Good Morning everyone from Hawaii across the world, we all welcome you to The Church Ministries 84th Sunday Service, A lot has happened to this church in the past week and to tell you the truth I am so glad I can still write anything, there has been so much pressure on me that I could not even think, I spent this morning in prayer watching the gospel of John and trying to write and introduction and I wasted about 4 pages on just nothing, then I spent another two hours writing notes that went with the story of Joseph, I picked the story of Joseph today because with in my mind, I have to be victorious, God would not have sent me through all these trials and tribulations for nothing and then just cast me to the street. (Phil. 1:6) I know he loves me and I have been going through the most stressful few weeks in my life, and if I am going to be any kind of a pastor I have to be in tune with the Holy Spirit, I have to get it through my head that I am already dead in Christ, (Gal.2:20) so if I am already dead in Christ, why should I worry about anything, but when you get involved with the world in any event some of it rubs off, and it is hard to shake it. The spiritual warfare has gone beyond anything I ever read and known, the only story that is more over bearing is the story about the man in another country and he was placed in a cell and the place was so old, the rats lived there in an abundance and he could not sleep at all, if he did he would have been eaten alive. He had to stay awake to fight off the rat’s, every time he started to dose off then they would come through the underground pipes and chew at him. So he was at a constant war to stay alive. The man was thrown in there because he was a Christian and all he had to say was he gave up Christ and they would have let him out. Anyway he never did and somehow there was some type of reprieve that came about and he was released. Me as Joyce Meyer wrote the Battlefield of the mind, is similar of the war I am fighting, there are so many people out there that think you are suffering for some great sin, like Jobs friends and his wife, but we know the story of Job and today we will go through the story of Joseph and how he kept it together through all things, even when he approached Pharaoh the man would not even kneel and that right there was a death sentence or back to jail and get hanged later, but for some reason Pharaoh had some respect for the boy and he went along with his custom that he would only kneel to his God which is our God. You see Joseph never lost his integrity and his faith was off the scale, our faith in everyone is all different, each person gets a gift of faith from the Lord and we in turn exercise it, or train it, to keep it strong and to make it stronger, with the word and prayer (Rom 10:17) but we are also up against the devil and his agents and like I have said so many times the devil and his agents don’t hang out in bars or the racetracks or the casinos anymore these people are already in his clutches, the devil can do a lot more damage in churches and in seminaries and ministry schools he can get at those people testimonies and there faith and once you have destroyed there faith and testimony then they go over to the dark side, sometimes even unaware that anything has happened to them, they don’t call him the deceiver for nothing, the thing is my brothers and sisters is there are many Christians in this world living somewhere in between the dark side and the light and don’t even know it. They may think they are doing good and helping, but by peoples words and actions and there silence can cause another bother or sister to stumble or backslide, when there is know one to talk to except other peoples judgments that can absolutely destroy a persons life, and can be totally un a where of there actions. We all have to understand the quote in Matthew 7,
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' Matt. 7:21-23 NASB
The thing is Jesus is talking to Christians not unbelievers we are talking about gifted Christians that have the gifts of healing and to cast out demons, and they will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, I am sorry there are people that think they are Christians but they might have been at one time but as the years go by if you are not producing good fruit you will be cut down and thrown into the fire and that is the verse right before this section of scripture.
"Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit." A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. "So then, you will know them by their fruits. (Matt. 7:15-20 NASB)
So where are the real Christians that are flourishing with fruit? I needed help this week and I needed someone to talk to, and I haven’t had anyone except my doctor pray on my physical body in a long time, I went into a church last Thursday for prayer and did not get any and that was why I was invited. We were all crowded around some boy scout praying for a safe trip, going to some camp out in Virginia, and when I needed prayer, I was again forgotten about, and walked home in the rain in tears. If I couldn’t get anyone to give me a ride home with a church of people how am I going to get anyone to pack my house and help me move. I guess I will try the downtown one tomorrow, and see what happens. I also wanted to mention the letter I received on Tuesday and it saved me from all this warfare and it actual built back my faith. And that was just what I needed, I have not had any human contact for so long Thursday was the first time with my doctor and she has been out because her retina detached all of a sudden, and she has been flying back and forth to Honolulu getting optic operations, and it has been hard, on the both of us, so please continue to pray for Dr. Conner and please pray for a sister named Kelly who might have saved my whole future and the churches future and please pray for nurse Cody she needs prayer all the time she is going through things like me because she prays with her patients.
Dear Father in Heaven, we thank you for letting us all be here together to worship and praise Your name, to love you, and be in spirit and in truth, we all count all our blessings and not our pain, we count all our gains, not our looses, we count all our joys, instead of our hurts, we count all our friends, instead of our foes, and we count all our good health and not our wealth, "I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else in this world or in the world to come. And God has put all things under the authority of Christ, and he gave him this authority for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is filled by Christ, who fills everything everywhere with his presence." Eph.1:19-23 I stand here today to preach truth so you will remember this service all week and not to forget it a few hours later like a lot of other services and you yourselves know what I am preaching. I am not planning or even setting up this sermon, this sermon has been done by the Spirit of the Living God, and nothing is of myself. It is the words of the Spirit showing you to the way of the truth and the light of Christ, and to stay there, and not to be walking off the path, or away from the flock or the church, by deceiving wolves or sinful spirits. Dear Father, please have this flock, the body of Christ, remain hungry for the Word of God, Please Lord have them want to continue to learn and examine Your Word, and to study Your Word and continue in prayer for others. Please have them gain knowledge and truth from Your Word, so they don’t fall back into a life of sin and death. Please send Your Holy Spirit to come upon us all and fill us all with His presence, and to heal all our afflictions, and sadness, and please Lord give us a joy that proceeds anything we understand, please bring us your knowledge and your wisdom. We need your love and compassion, please hold us in your righteous right hand, and please give us all the hope of the life eternal. We need You Lord; we want You close to us, and to surround us with Your light.
Please open your bibles to Genesis 37
1. When we think of "the patriarchs", the following likely come to
mind our main three.
a. Abraham, man of faith
b. Isaac, son of promise
c. Jacob, father of the twelve tribes of Israel
2. Yet are to consider this about another patriarch starting with a boy growing into a man and his name was Joseph
a. More space in Genesis is devoted to him and his life and story and his suffering and his great triumph to be a ruler and there is more words written about Joseph than the others.
b. There is not a single word of reproof against Joseph in this whole section of the bible.
3. Indeed, as we explore and dig deep into "The Character Of Joseph" is worthy thing for us to read and talk about.
a. His nobility of character, his purity of heart and life
b. His generosity of spirit as a ruler and brother,
Make him, stand out with different tones and views more than any other of the Old Testament characters, an the design of that type of man he was with Christ like love, dedication and values, and what we can actually learn by studying his life and attitudes and how things were formed around him, and how things seem so bad at times and then he found out the reason and the total plan that God laid out on the drawing board, As we read about Joseph and the actions of his family and the rest of the world’s treatment towards him and his life, he still remained strong with sturdy character and stability as things went on through his life, and how he grew right along with the actions that happened. Let's evaluate the life of Joseph, and be reminded of the wonderful
Character displayed by this man of God. Let us start today.
Joseph was the elder of the two sons of Jacob by Rachel (Gen. 30:23, 24), who, on the occasion of his birth, said, "The Lord shall add [Heb. yoseph] to me another son" (Gen. 30:24). This was the reputed origin of his name. He was born in Padan-Aram when Jacob was about ninety years old. He was probably six years old when his father returned from Haran to Canaan and took up his residence in the town of Hebron. Joseph was a favorite son of his father's, who made him a multi-colored coat, and was envied by his half-brothers. They "hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him." Their anger was increased when he told them his two dreams (Gen. 37:11) which hinted they would submit themselves to him.
Then God remembered Rachel's plight and answered her prayers by giving her a child. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. "God has removed my shame," she said. And she named him Joseph, for she said, "May the LORD give me yet another son." Gen. 30:22-24 NLT
Joseph's brothers envied him and were jealous of him, but his father observed the saying and pondered over it. Gen. 37:11 AMP
JOSEPH AS A SON IN CANAAN
A. HATED BY HIS BROTHERS
1. Telling on his brothers didn't help
These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. Gen 37:2 KJV
2. Favoritism by his father certainly hurt :this is the history of Jacob's family.
When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father's flocks with his half brothers, the sons of his father's wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing. Now Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day he gave Joseph a special gift a beautiful robe. But his brothers hated Joseph because of their father's partiality. They couldn't say a kind word to him. Gen 37:2-4 NLT
3. His dreams made it worse:
Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it." His brothers said to him, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?" And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me." When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?" His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.- Gen 37:5-11 NIV
4. They eventually sold him as a slave
Soon after this, Joseph's brothers went to pasture their father's flocks at Shechem. When they had been gone for some time, Jacob said to Joseph, "Your brothers are over at Shechem with the flocks. I'm going to send you to them." "I'm ready to go," Joseph replied. "Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are getting along," Jacob said. "Then come back and bring me word." So Jacob sent him on his way, and Joseph traveled to Shechem from his home in the valley of Hebron. When he arrived there, a man noticed him wandering around the countryside. "What are you looking for?" he asked. "For my brothers and their flocks," Joseph replied. "Have you seen them?" "Yes," the man told him, "but they are no longer here. I heard your brothers say they were going to Dothan." So Joseph followed his brothers to Dothan and found them there. Gen. 37:12-17 NLT
The story tells that his brothers plotted against him one day when he was seventeen, and would have killed him had not Reuben interposed. He persuaded them to instead throw Joseph into a pit and secretly planned to rescue him later. However, while Reuben was absent, the others planned to sell him to a company of Ishmaelite merchants. He was stolen from the pit by passing Midianites who sold him to the merchants for twenty shekels of silver. These merchants brought him to Egypt where Medanite slave dealers in turn sold him to Potiphar, an "officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard" (Gen. 37:36). Potiphar is probably a rendering of the Egyptian name Pa-tu-pa-Ra, "the gift of the sun-god". Joseph prospered in Potiphar's household and was eventually made head of the servants.
When Joseph's brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance and made plans to kill him. "Here comes that dreamer!" they exclaimed. "Come on, let's kill him and throw him into a deep pit. We can tell our father that a wild animal has eaten him. Then we'll see what becomes of all his dreams!" But Reuben came to Joseph's rescue. "Let's not kill him," he said. "Why should we shed his blood? Let's just throw him alive into this pit here. That way he will die without our having to touch him." Reuben was secretly planning to help Joseph escape, and then he would bring him back to his father. So when Joseph arrived, they pulled off his beautiful robe and threw him into the pit. This pit was normally used to store water, but it was empty at the time. Then, just as they were sitting down to eat, they noticed a caravan of camels in the distance coming toward them. It was a group of Ishmaelite traders taking spices, balm, and myrrh from Gilead to Egypt. Judah said to the others, "What can we gain by killing our brother? That would just give us a guilty conscience. Let's sell Joseph to those Ishmaelite traders. Let's not be responsible for his death; after all, he is our brother!" And his brothers agreed. So when the traders came by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty pieces of silver, and the Ishmaelite traders took him along to Egypt. Some time later, Reuben returned to get Joseph out of the pit. When he discovered that Joseph was missing, he tore his clothes in anguish and frustration. Then he went back to his brothers and lamented, "The boy is gone! What can I do now?" Then Joseph's brothers killed a goat and dipped the robe in its blood. They took the beautiful robe to their father and asked him to identify it. "We found this in the field," they told him. "It's Joseph's robe, isn't it?" Their father recognized it at once. "Yes," he said, "it is my son's robe. A wild animal has attacked and eaten him. Surely Joseph has been torn in pieces!" Then Jacob tore his clothes and put on sackcloth. He mourned deeply for his son for many days. His family all tried to comfort him, but it was no use. "I will die in mourning for my son," he would say, and then begin to weep. Meanwhile, in Egypt, the traders sold Joseph to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potiphar was captain of the palace guard. Gen 37:18-36 NLT
a. Spared initially by Reuben who intended to free him -
Reuben heard the brothers talking and intervened to save him, "We're not going to kill him. No murder. Go ahead and throw him in this cistern out here in the wild, but don't hurt him." Reuben planned to go back later and get him out and take him back to his father. Gen. 37:21-22 MESS
b. Spared death by Judah, who suggested slavery instead -
Judah said, "Brothers, what are we going to get out of killing our brother and concealing the evidence? Let's sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let's not kill him--he is, after all, our brother, our own flesh and blood." His brothers agreed. Gen.
37:26-27 MESS
.B. Joseph was Faithful to his father.
1. Some children rebel against their parents to win approval from
their siblings
2. Joseph remained faithful to his father, willing to obey his wishes -
[One day] Israel said to Joseph, Do not your brothers shepherd my flock at Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them. And he said, Here I am. And [Jacob] said to him, Go, I pray you, see whether everything is all right with your brothers and with the flock; then come back and bring me word. So he sent him out of the Hebron Valley, and he came to Shechem.
Gen 37:13-14 AMP
One might think such ill treatment, followed by separation from country
and kin, would produce bitterness and hopeless in such a young man. Yet
"The Character Of Joseph" really shines as we consider.
JOSEPH AS A SLAVE IN EGYPT
A. OVERSEER IN POTIPHAR'S HOUSE...
“AND JOSEPH was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain and chief executioner of the [royal] guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. But the Lord was with Joseph, and he [though a slave] was a successful and prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did to flourish and succeed in his hand. So Joseph pleased [Potiphar] and found favor in his sight, and he served him. And [his master] made him supervisor over his house and he put all that he had in his charge. From the time that he made him supervisor in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the Lord's blessing was on all that he had in the house and in the field. And [Potiphar] left all that he had in Joseph's charge and paid no attention to anything he had except the food he ate. Now Joseph was an attractive person and fine-looking.”
Gen 39:1-6 AMP
1. Blessed by God, Joseph found favor in Potiphar's eyes –
a. Though a young man, he proved industrious and trustworthy
b. He made the best of the situation, and God blessed him and
Potiphar
2. Handsome in appearance, Joseph was tempted by Potiphar's wife
Joseph was well-built and handsome, and Potiphar's wife soon noticed him. She asked him to make love to her, but he refused and said, "My master isn't worried about anything in his house, because he has placed me in charge of everything he owns. 9No one in my master's house is more important than I am. The only thing he hasn't given me is you, and that's because you are his wife. I won't sin against God by doing such a terrible thing as this." She kept begging Joseph day after day, but he refused to do what she wanted or even to go near her. One day, Joseph went to Potiphar's house to do his work, and none of the other servants were there. Potiphar's wife grabbed hold of his coat and said, "Make love to me!" Joseph ran out of the house, leaving her hanging onto his coat. When this happened, she called in her servants and said, "Look! This Hebrew has come just to make fools of us. He tried to rape me, but I screamed for help. And when he heard me scream, he ran out of the house, leaving his coat with me." Potiphar's wife kept Joseph's coat until her husband came home. Then she said, "That Hebrew slave of yours tried to rape me! But when I screamed for help, he left his coat and ran out of the house." Potiphar became very angry and threw Joseph in the same prison where the king's prisoners were kept. - Gen 39:6b-20 CEV
After Joseph rejected the attempts of Potiphar's wife to seduce him, she accused Joseph of attempted rape, and he was cast into the state prison (Gen. 39; 40), where he remained for at least two years. The story tells of two servants of Pharaoh's household who were in jail with Joseph, and asked him to interpret their dreams. Joseph correctly predicted the future based on their dreams: one would be reinstated in his post while the other would be executed. Joseph urged the first, a royal cupbearer, to get him out of prison once he was reinstated, but the cupbearer forgot about him and left him in prison for two more years.
a. She tried time and again to seduce him
b. He resisted, out of faithfulness to Potiphar and God -
He wouldn't do it. He said to his master's wife, "Look, with me here, my master doesn't give a second thought to anything that goes on here--he's put me in charge of everything he owns. He treats me as an equal. The only thing he hasn't turned over to me is you. You're his wife, after all! How could I violate his trust and sin against God?" Gen.39:8-9 MESS
c. Her advances spurned, she spitefully accuses him wrongfully
1) Angering her husband
2) Resulting in his imprisonment
OVERSEER IN PHARAOH'S PRISON
1. Blessed by God, Joseph is favored by the keeper of the prison
But the LORD was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. The chief jailer committed to Joseph's charge all the prisoners who were in the jail; so that whatever was done there, he was responsible for it. The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph's charge because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made to prosper. - Gen 39:21-23 NASB
a. Placed in charge of the other prisoners, with complete trust
b. Prospered in his new role by God, who was with him
2. Interpreter of dreams, Joseph is forgotten then remembered
a. He interprets the dreams of the butler and the baker
1) Acknowledging God as the interpreter -
And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you. Gen 40:8 KJV
2) The dreams are fulfilled, yet Joseph was forgotten -
. And on the third day, Pharaoh's birthday, he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the heads of the chief butler and the chief baker [by inviting them also] among his servants. And he restored the chief butler to his butlership, and the butler gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand; But [Pharaoh] hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. But [even after all that] the chief butler gave no thought to Joseph, but forgot [all about] him Gen. 40:20-23 AMP
Then it came about after these things, the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was furious with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. So he put them in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, in the jail, the same place where Joseph was imprisoned. The captain of the bodyguard put Joseph in charge of them, and he took care of them; and they were in confinement for some time. Then the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt, who were confined in jail, both had a dream the same night, each man with his own dream and each dream with its own interpretation. When Joseph came to them in the morning and observed them, behold, they were dejected. He asked Pharaoh's officials who were with him in confinement in his master's house, "Why are your faces so sad today?" Then they said to him, " We have had a dream and there is no one to interpret it " Then Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell it to me, please." So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, "In my dream, behold, there was a vine in front of me; and on the vine were three branches. And as it was budding, its blossoms came out, and its clusters produced ripe grapes. "Now Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; so I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I put the cup into Pharaoh's hand." Then Joseph said to him, "This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days; within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you will put Pharaoh's cup into his hand according to your former custom when you were his cupbearer. "Only keep me in mind when it goes well with you, and please do me a kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house. "For I was in fact kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should have put me into the dungeon." When the chief baker saw that he had interpreted favorably, he said to Joseph, "I also saw in my dream, and behold, there were three baskets of white bread on my head; and in the top basket there were some of all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head." Then Joseph answered and said, "This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and will hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh off you." Thus it came about on the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. He restored the chief cupbearer to his office, and he put the cup into Pharaoh's hand; but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. Gen.40:1-23 NASB
b. He interprets the dreams of Pharaoh
1) Again acknowledging God as providing the answer –
And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. Gen. 41:16, 25, 32 KJV
2) Offering advice in regards to the dreams' fulfillment
Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine- Gen. 41:33-36
At the end of that period, the Pharoah had a strange dream. The chief cupbearer remembered Joseph and recommended his services to the Pharaoh. At his suggestion Joseph was brought from prison to interpret the king's dreams. Joseph predicted seven years of plenty to be followed by seven years of famine and advised the Pharoah to appoint someone to store up surplus grain. The Pharaoh was well pleased with Joseph's interpretion and advice. Because of this, the Pharaoh gave him authority over all the land of Egypt (Gen. 41:46), and gave him the name of Zaphnath-paaneah. This name is probably the Egyptian title Zaf-nti-pa-ankh, "nourisher of the living one", although other interpretations are possible.
Two years passed and Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile River. Seven cows came up out of the Nile, all shimmering with health, and grazed on the marsh grass. Then seven other cows, all skin and bones, came up out of the river after them and stood by them on the bank of the Nile. The skinny cows ate the seven healthy cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. He went back to sleep and dreamed a second time: Seven ears of grain, full-bodied and lush, grew out of a single stalk. Then seven more ears grew up, but these were thin and dried out by the east wind. The thin ears swallowed up the full, healthy ears. Then Pharaoh woke up--another dream. When morning came, he was upset. He sent for all the magicians and sages of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but they couldn't interpret them to him. The head cupbearer then spoke up and said to Pharaoh, "I just now remembered something--I'm sorry, I should have told you this long ago. Once when Pharaoh got angry with his servants, he locked me and the head baker in the house of the captain of the guard. We both had dreams on the same night, each dream with its own meaning. It so happened that there was a young Hebrew slave there with us; he belonged to the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams and he interpreted them for us, each
dream separately. Things turned out just as he interpreted. I was returned to my position and the head baker was impaled." Pharaoh at once sent for Joseph. They brought him on the run from the jail cell. He cut his hair, put on clean clothes, and came to Pharaoh. "I dreamed a dream," Pharaoh told Joseph. "Nobody can interpret it. But I've heard that just by hearing a dream you can interpret it." Joseph answered, "Not I, but God. God will set Pharaoh's mind at ease." Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile. Seven cows, shimmering with health, came up out of the river and grazed on the marsh grass. On their heels seven more cows, all skin and bones, came up. I've never seen uglier cows anywhere in Egypt. Then the seven skinny, ugly cows ate up the first seven healthy cows. But you couldn't tell by looking--after eating them up they were just as skinny and ugly as before. Then I woke up. "In my second dream I saw seven ears of grain, full-bodied and lush, growing out of a single stalk, and right behind them, seven other ears, shriveled, thin, and dried out by the east wind. And the thin ears swallowed up the full ears. I've told all this to the magicians but they can't figure it out." Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh's two dreams both mean the same thing. God is telling Pharaoh what he is going to do. The seven healthy cows are seven years and the seven healthy ears of grain are seven years--they're the same dream. The seven sick and ugly cows that followed them up are seven years and the seven scrawny ears of grain dried out by the east wind are the same--seven years of famine. "The meaning is what I said earlier: God is letting Pharaoh in on what he is going to do. Seven years of plenty are on their way throughout Egypt. But on their heels will come seven years of famine, leaving no trace of the Egyptian plenty. As the country is emptied by famine, there won't be even a scrap left of the previous plenty--the famine will be total. The fact that Pharaoh dreamed the same dream twice emphasizes God's determination to do this and do it soon. "So: Pharaoh needs to look for a wise and experienced man and put him in charge of the country. Then Pharaoh needs to appoint managers throughout the country of Egypt to organize it during the years of plenty. Their job will be to collect all the food produced in the good years ahead and stockpile the grain under Pharaoh's authority, storing it in the towns for food. This grain will be held back to be used later during the seven years of famine that are coming on Egypt. This way the country won't be devastated by the famine." This seemed like a good idea to Pharaoh and his officials. Then Pharaoh said to his officials, "Isn't this the man we need? Are we going to find anyone else who has God's spirit in him like this?" So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "You're the man for us. God has given you the inside story--no one is as qualified as you in experience and wisdom. From now on, you're in charge of my affairs; all my people will report to you. Only as king will I be over you." So Pharaoh commissioned Joseph: "I'm putting you in charge of the entire country of Egypt." Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his finger and slipped it on Joseph's hand. He outfitted him in robes of the best linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He put the second-in-command chariot at his disposal, and as he rode people shouted "Bravo!" Joseph was in charge of the entire country of Egypt. Pharaoh told Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but no one in Egypt will make a single move without your stamp of approval." Then Pharaoh gave Joseph an Egyptian name, Zaphenath-Paneah (God Speaks and He Lives). He also gave him an Egyptian wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On (Heliopolis). And Joseph took up his duties over the land of Egypt. Joseph was thirty years old when he went to work for Pharaoh the king of Egypt. As soon as Joseph left Pharaoh's presence, he began his work in Egypt. During the next seven years of plenty the land produced bumper crops. Joseph gathered up the food of the seven good years in Egypt and stored the food in cities. In each city he stockpiled surplus from the surrounding fields. Joseph collected so much grain--it was like the sand of the ocean!-that he finally quit keeping track. Joseph had two sons born to him before the years of famine came. Asenath, daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, was their mother. Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh (Forget), saying, "God made me forget all my hardships and my parental home." He named his second son Ephraim (Double Prosperity), saying, "God has prospered me in the land of my sorrow." Then Egypt's seven good years came to an end and the seven years of famine arrived, just as Joseph had said. All countries experienced famine; Egypt was the only country that had bread. When the famine spread throughout Egypt, the people called out in distress to Pharaoh, calling for bread. He told the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph. Do what he tells you." As the famine got worse all over the country, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold emergency supplies to the Egyptians. The famine was very bad. Soon the whole world was coming to buy supplies from Joseph. The famine was bad all over. Gen.41:1-57
Falsely accused, then forgotten by man, many might wonder "Why bother
to be righteous?" But Joseph maintained his integrity and was not
forgotten by God. Just as he found favor in the eyes of Potiphar and
the keeper of the prison, so he enjoyed favor in the eyes of Pharaoh
JOSEPH AS A PRINCE IN EGYPT
A. WISE IN HIS SERVICE TO PHARAOH...
1. At the age of thirty, Joseph is exalted to rule over Egypt
And Pharaoh said to his servants, Can we find this man's equal, a man in whom is the spirit of God? And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Forasmuch as [your] God has shown you all this, there is nobody as intelligent and discreet and understanding and wise as you are. You shall have charge over my house, and all my people shall be governed according to your word [with reverence, submission, and obedience]. Only in matters of the throne will I be greater than you are. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his [signet] ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in [official] vestments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck; He made him to ride in the second chariot which he had, and [officials] cried before him, Bow the knee! And he set him over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without you shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-paneah and he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph made an [inspection] tour of all the land of Egypt. Joseph [who had been in Egypt thirteen years] was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went [about his duties] through all the land of Egypt.- Gen 41:38-46 AMP
Joseph then married Asenath, the daughter of the priest of On, and thus became a member of the priestly class. Joseph was now about thirty years of age.
2. His wisdom manifested in his administration
a. Showing foresight during the years of plenty -
In the seven abundant years the earth brought forth by handfuls [for each seed planted]. And he gathered up all the [surplus] food of the seven [good] years in the land of Egypt and stored up the food in the cities; he stored away in each city the food from the fields around it. And Joseph gathered grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he stopped counting, for it could not be measured Gen 41:47-49 AMP
b. Showing shrewdness during the years of famine -
As Joseph had foreseen, seven years of plenty came, during which he stored up a great abundance of corn in granaries built for the purpose. These years were followed by seven years of famine "over all the face of the earth", when "all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy corn" (Gen. 41:56, 57; 47:13,14). Thus, "Joseph gathered up all the money that was in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought." Afterwards all the cattle and all the land, and at last the Egyptians themselves, became the property of the Pharaoh.
When the seven years of plenty were ended in the land of Egypt, The seven years of scarcity and famine began to come, as Joseph had said they would; the famine was in all [the surrounding] lands, but in all of Egypt there was food. But when all the land of Egypt was weakened with hunger, the people [there] cried to Pharaoh for food; and Pharaoh said to [them] all, Go to Joseph; what he says to you, do. When the famine was over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians; for the famine grew extremely distressing in the land of Egypt. And all countries came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all [the known] earth. Gen 41:53-57 AMP
The famine was bad everywhere in Egypt and Canaan, and the people were suffering terribly. So Joseph sold them the grain that had been stored up, and he put the money in the king's treasury. But when everyone had run out of money, the Egyptians came to Joseph and demanded, "Give us more grain! If you don't, we'll soon be dead, because our money's all gone." "If you don't have any money," Joseph answered, "give me your animals, and I'll let you have some grain." From then on, they brought him their horses and donkeys and their sheep and goats in exchange for grain. Within a year Joseph had collected every animal in Egypt. Then the people came to him and said: Sir, there's no way we can hide the truth from you. We are broke, and we don't have any more animals. We have nothing left except ourselves and our land. Don't let us starve and our land be ruined. If you'll give us grain to eat and seed to plant, we'll sell ourselves and our land to the king. We'll become his slaves. The famine became so severe that Joseph finally bought every piece of land in Egypt for the king and made everyone the king's slaves, except the priests. The king gave the priests a regular food allowance, so they did not have to sell their land. Then Joseph said to the people, "You and your land now belong to the king. I'm giving you seed to plant, but one-fifth of your crops must go to the king. You can keep the rest as seed or as food for your families." "Sir, you have saved our lives!" they answered. "We are glad to be slaves of the king." Then Joseph made a law that one-fifth of the harvest would always belong to the king. Only the priests did not lose their land. Gen. 47:13-26 CEV
3. Mindful of God's blessings -
Joseph and his wife had two sons before the famine began. Their first son was named Manasseh, which means, "God has let me forget all my troubles and my family back home." His second son was named Ephraim, which means "God has made me a success in the land where I suffered." Gen 41:50-52 CEV
B. MERCIFUL IN HIS TREATMENT OF HIS BRETHREN...
1. Finally reunited with his brothers and father -
When Jacob heard that there was grain available in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why are you standing around looking at one another? I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down and buy some for us before we all starve to death." So Joseph's ten older brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain. Jacob wouldn't let Joseph's younger brother, Benjamin, go with them, however, for fear some harm might come to him. So Jacob's sons arrived in Egypt along with others to buy food, for the famine had reached Canaan as well. Since Joseph was governor of all Egypt and in charge of the sale of the grain, it was to him that his brothers came. They bowed low before him, with their faces to the ground. Joseph recognized them instantly, but he pretended to be a stranger. "Where are you from?" he demanded roughly. "From the land of Canaan," they replied. "We have come to buy grain."Joseph's brothers didn't recognize him, but Joseph recognized them. And he remembered the dreams he had had many years before. He said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see how vulnerable our land has become." "No, my lord!" they exclaimed. "We have come to buy food. We are all brothers and honest men, sir! We are not spies!" "Yes, you are!" he insisted. "You have come to discover how vulnerable the famine has made us." "Sir," they said, "there are twelve of us brothers, and our father is in the land of Canaan. Our youngest brother is there with our father, and one of our brothers is no longer with us." But Joseph insisted, "As I said, you are spies! This is how I will test your story. I swear by the life of Pharaoh that you will not leave Egypt unless your youngest brother comes here. One of you go and get your brother! I'll keep the rest of you here, bound in prison. Then we'll find out whether or not your story is true. If it turns out that you don't have a younger brother, then I'll know you are spies." So he put them all in prison for three days. On the third day Joseph said to them, "I am a God-fearing man. If you do as I say, you will live. We'll see how honorable you really are. Only one of you will remain in the prison. The rest of you may go on home with grain for your families. But bring your youngest brother back to me. In this way, I will know whether or not you are telling me the truth. If you are, I will spare you." To this they agreed. Speaking among themselves, they said, "This has all happened because of what we did to Joseph long ago. We saw his terror and anguish and heard his pleadings, but we wouldn't listen. That's why this trouble has come upon us." "Didn't I tell you not to do it?" Reuben asked. "But you wouldn't listen. And now we are going to die because we murdered him." Of course, they didn't know that Joseph understood them as he was standing there, for he had been speaking to them through an interpreter. Now he left the room and found a place where he could weep. Returning, he talked some more with them. He then chose Simeon from among them and had him tied up right before their eyes. Joseph then ordered his servants to fill the men's sacks with grain, but he also gave secret instructions to return each brother's payment at the top of his sack. He also gave them provisions for their journey. So they loaded up their donkeys with the grain and started for home. But when they stopped for the night and one of them opened his sack to get some grain to feed the donkeys, he found his money in the sack. "Look!" he exclaimed to his brothers. "My money is here in my sack!" They were filled with terror and said to each other, "What has God done to us?" So they came to their father, Jacob, in the land of Canaan and told him all that had happened. "The man who is ruler over the land spoke very roughly to us," they told him. "He took us for spies. But we said, `We are honest men, not spies. 32We are twelve brothers, sons of one father; one brother has disappeared, and the youngest is with our father in the land of Canaan.' Then the man, the ruler of the land, told us, `This is the way I will find out if you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take grain for your families and go on home. 34But bring your youngest brother back to me. Then I will know that you are honest men and not spies. If you prove to be what you say, then I will give you back your brother, and you may come as often as you like to buy grain.' " As they emptied out the sacks, there at the top of each one was the bag of money paid for the grain. Terror gripped them, as it did their father. Jacob exclaimed, "You have deprived me of my children! Joseph has disappeared, Simeon is gone, and now you want to take Benjamin, too. Everything is going against me!" Then Reuben said to his father, "You may kill my two sons if I don't bring Benjamin back to you. I'll be responsible for him." But Jacob replied, "My son will not go down with you, for his brother Joseph is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's children. If anything should happen to him, you would bring my gray head down to the grave in deep sorrow. Gen 42:1-38
But there was no relief from the terrible famine throughout the land. When the grain they had brought from Egypt was almost gone, Jacob said to his sons, "Go again and buy us a little food." But Judah said, "The man wasn't joking when he warned that we couldn't see him again unless Benjamin came along. If you let him come with us, we will go down and buy some food. But if you don't let Benjamin go, we may as well stay at home. Remember that the man said, `You won't be allowed to come and see me unless your brother is with you.' " "Why did you ever tell him you had another brother?" Jacob moaned. "Why did you have to treat me with such cruelty?" "But the man specifically asked us about our family," they replied. "He wanted to know whether our father was still living, and he asked us if we had another brother so we told him. How could we have known he would say, `Bring me your brother'?" Judah said to his father, "Send the boy with me, and we will be on our way. Otherwise we will all die of starvation--and not only we, but you and our little ones. I personally guarantee his safety. If I don't bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame forever. For we could have gone and returned twice by this time if you had let him come without delay." So their father, Jacob, finally said to them, "If it can't be avoided, then at least do this. Fill your bags with the best products of the land. Take them to the man as gifts--balm, honey, spices, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds. Take double the money that you found in your sacks, as it was probably someone's mistake. Then take your brother and go back to the man. May God Almighty give you mercy as you go before the man, that he might release Simeon and return Benjamin. And if I must bear the anguish of their deaths, then so be it." So they took Benjamin and the gifts and double the money and hurried to Egypt, where they presented themselves to Joseph. When Joseph saw that Benjamin was with them, he said to the manager of his household, "These men will eat with me this noon. Take them inside and prepare a big feast." So the man did as he was told and took them to Joseph's palace. They were badly frightened when they saw where they were being taken. "It's because of the money returned to us in our sacks," they said. "He plans to pretend that we stole it. Then he will seize us as slaves and take our donkeys." Gen 43:1-18 NLT
As the brothers arrived at the entrance to the palace, they went over to the man in charge of Joseph's household. They said to him, "Sir, after our first trip to Egypt to buy food, as we were returning home, we stopped for the night and opened our sacks. The money we had used to pay for the grain was there in our sacks. Here it is; we have brought it back again. We also have additional money to buy more grain. We have no idea how the money got into our sacks." "Relax. Don't worry about it," the household manager told them. "Your God, the God of your ancestors, must have put it there. We collected your money all right." Then he released Simeon and brought him out to them. The brothers were then led into the palace and given water to wash their feet and food for their donkeys. They were told they would be eating there, so they prepared their gifts for Joseph's arrival at noon. When Joseph came, they gave him their gifts and bowed low before him. He asked them how they had been getting along, and then he said, "How is your father--the old man you spoke about? Is he still alive?" "Yes," they replied. "He is alive and well." Then they bowed again before him. Looking at his brother Benjamin, Joseph asked, "Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about? May God be gracious to you, my son." Then Joseph made a hasty exit because he was overcome with emotion for his brother and wanted to cry. Going into his private room, he wept there. Then he washed his face and came out, keeping himself under control. "Bring on the food!" he ordered. Joseph ate by himself, and his brothers were served at a separate table. The Egyptians sat at their own table because Egyptians despise Hebrews and refuse to eat with them. Joseph told each of his brothers where to sit, and to their amazement, he seated them in the order of their ages, from oldest to youngest. Their food was served to them from Joseph's own table. He gave the largest serving to Benjamin--five times as much as to any of the others. So they all feasted and drank freely with him. Gen. 43:19-34
During this period of famine Joseph's brothers, without Benjamin, also came down to Egypt to buy corn. The history of his dealings with them, and of the manner in which he at length made himself known to them, is one of the most interesting narratives in Genesis. On reaching Eygpt, Joseph's brothers, not recognizing him, "bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground" (Gen. 42:7), thus fulfilling in part his earlier dream. Joseph disguised his identity from his brothers and accused them of being spies, demanding that Benjamin be brought to him while the others remained behind. He imprisoned them for three days, then sent them away with corn, retaining Simeon as a hostage (Gen. 42:1-25). However, in Canaan, Jacob refused to let Benjamin go for fear that something would happen to Benjamin.
But owing to the prolonged famine Jacob was forced to send his sons back to Egypt with Benjamin. This time, Joseph received them kindly and threw a feast for them. Although Joseph allowed them to buy grain, he tested them further, planting their money back in their corn sacks and his personal silver goblet in Benjamin's. When the brothers had purchased the corn and left the next morning, Joseph sent a messenger after them, accusing them of theft. They were forced back to his house, where Joseph demanded that Benjamin alone be taken as slave.
But Judah pleaded for Benjamin, insisting that their father would die if Benjamin was taken, and offered himself as a slave instead. Convinced of his brothers' repentance and overcame with emotion, Joseph finally revealed himself to them. He forgave them and sent for his father and all their families and possessions to come to Egypt. Joseph settled Jacob's families with Pharaoh's blessing and command "in the land of Rameses" in Goshen (Gen. 47:29). As a ruler, Joseph brought about a permanent change in the system of land-tenure in Egypt. Because of the famine, the people gave up all their cattle and land to the Pharaoh, and the people became his tenants, giving him one-fifth of the produce (Gen. 28. 14-26).
2. Arranged for them to live in Goshen - Gen 46:16-20,28-34;
47:1-12
3. Reassured his brothers that he has forgiven them
a. When he first revealed himself to them - Gen 45:4-8
b. When their father Jacob died - Gen 50:15-21
BELIEVING IN THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD...
1. That God could make good things come out of evil intentions
- Gen 50:20
2. That God would keep His promises made to His people - Gen 50:
24-25
.1. In the life and story of Joseph, we see the value of a character...
a. Centered in faith and trust in God
b. Devoted to serving God and man with honor and dependability
c. Unwilling to be deterred by the hatred, betrayal, and
forgetfulness of others
d. Willing to forgive the wrongs committed by others
e. Able to see the big picture, God's wonderful workings in the
affairs of men
2. This noble character can be useful in all the seasons of life...
a. As a youth, tempted and tried with no help from family or friend
b. As a mature individual, charged with important responsibilities
c. As an aged person, knowing that death is imminent
May "The Character of Joseph" serve to inspire us to develop our
character as well, that in some small way we too can be...
"..an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in
spirit, in faith, in purity." (1 Ti 4:12)
Certainly this is the case with the patriarch Joseph!
Then he commanded the steward of his house, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man's money in the mouth of his sack, and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain." And he did as Joseph told him. As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys. They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his steward, "Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid evil for good? Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this.'" When he overtook them, he spoke to them these words. They said to him, "Why does my lord speak such words as these? Far be it from your servants to do such a thing! Behold, the money that we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought back to you from the land of Canaan. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord's house? Whichever of your servants is found with it shall die, and we also will be my lord's servants." He said, "Let it be as you say: he who is found with it shall be my servant, and the rest of you shall be innocent." Then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack. And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city. When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground. Joseph said to them, "What deed is this that you have done? Do you not know that a man like me can indeed practice divination?" And Judah said, "What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how can we clear ourselves? God has found out the guilt of your servants; behold, we are my lord's servants, both we and he also in whose hand the cup has been found." But he said, "Far be it from me that I should do so! Only the man in whose hand the cup was found shall be my servant. But as for you, go up in peace to your father." Then Judah went up to him and said, "O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself. 19My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Have you a father, or a brother?' 20And we said to my lord, 'We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother's children, and his father loves him.' Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.' We said to my lord, 'The boy cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.' Then you said to your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall not see my face again.' "When we went back to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. And when our father said, 'Go again, buy us a little food,' we said, 'We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down. For we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.' Then your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons. One left me, and I said, Surely he has been torn to pieces, and I have never seen him since. If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in evil to Sheol.'
"Now therefore, as soon as I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us, then, as his life is bound up in the boy's life, as soon as he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.' Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers. For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father." Gen. 44:1-34 ESV
Then Joseph could not hide his feelings in front of all who stood by him. He cried, 'Send all the people away from me.' So no one was with him when Joseph told his brothers who he was. He cried so loud that the Egyptians heard it, and those of Pharaoh's house heard of it. Joseph said to his brothers, 'I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?' But his brothers could not answer him, for they were afraid in front of him. Joseph said to his brothers, 'Come near to me.' So they came near. He said, 'I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. But do not be troubled or angry with yourselves because you sold me here. For God sent me before you to save your life. For the land has been without food these two years. And there are five more years without plowing or gathering. God sent me before you to make sure that your people will keep living on the earth. Now many of you will be saved. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and ruler of all his house, and of all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go to my father. Say to him, 'Your son Joseph says to you, 'God has made me ruler of all Egypt. Come to me, and do not wait. You will live in the land of Goshen, you and your children and grandchildren, your flocks and cattle, and all you have. And you will be near me. There I will take care of you, so that you and your family will not be in need. For there are still five years coming without food. By then you would have nothing.' ' 'Now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you. You must tell my father of all my greatness in Egypt, and of all you have seen. You must hurry and bring my father here.' Then he put his arms around his brother Benjamin and cried. And Benjamin cried on his neck. Joseph kissed all his brothers and cried over them. After that his brothers talked with him. Gen. 45:1-15 NLV
Jacob packed up everything he owned and left for Egypt. On the way he stopped near the town of Beersheba and offered sacrifices to the God his father Isaac had worshiped. That night, God spoke to him and said, "Jacob! Jacob!" "Here I am," Jacob answered. God said, "I am God, the same God your father worshiped. Don't be afraid to go to Egypt. I will give you so many descendants that one day they will become a nation. I will go with you to Egypt, and later I will bring your descendants back here. Your son Joseph will be at your side when you die." Jacob and his family set out from Beersheba and headed for Egypt. His sons put him in the wagon that the king had sent for him, and they put their small children and their wives in the other wagons. Jacob's whole family went to Egypt, including his sons, his grandsons, his daughters, and his granddaughters. They took along their animals and everything else they owned. When Jacob went to Egypt, his children who were born in northern Syria also went along with their families. Jacob and his wife Leah had a total of thirty-three children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, but two of their grandchildren had died in Canaan. Their oldest son Reuben took his sons Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. Their son Simeon took his sons Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, whose mother was a Canaanite. Their son Levi took his sons Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Their son Judah took his sons Shelah, Perez, and Zerah. Judah's sons Er and Onan had died in Canaan. Judah's son Perez took his sons Hezron and Hamul. Their son Issachar took his sons Tola, Puvah, Jashub, and Shimron. Their son Zebulun took his sons Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. Their daughter Dinah also went. Jacob and Zilpah, the servant woman Laban had given his daughter Leah, had a total of sixteen children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Their son Gad took his sons Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. Their son Asher took his sons Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah, who took his sons, Heber and Malchiel. Serah, the daughter of Asher, also went. Jacob and Rachel had fourteen children and grandchildren. Their son Joseph was already in Egypt, where he had married Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, the priest of Heliopolis. [d] Joseph and Asenath had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Jacob and Rachel's son Benjamin took his sons Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. Jacob and Bilhah, the servant woman Laban had given his daughter Rachel, had seven children and grandchildren. Their son Dan took his son Hushim. Their son Naphtali took his sons Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. Sixty-six members of Jacob's family went to Egypt with him, not counting his daughters-in-law. 27Jacob's two grandsons who were born there made it a total of seventy members of Jacob's family in Egypt. Jacob had sent his son Judah ahead of him to ask Joseph to meet them in Goshen. So Joseph got in his chariot and went to meet his father. When they met, Joseph hugged his father around the neck and cried for a long time. Jacob said to Joseph, "Now that I have seen you and know you are still alive, I am ready to die." Then Joseph said to his brothers and to everyone who had come with them: I must go and tell the king that you have arrived from Canaan. I will tell him that you are shepherds and that you have brought your sheep, goats, cattle, and everything else you own. The king will call you in and ask what you do for a living. When he does, be sure to say, "We are shepherds. Our families have always raised sheep." If you tell him this, he will let you settle in the region of Goshen. Joseph wanted them to say this to the king, because the Egyptians did not like to be around anyone who raised sheep. Gen 46:1-34
Joseph went and told Pharaoh, "My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen." He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked the brothers, "What is your occupation?" "Your servants are shepherds," they replied to Pharaoh, "just as our fathers were." They also said to him, "We have come to live here awhile, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants' flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen." Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothers have come to you, and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock." Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed Pharaoh, Pharaoh asked him, "How old are you?" And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers." Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence. So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their children. Gen. 47:1-12 NIV
Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. Gen 45:4-8 NIV
When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!" So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, "Your father charged before he died, saying, 'Thus you shall say to Joseph, "Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong."' And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, "Behold, we are your servants." But Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. "So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. Gen 50:15-21 NASB
As for you, you thought evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive, as they are this day. Gen. 50:20 AMP
And Joseph said to his brethren, I am going to die. But God will surely visit you and bring you out of this land to the land He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob [to give you]. And Joseph took an oath from the sons of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and you will carry up my bones from here. Gen 50:24-25 AMP
Let no one despise or think less of you because of your youth, but be an example (pattern) for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. 1Tim.4:12 AMP
Blessed are they who in loneliness can say, “Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.” God is the only friendship that can really meet all our soul’s deep needs and cravings. Human companionship helps us at a few points; the divine has its blessing for every experience. We never shall be left alone when we have Christ. When other helpers fail and comforts flee, he will ever stand close beside us. When other faces fade out of view his will shine out with tender love, pouring its light upon us. There are special experiences of loneliness in every life for which Christ is needed.
We love You Jesus, we thank You, all of us, please stay with us, please comfort us all. Please send Your Holy Spirit to every household, office, or apartment, or where anyone else can hear or read this service, please send us your warmth and tears of joy and compassion to all of us, please Father heal us all, of any and all afflictions, and please continue to here our prayers, even after our service is over, please bond to us, please anoint us, please purify us all, so we can enter into your heavenly Kingdom.
Dear all Powerful Father, we humbly come before you, and we ask that You hear us. You are such an awesome God, We thank You for Your teachings, and your wisdom, we want to thank You for holding our hands an guiding us all to the light, when some of us out there don’t even realize that You are doing the things that You are doing. You are a God of great and pure Love. We are so grateful that You are just God, and our God. We can never express how much we care, and how much we praise your glory and dominion. Please stay close to us all, till we meet again, we all love You, and worship You. In the Name, above all Names, our Jesus, Amen and Amen.
