WEBVTT 00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:06.160 So we've arrived at our last story in the book of Genesis. 00:00:06.240 --> 00:00:10.560 So this last story in the book of Genesis is a real epic story. 00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:11.519 Huge story. 00:00:11.679 --> 00:00:16.320 So huge it actually takes up the last quarter quarter of Genesis. 00:00:16.399 --> 00:00:19.280 So it takes up a huge bulk of the book. 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:22.640 So it means something, it matters a lot. 00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:25.440 And so Joseph is actually Judah's brother. 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:27.039 Last week we talked about Judah. 00:00:27.120 --> 00:00:29.920 And so Joseph is Judah's brother, and he's a son of Jacob. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:31.440 And I want to tell you the whole story. 00:00:31.600 --> 00:00:34.640 The reason I want to tell you the whole story of Joseph is you're going to hang with me. 00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:40.320 It's a long story, but I want to tell you the whole story because we can't read the whole story because we'd just be here too long. 00:00:40.719 --> 00:00:48.320 And you need to hear the whole story at one time in order to get the gist of the story, to get the point of the story. 00:00:48.479 --> 00:00:52.079 And along the way, you'll have some thoughts you've had before. 00:00:52.799 --> 00:00:54.799 And the thoughts are like this. 00:00:54.880 --> 00:01:00.560 Like if God is really in charge, like okay, like something a pastor says, right? 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:02.960 Like God's in charge, have faith, have hope. 00:01:03.119 --> 00:01:03.359 Yeah. 00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:07.439 So but if God's really in charge, like He must just not care. 00:01:08.239 --> 00:01:10.159 I mean, look at my life. 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:12.480 I mean, like, look at the world. 00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:14.400 Look at what I've gone through. 00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:16.640 Look at what I am going through. 00:01:16.799 --> 00:01:18.719 Or maybe he's just incompetent. 00:01:19.200 --> 00:01:21.200 Maybe he's handcuffed. 00:01:22.239 --> 00:01:24.719 And maybe you're here and you're a non-Christian. 00:01:24.959 --> 00:01:28.079 And this is actually the obstacle to belief for you. 00:01:28.480 --> 00:01:30.719 Is this issue of suffering? 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:38.879 Or maybe you're here and you're still bitter toward God about that thing. 00:01:40.079 --> 00:01:43.680 That happening, that occurrence, that wound. 00:01:44.959 --> 00:01:52.799 And I could share stories from my life that would make you weep, and we could just kind of start on one row and work our way across, and we would weep. 00:01:53.439 --> 00:01:56.719 You could share stories and we would weep at your stories. 00:01:56.959 --> 00:01:58.239 We know that. 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:01.680 And this story doesn't explain away the hurt. 00:02:01.840 --> 00:02:04.640 That's what's so great about this story. 00:02:04.719 --> 00:02:06.239 It doesn't explain away hurt. 00:02:06.400 --> 00:02:12.000 It actually validates hurt and then it shows how God actually works in hurt. 00:02:12.159 --> 00:02:13.919 And so let's look at the story. 00:02:14.319 --> 00:02:17.520 I'm going to read a little, talk, tell a little bit, read a little, tell a little bit. 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:24.240 So all the passages I will read are in the insert in your bullets so you can read along as I read. 00:02:24.479 --> 00:02:25.199 So here's the story. 00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:27.360 Genesis chapter 37, 3 through 4. 00:02:27.439 --> 00:02:39.520 Now Israel, who's is Jacob, that's his new name, loved Joseph, loved his son Joseph, more than any of his other sons, because he was the son of his old age, and he made him a robe of many colors. 00:02:39.919 --> 00:02:47.439 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. 00:02:47.680 --> 00:02:51.919 So Jacob, he lavished on Joseph. 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:57.280 I mean, in some way, Joseph was his love and joy and peace. 00:02:57.759 --> 00:02:59.680 It was it wasn't healthy. 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:02.159 It actually poisoned the family. 00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:04.000 And he lavished money on this guy. 00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:07.360 I mean, he was favored to the point that it poisoned the family. 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:08.159 Verse 8. 00:03:08.319 --> 00:03:13.199 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 00:03:13.360 --> 00:03:16.960 He said to them, Hear this dream that I have have dreamed. 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:19.840 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field. 00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:22.879 And behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. 00:03:22.960 --> 00:03:27.280 And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf. 00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:31.599 His brothers said to him, Are you indeed to reign over us? 00:03:31.919 --> 00:03:34.479 Or are you indeed to rule over us? 00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:39.759 So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:43.840 And this is like a hierarchical culture. 00:03:44.080 --> 00:03:47.360 Older brothers rule over the younger brothers. 00:03:47.439 --> 00:03:50.800 And here Joseph is, one of the younger brothers. 00:03:51.039 --> 00:03:56.319 And he has this dream, and he goes and he runs his mouth to his older brothers. 00:03:56.479 --> 00:03:58.240 Of course they hated him. 00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:00.159 This little punk. 00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:00.639 Right? 00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:05.120 Like I mean, we'd love to make Joseph out to be a hero, but this is a punk. 00:04:05.439 --> 00:04:11.360 He has a dream and he goes and he runs his mouth to his brothers in a hierarchical society. 00:04:12.639 --> 00:04:18.639 And then again, verse 9, we read, and you don't have it in your passage here, but in verse 9, he has another dream, a second dream. 00:04:18.879 --> 00:04:20.240 He does it again. 00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:21.920 You're going, what? 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:23.920 Like, is he a moron? 00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:26.160 I mean, is he just a punk? 00:04:26.480 --> 00:04:29.040 I mean, is he just idealistic? 00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:34.319 Then one day all the brothers, except Joseph, right? 00:04:34.399 --> 00:04:34.959 That's interesting. 00:04:35.120 --> 00:04:37.600 All the brothers are out working, except Joseph. 00:04:37.839 --> 00:04:41.839 And they're outworking and they end up in this area called Dothan, which is a remote area. 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:48.480 And then Daddy sends Joseph out to check on the brothers, and you know they gotta love when Joseph comes out to check on them, right? 00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:54.879 Like, here comes the spoiled brother to get observe us and write down the report and take it back to dad. 00:04:54.959 --> 00:04:56.800 Look, everybody's gonna love that brother. 00:04:56.959 --> 00:04:58.720 And so Joseph makes his way. 00:04:58.879 --> 00:05:00.800 He finds them when he's on their way. 00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:02.480 They can't stand him. 00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:03.519 They are over it. 00:05:03.680 --> 00:05:04.480 They've had enough. 00:05:04.639 --> 00:05:05.920 They've had enough. 00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:11.839 And so they group up, all eleven, and they decide it's over. 00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:13.360 Let's take them out. 00:05:13.600 --> 00:05:14.879 Let's kill him. 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:17.439 They are at that point. 00:05:19.040 --> 00:05:23.439 And luckily, there's this eldest brother, Ruben, and he convinces the other brothers. 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:25.439 He says, hey, hey, hey, let's not kill him. 00:05:25.519 --> 00:05:27.120 Okay, let's- I found a pit. 00:05:27.279 --> 00:05:28.160 I have a pit. 00:05:28.319 --> 00:05:30.000 Let's dump him in the pit. 00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:31.680 He'll die eventually. 00:05:31.759 --> 00:05:34.079 And then we don't actually have to like have to do it. 00:05:34.160 --> 00:05:35.199 But he'll be in the pit. 00:05:35.279 --> 00:05:35.920 There's no water. 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:36.560 He's gonna die. 00:05:36.639 --> 00:05:40.800 And Ruben's thinking, I'm gonna circle back around later and get him out of the pit and he can run off. 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:53.600 But they dump him in the pit, and then all the brothers, all the brothers, they sit down to eat because apparently this is what you do after you basically strip your brother of his coat and his clothes, kind of beat him down, throw him in a pit. 00:05:53.680 --> 00:05:54.959 You sit down for a good meal. 00:05:55.040 --> 00:05:55.920 And this is what they do. 00:05:56.000 --> 00:06:00.959 They're sitting down for a good meal, and a caravan comes along, and then they get the great idea. 00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:03.360 Hey, let's just sell him off. 00:06:03.759 --> 00:06:04.800 Let's sell them. 00:06:05.040 --> 00:06:09.279 We'll sell him off into the caravan, and he'll be taken off, and we just we'll never have to worry about him. 00:06:09.360 --> 00:06:12.959 So that's what they do, and then they take this coat, which you know they have to hate this coat. 00:06:13.040 --> 00:06:17.439 It's symbolic of all of Jacob's favoritism towards this little punk. 00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:24.399 And so they dip it in blood, they go back to dad, they say, hey dad, uh, Joseph must have been eaten by a beast. 00:06:24.560 --> 00:06:25.199 He's gone. 00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:27.439 Look, here's his coat. 00:06:28.079 --> 00:06:30.480 So Joseph ends up in Egypt. 00:06:31.279 --> 00:06:34.160 He ends up in this Potiphar's house. 00:06:35.040 --> 00:06:37.279 Joseph is smart, he's good looking. 00:06:37.360 --> 00:06:41.839 I mean, he could he can flat out get it done, and quickly he rises up in this house. 00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:44.160 He's running the house as a servant. 00:06:44.399 --> 00:06:48.480 And we sort of think at this point in the story, we sort of think like, oh, he's okay. 00:06:48.720 --> 00:06:50.319 Like he's gonna be okay. 00:06:50.560 --> 00:07:20.160 Like you kind of get this point where, like, okay, like all this horrible stuff happened, but he he's okay, and then do you remember the wife, Potiphar's wife, makes a move on him, and Joseph turns her down, and he starts to run out of the room, and she she actually strips some clothing off of him, which is interesting because that kind of happened round one with the brothers, and now it's happening round two with the the lady, and he runs out, and then she she blames him, maybe all of her insecurity. 00:07:20.240 --> 00:07:25.600 She got rejected, and so she blames Joseph that he tried to put a move on her. 00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:28.480 And so he ends up in prison. 00:07:29.199 --> 00:07:30.959 You're going, okay, well, it didn't quite work out. 00:07:31.040 --> 00:07:32.480 And so now he's in prison. 00:07:32.639 --> 00:07:39.519 I mean, at this point, he has no status, no favoritism, he has no power to maintain, he has nothing. 00:07:39.600 --> 00:07:44.639 And what's interesting here is in a strange way, this is the turning point in the story for Joseph. 00:07:45.360 --> 00:07:47.920 It's sort of the first time he's free. 00:07:50.240 --> 00:07:55.120 See, it's in his nothingness that he begins to receive from God. 00:07:55.680 --> 00:07:58.399 This is always the place that we find freedom. 00:07:59.519 --> 00:08:09.120 This is always the place we begin to receive, is in our nothingness, because we get to the end of ourselves, the end of our effort, the end of our striving, the end of our control, right? 00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:25.360 Like to control the environment, control the situation, control all of it, and all the anxiety and the fear that comes along with trying to control all of it, and then suffering comes along and strips you of all of that, and you realize, you realize, oh, I don't have supreme control over my life. 00:08:25.680 --> 00:08:31.680 This is why God uses suffering to get us to the end of ourselves that we might be free. 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:36.399 Now, Joseph's in prison for like two years. 00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:39.519 Figures out he's pretty good at interpreting dreams. 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:41.919 He interprets a couple guys' dreams, still in prison. 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:43.759 That's two years, long time. 00:08:44.399 --> 00:08:49.679 Long time to think about what could God possibly be doing. 00:08:50.799 --> 00:08:53.039 I mean, in prison. 00:08:54.159 --> 00:08:56.000 And then Pharaoh has a dream. 00:08:56.159 --> 00:09:00.320 The guy who runs all of Egypt has a dream, and nobody can interpret it. 00:09:00.399 --> 00:09:03.759 And it's like, oh yeah, by the way, there's this prisoner. 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:06.960 Like down in a pit. 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:09.120 He's pretty good at it. 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:18.480 He gets called up out of prison and he talks to Pharaoh and he says, Oh, yeah, that dream, seven plump cows come out of the Nile and feed on reed grass. 00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:23.279 And then after that, seven ugly, thin cows come out of the Nile. 00:09:23.440 --> 00:09:29.600 Um, Pharaoh, what this is, is this is gonna be seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine. 00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:33.840 You better stock up in those first seven years. 00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:37.039 Joseph puts out a plan for him. 00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:41.039 And then I want to read this in Genesis 41, 37 through 45. 00:09:41.120 --> 00:09:49.600 And the reason I want to read this is because we have to remember at this point, Joseph has been abused by his brothers, rejected, sold into slavery, not knowing where he would go. 00:09:49.759 --> 00:09:56.080 He ruled in a house, and then he was sexually assaulted, and then he was falsely accused, and he was in prison for two years. 00:09:56.159 --> 00:10:08.399 And so maybe you can associate with any of that, like any of the feeling of being in a pit, of being rejected, of being afraid, being alone, being confused, of it, having no idea. 00:10:08.879 --> 00:10:11.519 How could any of this be working toward any good? 00:10:11.679 --> 00:10:14.000 Or is there any way out of this? 00:10:15.120 --> 00:10:22.000 Then we read this: this proposal, so he's put out in front of Pharaoh this plan of how we can get through this famine coming. 00:10:22.240 --> 00:10:24.720 This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:29.200 And Pharaoh said to his servants, Can we find a man like this in whom is the Spirit of God? 00:10:29.360 --> 00:10:36.080 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. 00:10:37.440 --> 00:10:43.200 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. 00:10:43.360 --> 00:10:46.720 Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you. 00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:50.559 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, see, I have set you over all the land of Egypt. 00:10:50.720 --> 00:10:59.919 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and he put it on Joseph's hand and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:02.240 I mean, this is the guy who was just in prison. 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:06.639 He was in a pit. 00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:10.879 He was in a caravan, not knowing where he was going to go into slavery. 00:11:11.200 --> 00:11:17.679 Verse 43, and he made him ride in his second chariot, and they called out before him, bow the knees. 00:11:17.759 --> 00:11:18.960 So all the people were bowing. 00:11:19.120 --> 00:11:22.480 Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. 00:11:22.639 --> 00:11:32.720 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without your consent, no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. 00:11:33.039 --> 00:11:35.840 So Joseph has all of a sudden this new role. 00:11:36.159 --> 00:11:39.679 He serves his role, he starts a family, but he never forgets his home. 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:44.240 He never forgets his family, he never forgets his dad. 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:49.840 The famine begins, and everyone's coming to Egypt for grain. 00:11:51.039 --> 00:11:55.039 And so finally, Jacob and the brothers, they run out of food. 00:11:55.279 --> 00:11:58.480 And so Jacob sends the brothers, he keeps Benjamin back. 00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:02.799 But Jacob sends all the other brothers, sends them, says, Hey, go to Egypt. 00:12:02.879 --> 00:12:04.240 There's food in Egypt. 00:12:04.320 --> 00:12:06.960 Go and buy food and bring it back. 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:10.080 And so the brothers show up and Joseph recognizes them. 00:12:10.159 --> 00:12:13.600 They don't recognize him because they think he's long gone. 00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:17.759 No way would he be in this position. 00:12:18.159 --> 00:12:20.720 And you sort of think it, like you think, oh, here's the moment. 00:12:20.799 --> 00:12:22.080 Like he's going to really get them. 00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:27.440 Like, and there's this part of me that reads this and goes, I would really stick it to them at this point. 00:12:27.600 --> 00:12:29.440 Like, don't, by the way, don't cross me. 00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:30.559 Like, don't put me in a pit. 00:12:30.639 --> 00:12:31.360 Like, I'll come at you. 00:12:31.440 --> 00:12:33.840 Like, I mean, you kind of feel like, do you feel that when you read it? 00:12:33.919 --> 00:12:35.679 You're like, oh, this is the moment. 00:12:36.399 --> 00:12:39.600 And at first you sort of think Joseph is going to get his revenge. 00:12:39.679 --> 00:12:44.320 You sort of test them, he blames them as spies, and the brothers are freaking out. 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:46.799 I mean, it'd be like being questioned by the CIA. 00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:51.039 I mean, you're so in over your head in this situation. 00:12:52.720 --> 00:12:56.799 Joseph orchestrates away to get his brother Benjamin to come. 00:12:57.679 --> 00:13:05.600 And we catch up finally as Joseph reveals himself to his brothers in Genesis 45, verses 4 and 5. 00:13:05.759 --> 00:13:10.960 So Joseph said to his brothers, Come near to me, please. 00:13:12.320 --> 00:13:13.679 And they came near. 00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:15.519 And these brothers are so scared. 00:13:15.600 --> 00:13:18.639 I mean, Joseph has such a position of power. 00:13:19.039 --> 00:13:20.639 He can ruin them. 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:34.000 They come near and he said, I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt, and now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here. 00:13:34.799 --> 00:13:38.639 Can you imagine giving that freedom to somebody who's done that to you? 00:13:39.919 --> 00:13:44.240 For God sent me before you to preserve life. 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:47.600 I mean, I read that and I just go, what? 00:13:47.840 --> 00:13:50.000 Like, who has this attitude? 00:13:51.039 --> 00:13:54.960 Well, somebody who's been made nothing has this attitude. 00:13:56.799 --> 00:14:02.480 Somebody who probably realizes on some level, like, there's situations that he would do the same thing. 00:14:04.320 --> 00:14:08.639 Somebody who's come to terms with the fact that he doesn't have supreme control over his life. 00:14:10.559 --> 00:14:13.679 He sends them back to get dad. 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:16.240 He says, I'm going to take care of all of you. 00:14:17.279 --> 00:14:23.919 And then in verse 14, then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and he wept. 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:27.519 And Benjamin wept upon his neck. 00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:31.840 And he kissed all his brothers and he wept upon them. 00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:36.320 After that, his brothers talked with him. 00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:38.399 So there's the story. 00:14:38.799 --> 00:14:43.360 I have two points, really, really basic observations to be honest. 00:14:44.159 --> 00:14:50.000 The first one is this is that people make decisions, but God works in and beyond those decisions. 00:14:50.720 --> 00:14:51.919 People make decisions. 00:14:52.080 --> 00:14:53.519 We know people make decisions. 00:14:53.679 --> 00:14:56.320 You make decisions, people make good decisions, make bad decisions. 00:14:56.480 --> 00:15:01.120 People make decisions, but God works in and beyond those decisions. 00:15:01.279 --> 00:15:03.679 This is called God's sovereignty. 00:15:04.480 --> 00:15:07.120 Now you shouldn't expect to understand it. 00:15:08.240 --> 00:15:15.679 I mean, we can debate it, we can be frustrated with it, we can on, but at some level, we we should be in awe of it. 00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:22.480 And we should be in awe of the God who can redeem horrible things. 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:25.440 Because he sees all things. 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:29.120 This is like a classic sermon illustration. 00:15:29.279 --> 00:15:30.639 Maybe you've been in a sermon. 00:15:30.720 --> 00:15:33.279 Like if you've been around, you're like, I already know where this one's going. 00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:39.200 It's just, I think I saw this sermon illustration maybe 15 years ago and I still think about it. 00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:42.159 And this is what we see. 00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:45.200 That's what we see. 00:15:45.519 --> 00:15:47.360 We are limited. 00:15:47.679 --> 00:15:49.519 We do not see the whole picture. 00:15:49.759 --> 00:15:51.600 We don't see what's in the upper right corner. 00:15:51.759 --> 00:15:53.519 We don't see what's in the lower right corner. 00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:55.279 We do not see the whole picture. 00:15:55.519 --> 00:15:57.279 You are limited by time. 00:15:59.200 --> 00:16:00.799 I am limited by time. 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:03.279 I am limited by ignorance. 00:16:04.720 --> 00:16:08.879 I am limited by my own depravity, my selfishness. 00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:13.679 God's different, right? 00:16:13.919 --> 00:16:18.480 And here's the great thing about the sermon illustration is that God's different. 00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:25.440 And he sees not one little part. 00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:28.399 He sees the whole picture. 00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:32.720 He sees 20 years from now, 30 years from now. 00:16:33.279 --> 00:16:35.440 He didn't even think of it that way because he's outside of time. 00:16:35.759 --> 00:16:37.039 So he doesn't even think about it that way. 00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:39.919 I mean, you I mean that's what should blow your mind. 00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:43.279 But he sees the whole thing. 00:16:45.279 --> 00:16:53.279 Isn't it interesting in the story, God's pretty much not mentioned in the story of Joseph until Joseph declares to his brothers who he is? 00:16:54.960 --> 00:16:55.679 Do you get that? 00:16:55.840 --> 00:16:59.919 See, the reason why is because it took time for Joseph to see it. 00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:02.000 And that's sort of point number two. 00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:05.440 Point number two is we recognize suffering quickly, right? 00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:09.440 Like we recognize it as soon as the comfort's gone, as soon as the pain is felt. 00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:16.640 We recognize suffering very quickly, but it usually takes much longer to see redemption. 00:17:17.920 --> 00:17:28.400 And Joseph's story is full of difficult happenings, and he doesn't get the whole picture, and it takes for him ten years. 00:17:28.640 --> 00:17:33.119 And then he can say to his brothers, hey, don't blame yourselves. 00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:34.240 You're free. 00:17:34.559 --> 00:17:36.559 God's done something through this. 00:17:38.799 --> 00:17:41.839 This week our family was walking to breakfast. 00:17:42.079 --> 00:17:43.680 So Christy and I are behind. 00:17:43.759 --> 00:17:50.640 The two older girls are riding their bikes, little helmets on, little pigtails flopping around, little pedaling going, right? 00:17:50.720 --> 00:17:52.480 Just cute as can be, right? 00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:57.519 Like you can't love little people more like watching them. 00:17:58.400 --> 00:18:11.519 And like you watch something like that with little people that you love or big people that you love, and you watch something like that, and then you read this story, and you go, I sort of just like maybe want to rip this story and maybe the book of Job just out of the Bible. 00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:15.440 Like that would be convenient just to kind of rip them out. 00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:21.599 Because we'd like to pretend that there's no possibility of something horrible happening to people we love. 00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:38.480 I'd like to pretend like I'm not gonna get a phone call and then be in my friend Stuart's house two days after he killed himself, and myself and his family members have to rotate leaving the room because we are weeping so hard. 00:18:39.519 --> 00:18:49.200 I'd like to pretend I won't have to walk with you through cancer, or you walk with me through cancer, or divorce, or addiction. 00:18:51.200 --> 00:18:52.559 But here's my point. 00:18:52.880 --> 00:19:03.920 We have to wrap our hearts around Joseph so that when our Joseph moment comes in a small little way or a big way, that the suffering doesn't end us. 00:19:05.680 --> 00:19:09.920 But we can endure it in faith and hope in a God who loves us. 00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:17.359 We love to put this on t-shirts in the Christian world. 00:19:17.519 --> 00:19:26.319 And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose. 00:19:26.640 --> 00:19:30.480 See, nothing is for nothing in God's economy. 00:19:32.480 --> 00:19:39.680 You may not know the why of your difficulty, but that's because you only see, you only see part of the picture. 00:19:40.319 --> 00:19:42.160 You don't see the whole thing. 00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:43.680 You can't see the whole thing. 00:19:43.839 --> 00:19:46.400 Don't even expect to be able to see the whole thing. 00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:50.960 And in all the moments we wonder and we don't understand, we have the cross to cling to. 00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:55.119 It's a statement in history that God loves you. 00:19:55.279 --> 00:20:02.720 Though you're imperfect, though you're flawed, though you're sinful, though you respond to suffering imperfectly, it's a statement in history for us to be able to grab hold of. 00:20:02.960 --> 00:20:05.519 When God's silent, when it's dark. 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:14.000 We live in an imperfect world and we are imperfect people and we react to suffering imperfectly, but we are perfectly loved. 00:20:14.079 --> 00:20:20.000 And he's not waiting to love us when we have a better version of ourselves until we respond to suffering in a better way. 00:20:20.880 --> 00:20:22.880 Let me close with this quote. 00:20:23.440 --> 00:20:25.839 Pastor and author John Piper. 00:20:27.440 --> 00:20:39.119 Not only is all your affliction momentary, not only is all your affliction light in comparison to eternity and the glory there, but all of it is totally meaningful. 00:20:39.279 --> 00:20:51.599 Every millisecond of your pain from the fallen nature or fallen man, every millisecond of your misery and the path of obedience is producing a peculiar glory you will get because of that. 00:20:51.839 --> 00:20:54.400 I don't care if it was cancer or criticism. 00:20:54.559 --> 00:20:58.559 I don't care if it was slander or sickness, it wasn't meaningless. 00:20:58.640 --> 00:21:00.880 It's doing something, it's not meaningless. 00:21:00.960 --> 00:21:10.079 When your mom dies, when your kid dies, when you've got cancer at 40, when a car careens into the sidewalk and takes her out, don't say that's meaningless. 00:21:10.160 --> 00:21:10.640 It's not. 00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:14.559 It's working for you an eternal weight of glory. 00:21:15.519 --> 00:21:18.319 Therefore, do not lose heart. 00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:21.680 But take these truths and day by day focus on them. 00:21:21.839 --> 00:21:24.160 Preach them to yourself every morning. 00:21:24.400 --> 00:21:34.000 Get alone with God and preach his word into your mind until your heart sings with confidence that you are new and cared for. 00:21:34.640 --> 00:21:36.079 Let's pray to God. 00:21:36.960 --> 00:21:46.000 God, we thank you that you care for us in the midst of our own decisions that cause suffering. 00:21:48.319 --> 00:21:51.839 In the midst of decisions made around us that cause suffering. 00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:56.319 Thank you that you work in them, you work beyond them. 00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:04.480 Help us in the midst of darkness to know you're still there. 00:22:06.319 --> 00:22:09.359 In the midst of silence to know that we're never alone. 00:22:12.319 --> 00:22:18.720 In the midst of only seeing a a a tiny small part of the picture. 00:22:20.640 --> 00:22:21.680 Would you help us? 00:22:21.839 --> 00:22:26.000 Would you increase our faith in you who who sees the the picture? 00:22:26.319 --> 00:22:27.440 Who sees it all? 00:22:34.720 --> 00:22:39.920 Forgive us for all of our lack of faith when it comes to how we walk through suffering. 00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:42.000 And we thank you for your grace. 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:43.359 That's more than enough. 00:22:43.680 --> 00:22:44.640 In Jesus' name. 00:22:44.799 --> 00:22:45.279 Amen.