And whatever he did, theLordmade it succeed. My mom will tell you that, growing up, I would ask about dinner plans every day. There is coming a day when those who are faithful, even to death (Revelation 2:10) will hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant. 0000011515 00000 n One must be willing to accept the 1. Joseph had a lot of things going his way in life at first. His life was not fair and he was punished for sins he did not commit. Love GOD with All your Heart mind soul and spirit. And then you sit tight.. And of course, we can look forward to the day when all the bad things will be forgotten, and we can spend an eternity closer to God than ever before. In this one, the sun, the moon and the stars were bowing down to him. And that leader would Belief In Gods Plan: Josephs total confidence in God is maybe the most important lesson to take away from his life. They decided to dump him into a hole and leave him there to perish. He has revealed this plan to us in His Word, and He expects us to take it as our guide in all things, great and small. He put in every city the food from the fields around it. Just as Joseph trusted God, we too can trust God this Christmas season and follow his And as he sought to trust and obey God during that terribly lonely, desolate time, things went from bad to worse. 0000022824 00000 n But we must keep in mind that if we dont apply these teachings, they wont help us at all. Each vignette holds pertinent lessons about conduct, righteousness, and what it means to live according to Gods Word. He did as the angel of God commanded him. And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured (Genesis 41:47-49). And I would argue that Joseph had a lot of growing to do. His timeline is different than mine. !.However, He started with me in the Book of Proverb. It can seem like living up to the life of Joseph is impossible, but God calls us all to different destinations. Sometimes faithfulness to God and his word sets us on a course where circumstances get worse, not better. As he did with Joseph, God will provide for those who abide in him and obey him. Patience and perseverance in the time of troubles. Joseph, therefore, approached this circumstance with caution and wisdom. Relying On Gods Direction Will Help You get Ready For The Future: God gave Joseph the gift of dream interpretation throughout his life. But God had mysteriously woven human deception and immorality into his plan to make that happen. Yet even in jail, the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison (Genesis 39:21). In her book, I Give Up, Laura Story shares this exchange with a Pastor named Bill. He did a great job and rose to the top position in each setting, but no one was going to let him out. He was the first son born to Jacob through Rachel, and therefore, he was his fathers favorite As I said at the beginning of this post, our family has endured a really tough year. His brothers hated him and sold him into slavery; he spent years in jail for choosing not to engage in sin, and he was forgotten by those he helped for quite some time. There were seven years of feast before there were seven years of famine. His siblings misled their father into thinking that Joseph had been attacked and eaten by a wild animal. It may have taken decades, but he was able to see why God put him through so many trials and tribulations. Also see: Best Books Every Woman Should Read. WebJoseph's story covers 20 chapters, and in that considerable space Joseph receives less criticism and more praise than any of the other patriarchs, and probably than any other non-divine being in the Bible. But then one day his entire life changed. Peter: Leaders recover from failure. While most people will not be the leaders of great countries or mighty empires, Joseph walked with the Lord, and his character - the virtues he lived by - are attainable for the believer who walks with the Lord. As a young and handsome man, he drew the sinful attention of Potiphars wife, and she tried to seduce him. In ancient Rome, the magpie was associated with magic and fortune telling. What challenges did Joseph face, and what do you learn about him? I need to wait on God. Joseph faced many of the same problems faced by all fathers, even today - trying to make a good living to support his family. 0000010730 00000 n He attracted Potiphars wifes attention by being young and attractive, and she attempted to seduce him. Its the perfect example of how many of us think yes! They had traveled another twelve miles away to Dothan. They sent a message to Joseph saying that Jacob wanted him to forgive his brothers. As far as the narrative is concerned, Joseph was neither arrogant nor naive in telling the dreams to his brothers; he was right. It wasnt the only document that did so. Jacob's smile filled Joseph's mind. Hopefully, God will reveal to you the reason (or at least part of the reason) behind your suffering. Who are the main characters in the story of Joseph? sin is sin. It teaches leadership as well as spirituality. He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. And while many Western christians today would say they dont believe the prosperity gospel, few of us would stomach the idea of suffering for thirteen years. The name is also found in the New Testament as the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus. And while I am far from perfect, I dont believe that God allowed what happened because of pride. If there is a problem, I want to solve it as quickly as possible. He had great success because of his faith. What challenges did Joseph face in the Bible? Every story contains instructive lessons about behavior, righteousness, and what it means to live by Gods Word, whether you are seeking a lesson for a kid, a young adult, or someone who is well past middle age. He endured great hardship. Enjoyed this post? They had been unusually powerful, unlike any others before or since. WebWhen I say physically from sickness, from disease, from lack and want it means, it is the will of God for us to prosper in all areas of our lives. Salem Media Group. From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, theLordblessed the Egyptians housefor Josephs sake; the blessing of theLordwas on all that he had, in house and field. Patience and grace are important, as Joseph illustrated. The first comes from a declaration made by Joseph to his brothers, As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good (Genesis 50:20a). He has a plan, well and wisely ordered. It can be difficult to wait during the bad times, but it can also be difficult to wait during the good times. Waynesboro: Authentic Media, 2006. WebJoseph felt more isolated every day; his brothers avoided him, whispered when they saw him and often ridiculed his honesty and integrity. Perhaps I see pride in him because I see it in myself and Ive seen countless others deal with it. In fairness, he was seventeen and most teenagers think the world of themselves. The procedure went well, but on the second day our son started refusing to take his medicine. Joseph dreaded the night in this foul Egyptian hellhole. If we study their lives in Sacred Scripture, Jesus, Mary and Joseph offer us three important steps. 0000013379 00000 n Joseph was given the knowledge and direction by God to do this challenging task: Due to this, Egypts population survived the famine buyers traveled from all over the world to buy food during that period. When he was reunited with his brothers, he could say sincerely, And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve lifeAnd God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. This of course applies to acts of theft, whether great or small, discovered or hidden. He was the favored son of his fathers favorite wife, Rachel. All materials posted on the site are strictly for informational and educational purposes! Potiphars wife becomes attracted to Joseph and attempts to sleep with him multiple times. Note: Pure, active, and joyous, the lad [Joseph] gave evidence also of moral earnestness and firmness. Either way, God calls us to continue worshipping Him and doing the best work we can to bless others. But the truth is, He may not. His life became a powerful example of how a godly person can overcome adversities. But he spent at least 12 years there before he suddenly became Prime Minister. Joseph was only 17 years old when we see God working in his life. Joseph resisted her repeated attempts to persuade him to sin. But he made them wait an agonizing 25 years before giving them Grandfather Isaac. Despite her many attempts to lure Joseph into sin, Joseph would not sin, But he refused and said to his masters wife, Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. *}L[V--C4j'A@K$j6_.st;49[y46sCePV?_)5yP3o%Bfilnw~_a\zr%CASb#S{Q^GT9-9X|3~:c';"s)ZqPv,+;3#LH)"Kmt0O !}n.$QcrfO%oY)TsIe~G\)/t3&+:A:7hmc2%#Hd y6F x)u_v(?Evnm\-r4FS^QZSEhZ\UwO(E}]Lq=_M2,}V{-$S{Q God does not want the issues of life to weigh us down as believers. We can easily see why our world lacks patience. And yet, we are never promised this. They were afraid to approach him, but he said, Come near to me please (Genesis 45:4b). This challenge focuses on; identity, favour, integrity, jealousy and forgiveness. The second half of the book of Genesis tells the history of one family, beginning with Abraham, and following down to his great-grandchildren - the sons of Jacob. WebJoseph, Overcoming Obstacles Through Faithfulness. God would be their God by His presence as well as by His word.(Clowney, 2013, p. 113) Mosesstory was presented in the Old Testament of the book of exodus begins with the obstacle of him escaping death as an infant. These are the generations of Jacob. Despite being betrayed by his brothers and ending up a slave in a foreign country, things seem to finally be turning positive for Joseph. Joseph has an unnerving lack of foresight, with most of his plans being conceived moments before theyre implemented. The last great pyramid Mummification People often associate Egypt with mummies. I have much for which to be thankful! Genesis 50 ends the story with Josephs most famous quote. 0000000959 00000 n God will take care of those who love and obey him, just like he did with Joseph. Instead of keeping this to himself, Joseph lets everyone know. Joseph will lead the way on preparing for the 7 years of famine, and he does an amazing job. We can see how God operates in the big picture via Josephs tale. The angel known as the Satan (Hebrew for the adversary), as told in the Imagine the pain of his brothers' betrayal, the separation from his father, the horror of slavery, the seduction and false accusation by Potiphar's wife, and the desperation he felt as his youth passed away in prison. When the seven years of good harvests came, Joseph developed a stockpiling system to store the grain for use during the coming drought. 0000000016 00000 n He forgave them, embraced them, and fed them. 0000037023 00000 n For Joseph, even though it looked like horrible things were happening in his life, the challenges were a training ground to get where God wanted him to be ! Read Matthew 2:19-23. In the biblical account it's tempting to only see Joseph's heroic character and achievements. There are several options for rapid pleasure available to us in todays environment. He sent His son to die for us because His love for us is so extravagant. Key-verse for Life of Joseph: The Lord was with Joseph. I may not get it, I may not trust Him at times, and I certainly cannot understand it, but God does actually want the best for me. Joseph understood the lesson fleshed out in his own fathers experienceGod is real! All rights reserved. At various stages of his life, Joseph was a His brothers, already jealous, became furious. Character Formation. If you want to show the kind of patience Joseph did during difficult times, then stay as close to God as possible. Joseph was prepared to forget their transgressions and welcome them back into his life, but first, he had to decide whether they merited another chance. There was no water to drink. It spans decades and fourteen chapters of the Bible. Learn about good storytelling and the over-arching narrative in the Bible with this free course. The last year has been pretty tough for a lot of different reasons, and Im ready to move out of this season. I have no idea what my being in an Egyptian prison has to do with your purposes. She accuses Joseph of sexual assault, and so Joseph gets thrown in jail. We must not be tired or weary in the face of challenges. Some prosper materially and financially, but their spiritual life is in darkness. What God has planned for you will never be affected by the envy of others or their actual attempts to obstruct you. He constantly got thrown under the bus, and then responded by continuing to work with integrity for those around him. Dont give up on God. WebGod was with Joseph every step of the way. Step 1: Seek Gods Will in All Things. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Remembering these two themes, and learning from the Biblical example of Joseph, can bring believers closer to their Lord. The power would have risen to his head rather quickly, and he could not have led the way that people needed him to lead. What Does Colossians 2:6-7 Teach Us about Our Faith Walk? The feminine form of the name Joseph, which is taken from the Hebrew name Yosef, meaning (YHWH) shall grow.. I think I read in the Student Bible that it had to more with being naive and undiscretionary when he was a 17 year old boy. All these problems disappear when we start with the reliable history and chronology of the Bible. Web14 Joseph was cautious. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zipah, his fathers wives. He was immaturehe didnt stop to think of the hurt that his actions could cause. Joseph is my Bible hero. 125 32 Origin. Pharaoh was told the dream by Joseph. We have no idea how long Joseph labored for Potiphar as these events began to unfold. You and I are not likely to have gone through what Joseph did at this time. This is not just a Bible story; Joseph was a real-life person like you and like me. Unselfishly he offered to interpret the dreams of his two fellow prisoners, telling them that the knowledge came from God (see Genesis 40:8). 0000010258 00000 n Which council established the canon of the Bible? Fists to his forehead he pleaded again with God in the dark for deliverance. We need to demonstrate that we can lead well with small things before we can lead with big things. To most it would seem an absurd notionbut not to Job. Great! Especially considering that he told everyone about a second dream where his whole family bows to him. Ill share why the story has encouraged me, and why I think it can benefit any modern person going through a time of feast or famine. His youth was seeping out the cracks of his cage. He did the right thing, even when he could not see the purpose or the light at the end of the tunnel. Faith in God's future grace for us is what sustains us in those desperate moments. He wisely feared Herods successor, Archelaus, who was likewise vicious and murderous.

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