Episode 11- The Lord is With Me

This week we will be reading through the story of Joseph in Genesis chapters 37, 39, 41 & 45 as well as Romans 12:2, John 10:14 & 27, and Hebrews 13:20 NIV. Thank you for listening! 

Transcript

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Hello and welcome to the Full Armor of God podcast. My name is Taylor. I will be your host. I am so excited to dive into episode 11 with you today. We are talking about the Lord's will, his permissive will versus his perfect will, but ultimately how he is with us and for us in every situation. I think one of the best stories for this topic is the story of Joseph from the Old Testament. If you have not read the story of Joseph, we are going to dive into it today. It is so good. It's in the book of Genesis. The whole book of Genesis is a page turner. I highly encourage you to read it. There's so much rich history in there. And it just sets the stage for the Old Testament readings. Genesis is one of those building block books. So today our story will take place from Genesis chapter 37, Genesis chapter 39, and then Genesis chapter 45. We're going to be jumping around and kind of picking apart this story because, as you can see, chapters 37 through 45, that's quite a few. We won't have time to read through word for word, but I highly encourage you to read through these chapters this week, chapters 37 through 45 or 47. I say read through chapter 47 only because that's where the story starts to come to a close. It starts to have a nice ending. However, if you read all the way through chapter 50, that'll get you through the book of Genesis altogether. And then the book of Exodus starts. So the story really continues all the way through chapter 50. But if you only have time for chapters 37 through 47, that'll give you a good chunk of Joseph's story and a really good picture of what's happening. So the chapters in Genesis are where our main story comes from, but our supplemental verses are going to come from Romans chapter 12, verse 2. We're also going to pop into John chapter 10, verse 14. And then lastly, we'll look at Hebrews chapter 13, verse 20. So we've talked about the lineage of Joseph before, just without pointing out Joseph specifically. If we go all the way back to the beginning of Genesis, back in the garden, there's Adam and Eve. Several generations later, there's Noah and the flood. Noah, descendant of Adam. Noah and his three sons continued on that line. And Abraham is a descendant generations later, after Noah and after Adam. This is a really loose family tree that I'm mapping out for us. But Abraham has a son named Isaac. Isaac has two sons, Jacob and Esau. Now in Genesis chapter 32, this whole lineage is happening throughout Genesis, but in Genesis chapter 32, Jacob's name, God changes it to Israel. Now Jacob or Israel has 12 sons. One of them is Joseph, who we're talking about today. These 12 sons later become the 12 tribes of Israel. Where our story picks up in Genesis chapter 37, verse 3, it says, Now Israel or Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age and he made an ornate robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. And then Joseph has two very distinct dreams. In verse 6, he tells his brothers, he said to them, Listen to this dream I had. Verse 9, then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. Verse 10, 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. Joseph is not making friends for himself. His brothers continually grow more jealous of him because of how much their dad loves him and shows affection for him more than the others. Now, the next passage, Joseph is sent out by Jacob or by Israel to go and check on his brothers who are tending the flocks in the field. In verse 18, the brothers see him coming. It says, But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. Here comes that dreamer, they said to each other, Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams. In verse 21, when Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. Let's not take his life, he said, Don't shed any blood, throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don't lay a hand on him. Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father when no one was looking. He was planning on coming back for him. So Joseph gets to them, they take his robe, they throw him in the cistern, and then in verse 26, Judah said to his brothers, What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood. His brothers agreed. So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for 20 shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt. Verse 29 When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes, he went back to his brothers and said, The boy isn't there, where can I turn now? He was planning on going back and rescuing him. Then to cover up their tracks, they take this ornate robe that their father had made for his beloved son. They slaughter a goat, they dip the robe in the blood to make it look like he was eaten by an animal, and they take it back to the dad, saying, Look, this is your son's robe, he's dead. The father is absolutely heartbroken learning that his beloved son has been taken and he's not coming back. Meanwhile, Joseph is sold into slavery in Egypt. A captain of the guard, one of Pharaoh's officials named Potifar, bought Jacob from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. In chapter 39, verse 2, it says, The Lord was with Joseph, so that he prospered and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and he became his attendant. Potifar put him in charge of his household and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph's care. With Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. As the chapter continues, we see that Potiphar's wife notices how handsome Joseph is, and she makes advances at him multiple times throughout this chapter. However, in verse 8, it says, But he, Joseph, refused. With me in charge, he told her, My master does not concern himself with anything in the house. Everything he owns, he is entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God? Joseph stays true to himself, true to his faith, despite the circumstances. But because Potiphar did not get what she wanted, she spun up a lie and ended up having Joseph thrown in jail. But even when Joseph was imprisoned, in chapter 39, verse 20, it says, But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him. He showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison. And he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in everything he did. Now in chapter 40, there are two people from Pharaoh's kingdom, from his palace, that get thrown in prison and they are put under Joseph's care. They both have dreams about the future, and Joseph interprets both of their dreams and tells them when you get out of prison and when you get to Pharaoh or get out in general, remember me, come back for me. I encourage you to read through this chapter, but basically what happens is that the two people that were in prison tell Joseph their dreams. He interprets them correctly, and exactly what they dreamed about and how Joseph interpreted it happens to the T. However, they do not remember to mention Joseph when they get out of prison. That is not the first thing on their mind. But in chapter 41, Pharaoh has two dreams of almost the same thing happening, just in different ways. But he sends for all the wisest men in Egypt of who can interpret these dreams and no one could interpret them for him. Then finally, one of the men who was in prison under Joseph's care remembers, oh my gosh, there was this guy, this Hebrew that was in prison. He was our guard. He interpreted our dreams, and they turned out exactly as he said they would. He should be the one to interpret your dreams. So Pharaoh sends for Joseph, and in verse 15 of chapter 41, Pharaoh said to Joseph, I had a dream and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it. Verse 16, I cannot do it, Joseph replied to Pharaoh. But God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires. Joseph is still true to his God. He's true to his faith, even though he's in a foreign land and wrongfully imprisoned, wrongfully carried off into slavery. He is still true to himself. It's so good. Pharaoh tells Joseph his two dreams. The first one is that there are seven sleek, beautiful, healthy-looking cows grazing among the reeds along the Nile River. And then after them, seven scrawny, ugly cows come up and eat them whole, but they still look skinny as could be. And then the second dream, there are seven full heads of grain that look perfect and golden. And then after them, seven other heads of grain surrounded that were withered and weak and scorched by the wind, and they swallowed up the seven good heads of grain. In verse 25, then Joseph said to Pharaoh, The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years. It is one and the same. The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless head of grain scorched by the east wind. They are seven years of famine. Verse 29. He continues, It is just as I said to Pharaoh, God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. The abundance in the land will not be remembered because the famine that follows it will be so severe. The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God and God will do it soon. Joseph advises Pharaoh to store up enough food over the next seven years of abundance so that it can carry them through the seven years of famine to follow. And in verse 39, then Pharaoh said to Joseph, Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you. So Pharaoh said to Joseph, I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt. Joseph goes from having these dreams as a young man of his brothers bowing down to him, of him being in a place of authority. No one believes him. His brothers hate him for it. They hate him so much for it that they sell him into slavery wrongfully. He gets bought and picked up in the land of Egypt. He's enslaved in Potifar's house. He gets wrongfully accused of something he didn't do to his master's wife, and gets thrown in prison. And years later, he comes to Pharaoh, interprets his dream, and Pharaoh puts him in charge of the entire land of Egypt for the famine to come. This is an incredible story. This is why I encourage you to read through all the chapters because it is a page turner. It is so good, and Joseph does such a good job, and God is with him the whole time. At every turn, God is with him. Our story continues. We're gonna flip ahead to chapter 45. The famine is already here. Joseph has been working to store up during the years of abundance, and they are two years into the famine. Now his brothers back at home are experiencing the famine in their land. Everyone in this region of the world knows that Egypt is a storehouse, and they're going to Egypt to look for food. So Joseph's brothers go into Egypt to buy grain. And after a couple of encounters, Joseph reveals himself to them in chapter 45, verse 4. 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, 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 be no plowing and no 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 the entire household, and ruler of Egypt. Now hurry back to my father and say to him, This is what your son Joseph says. God has made me Lord of all Egypt. Come down to me, don't delay. You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me, you, your children and your grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have, I will provide for you there because five years of famine are still to come. Could you imagine being in Joseph's shoes, going through everything that he did, seeing his brothers years later, he's now grown, they're now grown. And having not only the wisdom, but the heart of the father, the patience and the love and the kindness that Joseph has in this moment when he tells them, Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here. Because God sent me ahead of you to save the lives of many. This story is so good. It's one of my favorites. At every mistreatment of Joseph, God could have snatched him out of it, but he never left Joseph on his own. And in the end, he allowed the sins of the brothers to bring about a greater good for a massive amount of people. This story is such a foreshadowing of what Jesus came to do for us. Let me just connect some dots for us here. Joseph's brother Judah is the one who says, Don't kill him, but sell him. Jesus' disciples were as close as brothers to him, and Judas is the one who betrays him. Joseph was sold for 20 shekels. This was the price of a young slave. Jesus was sold for 30 shekels of silver, the price of an adult slave, fulfilling the prophecies that both the prophets Zechariah and Jeremiah prophesied about how much Jesus would be sold for. If you read through Matthew chapter 27, verses 3 through 9, you can read about Matthew writing about these prophecies being fulfilled. Joseph's journey to Egypt allowed him to help save his family and the lives of so many others through a catastrophic famine. Jesus' betrayal and crucifixion provided the ultimate salvation for all of humanity. And just like Joseph, at any moment, God could have snatched Jesus out of that situation. Jesus could have got himself down from the cross, but he endured it for you and I, for the salvation of humanity. God was with Joseph the entire time. God was with Jesus the entire time. Jesus knew what he was doing. Jesus saw the outcome on the other side. And for the joy set before him, he endured the cross. There is God's perfect will, how the earth was created, how humanity was designed. His original design is perfect, but we live in a broken, fallen world. And then there is God's permissive will. Because we live in a broken world where humanity has free will to choose him or not to choose him, to choose good or to choose evil. God's permissive will is the thing that comes in and turns the broken into beautiful. It turns the sinful into purposeful. And no matter where we are, in what circumstance we are in, God is with us. Just like he was with Joseph, just like he was with Jesus. Ultimately, God is always in control and he is always working for our good. Let's talk a little bit more about discerning God's will for our lives. In Romans chapter 12, verse 2, it says, Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing, and perfect will. How do we renew our minds? It can be soaking up scripture, realigning with God's word, what he says about us, our lens to view the world through, and relying on the Holy Spirit because we cannot do this on our own. We cannot renew our minds on our own. It takes a transformation from the inside out. And a lot of that is found in speaking with the Lord, spending time with him, and reading his word. The more that we know his word, the more we can test and approve what God's will is, up against his word, the truth. In John chapter 10, verse 14, Jesus says, I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep, and my sheep know me. In verse 27, my sheep listen to my voice, I know them, and they follow me, knowing his voice. The more that we tune our hearts to receive the Lord's frequency, which is always there, and quiet the noise of this life, the easier it is to discern his voice, his will, and his way. And in Hebrews chapter 13, verse 20, it says, Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will. And may he work in us what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. He will equip you with everything good for doing his will. God can use you exactly where you're at. The things he calls us to are impossible on our own, but everything is possible with him. Our greatest tool, our greatest weapon, our greatest defense system is the Lord Himself, and He is always with us. When we have been betrayed, when we have been abandoned, He does not abandon us. He is right there with us. We could never be separated from Him. When the storm is raging around us and nothing makes sense, He is in control and in time His glory will be revealed. When we can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, God calls us to rely on Him, trusting His timing and His way and His will. We serve the God of everything. We serve the God of miracles. He is a big God, bigger than anything we face, bigger than being sold into slavery, bigger than being wrongfully imprisoned. He is bigger than any famine, drought, or waiting season we could ever walk through. When you find yourself in a situation that is testing your faith, I encourage you to look back on the story of Joseph. His past was not even filled with mistakes that he had made. His past was filled with betrayal and lies that put him in a place of danger and abandonment. But he does not become bitter. When everyone turned their back on him, he does not turn his back on the Lord. He continually relies on the Lord, trusts in him. And God was with him in everything he did so that when he came out on the other side, Joseph had no idea he was going to be ruler over Egypt, secondhand man to Pharaoh someday. But when he finally makes it through to the other side, he can look back and see, yep, that's where God was. He was with me the whole time. It's really not you who sent me here. It's God who sent me here. It's him who has been working for my good. When he looks back, he's able to test and approve what God's will is. He's able to listen to the shepherd's voice. And he's able to see how God equipped him with everything good for doing his will. So, friends, I encourage you to call on the Lord, lean into him, and watch him do abundantly more than we ever could on our own. I hope you are encouraged after today's message and maybe even learned something new today. Thank you for being here. I will be praying for you as always. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your week. God bless you.