Frank:
In 2007, Sonny Perdue, the governor of Georgia declared a state of emergency for the Northern part of Georgia. A drought hit Georgia harder than it had in decades. Rivers had become tiny little streams and lakes were at historic lows. This drought was affecting the lives of millions of people. The Governor appealed to the President, asking him to declare the drought as a major disaster so Georgia could receive federal aid.
At the end of Genesis 41 we read about a similar disaster. The Famine spread over all of Egypt and as verse 57 says, “over all the earth.” In this state of emergency the world turned to one man to care for them, and that man was Joseph. Joseph was responsible for the distribution and sale of grain and he personally oversaw the whole project. Chris and I want to tell you his story. It’s found in Gen. 37-50. We’re going to summarize it with 6 words.
One day, something familiar caught Joseph’s eye. As he looked closely he realized that his brothers had come to collect grain for their families. After a series of “tests”, Joseph finally revealed himself to his brothers and tells them of God’s provision. He says, “God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors.” (Gen 45:5b-8). The rest of Joseph’s story is tied up with a bow, where there was separation, now there was a united family. Where there was danger, now there was safety. Where there was plight, there was now provision and it was all because Joseph was Pharaoh’s second in-command.
Chris:
You might wonder how Joseph managed to pull that off—make provision for his family in the midst of a famine; make provision for all of Egypt in the midst of this natural disaster; and save millions of lives as a result. One word explains Joseph’s ability to make this provision: “power.” Joseph was given by God a special power that resulted in his being elevated to a position by which he could make provision for all of those suffering.
Just like our Preaching Camp videos, it turns out that Pharoah of Egypt was having a hard time sleeping. He was having bad dreams; strange dreams. For example, Pharaoh dreams he’s standing by the Nile river, and out of the Nile come seven chubby and happy cows. They are followed by seven skinny and sad cows. The skinny and sad cows make hamburgers out of the seven chubby and happy cows and eat them (well, they eat them—the hamburger comment is just a little embellishment).
And as if that wasn’t strange enough, Pharaoh then dreams about a stalk of grain with seven plump and healthy ears on it. Then he sees seven thin and dying grains—and they swallow up the seven healthy grains.
Gen. 41:8 says Pharaoh was “troubled” by these dreams—I would be too. So “he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men” “but there was none who could interpret” Pharaoh’s dreams (Gen. 41:8). That’s when Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer suddenly remembered a guy he had met in prison. This guy’s name was Joseph. And Joseph had a special power—he could interpret dreams. So Pharaoh sent for Joseph asked Joseph to tell him what the strange dreams meant.
Joseph told Pharaoh: “God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine. 28 It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, 30 but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt.” (Gen. 41:25-30 ESV).
Pharaoh was so impressed, that he took this ex-con and gave him supreme power in Egypt: 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” (Gen. 41:39-40 ESV). Once granted this authority, Joseph was able to organize a relief effort that ended up providing for all of Egypt. And he gained that position because of the power God had given him to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams.
Frank:
Well, You might wonder, where did Joseph discover this power? One Word: Prison. Before he was ever discovered by Pharoah and used by God to give provision for people in the midst of the famine, Joseph was an accused criminal locked up with no prospects of getting out. But instead of lifting weights or joining the local gang called “the crypts,” Joseph worked diligently to gain the favor of the prison guard. Genesis 39: 21-23 says, “21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. 23 The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.
After a time, two unlikely characters were cast into prison and Joseph was put in charge of them. Those characters were the chief baker and the chief cupbearer. One night, both of these men had dreams that troubled them the next morning. They asked around for meaning and interpretation and no one was able to give them the meaning and uplift their spirits, until Joseph visited them. They asked Joseph for an interpretation and Joseph said, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams!” The Cupbearer spoke of vine with three branches with beautiful, succulent grapes hanging down. He took hold of the grapes and squeezed them into the Pharaoh’s cup and gave it to him. Joseph told him that the branches represented three days and that on the third day he would restored to his position. He asked that the cup bearer remember him when he got out. The Chief Baker told his dream next, excited at the outcome that was given to cupbearer. He had three baskets full of fresh baked bread on his head. As he walking along, the birds began to eat the bread from the top basket. Joseph told him that the baskets also represented three days but instead of being restored to his position, he would hanged. Even though Joseph had foretold the cupbearers freedom, he was forgotten and left in prison. But eventually, as we heard earlier, Pharoah pulled Joseph out of prison, relied on his power to interpret dreams, and God used Joseph to make provision for millions during the famine.
Chris:
Well, you might wonder, how did Joseph wind up in prison in the first place? One word: Potiphar. A man named Potiphar lived in Egypt. He was a high ranking military officer. Potiphar picked Joseph up at a slave market. Enslaved, Joseph was put in charge of everything Potiphar had.
Everything seemed to be going fine—as fine as it can go when you are a slave—when, one day, Potiphar’s wife created a crisis: “11 But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house,12 she caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me.’ But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. 13 And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, 14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, ‘See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.’ 16 Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, 17 and she told him the same story, saying, ‘The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. 18 But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.’ 19 As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, ‘This is the way your servant treated me,’ his anger was kindled. 20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison.” (Gen. 39:11-20 ESV)
Joseph can’t seem to get a break! He’s already got slavery to deal with—which would be hard enough. But now the wife of his master accuses him of rape—and she’s the one who tried to seduce him! But ironically, that’s what landed Joseph in prison. And it was in prison where Joseph formed a relationship with chief cupbearer of Pharaoh. That led to Joseph using his power to help Pharaoh. And that led to Joseph being used by Pharaoh and God to make provision for his family and others during a famine.
Frank:
Well, you might wonder, How did Joseph wind up at Potiphar’s house? That story starts at the bottom of a pit . You see Joseph and his brothers did not get along. He was Jacob’s favorite son, and this had caused little Joseph’s pride to grow. One day, when Joseph was delivering supplies to his brothers out in Dothan, they jumped him with intent to kill him. Rueben, the oldest, realized that this was not the best option and proposed that they throw him into a nearby pit until they figured out what to do with him.
While they pondered how to get rid of their brother, the answer to their problem arrived with a caravan of Ishmaelites. The brothers decided to get rid of their pesky little brother by selling him into slavery and making a profit for themselves. Twenty shekels of silver. That is what Joseph was worth to his brothers. He was lifted out of the pit but was quickly clapped in chains and tied to the back of the caravan. As the caravan pulled out of Dothan, Joseph realized that he was alone. He was taken to country that was not his. He was foreign man in a foreign land with no family to lean on. When he arrived in Egypt, he was sold as a slave into Potiphar’s house.
Chris
Finally, you might wonder, what led to all this conflict with the brothers? What could have provoked them to toss him in that pit? One word: Prejudice.
This whole story begins when Jacob is 17 (37:2). He’s 30 when Pharaoh and God use him to make provision during that famine (41:46). But the story begins 13 years before that, when Joseph is a teenager. And prejudice colors the beginning of this story.
First, there’s the prejudice Joseph’s father shows him over his brothers. The text simply says, “3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.” (Gen. 37:3-4 ESV) This robe was the kind of thing you find in so many clothing stores today—looks great on, but it’s terribly impractical. You can’t get it dirty. It’s not really practical to wear on a farm. And that’s what Joseph’s dad gave him. All the other brothers got overalls—working clothes. But Joseph got the suit and tie—and everyone knew what that meant. They had to work. Joseph didn’t.
But topping this off was the prejudice Joseph showed against his brothers. Like Pharaoh at the end of the story, Joseph, at the beginning of the story, is having strange dreams. He dreams of a sheave in the field and the other sheaves bowing down to it. He dreams of the sun, moon and eleven stars bowing down to him. And Joseph goes off babbling about these dreams to his brothers. And they fly off the handle: “8 His brothers said to him, ‘Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?’ So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.” (Gen. 37:8 ESV).
But it was that prejudice which prompted the brothers to toss him in a pit and then sell him to slave traders where he wound up with Potiphar who then put him in prison for supposedly raping his wife, where he met the chief cup bearer who later remembered him to Pharaoh, who then was blessed by Joseph’s power to interpret dreams, and who then elevated Joseph so that he could make provision for many during the famine.
It’s quite a story isn’t it? Two things stand out. First, the story’s portrayal of God. God never speaks directly to Joseph or appears to Joseph, unlike the stories that come before and after this one. In fact, some have called this story “secular” because God seems to be so absent. But we do find out one very important thing in this story: God works purposefully in bad times. Say that out loud with me: God works purposefully in bad times. The story is filled with bad times. And over and over again, we see God, in hidden but significant ways, working purposefully in bad times.
Second, the story’s portrayal of Joseph. Despite encountering bad times-pit, Potiphar, and prison—Joseph responds in a quite unexpected way. He lives faithfully. Joseph’s story shows that God works purposefully in bad times, and that we can live faithfully in bad times. Say that out loud with me: We can live faithfully in bad times. We want to explore both of these truths.
Frank:
While in Potiphar’s employment, we find this remarkable description of Joseph: “2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. 5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field. 6 So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate.” (Gen. 39:2-6 ESV).
We find a similar description when Joseph lands in prison: “21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. 23 The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.” (Gen. 39:21-23 ESV).
This is the only time the name Yahweh-translated LORD-is found in Joseph’s story. It occurs here probably because these are the worst moments in Joseph’s life. He is abandoned. Betrayed. Rejected. He’s sold into slavery and sent into prison. But he’s not alone. God is with him. God is present there and working there. God is present with him in the Pit when his own flesh and blood is plotting to shed his. God is present with him in Potiphar’s house when he is accused of being unfaithful when all he has been is faithful. God is present with him in Prison when he deciphers dreams which is what started this series of unfortunate events in the first place. God is present with Joseph in all the dark corners of his life so that at just the right time He could work wonders through him. God works purposefully in bad times. And God is working purposefully in your bad times. If you are here today and you’re going through tough times—the breakup of an important relationship, a bad diagnosis at the doctor, financial struggles, stress at the job, anxiety over a child—what you need to know is that God is present with you and God is working purposefully for you.
Chris
And because Joseph knows this truth—that God works purposefully—he was able to live faithfully. At the end of his life he looks back on these moments and says that God was at work in them: “20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” (Gen. 50:20 ESV). Joseph had that rare ability to see God in bad times and know that God was at work even there.
So what does Joseph do? He lives life faithfully. We know that Joseph will be liberated from his slavery. But he doesn’t. As far as he knows, serving Potiphar will be his life’s work. But he doesn’t give up. He doesn’t stop living. He lives life faithfully. He works hard for Potiphar. He serves with excellence.
And, we know that Joseph’s time in prison will be short. But Joseph doesn’t. As far as Joseph knows, prison may be permanent. But he doesn’t give up. He doesn’t stop living. He lives life faithfully. He serves with distinction. He displays kindness and compassion.
At the time, in that moment, perhaps Joseph couldn’t see the bigger picture. He may not have known at that moment just how slavery at Potiphar’s was going to work out or just how prison was going to turn out. But he knew that God was working purposefully in those bad times. And as a result he could live faithfully and productively in the midst of those bad times.
One writer argues that what we find in these scenes is a kind of death and resurrection. Joseph becomes a slave—a death. Joseph is sent to prison—a death. But then Joseph is elevated to a higher status within Potiphar’s household—a resurrection. Then Joseph is elevated to a higher status within prison—a resurrection.
But notice this—it’s not a resurrection out of Potiphar’s house or out of prison. It’s a resurrection within Potiphar’s house and within prison. Initially, God doesn’t lift Joseph out of these horrible situations. But he does make it possible for Joseph to contribute meaningfully within those horrible situations. And Joseph embraces this. He wakes up every morning and goes about his duties as a slave and as a prisoner with faithfulness.
Last week, I ran into a friend of mine. He has suffered health challenges for years. He has suffered financial struggles because his health problems made it difficult to work. And to top it all off he has suffered marriage difficulties tied to the health and the financial troubles. In fact, his wife had walked out a few months earlier. The day I saw him last week was the day after the divorce had become final. I literally do not know anyone who has suffered more than he has.
I asked him how he was doing. Here’s what he said, “Well, all I can say is that God’s been at work through all of this. He’s made me a better father through this. He’s made me a better man through this. He’s walked with me and worked for me in the midst of this.” And he meant it. This wasn’t just some pious sentiment he was saying because he was talking to the preacher. He meant every word. He knew that in the worst times of his life-the health issues, the financial loss, and the divorce—that God was working purposefully. And that allowed him to live faithfully.
Whatever you are going through right now, know this: God is working purposefully. And as a result you too can live faithfully.
