What Was Meant for Evil, God Meant for Good: Joseph’s Story

We walk through Joseph’s life as a picture of patient, unwavering faith when betrayal, injustice, and delay would make most people quit. We land on the surprising detail Hebrews highlights, Joseph’s instructions about his bones, and we talk about what it looks like to trust God’s promise with an eternal perspective. 

Transcript

Welcome

Hodaiah 0:00

Welcome to the Ordinary Doing Extraordinary Podcast. My name is Hodaiah, and with me is my wife, Dominique.

Dominique 0:07

What's up, y'all?

Hodaiah 0:09

I am really looking forward to this discussion with you all, and I am so grateful for your presence. Today we will be diving into episode 8 of the Heroes of Faith series, which covers the life of Joseph. Let's get it.

Dominique 0:22

All right, all right. Yeah, we're gonna be talking about Joseph today, one of my favorite stories in the Bible. So, uh Hodaiah, I need you to get us started here with Hebrews 11, 22. What does that say for us?

Hodaiah 0:34

Yes, ma'am, I can do that. Hebrews 11, verse 22, it states, by faith, Joseph, as he was nearing the end of his life, mentioned the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions concerning his bones.

Dominique 0:48

Thank you so much for that reading for us.

Joseph’s Summary

Dominique 0:51

So, yeah, let's get started with the summary of Joseph's story. Now in Genesis 37, Joseph was one of twelve children born to Jacob. Joseph was Jacob's favorite, so because of that, his brothers were jealous of him. Joseph had two prophetic dreams that showed him reigning over his family. He revealed these dreams to his family. One day, Jacob told Joseph to go meet his brothers who were pasturing the flocks. They saw him coming from afar off and they began plotting to kill him. One of the brothers, Reuben, tried to save him. He told them not to kill Joseph and to just throw him in a pit. Judah also told them to not kill Joseph, but to instead sell him into slavery. They agreed and sold him for twenty pieces of silver. So when Reuben went to rescue Joseph, he was gone. The brothers then came up with an elaborate lie to Jacob, saying a vicious animal had devoured Joseph.

Hodaiah 1:56

Be your own family members, man. I know, right? Crazy. Your own family members. It messed up, man. All right, Dominique.

Dominique 2:04

All right, Genesis 39. Joseph began to serve in Egypt to Potiphar. Joseph found favor with Potiphar, and the Lord blessed him and Potiphar's house. Now Joseph could have lost faith here while in slavery, but was instead blessed by God with favor. Potiphar's wife noticed how attractive Joseph was and tried to get him to sleep with her. When Joseph refused, she accused him of an attempted sexual assault. Joseph was then thrown into prison. While in prison, the Lord was with Joseph and granted him favor with the prison warden. All of the prisoners were put under Joseph's authority, and he was responsible for everything that was done there. This was another opportunity for Joseph to lose faith in God, being falsely accused and imprisoned. But the Lord was with Joseph and continued to grant him favor.

Hodaiah 3:03

Boy was anointed.

Dominique 3:04

Yes. Now in Genesis 40, while in prison, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker to Pharaoh were both thrown into prison. They both had troubling dreams, but Joseph was able to interpret them. What he interpreted came true, and Joseph asked the cupbearer to not forget him and mentioned his case to Pharaoh when he was out of prison. But when the chief cupbearer was restored to his position, he forgot about Joseph for two years.

Hodaiah 3:34

Be like that.

Dominique 3:36

Joseph could have easily lost hope here. He may have even felt as though he would have never gotten out of prison. The Bible doesn't go into detail about Joseph's thoughts, but we can only imagine that he suffered mentally and physically.

Hodaiah 3:50

Oh yeah.

Dominique 3:51

Yeah, so in Genesis 41, Pharaoh then had two dreams that concerned him, and he wanted them interpreted. This is when the chief cup bearer he decided, like, oh, wait a minute, I remember Joseph.

Hodaiah 4:05

Well now you remember.

Dominique 4:06

Now you remember. But we see that it was for a reason. It was perfect timing, actually. Right. So Pharaoh called for Joseph, who then interpreted his dreams. Because of his ability to do so, Pharaoh considered Joseph to be wise unlike anyone else. Joseph was then put in charge as second in command in all of Egypt. Joseph made preparations for a famine as the Lord had given him wisdom. He stored up food in abundance. Eventually, the famine came just like Joseph had prophesied, and people came from all over to Egypt for food. Genesis 42-47. Joseph's brothers also were experiencing the famine in Canaan. So they went to Egypt for provisions. They stood before Joseph and bowed down low in reverence. Joseph recognized them, but they did not recognize him. After testing them for a time, Joseph finally revealed himself, and instead of revenge, he chose reconciliation.

Hodaiah 5:10

Mercy.

Dominique 5:11

Joseph's brothers and father left Canaan and settled in the best part of the land of Egypt. Now Jacob was afraid about going to the land of Egypt, as Genesis 46 3 would suggest. The Lord promised to bring them back to the promised land. Now in Genesis 50, Jacob died, and eventually Joseph's time had come as well. When he gave instructions to his family, he told them to bring his bones with them out of Egypt. That is what Hebrews 11 is actually referring to. Now I want to go back to Genesis 46, verses 3 through 4, because this is really important. God was speaking to Jacob, and he said, I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you back. Joseph will close your eyes when you die. Now I want to emphasize the phrase, I will bring you back. That promise didn't just apply to Jacob, it applied to the entire nation of Israel. And Joseph held on to that promise. That's why at the end of his life, he told them to carry his bones out of Egypt. He knew Egypt was not their final destination. Even in death, Joseph was saying, God will keep his promise and I want to be part of it.

Hodaiah 6:40

He is faithful.

Dominique 6:41

Yes, yes. Now

Faith in Action

Dominique 6:43

let's get into our faith in action section here. So Joseph's final request shows that even at the height of his power in Egypt, he never forgot that his true home was with God's people in the land God had promised. His faith looked forward to God's fulfillment of his covenant, and he wanted to be part of that future, even if it was only through the burial of his bones. His request revealed deep trust in things not yet seen. He died looking ahead, confident in God's unfolding plan of redemption. Now, how many times have we given up hope in the things God has promised us? Many times our circumstances won't look anything like God said, but Joseph shows us what it means to hold on, to live with an eternal perspective. He wasn't focused on what was happening at the moment. He was focused on what God had already spoken.

Hodaiah 7:41

Speak it, Dominique. While Hebrews 11 highlights his final act of faith, Joseph's life was filled with faithful moments. He trusted God through betrayal. His own brothers betrayed him because they hated him. He was sold into Egyptian slavery because of jealousy, basically. He trusted God in false imprisonment. Imagine being falsely accused and imprisoned for something you didn't do. Can you imagine the frustration? Can you imagine the mental battle? But even there, Joseph continued to trust God. And I feel like many of us can relate to, you know, being falsely accused or persecuted. He trusted God in famine. He trusted that he heard from God in his dreams regarding the famine, and God gave him a plan to save Egypt and the surrounding nations. God used Joseph's affliction to preserve life. And you see in Genesis 50, verse 20, it states, You planned evil against me. God planned it for good to bring about the present result, the survival of many people. Even in hardship, he believed God would use him for a greater purpose.

Faith Challenges

Hodaiah 8:56

Now let's move into our faith challenges. Let's see some faith challenges of Joseph's life. Joseph could have given up hope that God would ever deliver Israel from Egypt. After all he had endured, he could have let go of the promise and never asked for his bones to be carried back. He could have thought, if God struggled to deliver me from this prison, how can he deliver Israel?

Dominique 9:21

Right. Now earlier in his life, he faced plenty of moments that could have crushed his faith. Being betrayed by his brothers, falsely accused, forgotten in prison. Any of these setbacks could have led him to doubt God's plan or abandon his dreams. He was sold into slavery at 17 years old, at some point falsely imprisoned, and then was moved to the palace at age 30. That's a long time. But Joseph held on, trusting that God was still at work. Now sometimes I wonder if I would have been as strong as Joseph. Could I have kept the faith in extreme circumstances or suffering? Now there's a book that I want to recommend here, y'all. It's called Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand. It's a powerful example of someone who endured imprisonment and torture, but still held on to faith. I mean, stories like that will really, really challenge you.

Hodaiah 10:22

Absolutely. Speaking of the imprisonment, let's dig a bit deeper on the reason for Joseph's imprisonment. I want to really focus on the sexual lust portion here. Potiphar's wife lied on Joseph when he refused her intimate advances. Joseph fled from her presence when she tried to force him to be intimate with her. The key word here is fled. This can be a difficult subject, but this is a subject that is important to touch on. The topic of sexual lust. This story of Joseph shows us as believers how we should handle sexual lust. We should flee it. Do not think you are strong enough to stay and fight it head on. You must flee it. You must cut it off before you fall into temptation. Sexual sin is uniquely against your own body. You will see in 1 Corinthians 6, verses 18 through 20, this states, flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Most sins, for example, like lying, stealing, anger, happen through the body, but sexual sin involves the body in a deeper, unifying way. Sex was designed by God to create one flesh. And you'll see that in Genesis 2, verse 24. So when it is misused, it doesn't just break a rule, it distorts what's sacred inside of you. Sexual sin isn't just behavioral, it's bonding in the wrong place. And I want to read a passage to you in Matthew 5, verse 28 through 30. But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. Now, just to be clear, this passage is not calling for physical mutilation of the body, but a radical approach to dealing with your sin. For example, set boundaries, fasting, and prayer, avoid places and circumstances that will tempt you. Just a bit more on this, and I promise I'm done, guys. You may think of yourself as strong enough to fight sexual lust, but in the Bible, David, Solomon, and Samson all fell to sexual lust. David was considered a man after God's own heart. Solomon was considered to be the wisest man. Samson was considered to physically be the strongest man. All of these anointed men of God fell to sexual lust. If you don't cut this sin off, you will fall to it. And just to be clear, all this that I'm saying is not just focusing on men only, but also speaking to women. Because women also deal with sexual lust just as men do. In this one moment of Joseph's life where he flees from Potiphar's wife instead of giving in to the temptation of sexual sin, Joseph displays amazing faith. Joseph is so dedicated to the Lord, he refused to lay with another man's wife, even though he easily could have done it.

Dominique 14:14

Yes, yes. And we really just want to reiterate here when we say flee sexual sin, we mean cutting off relationships that tempt you to fall into sin, being mindful of what you listen to, what you watch, what you consume. You can't say you're gonna flee sexual immorality and be up in the strip club. Right. Let's keep it real. It's like an alcoholic saying they want to stop drinking, but they are sitting up in the bar all day.

Hodaiah 14:41

What? Hey, some tables you don't need to be at.

Dominique 14:44

You don't need to be at. Don't need to be there. Some environments just stay away.

Hodaiah 14:48

Know your presence. Know the power of your presence.

Dominique 14:50

Yes, right. So we just want to make that clear, right?

Hodaiah 14:54

Thank you, Dominique.

Dominique 14:56

Yeah.

Hodaiah 14:56

All right, guys. Now

Spiritual Lessons And Takeaways

Hodaiah 14:57

we're moving into our spiritual lessons and takeaways of Joseph's life. Starting off, keep God's bigger mission at the center of your life. Joseph, never lost sight of God's promises.

Dominique 15:10

Yes. Don't give up on the dreams God has placed in your heart. Even when the journey takes unexpected turns. I want to emphasize dreams God has placed in your heart. Sometimes we chase our own dreams, not the ones God actually gave us.

Hodaiah 15:28

Been there.

Dominique 15:29

How do you determine those God-given dreams? Well, family, that requires spending time with God. Yes. That requires intentional listening for his voice, his guidance, his direction. Right. You know, he will speak to you through his word, through prayer, through other people, through circumstances. God will guide you, and when it's from him, you will know.

Hodaiah 15:52

Let him be the light to your feet. He will guide you.

Dominique 15:54

Yes, yes.

Hodaiah 15:56

Next, hold on to faith, even when your circumstances look impossible. God is often working behind the scene. Joseph's story encourages patient faith while God's purposes are still unfolding. In 1 Peter verse 5 through 6, it states, humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time.

Dominique 16:18

At the proper time. Right. Don't try and force it. So let's get into our closing thought here. Joseph's life was marked by highs and lows, betrayal, injustice, and delay. But through it all, he kept trusting in the God who had given him a promise. Even at the end of his life, his faith pointed forward, believing in what he had not yet seen. Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.

Hodaiah 16:53

Speak it.

Dominique 16:54

That's Hebrews 11:1. Now, Joseph didn't need a title or a perfect life to be used by God. He just needed unwavering, patient trust. And that's the beauty of faith. In God's hands, the ordinary becomes the vessel for the extraordinary. Yes. Yeah.

Reflection Questions

Dominique 17:13

So here are our reflection questions. The first one, how can I keep trusting God's promises when my current circumstances don't make sense? The second question, how can I practice forgiveness like Joseph, trusting that God can use even the hurt others cause me for good?

Hodaiah 17:34

Yes, those are some great reflection questions. I gotta reflect over those myself. Now we're

Closing Prayer

Hodaiah 17:39

going into our, you know, towards the end, we're gonna do our closing prayer. Love y'all so much. It's always a blessing. Thank you for your presence. We love y'all so much. If you can pray, if you can bow your head in prayer, that's great. But if you're busy, if you're driving and you can't, that's fine. Just um keep your eyes open. Just listen to the prayer. Dear Lord, blessed be your name. We come to you with humble hearts, hearts aligned with your desires and your will. Lord, like King David, let us be a body of believers who are after your own heart. Yes. Jesus, I thank you for this time in community with our listeners. I pray for the body of believers, Lord. I pray for protection over all of our listeners, and I pray that they know their identity in Christ. Yes, Lord. The enemy will first attack a believer's identity. Jesus, let our listeners know that they are children of God. They are covered in the blood of Jesus Christ. And for those who do not yet believe, you can absolutely belong before you believe. I pray that the Lord will meet you exactly where you are currently at, and that he will touch your heart and you will believe. Just know we love you, but he loves you so much more. Lord, let us have faith like Joseph and let us flee the temptation of sexual immorality. Let us choose you over sin. Dear Lord, it is said in Matthew 18, verse 20, where two or more gather in your name, there you are. Lord, let your presence be with us. Holy Spirit, be with us. Guide and watch over us, protect us in the mighty, majestic, and matchless name of Jesus. Amen.

Dominique 19:26

Amen.

Farewell

Dominique 19:27

Well, thank y'all so much for listening to this great episode on Joseph. This is, I can't believe it. We in episode eight.

Hodaiah 19:35

Already.

Dominique 19:35

We halfway done now, y'all. Whew.

Hodaiah 19:37

Goes so fast.

Dominique 19:38

Yeah. Well, join us next week for episode nine. We look forward to being with y'all.

Hodaiah 19:44

Can't wait. Love y'all so much. Love y'all so much.

Dominique 19:49

All right. Thanks so much for listening.

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Rapper Voice (Music) 19:51

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Children's Choir (Music) 20:20

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