Scripture: Genesis 37-50 esp Genesis 37: 3-11, Genesis 37: 17-28, Genesis 50: 15-21
Video of sermon here
Audio of sermon here
This is a little different from a usual sermon. Here we will retell the story of Joseph, from his perspective, drawing out the key themes of the story.
There I was in a deep, dark pit, thrown in by my jealous brothers. I was scared to death! There was no way out of there. There was nothing to climb with. And I could hear them chatting over their lunch. There was no talk of pulling me out once I’d learned my lesson.
I was just a kid. I knew they hated me, but I never saw this coming. All brothers fight, don’t they? And there was more rivalry in our family than most.
But why would anyone want me dead?
Oh, I’m sorry, I guess I should introduce myself.
My name is Joseph, son of Jacob, sometimes called Israel. You might have heard of me and my amazing technicolour dreamcoat.
But I come from way back. My great-grandfather was Abraham, my grandfather Isaac and my father was Jacob.
We were a family who carried a promise. A promise that God had to us. A promise of a land of our own and that our descendants would be as numerous as the sand of the seashore or as the stars of the sky. But we lived in a time of change and upheaval. That promise seemed a long way off at that time. Our families were shepherds and herdsman. We were always on the move looking for pasture.
I had 10 older brothers. They didn’t care too much for me, but was I bothered?
Probably no. I always considered myself smarter than them.
But that’s exactly what got me into trouble. They were jealous of me. Actually they despised me.
My only sort-of friend among my brothers was Reuben. If not for him, I wouldn’t be here today. He looked out for me as much as he could, more out of loyalty to me father than to me.
Ah yes, my dad. Looking back, my Dad, Jacob, didn’t really help. He favoured me way above them, and everyone knew it. I knew it, they knew it and even the servants knew it. Looking back I can see how that caused some tension in our family. I wouldn’t really recommend it as a parenting technique. I’m sure none of you would ever make his mistake.
But one day he gave me a stunning jacket to wear! I loved it and wore it proudly. But it caused deep resentment among my brothers. It was a way of flaunting my favoured status with my Dad.
One day I went too far. I told my brothers of a special dream, a dream that for a long time became a nightmare. My dream described my brothers serving me and bowing at my feet.
They were beside themselves. Rage just overtook them. That was when they decided enough was enough. I had to go.
One day as they were out feeding the flocks in Shechem, my Dad sent to check on them. They seized me and wanted to murder me right then and there. But Reuben came to my defence. He convinced them to throw me into the pit.
I must admit, when you put it like that, it doesn’t sound much better. But he did intend to return and release me.
So there I was at the bottom of this pit, wondering what’s next.
Have you ever been in a position like that? Scary isn’t it? But then Reuben had chores to attend to, and whilst he was away, a caravan of Midianites, heading for Egypt came by. With Reuben not around to defend me, my brothers sold me as a slave for 20 shekels of silver.
I was terrified. I was only 17! My life was turned upside down.
All I had now was my God and my dream.
I remember thinking I’ll never see my father again. I’ll never sleep in my own bed and who knows what awaits me in Egypt?
The only thing I had to cling to now was God himself. My father had told me stories of how God had proven himself faithful to our family many times, going right back to my great-grandfather Abraham. I knew he was still with me even though it seemed strange that he let all of this happen!
I struggled with anger toward my brothers, it was hard to forgive them, but I knew enough about God to know eventually I would have to.
Over time God helped me overcome it all – but that came in Egypt.
Have you ever moved to a new country? If you have, you know something of what I was about to face as a 17-year-old!
Egypt was full of new experiences. A new language, new culture, new religion, new foods.
Things actually went quite well for a while. Or as well as they could, given I was a slave.
When I was placed on the slave auction, the most humiliating experience you could imagine, I was purchased by a man with power and means. His name was Potiphar; he was a captain in Pharaoh’s army.
I worked hard. Served him, as I would have served God. Then, with God’s blessing, I soon became the overseer of the entire household, earning the respect and favour of Potiphar.
But then as when things were going smoothly, my master’s wife tried to seduce me. I refused her, but she would not stop. Again and again, every time he was away, she would contrive to get me alone, then she tried to seduce me.
Another choice to make. Should I allow this temptation to overcome me, or will I overcome it?
But I remembered my dream, God’s promises, and my commitment to God.
One day she grabbed at me and I ran from her, but in the process left my cloak behind, as she had torn from me. She kept my garment and showed it to Potiphar when he returned from a business trip.
When Potiphar got the news, I was in deep trouble. All the respect and goodwill I had earned vanished into thin air. Potiphar was furious! The fact that I was thrown into jail rather than killed on the spot suggests Potiphar wasn’t entirely convinced, but it made little difference. I still went to jail.
No trial, no lawyer for a plea bargain. Do not pass go. Straight to jail.
My life was turned upside down again, all I had now was my God and my dream. Prisons in ancient Egypt were dreadful places, but yet again there were signs that God was with me, being faithful to me.
I soon gained special favour with the guards. I became the warden’s right hand man. What’s more, the prison to which I was assigned was the place where the King’s prisoners were held. So I made some good social contacts which would come in handy later!
Time passed and Pharaoh became angry with two of his officers, the Baker and Butler. They were thrown in jail too. And because of my position, I was placed in charge of them.
Then one night they both had dreams. They were disturbed and perplexed by the dreams and became sad and depressed, so I asked them what was going on.
Dreams, I know a few things about dreams; sometimes a dream can become a nightmare. So they described their dreams to me. God had given me the ability to understand and interpret dreams, so by God’s grace, I was able to explain the dreams for them.
For one, his dream brought good news. In three days the butler would be released from prison and returned to his job.
But as I say, sometimes dreams can be a nightmare. The baker was soon to discover that to his cost. In three days he would be dead.
I pleaded with the Butler, clearly and emphatically, remember me when you get out of here. This was my best chance to get out of prison. Otherwise I might be forgotten and just rot away in there forver. And I really thought this guy would come through for me…
But he didn’t. Ever felt let down? I did. I could have become really bitter inside, but God in his grace helped me through it. I knew bitterness wasn’t the answer. God would stay with me. Yet I must confess I didn’t understand what was going on. Still, all I had was my God and my dream.
Two long, grinding years passed and, well, nothing. No help, no freedom, he simply forgot about me. Until, of course, he needed me again.
My life was upside down, but I clung to my God and my dream.
Then, finally the wheels started turning. You see, Pharaoh also had a dream, a dream that no one could interpret. Pharaoh called in all his magicians and wise men, but none of them could interpret the dream.
Suddenly the Butler remembered me, mostly to save his own neck! The Butler spoke to Pharaoh and said something like: I know a chap I met in prison who has an amazing ability to understand dreams, maybe he can help us!
Immediately Pharaoh said: Summon him at once.
I quickly changed into fresh clothes, shaved and washed myself. After all I was appearing before the King!
When Pharaoh related the dream to me I immediately understood it, as God gave me the interpretation. I was careful to tell Pharaoh that I was not a magician, but a servant of the most high God.
The dream went something like this: Seven good years are coming for Egypt, the harvest will be a bumper crop for seven consecutive years, but then there will be seven years of hardship and drought, years of famine. Unless we plan and prepare for them.
Pharaoh listened as I spoke. His mood was sombre as I shared with him what was about to happen in Egypt. While Pharaoh didn’t know my God, the true and living God, he believed everything I said.
While the dream was astounding and incredible, on a personal level, this was the big break I had been hoping and praying for! God had opened a way out of prison for me! Sometimes God really surprises us. Just thinking of Pharaoh’s dream reminded me of my own dream. My life was still upside down, all I had was my God and my dream. But that’s really all I needed!
Then Pharaoh really shocked me! He appointed me as second in command in his kingdom! He took off his signet ring and placed in on my finger. Fine linen clothes were given to me, and a gold chain was placed around my neck.
And then the biggest honour of all. I was given the second chariot to ride in! People started bowing before me and crying out Bow the Knee!
Talk about going from rages to riches! I couldn’t believe it! I went from being virtually powerless to being the second most powerful man in all of Egypt! And at a time when Egypt really was something.
I knew this was God’s doing because he had given me the gift of interpreting dreams. I just didn’t know why. I sensed there was more to come.
I was now the grand old age of 30. 13 years had passed since my brothers sold me as a slave. Much of that time I spent in prison, feeling forsaken. Now by God’s grace I was promoted to the second ranking official in all of Egypt! Pharaoh even presented me with a beautiful wife. Together we had two beautiful sons. We named our first, Manasseh and the second Ephraim. We chose those names because they spoke of how God looked after me in trouble and proved faithful.
These two precious sons meant everything to me when I looked into their faces I saw the grace and the loving care of God. God sure is filled with surprises. My dream was starting to take shape as God showed me over and over again that he was in control. I remembered what had sustained me in earlier years; “When my life was turned upside down, all I had was my God and my dream.” Now by God’s grace my dream was becoming a reality.
In my new responsibilities as second in command, Pharaoh charged me with preparing the entire nation for the seven bad years to come. During the seven good years, I gathered and warehoused as much grain as possible. Storage sites had to be built, workers had to be mobilized. This was a major national campaign to preserve Egypt from famine. I worked long days and long nights.
At the end of the 7-year campaign, we had our survival plan in place. The seven good years ended, and the seven bad years began. We went from boom to bust. The rain stopped falling, the mighty Nile slowed to a trickle, drought began to set in.
The drought was severe in all the surrounding lands too, and people from all the nations came to buy grain from me in Egypt! It took divine wisdom to distribute the grain fairly and justly. But by now I knew a few things about justice.
I suppose I should have realised that what happened next was a possibility. But preparing 7 years ahead for a famine didn’t prepare me for what was to happen next. My father Jacob sent his 10 sons, my ten older, hated brothers to Egypt to buy food.
After all these years, my 10 brothers were standing before me. I recognized them right away. But they didn’t recognize me, after all I was an Egyptian executive now, not some lean, rash Jewish teen.
My mind began to work fast. What to do? Revenge or mercy? They would never know it was me, but God would and I would. I had to help them. I knew what was at stake here. The survival of my people! Now it was all beginning to make sense. Amazing! I began to realise perhaps why God brought me to this place.
But I didn’t know how to break this news to them. I needed to buy time. So to challenge them I spoke roughly and accused them of being spies. They denied it, of course. So I decided to make it interesting. I set up a test of their truthfulness: bring this younger brother you speak of, and I will keep Simeon here until you return. They already felt guilt over their wicked plot to kill and then sell me as a teen. Now this. Reuben spoke to his brothers: Didn’t I tell you God would punish us for what we did to Joseph?
Of course I could understand everything since I knew the language. I had to turn away and weep. So Simeon stayed as insurance. Then I filled their sacks with grain and put their money back in the sacks and sent them off.
When they returned home without Simeon, and now being forced to deliver Benjamin, Jacob was distraught: Joseph is dead. Simeon is in prison in Egypt, now they want Benjamin. It was almost too much for my aging father.
Reuben spoke up I guarantee I’ll bring Benjamin back safely. Jacob said no deal. Stay home. So they did, but the grain came to an end before the famine. They needed more food. So they returned to Egypt.
This time when they arrived I invited them to dine with me. Benjamin was with them. When I saw my beloved younger Benjamin, I had to leave the room to weep, it was too much for me. We ate a meal together for the first time in 13 years! Then I filled their sacks with grain, and I planted a silver cup in Benjamin’s sack.
Of course our security people discovered the stolen property and arrested them and brought them to me immediately. They were apologetic and baffled. I set their punishment: Benjamin is to become my slave. They protested: no, no it will kill our father! At this point I couild take it no longer, so I revealed my identity to my brothers.
Come close to me. I am Joseph your brother whom you sold into slavery. Do not be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me here before you to preserve life. We have had famine for two years and we have five more years of famine remaining.
God sent me before you to save your lives by a great deliverance. So it was not you who sent me here but God and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
Now bring our father here say to him God has made Joseph lord of all Egypt, come down to me, do not delay. Dwell in the land of Goshen and you shall be near me and your children and your flocks and herds and all that you have. There I will provide for you, for there are still five years of famine remaining.
Then I simply embraced Benjamin and we wept together. Then I kissed all my brothers and then we talked together for a long while. When Pharaoh heard all this, he supplied carts and animals to journey to Canaan for Jacob and he said the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.
As I reflect upon my life and the dramatic events God brought me through, I can summarize it all this way, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive!
Have you heard the expression, it’s not how you start. It’s how you finish?!
Well I’ve proven that to be true! And God proved himself faithful to me! My dream became reality, although for a while it seemed like one big nightmare that just wouldn’t go away, but God proved faithful.
I have learned to trust him! When my life was turned upside down, all I had was my God and my dream. I discovered that was more than enough! God had a plan and if we stick with him, his plan never fails.
When I was a boy, God gave me a dream. It was actually a promise. And God made good on his promise. I look at my children, I see the power I have in Egypt, I look at my brothers with whom I’m now reconciled and I look at my Father. What a blessing to have a few years with him before he died.
As for my dream that had my family bowing down to me, I now see it as a privilege to serve them and in serving them, I’m really serving my Lord.
paper dolls 