THE LIFE AND CALLING OF JOSEPH

 

1. JOSEPH RECEIVED COLOURFUL ROBE - Genesis 37:2, 3

•      Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.

•      ³ Now Israel 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.

The “coat of many colours” Jacob gave to Joseph (see Genesis 37:3) is thought to represent the fact that Joseph received the birth right. Remember that although Joseph was the firstborn son of Rachel, he was the eleventh son born.

2. JOSEPH STRANGE DREAMS - Genesis 37:2-11

5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”

8 His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.

9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

Joseph’s life illustrates how trusting God through dark times can lead to greater blessing.

From a young age, Joseph learned from God that he was destined for great things. Joseph dreamed that his brothers and father would one day bow to him (Genesis 37:1 – 11). However, Joseph needed to continue to trust God through some difficult trials before realizing those visions.

“When writing about the significance of spiritual dreams, I want to be perfectly clear that a person is not to live their life by dreams, but by the Word of God. A true dream or vision will always be in agreement with the written Scriptures, and will complement the will of God in a person’s life.” -Perry Stone

2a. DREAMS CAN REVEAL YOUR CALLING

•      If we look a little deeper into Joseph’s dreams you will see it reveals his calling to leadership. God sent these dreams to him at the young age of 17. God was grooming him internally for what was to come.

•      What Joseph didn’t realize was what it was going to take to be groomed to that level of leadership.

•      Sometimes when God sends us a dream He can be revealing our calling and His will for our lives.

2b. Joseph Boasted About His Dreams

Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.” – GENESIS 37: 3-7

His boasting pushed his brother’s to the edge that led him down a very difficult and humbling road. Yes, it led him to the palace but there was a price to be paid for his pride. 

The bible says in Proverbs 16:18 - Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. - King James Version

2c. Joseph Calling Was Not Received

His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. – GENESIS 37:8

Not Everyone Will Receive Your Calling. Joseph’s brothers and parents both got upset by what the dreams meant. How could he have a “bigger” calling than them? Joseph was the youngest of the family.

3. JOSEPH SOLD TO SLAVERY - Genesis 37:12-36

23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing— 24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.

25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.

26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let’s 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.

28 So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels[b] of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.

The enemy wants us to bind us when God call us into His plan.

When Joseph was young, his brothers sold him into slavery to rid themselves of his annoying habits (Genesis 37:12 – 28). Soon after Joseph received a promotion in his slave master’s house, he became the victim of more adversity. His master’s wife falsely accused Joseph of trying to seduce her, and Joseph was thrown into prison. But the Lord was with him (Genesis 39).

 4. JOSEPH IN POTIPHAR HOUSE

“Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt.  And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. - Genesis 39:1–2

Joseph’s life illustrates how trusting God through dark times can lead to greater blessing. God says in His own words that Joseph was a successful man. God’s way of success is contrary to the world’s definition. The worldly ways measure success on what you have done, what you have accomplished and what you have accumulated. It is based entirely on you focusing all your time, money, energy and resources in meriting titles and collecting accomplishments. Success is not what you have but WHO you have in life. 

4a. JOSEPH FOUND FAVOUR

⁴ Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. ⁵ From the time he put him in charge of his household and of 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. ⁶ 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.

Because of God’s blessing and Joseph’s faithfulness, God made sure Joseph was advanced in his position, even as a slave.

But Joseph believed God could bless him right where he was, so he didn’t wait for a better situation to be blessed by God. Thank God the Bible records a picture of Joseph who began with nothing, so that you and I can have hope today.

4b. JOSEPH WAS ACCUSED

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”

8 But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9 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?” 10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.

11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.

13 When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house,

14 she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. 15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”

16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18 But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”

5. JOSEPH IN PRISON - Genesis 39:1-23

But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 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. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

“He never said a word, that I can learn, about Potiphar’s wife. It seemed necessary to his own defense, but he would not accuse the woman; he let judgment go by default, and left her to her own conscience and her husband’s cooler consideration. This showed great power; it is hard for a man to compress his lips, saying nothing when his character is at stake. So eloquent was Joseph in his silence that there is not a word of complaint throughout the whole record of his life.” (Spurgeon)

6. JOSEPH INTERPRETS ROYAL DREAMS - Genesis 40:1-23

The Cupbearer and the Baker

“Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them.

In prison, Joseph earned a position of notice. He served and ministered in prison.(Prison Ministry).  He helped his fellow prisoner, Pharaoh’s cupbearer, by interpreting his dreams. But when the cupbearer was released from prison, he neglected to mention Joseph to Pharaoh. Joseph remained a prisoner for two more years (Genesis 40; 41:1).

7. JOSEPH INTERPRETS PHAROAH’S DREAM - Genesis 41:1-38

⁹ Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. ¹⁰ Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. ¹¹ Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. ¹² Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. ¹³ And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.”

¹⁴ So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.

¹⁵ 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.”

Ultimately, Joseph was given the opportunity to successfully interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. Pharaoh then promoted him as second-in-command over all Egypt (Genesis 41), providing a great example of how “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

8. JOSEPH WAS PROMOTED BY PHAROAH - Genesis 41:41-43

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." Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.”

From a Pit to Potiphar’s house; to Prison and to Palace.  Promotion is from the Lord. Joseph is in charge of Egypt

41 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command,[a] and people shouted before him, “Make way!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.

9. JOSEPH FAMILY BOW TO HIM

5 So the sons of Israel joined those who were coming to buy grain for there was no food in Canaan. 6 Joseph was the ruler of the land. He was the one who sold grain to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed to the ground in front of him. 7 When Joseph saw his brothers, he knew who they were. But he acted like a stranger and spoke sharp words to them. He said, “Where have you come from?” They answered, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” – Genesis 42:5-7

In the end, Joseph’s family did bow to him. When it happened, Joseph demonstrated incredible humility and faith by assuring them that what they had planned for evil — his brothers selling him into slavery — God had meant for good.

10. JOSEPH LAST DAYS AND VISION  - Genesis 50:26

 26 So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. 26 So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.    

  Hebrews 11:22 - “By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.”

To the end of his life, Joseph continued to trust God and believe God’s promise that the Israelites would one day return to the Promised Land.

APPLICATION

1. The life of Joseph clearly demonstrates the faithfulness of God in every situation. Regardless of what Joseph faced, be it false accusations, imprisonment, persecution, deception against him, abandonment, and even betrayal by his own family, God was always faithful to Joseph.
2. The second major lesson to draw from the life of Joseph is that not only was God faithful to Joseph, but Joseph was faithful to God.
3. Joseph being faithful to God. He also maintained a relationship with God and learned to hear His voice.

     4. Joseph handled his life in the Lord is that Joseph was a good steward of what the Lord gave him. We are called to be good steward of God.

     5. We have covered faithfulness but another side of it is provision. Throughout the book of Genesis we see this theme as The Lord is My Provider, Jehova Jireh.

The LORD was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master and in the palace of Pharaoh.

      6. The topic of forgiveness is deep and very important to a Christian walk. We are told to forgive those who have wronged us even up to 70×7. Even though Joseph had every right to be angry and to seek vengeance, he chose the higher road and extended forgiveness.

      7. Joseph demonstrated what it means to rely on God and receive His wisdom for the things that we have to face in our lives.

PRAYER

•      Heavenly Father, Like Joseph, I pray that I will stand for holiness and do what pleases you regardless of the consequences. Lord, please provide me with the power to flee all temptations and pursue righteousness. As Joseph did with his brothers, help me to show compassion and extend forgiveness towards those who have wronged me. During my own difficult seasons, help me to still look out for the interest of others and offer help when needed.

•      Help me to know your faithfulness and in turn be faithful to you as good steward. Help me to apply spiritual wisdom and vision in my daily life. 

•      In Jesus Name, Amen.