Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Genesis

Genesis 37 01/19/03

Intro: I dont remember where I found this but I do believe that the author said it wasn't a true story. But, I think there is something to be learned from it anyway.

     There was a man who was the sole survivor of a ship which sank at sea. He was able to make a small raft of some of the ship's cargo and eventually drift to a deserted island.  One day, he saw a ship approaching and hurried to set a signal fire. But, the ship passed by and was quickly fading from sight. Accidentally, sparks from the signal fire set the thatched roof of his shelter in flames, and the man watched hopelessly and helplessly as everything he had burned to ashes.

     That was it, all was lost, he reasoned, and life could not last much longer. Suddenly he noticed that the ship was turning around and approaching the island. To his great relief, he was rescued. Once on board, the grateful survivor went to the captain of the ship to express his thanks. What caused you to turn around after you had already passed by me? he asked. We saw the signal fire you made by setting your shelter on fire," the captain responded.
 
    The very thing he believed sealed his doom was the means of his delivery.

 What do you do when your life is turned upside down?
 Where do you go when you believe you are at the end of your rope?
 
     Perhaps you are following God, being faithful to Him and still you are blasted with one devastating problem after another. You may be asking 'God, where are you?'

     It is amazing that in the midst of all that was happening to Joseph in the book of Genesis, he never asked that question. He knew God was with him and because of that he was able to grow through the circumstances of life by trusting God. That is my prayer for you this morning.

Read: Genesis 37:1

 Jacob, now walking faithfully with God travels in the land where Abraham and Isaac had traveled. He is following in the spiritual footsteps of his godly ancestors. He was finally where God wanted him to be.

Read: Genesis 37:2-4

     Joseph was put to work at an early age...sounds like a good idea right mom and dad? But, because he was his fathers favorite, he was given a special coat. Now we really don't know what the coat looked like, but it seems in that culture, this kind of coat was given as recognition of one's authority. With that in mind, Joseph was not tattling when he brought back a bad report to his father concerning those he was working with. That was his job.

     Remember though, Joseph was 17. That's still young and he knew giving this bad report would not help improve his already poor relationship with his brothers. Teens want to be liked and accepted. Am I right? And they will often do what they know is wrong for the sake of being accepted by their peers. BUT, one thing about Joseph shines here. He placed more importance on what was right than on wanting to be liked by others.

Read: Genesis 37:5-11

     God spoke to Joseph through two dreams. There is no doubt that Joseph understood it was God who was speaking to him and that what God had showed him, would in fact come true. So Joseph, excitedly tells his family. 'God spoke to me! One day all of you will bow down to me.' I never said that Joseph was tactful. But what he said was true. How do you think his family responded to God revelation to Joseph?

    Not well. Joseph was the youngest, he had no right to rule over them. And besides, they didn't like him anyway. Many, including Joseph's siblings, would say God was unfair. Why choose Joseph to rule over the rest of his brothers? Well, as we will soon see, his brothers attitudes and actions show why God's choice was justified.

     So what? Joseph and his brothers lived a long time ago. And they are just a story in the Bible. OK, lets get a bit closer to home.

    God does not treat us all alike. God does not treat us all alike. God does not give us all the same things. God does not shower all of us with the same blessings.
 
 -Some Christians are smarter, better looking, more athletic, and have more money than others.
 -Some Christians have lovelier wives or handsomer husbands. Is handsomer a word?
 -Some Christians have better jobs, children who do better in school and in sports.
 -Some Christians have better health than others.
 -Some Christians are even more spiritually gifted than others and are able to exercise those gifts more effectively.
 
     For many Christians it is hard to rejoice and be happy for others who seem to have been dealt a better hand than they have. And it often eats them alive with jealousy and envy. To be perfectly honest, this is where many of the problems in the church have their origin. Jealousy, envy...pride!

    Let me ask you something, is God sovereign? Can God mold each and every pot on his potters wheel as he pleases? Does he have that right?  Then we have no ground for jealousy, or envy, we have no grounds on which to complain if God so chooses to gift others differently than ourselves. On the other hand, we have no grounds  for pride either, if we are the one whom God has especially blessed.

     Contentment, not contention. The apostle Paul understood that.

Read: Philippians 4:11-12

     'I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.'

    Contentment, not contention. Rather than hate their brother, Joseph's siblings should have glorified God for revealing Himself to them, for giving them a glimpse of his will,  through Joseph's dreams. But they were not in that place. Joseph's brothers were not close to God, they did not trust in God. What should have be a time to rejoice and dream with their brother was instead a time to envy and scheme against their brother.

     What kind of place are you in? When someone is given a position or task in the church, you think you should have, how do you respond? Do you rejoice in what God is doing in His church, through this individual? Or, do you resent them and the church for snubbing you in favor of another? Are you a dreamer or a schemer?

Read: Genesis 37:12-17

     Being the supervisor for his fathers flocks, Joseph is sent to see how his brothers are doing.

Read: Genesis 37:18-24

     Joseph's brothers saw him coming in the distance. They probably recognized his special coat, and it ticked them off. They soon let their anger get the best of them. But you know what? They weren't really mad about the coat. They were mad about his dreams.

     You see, they knew about God, they knew God had told their grandparents that Jacob, not Esau, would rule the family one day. They knew what God said, seemed to always come true...but they didn't like it. So they figured if they killed Joseph, his dreams can't come true.

     Have we heard that before? Esau perhaps? It is the idea that if we want, we can thwart God's plan, we can stop God's will from happening.

     I bet years later when they were well fed because of Joseph's kindness to them, they were glad that God's will can not be overturned by man's desire or actions. But for now, in their anger, fueled by their envy and jealousy, they are going to try. So they throw Joseph into a dry well to die.

Read: Genesis 25-28

     They sit down to eat their meal? They calmly gather around the fire, heat up whatever they had to eat while all the time Joseph is pleading with them from the well, which according to later Scripture, we find was just a few yards away. What lack of compassion.

     I like to think the best of people so it is possible that Judah gets a bit of conscience when he says, hey, why kill the little brat, lets sell him and make some money? They all agree and sell him to the Bedouin merchants.

Read: Genesis 37:29-35

     Years before Jacob had deceived his father, now Jacob's sons would do the same to him. We reap what we sow. Not punishment, but consequence.

Read: Genesis 37:36

     Where was God in Joseph's life? He was with him every step of the way. Yes, even when being sold into slavery.

 Pastor David Guzik had this to say in his commentary on Gen. 37.

 If Joseph's brothers never sell him to the Midianites, then Joseph never goes to Egypt.
 If Joseph never goes to Egypt, he never is sold to Potiphar.
 If he is never sold to Potiphar, Potiphar's wife never falsely accuses him of rape.
 If Potiphar's wife never falsely accuses him of rape, then he is never put in prison.
 If he is never put in prison, he never meets the baker and butler of Pharaoh.
 If he never meets the baker and butler of Pharaoh, he never interprets their dreams.
 If he never interprets their dreams, he never gets to interpret Pharaoh's dreams.
 If he never gets to interpret Pharaoh's dreams, he never is made prime minister.
 If he is never made prime minister, he never wisely administrates for the severe famine coming upon the region.
 If he never wisely administrates for the severe famine coming upon the region, then his family back in Canaan perishes
 from the famine.
 If his family back in Canaan perishes from the famine, the Messiah can't come forth from a dead family.
 If the Messiah can't come forth, then Jesus never came.
 If Jesus never came, you are dead in your sins and without hope in this world.

 Do you see? God is in control. Do you believe? God is in control. Do you trust? God is in control.

Conclusion

     The Joseph story, as we will see in the next few messages, reminds us that the mysterious working of God is meticulously woven through all the schemes of mankind. So that God's will and purpose will ultimately triumph. What is amazing is that Joseph seems to have understood this from the very beginning. Even as a teenager. That is faith. Ands it says a lot about the capacity of young people to be faithful to God.

    We have also been reminded this morning that life, sometimes just isn't fair.  And like Joseph, when we sense life is unfair, it's time to trust God, whose ways are often different from ours. And that's grace. While everyone in our text felt life was unfair, God was working all things together for Joseph's good, even for the good of his brothers.

     Don't give up on God. Even when you can't see or sense God's gracious hand upon you. Faith tells you time and time again, He is still there, lovingly guiding and protecting you.

     God is in control. Say it with me, 'God is in control, God is in control, God is in control.'       Glory be to God!