(Gen. 37:1-4)
Jacob, now called Israel, continued to live in Canaan. Israel loved Joseph more than any of his sons because he had been borIn to him in his old age. He made a richly ornamented robe for him, and his brothers were jealous of him. They hated Joseph and could not speak a kind word to him.
(Gen. 37:5-6) Joseph had a dream which caused his brothers to hate him. Joseph said: (Gen. 37:7-8) 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." 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. Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. (Gen. 37:9)... "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me."
When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said: (Gen. 37:10) 10,.. "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. Who stirred jealousy among the sons of Jacob? Remember that Satan in the beginning was jealous of Adam's position with God. He tempted Adam and Eve to sin that they might die. Remember Cain? He was jealous of Abel and killed him. What do you think Joseph's jealous brothers will do to him?
(Gen. 37:11-34) One day Israel sent Joseph to check on his brothers who were grazing their flocks near Shechem. When they saw Joseph coming, they plotted to kill him. However, they changed their mind when they saw some Ishmaelite merchants going to Egypt. They sold Joseph for twenty shekels of silver and the the Ishmaelites took him to Egypt. Then they put blood on Joseph's robe and told their father that some ferocious animal devoured Joseph. Israel mourned for his son for many days. What stirred Joseph's brothers to want to kill him? What stirred them to lie to their father Israel? Remember that Satan became the first murderer and liar because of SIN. He tempted Cain to kill Abel. Surely Joseph's brothers were clearly following sin and the dictates of Satan. Gen. 37:36; 39:1-5) Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials.
While in Egypt, the LORD prospered and gave Joseph success in everything he did. Potiphar put him in charge of his household and the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. (Gen. 39:6-17) Joseph was well-built and handsomne. His master's wife took notice of him. One day, she caught him by his cloak and tried to force him to sleep with her. Joseph ran away from her, but she accused Joseph before her husband. What stirred Potiphar's wife to desire Joseph who is not her husband? Remember the people of Sodom and Gomorrah? God destroyed them because of sexual sins. Remember the people during Noah's time? They gave in to sinfulness. God destroyed them all except Noah who feared God. Surely Satan was working through sin in order to destroy Joseph. Joseph fled and refused to sin with her. God hates sin and Joseph knew it. Joseph was also born a sinner but Joseph did not give in to sinful- ness. He fled from sin for Joseph feared and loved God.
(Gen. 39:20-23) Potiphar put Joseph in prison but the LORD was with him. God granted him tavor in the eyes of the prison warden. The warden put Joseph in charge of the prisoners and God gave him success in whatever he did. God blessed Joseph because despite all the temptations, Joseph sided with God by hating and fleeing from sin. What made Joseph able to resist sin while others are not? (Gen. 40:1-23) Later, Pharaoh's cupbearer and the baker were put in prison with Joseph. After a time, each of them had a dream the same night. God gave Joseph wisdom to interpret their dreams. True to Joseph's interpretation, on the third day, Pharaoh restored the chief cupbearer to serve him but he hanged the chief baker as Joseph said. The cupbearer however, forgot Joseph.
(Gen. 41:1-7) Two years later, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile, when out of the river came up seven fat cows and they grazed among the reeds. Then seven ugly and thin cows came up out of Nile and ate the seven fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. Again he had a second dream: Seven heads of healthy grain grew on a single stalk. Then seven other heads of thin grain sprouted and swallowed the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up. (Gen. 41:8-14) In the morning Pharaoh sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt but no one could interpret his dream. This time, the cupbearer remembered Joseph. So Pharaoh sent for Joseph. (Gen. 41:15-16) 15 Pharaoh şaid 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." 16 "I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires." (Gen. 41:17-36) 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 and the seven good heads of grain are seven years of abundance. The seven lean, ugly cows and the severn worthless heads of grain who devour the fat cows and good grains are seven years of famine that God will allow to come upon the land. Then Joseph advised Pharaoh to store up grain and food reserves for the country to save Egypt from famine. (Gen. 41:37-44) Joseph's advice pleased Pharaoh and he also recognized God's Spirit upon Joseph. So Pharaoh made Joseph in charge of the whole land of Egypt. His palace and all the king's people were to submit to Joseph's orders. Pharaoh put his signet ring on Joseph. He dressed Joseph in a fine linen robe and put a gold chain around his neck. He had Joseph ride in a chariot as his second-in-command. Thus Joseph became the prime minister of Egypt. (Gen. 41:45-42) Pharaoh gave Asenath, daughter of a priest, to Joseph as his wife. Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh. Then he traveled throughout Egypt storing huge quantities of grain. Two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath. His firstborn was Manasseh and the second son was Ephraim. Joseph has the Spirit of God!
God the Holy Spirit is the one that made Joseph resist sin and enabled him to interpret Pharaoh's dream. God blessed Joseph and even the king of Egypt because they depended on God and not on magicians and so-called wise men who can read and foretell the future. Because Joseph had faith in God and the Pharaoh believed God's words through Joseph, and not the words of the magicians and fore tellers, God gave them wisdom to be safe from famine. The God of Abraham saved the whole of Egypt from famine because their king trusted in the God of Abraham, Isaac, Israel and Joseph. (Gen. 41:43-47) Finally famine came to Egypt and in all the other lands, but there was food in Egypt. All the countries came to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the world. (Gen. 42:1-8) Joseph's brothers came to buy grain in Egypt.
Joseph now governed Egypt and was the one who sold grain. When Joseph's brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. Then Joseph remembered his dreams. (Gen. 42:9-45:8) Joseph did not make himself known to his brothers for a while. He put them to test so they will bring his brother Benjamin to Egypt. When Benjamin came, Joseph could no longer pretend. He wept so loud and made himself known to his brothers. Joseph stunned his brothers almost to panic becau se they remembered the evil they had done to him. However, Joseph kissed and assured them saying: (Gen. 45:5-7) ...do not be distressed and 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 not be plowing and 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. God is ALL-KNOWING and WISE. He turned Satan's work and used it to save Abraham's descendants from famine. Satan is nothing compared to God. No one who sides with Satan can win over God.
(Gen. 45:9-47:26) Then Joseph sent for his father Israel to live in Egypt. As they went. (Gen. 46:1-4) ... Israel,. offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. And God spoke to Israel in a vision at nit and said, "Jacobl Jacob!" "Here I am," he repli 3"I am God, the God of your father," he said "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there, I will go do to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes" So they went to Egypt and Jacob took every. thing he had, his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters-all his off. spring. Pharaoh welcomed them and directed Joseph to settle Jacob's clan in the best land of Egypt. The members of Jacob's family who came to Egypt including Joseph's two sons, were seventy in all. God the creator who is the God of Abraham and Isaac is good "to Jacob be cause Jacob believed, trusted in Him and valued His promises. Because Jacob trusted in God, he was no longer afraid. He obeyed God and went to Egypt for God promised to make him into a great nation there, and then He will bring them back to Canaan. (Gen. 47:27-50:13) The Israelites (descendants of Israel) settled in the region of Goshen. They gained property, became very fruitful and many. Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years and died at the age of one hundred and forty-seven years. Before Jacob died, he blessed all his sons, including Joseph's sons which he counted as his sons. He gave these instructions: (Gen. 49:29-31).."I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in ... 30 the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan... 31 There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah. After giving them his last instructions, he died. Joseph and his brothers mourned Israel's death. They embalmed him and took him to Canaan where they buried him in the field of Machpelah as Jacob had said. Jacob valued God's promises up to the time of his death. He wanted to be buried in Canaan because God promised Abraham to give Canaan to his descendants and make them into a great nation. Jacob had great faith in God like his father Isaac and Abraham.
We, too, should follow the example of Jacob or Israel. We must value and trust God's promises until we die. Let us not be like Esau who for a bowl of food sold his birthright for God's blessing to satisfy his earthly needs. God?
(Gen. 50:14-26) After burying his father, Joseph's his brothers and all the others returned to Egypt. Joseph's brothers asked Joseph's forgiveness for the evil they had done to him in the past. They feared and respected Joseph. God prospered the Israelites in Egypt. They became so many as God promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Joseph lived to an old age and died at the age of a hundred and ten. They embalmed and placed him in a coffin in Egypt... but they promised to bury him in Canaan-the land that God promised them. (Exo. 1:1-7) These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family:
Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.
The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all; Joseph was already in Egypt. Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly many, and so the land was filled with them.
Application
The story of Joseph has taught us that Satan continues to do his evil work through SIN Sinful Inherited Nature) within us. Satan could star jealousy within us which could make us kill and lie like Joseph's brothers. SIN could make us desire someone else's wife or husband and accuse others falsely like Potiphar's wife. Satan to follow sin and his temptations. But God wants us to resist, hate sin and flee likes for us flee from it like Joseph. We could do that if we have
God they brought Joseph to Pharaoh and God revealed that Pharaoh's dream meant there will1 they be 7 years of abundance in Egypt and then 7 years of famine will come to Egypt and all over the world. Recognizing God's Spirit upon Joseph, Pharaoh made Joseph prime minister of Egypt and they started storing food for seven years. Then famine came according to God's word through Joseph. Joseph's family came to Egypt to buy food, and the forgiving Joseph was reunited with his brothers. Unbelievable as it was to his family, Jacob came to Joseph and lived in Egypt in Goshen with God's assurance that God will make Jacob's descendants a great nation in Egypt and shall bring them back to Canaan. In Egypt, Jacob's descendants multiplied and became exceedingly many even after the death of Joseph and his brothers. The land was filled with them and they were called the ISRAELITES. ATION the Spirit of God like Joseph. But you know what? We cannot overcome sin if we don't have God's Spirit within us like Joseph no matter how much we would try. Didn't God promise to send a SAVIOR save us from Satan, sin and death? Very soo we will learn from our upcoming story how w can receive God's Spirit after the promis SAVIOR fulfills the prophecy of the anin burnt sacrifices. For now, you must resolve.
your will and heart to hate sin, not to trust in magicians and foretellers, and not to side with Satan by following sin and evil. Instead, wve must side with God by believing and trusting in His words. Have faith in the God of Abrahamn, Isaac, Israel and Jacob for He is the only true living God who was the creator of man and everything. If we side with God, He will bless us in ouar present life, in the future and even in our spiritual existence when we die. Remember Jacob? He remained trusting and valuing God's promises unto his death. Jacob never consulted the magicians and foretellers to save him from be existing spiritually with his father Isaac, death. Jacob knew that when he died, he would C, Abraham and the rest of his family who believed and trusted in God for he said: (Gen. 49:29-30) I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in ... 30 the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, .. Jacob knew he would be with his loved ones in his spiritual existence when he died, but the living will bury his body.
Let's have a coffee...
Hari
Blessings...