Principle #4: Hurtin’ for Certain
How do I deal with pain?
Genesis 37-50
The
Story of Joseph
Genesis 37
Genesis
39:1-15
Genesis
41:39-43
Genesis
45:1-7
A very short summary (this leaves out many details):
Joseph was the second youngest son of Jacob and his favorite. Joseph's brothers were jealous of Jacob's love and offended by Joseph's prophetic dreams (which told of them all bowing down to Joseph) so they plotted together and sold him into slavery.
He was bought by an Egyptian of high rank, Potiphar, and through his good character eventually gained a high position in that household. One day Potiphar's wife decided to try to seduce Joseph and came on to him very strongly. He resisted her, and ran away. She was insulted by his lack of interest in her and so made a big fuss and said he'd been the one pushing himself on her.
Joseph is thrown in jail for this.
While there he meets two men who worked in the Pharaoh's household, his chief butler and chief baker, and accurately interprets dreams they'd been having.
They eventually leave the jail (the baker to be hanged, the butler to return to work - this is the fulfillment of their dreams) and Joseph is forgotten about.
Some time later the Pharaoh is plagued by dreams which he cannot remember upon waking but which disturb him. His wise men cannot help him since they don't know what the dreams were of, and eventually the butler remembers about Joseph's skill with dreams and recommends him to pharaoh.
Joseph is called from the jail and through prayer is able to tell pharaoh what his dreams were *and* the interpretation.
The dreams were a warning of 7 years of bountiful crops and then 7 years of famine.
Pharaoh is pleased that Joseph interpreted the dreams and puts him in charge of storing away crops for the first 7 years so that there will be enough to last Egypt through the 7 years of famine. Joseph becomes very important and is 2nd most important person after Pharaoh.
During the 7 years of famine his brothers come to Egypt to purchase grain for their family. Joseph recognizes them but doesn't reveal his identity. (this of course is the fulfillment of Joseph's dreams years ago, where he dreamed that his brothers would bow to him) He invites them to dine with him while they're there and secretly has something valuable stowed away in the bags of grain they bought.
As they leave he has guards chase after them and accuse them of stealing. When their bags of grain are searched the stolen object is found. Joseph accuses them of being spies, not innocent brothers coming for grain. They protest and Joseph says he'll believe them if they return home and bring their youngest brother (Benjamin, who was only a baby when Joseph last saw him) as proof that they are who they say they are. This of course is all Joseph's plot just so that he can see his youngest brother (and possibly because he wants to give them a little grief over what they did to him so long ago). He keeps one of his brothers hostage until the others return with Benjamin.
They do, and he repeats the same thing as last time, with hiding something in their bags. This time he demands to keep Benjamin as a slave as payment. Judah, the oldest brother intercedes and offers his own life as slave instead of Benjamin.
Joseph sees the love his brothers have for Benjamin and for their father (who loves Benjamin very dearly) and he confesses to them who he is.
They ask forgiveness for what they did to Joseph so long ago, and he tells them it's ok because God has worked it all for good.
The brothers return home and then bring their families and their father back to Egypt.
Joseph was the second youngest son of Jacob and his favorite. Joseph's brothers were jealous of Jacob's love and offended by Joseph's prophetic dreams (which told of them all bowing down to Joseph) so they plotted together and sold him into slavery.
He was bought by an Egyptian of high rank, Potiphar, and through his good character eventually gained a high position in that household. One day Potiphar's wife decided to try to seduce Joseph and came on to him very strongly. He resisted her, and ran away. She was insulted by his lack of interest in her and so made a big fuss and said he'd been the one pushing himself on her.
Joseph is thrown in jail for this.
While there he meets two men who worked in the Pharaoh's household, his chief butler and chief baker, and accurately interprets dreams they'd been having.
They eventually leave the jail (the baker to be hanged, the butler to return to work - this is the fulfillment of their dreams) and Joseph is forgotten about.
Some time later the Pharaoh is plagued by dreams which he cannot remember upon waking but which disturb him. His wise men cannot help him since they don't know what the dreams were of, and eventually the butler remembers about Joseph's skill with dreams and recommends him to pharaoh.
Joseph is called from the jail and through prayer is able to tell pharaoh what his dreams were *and* the interpretation.
The dreams were a warning of 7 years of bountiful crops and then 7 years of famine.
Pharaoh is pleased that Joseph interpreted the dreams and puts him in charge of storing away crops for the first 7 years so that there will be enough to last Egypt through the 7 years of famine. Joseph becomes very important and is 2nd most important person after Pharaoh.
During the 7 years of famine his brothers come to Egypt to purchase grain for their family. Joseph recognizes them but doesn't reveal his identity. (this of course is the fulfillment of Joseph's dreams years ago, where he dreamed that his brothers would bow to him) He invites them to dine with him while they're there and secretly has something valuable stowed away in the bags of grain they bought.
As they leave he has guards chase after them and accuse them of stealing. When their bags of grain are searched the stolen object is found. Joseph accuses them of being spies, not innocent brothers coming for grain. They protest and Joseph says he'll believe them if they return home and bring their youngest brother (Benjamin, who was only a baby when Joseph last saw him) as proof that they are who they say they are. This of course is all Joseph's plot just so that he can see his youngest brother (and possibly because he wants to give them a little grief over what they did to him so long ago). He keeps one of his brothers hostage until the others return with Benjamin.
They do, and he repeats the same thing as last time, with hiding something in their bags. This time he demands to keep Benjamin as a slave as payment. Judah, the oldest brother intercedes and offers his own life as slave instead of Benjamin.
Joseph sees the love his brothers have for Benjamin and for their father (who loves Benjamin very dearly) and he confesses to them who he is.
They ask forgiveness for what they did to Joseph so long ago, and he tells them it's ok because God has worked it all for good.
The brothers return home and then bring their families and their father back to Egypt.
I.
The game of life will inevitably involve __trials__.
A. Trials
take many shapes and forms.
-What
types of trials did Joseph go through? What types of trials do we experience
today?
B. No
one is immune from trials.
- James 1:2, What does it mean to
consider trials a joy? Why is this important?
vs. 3-4 “because
you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; that you may be
mature and complete, lacking nothing.”
There is a
difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is based on circumstantial events,
but joy is knowing that Christ is consistent and is always with us.
C. Trials
are usually a mystery.
- Why do
you think God doesn’t always reveal why things happen the way they do?
Have to
learn to trust Him.
How
do we see others respond to trials? How should we respond to trials? (What’s
different?)
Others respond to trials with a poor attitude, excuses and blame
shifting. We, as Christians, should respond to trials by knowing that we are
going through them for a reason. God’s never going to give us more than what He
can handle, which is seen through the cross because God always carries us and He
will never forsake us (reminds us of God’s character).
II.
Response: Trusting God’s sovereignty is the best response to trials
Sovereignity
means: to reign/rule over all.
A. Your
call: BITTER or BETTER?
- Is there
a time in your life that you felt bitter towards God because of something you
were going through?
(God is
always in control, Romans 8:28. This does not mean that we aren’t going to
through trials, just that God’s hand is in everything.)
B. Tough
circumstances can really test our faithfulness.
- We need
to cultivate our trust in God and set our roots deep in Him, so that when the
storms of life blow, we are not tossed by the wind. What does this mean?
We need
roots, “build house upon the rocks” = a firm foundation.
C. REVENGE
or RETALLIATION will not reverse the trial.
- How
could have Joseph responded? How and why did he respond the way he did?
Joseph had
lots of options at his disposal, but he chose to be better. We see what Jesus
did for us, and God’s grace. Forgiveness means we are not easily offended.
- 1 Peter
2:21-23
Follow in
Christ’s steps and entrust ourselves to God.
III.
Result: Trials can result in our good and God’s _glory_.
A. Trials are a refining process
that bring about our good.
- 1 Peter 1:6-7
1.
They reveal character.
-
What is character?
2.
They can bring about Christ-likeness and maturity.
-
What does it mean to be mature in your faith?
Grow more
like Jesus, the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22). Perseverance, knowing where
you are rooted and to continue to grow those roots. I may not know everything,
but we know where we are rooted. Never outgrow Jesus or the Gospel. Always
going back to the foundation.
B. God’s Greatness is reflected.
-
What was Joseph able to accomplish because of his trust in God?
-
God turns evil into good as only He can. (Gen. 50:20)
How
have you seen Him do this in your life?
Trials
point us to God.
What
in your life seems evil or challenging, that you need to trust God to work out
for good?
- Sarah
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