --> 00:52:06.519
in charge, God Almighty and not them. Instead,

00:52:06.659 --> 00:52:09.929
we read in Exodus 1 .8. that a new Pharaoh arose

00:52:09.929 --> 00:52:13.590
who did not know Joseph. Nothing about what had

00:52:13.590 --> 00:52:16.670
happened hundreds of years before was remembered,

00:52:16.750 --> 00:52:20.110
so that when the new Pharaoh arose who thought

00:52:20.110 --> 00:52:22.690
he was God, he would go on to confront Moses

00:52:22.690 --> 00:52:25.469
and be taught anew that there is a sovereign

00:52:25.469 --> 00:52:28.769
God over the affairs of men, and it wasn't Pharaoh.

00:52:29.210 --> 00:52:32.070
And the Israelites weren't a slave people. They

00:52:32.070 --> 00:52:35.570
were servants of Almighty God. It is a dangerous

00:52:35.570 --> 00:52:38.510
thing. to forget the sovereignty of God over

00:52:38.510 --> 00:52:41.230
human affairs, no matter how powerful people

00:52:41.230 --> 00:52:43.969
may think they are. The Egyptians forgot this

00:52:43.969 --> 00:52:46.349
lesson and paid a steep price for their arrogance

00:52:46.349 --> 00:52:51.670
400 years later. Well, that's it. In this one

00:52:51.670 --> 00:52:54.659
narrative... We see our God at work in different

00:52:54.659 --> 00:52:57.900
ways and different people to achieve his sovereign

00:52:57.900 --> 00:53:01.219
purposes in each one. He was multitasking in

00:53:01.219 --> 00:53:04.599
Joseph, in his brothers, in Jacob, and the Egyptians

00:53:04.599 --> 00:53:08.380
to teach each of them crucial lessons they needed

00:53:08.380 --> 00:53:12.719
to learn. Now let's talk about us. We need to

00:53:12.719 --> 00:53:15.780
recognize that God is constantly at work in our

00:53:15.780 --> 00:53:18.320
lives to achieve his sovereign purposes in our

00:53:18.320 --> 00:53:21.909
good. As you look around this room, God is right

00:53:21.909 --> 00:53:24.630
now working through the one story of Oak Hill

00:53:24.630 --> 00:53:28.530
Bible Church to do an individual work in each

00:53:28.530 --> 00:53:31.949
one of us. God works to bring humility and maturity

00:53:31.949 --> 00:53:35.309
in our lives. He works to confront hidden sin

00:53:35.309 --> 00:53:38.849
in our lives. God works to demolish the idols

00:53:38.849 --> 00:53:41.980
of our heart. And God works to remind people

00:53:41.980 --> 00:53:44.500
that he is sovereign over all. He is working

00:53:44.500 --> 00:53:47.000
in all these ways and in a hundred more right

00:53:47.000 --> 00:53:49.760
now so that he might conform each of us to the

00:53:49.760 --> 00:53:53.360
image of his son, Jesus Christ. Our task is to

00:53:53.360 --> 00:53:56.480
humble ourselves under God's sovereign grace

00:53:56.480 --> 00:53:59.219
and let him do his work. But if we're going to

00:53:59.219 --> 00:54:01.739
do that, we have to become convinced of two things.

00:54:01.960 --> 00:54:05.860
First, that God is sovereign and working to achieve

00:54:05.860 --> 00:54:09.489
his good purposes. in our lives. He is in control

00:54:09.489 --> 00:54:14.070
and we can trust in his sovereignty. And second,

00:54:14.190 --> 00:54:19.369
we have to be convinced that God is good, working

00:54:19.369 --> 00:54:22.849
for our welfare and not our hurt. We can trust

00:54:22.849 --> 00:54:25.750
in the goodness of God as he works in each of

00:54:25.750 --> 00:54:28.510
our lives. That's why Paul can write that God

00:54:28.510 --> 00:54:31.269
works all things together for good to those who

00:54:31.269 --> 00:54:33.269
love him and are called according to his purpose.

00:54:34.159 --> 00:54:37.219
Our infinite God is an infinite multitasker,

00:54:37.239 --> 00:54:40.280
and he's able to do far more beyond all that

00:54:40.280 --> 00:54:44.239
we can ask or think. Our job is to humble ourselves,

00:54:44.599 --> 00:54:47.699
submit to under his mighty hand, and trust that

00:54:47.699 --> 00:54:50.219
he will bring forth our faith as gold when he

00:54:50.219 --> 00:54:53.139
is done. Take heart this morning because the

00:54:53.139 --> 00:54:55.780
same God who was working in Joseph and his brothers

00:54:55.780 --> 00:54:58.719
and Jacob and the Egyptians is now working in

00:54:58.719 --> 00:55:02.019
our lives today. And we can trust El Shaddai,

00:55:02.139 --> 00:55:06.340
God Almighty, to do his work exceedingly well.

00:55:07.500 --> 00:55:18.800
Let's pray. Father, we stand back today and we

00:55:18.800 --> 00:55:23.440
marvel. at your great sovereignty, your infinite

00:55:23.440 --> 00:55:27.119
wisdom and knowledge, and your great power, Lord.

00:55:28.079 --> 00:55:30.539
I thank you, Lord, that even as you looked at

00:55:30.539 --> 00:55:33.780
Joseph and worked uniquely in his life and uniquely

00:55:33.780 --> 00:55:37.000
in his brother's lives and uniquely in Jacob's

00:55:37.000 --> 00:55:39.280
lives and in the lives of the Egyptians, even

00:55:39.280 --> 00:55:43.460
now, as you look around this room, you see exactly

00:55:43.460 --> 00:55:47.340
what you need to do in each of our lives to conform

00:55:47.340 --> 00:55:50.500
us more to the image of your son, Jesus Christ.

00:55:51.500 --> 00:55:54.420
And I ask today, God, that you would help each

00:55:54.420 --> 00:55:58.380
of us willingly and gladly submit to your sovereign

00:55:58.380 --> 00:56:03.639
will that we would allow you to do the work you

00:56:03.639 --> 00:56:07.360
need to do in our lives so that we can be the

00:56:07.360 --> 00:56:11.019
right people in the right place at the right

00:56:11.019 --> 00:56:14.340
time, even as you worked it out in Joseph's life.

00:56:14.800 --> 00:56:18.719
Lord, help each one of us to become convinced

00:56:19.630 --> 00:56:22.750
that your sovereignty can be trusted, that you

00:56:22.750 --> 00:56:27.349
are working for our good. And God, remind us

00:56:27.349 --> 00:56:31.389
and convince us again that you are a good God

00:56:31.389 --> 00:56:35.010
who cares for us more than we can ever understand

00:56:35.010 --> 00:56:39.070
and who has only good intention for our lives.

00:56:39.610 --> 00:56:42.849
God, may we bow to your sovereignty because there

00:56:42.849 --> 00:56:46.880
is great joy and great mercy in that. And we

00:56:46.880 --> 00:56:49.300
thank you for all you're doing and all you will

00:56:49.300 --> 00:56:52.460
do, Lord. And we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.