Lessons from Joseph’s Dreams
By Pastor Matt Black
10
June 2007
Lord's Day evening
Genesis 50:15-21
Introduction: Open your Bibles to Genesis 50:15-21.
Genesis 50:15-21, “And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. 16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, 17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. 18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. 19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.”
PLACES: When Joseph said YES to God—God gave him dreams, and those dreams took him to places that tested his faith. Let’s go on a journey with Joseph.
The first place we come to in this passage is the promised land, Canaan in Genesis 37, verse 1, “And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.”
Look at Genesis 37:23-28, “And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; 24 And they took him, and cast him into a pit:
Example: During the dark time in the pit and when Joseph didn’t know what was going on, it was the dreams—the promises of God to him personally—that sustained him.
The Pit is an Opportunity! Application: Sometimes God uses those things to move you to places and positions that you wouldn’t be otherwise. And while it looks like it is a terrible awful tragedy, God is in the midst of it, and He’s working in it. And He’s all about working out His glory and our good.
Do you find your life in a pit?! Look up to God’s promises. Stay faithful and don’t compromise.
Joseph served faithfully, but Potiphar’s wife chase him around and accused him of coming after her! Joseph did right and fled from the immoral woman. And you know what that got him? Praise? Fame? A new book deal? No! Only jail time.
He only has one request: What was Joseph’s request to the Butler (the cup bearer)? “Remember me!” Verse 14, “think on me”… shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh”. Bring me out of this prison!
Do they? No! Here was a time of restlessness in Joseph’s life where he was forgotten. For how long? Two full years.
Did the cup bearer remember Joseph? Verse 23, “Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.”
Blank space: I want you to look at that blank space between the end of Genesis 40 and verse 1 of chapter 41. How long is that space? Look at Genesis 41:1, “And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed”.
You may be in a time of restlessness where you think you have been forgotten. Oh, others may forget you, but who is the one who did not forget Joseph? God!
This is amazing. Look at Genesis 41:41, “And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. 42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; 43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.”
As you know Joseph in all of this meets his brothers. Joseph could have done anything with them, and he does nothing but love them and preserve their lives. There really is so much more here, but we are out of time. Let’s move to the lessons we learn from Joseph’s life. There are three tests or lessons in Joseph’s life.
There were three major tests in Joseph’s life. This was the proving ground. They are the three areas of temptation that people today most often fall. You see Joseph was sold out. Joseph shows that no one needs to compromise with the world, the flesh and the devil. What were the three tests?
I. Joseph refused to yield to self-pity. Do any of you ever pout or complain? Do you think that life’s not fair? Do any of you ever feel sorry for yourself? What is happening when you pout? You feel like you’re the only one whose going through what you’re going through. Joseph was thrown into a pit by his brothers. He was released from the pit only to be sold as a slave into Egypt. Because he refused to give away his purity, he is thrown into prison. Yet in all of these experiences he refuses to yield to the temptation of grumbling against God! We don’t hear self-pity from Joseph. Instead, in every situation he sees an opportunity to please God. Joseph proves that it is possible to live a life for God in any circumstance. He leaves us room for no excuses! You need to know that God is not picking on you! He wants his glory in your life. He is trusting you with some trials that are gift wrapped for you to help you to grow and change. Your purpose is not to be successful in this world; it is to be who God wants you to be. Ask Him in every test: Lord what do you want me to learn from this? But don’t ever turn to self-pity. It only will hurt you and produce a cold, selfish, and bitter heart.
II. Secondly, he refused to yield to sensual enticement. There is no better chapter in all the Bible that how to deal with fleshly temptation than Genesis 39. It is a story that could be a scene from a modern Hollywood movie, but it would never sell, because it has a good and godly ending. We read a very interesting description of Joseph. In Genesis 39:6 we read, “a goodly person, and well favoured.” In other words, he was handsome. And the wife of Potiphar agreed with that description. And she set a trap for Joseph and tried to catch him in it. She waited until all the servants were out of the house, and she went after Joseph. But Joseph did not yield. He knew that even though the house seemed empty to Potiphar’s wife—that even an adulteress’s house is filled with the presence of God. “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). And so when all the servants of the house were dismissed, she propositioned Joseph. She said to Joseph, “Lie with me” (39:7). She invited Joseph into the marriage bed, only she was married to another man! He knew there was only one way to deal with what the Bible calls the “strange” or immoral woman (Proverbs 22:27): flee from her. The Bible says that Joseph ran out of her house and “left his garment in her hand” (39:12). He left that house without his coat, but he took his character with him! And for doing right, Joseph was lied about, maligned, and thrown in prison. Can I give you the wisdom of God this morning? At all costs protect your integrity. If you don’t have an upright heart in all your dealings, you can gain the world, but you’ll sacrifice your soul on the altar of temporary pleasure. We live in a culture that is “normalizing” immorality and impurity. Some even in the Lord’s church think there is no way to overcome and stay pure. Joseph lived in a culture that was just as sensual as ours, and he demonstrates that it is possible to remain pure. Paul told young Timothy “Flee also youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22). Listen Joseph knew that a moment of pleasure was not worth life time of pain. Why should we flee from the “strange woman”?—and today whether the strange woman is a friend, or a co-worker, or someone you don’t even know on the Internet, you need to flee from her. Why? Proverbs 5:3-5 says that even though “the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: 4 ….her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.” There is only one godly response to this kind of temptation: run the opposite direction! Flee it!
III. Thirdly, Joseph refused to yield to self-indulgence. When Joseph came to power, he did not take advantage his position. Prosperity is often a more severe test of character than adversity. Adversity is an easier test than prosperity. I’m told that prosperity is a thousand times more difficult to maintain your integrity than adversity. Prosperity has corrupted many an unsuspecting person. Joseph was placed in a position where he had power. He was second in command of all of Egypt, which was the power of the ancient world of that time. But Joseph DID NOT CHANGE. Prince Joseph is the same as Prisoner Joseph! He continued to be the humble person that he had always been. He used his power and position to affect and save a whole nation! And when he had the opportunity to avenge the wrongs done to him by his brothers, he returned good for evil. Joseph knew that the palace was just as much filled with the presence of God as the pit and the prison. And when this world’s wisdom told him “Don’t get mad, get even”, he refused to harm those who had harmed him. At the least, he could have let his brothers starve in the famine. At worst, he could have had them executed. But in acting as he always did, he showed the grace and love of God to those who had acted as his worst enemies. He used his position to move his parents, and the brothers who had harmed him into a place of safety and prosperity.
Application: Has God prospered you? You must always remember not to hoard the resources that God has given you to prosper others. Joseph was given the riches of Egypt not to save himself, but to save “much people alive”.
Illustration: I’ve told you before that John Wesley became an internationally renowned figure of his day. He did receive large amounts of money because of it. Yet he kept not his money for himself, but printed Bibles, printed hymnals, sent it to build churches and support church planters and missionaries. He sent his money to George Mueller of Bristol to build orphanages. And even though John Wesley received the riches of wealthy men, he died a poor man because he gave all his riches away. He died owning a Geneva gown and a Bible and a few other meager possessions, but he left behind a whole generation that were affected for Christ!
Joseph resisted self indulgence.
Other Lessons Learned
Remember whether you are rich or poor you are going to give an account for everything. So many times we think of giving an account only for our wealth, but God will have you give an account of your poverty too.
Conclusion: Tonight God has put some dreams in my heart. They are nothing more than my desire to see the promises of God fulfilled in our lives. Like Joseph you and I as believers are dreamers.
v I am consumed with the fact that God’s will can be done on this earth as it is in heaven.
v I believe that with God there is no such thing as a hopeless case, and that if we would get ahold of a God-saturated vision of life, God would use us to bring many more people to Himself.
v I dream about totally uncommitted people becoming selling out to God and becoming a force for God in their family and in their culture by the power of the same God that guided Joseph.
You need to be inspired and overcome and motivated that if God can save and change you, he can change anyone. Keep God’s dreams ever before you. All you are called to do is love God—and let God bring to pass His dreams for you and your family. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Closing Hymn: 469 Rejoice Ye Pure in Heart
You may be seated. We are so thankful for all the hard work that each parent put in this year. Being a mom or a dad is hard work! We want to recognize tonight some who are graduating from home schooling for our Home School Appreciation night.
Presentation of Diplomas:—At this time as we award the graduates their diplomas of graduation, I would like to have the graduates come with their parents to the platform: Mr. and Mrs. Lee Stewart and I’ll have my wife come up here also.
Annie Stewart is graduating from Kindergarten
Annie Claire Stewart was born in Elgin, Illinois on November 2, 2000. Annie likes to play and color, and she wants to be a dolphin trainer when she grows up. Her favorite subject in school is Reading. Let’s join Annie’s parents in congratulating her for a job well done!
Kristen Black is graduating from Kindergarten
Kristen LuAnn Black was born in Palos Heights, Illinois on May 20, 2001. Kristen likes to play, loves to read, and wants to be a mom or a cowgirl when she grows up. Her favorite subject in school is Reading. Let’s congratulate Kristen for a job well done!
Charge to the Graduates
I know that our graduates are little ones, let me charge the graduates and all the children in our congregation with the great responsibility that they have. My charge to you comes from 2 Timothy chapter 4. Paul says to Timothy, “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom.” Your parents have invested in you, they have discipled and trained you. You are accountable, not just to Mom and Dad, but before God and the Lord Jesus Christ. You will give an account to Him at his appearing and kingdom. This means first you must come to know the Lord as Saviour and then follow Him all the days of your life. Your most important schooling is learning of Him in your heart.
Let me also remind you that you all have a very special special opportunity to have a Christian family. You may not understand now, but you are very privileged. There are not very children in the world that grow up in Christian homes. You have both started out wonderfully. You have everything on your side. You have Christian parents that love you, a church that loves you and has trained you in godliness, and you have succeeded thus far in your lives. But my hope is not that you will simply begin well. My charge to you is even at your young age to start to read the Bible. Be sold out for Jesus.
You are just at the very beginning of your schooling, but the reason you are in school at all—learning to read and write, is so that you can read and write the Scriptures. So, do as Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Let me also charge all the parents who are here to put Jesus Christ first in your home.
Before we have a prayer of dedication, I’m going to ask all the home schoolers to come and sing a special.
“Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus”
Let me ask any other graduates to come up here before we have the prayer of dedication. Any one who has graduated from kindergarten, eighth grade, or high school, come on up here.
Let us dedicate these graduates and all of our children to the Lord’s use.
[Dedicatory prayer]
Pictures Taken: At this time before we have our closing hymn, if you would like to get a picture of this group, you may come forward and do so.
Let me encourage you to look around at the displays from the Home schoolers.
Closing Hymn: 7 Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Closing prayer