Now Israel (Jacob) LOVED JOSEPH MORE than ALL HIS 11 BROTHERS, he made Joseph a coat of many colors.” (Genesis 37:3) “Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and THEY HATED HIM even more. Joseph said, we were binding sheaves in the field. Then, my sheaf arose; and your sheaves stood all around and BOWED DOWN to my sheaf.” (Genesis 37:5, 7) More hatred. “Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers are feeding the flock in Shechem.” (Joseph was not there helping them, which made them hate him all the more). “Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks and bring back word to me.” (Genesis 37:13-14) “Now when they saw him afar off, they CONSPIRED AGAINST HIM TO KILL HIM. Then they, “Look, this dreamer is coming! Come, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will BECOME OF HIS DREAMS!“ (Genesis 37:18-20) Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but CAST HIM INTO THIS PIT which is in the wilderness.” (Genesis 37:22) Some Midianite traders passed by; so, the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.” (Genesis 37:28)
So, how is your day going so far? Remember, “…we know that ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD to those WHO LOVE GOD, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) “Now the Midianites had SOLD JOSEPH in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.” (Genesis 37:36) “The LORD WAS WITH JOSEPH, Potiphar, his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper. So, Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and ALL THAT HE HAD HE PUT UNDER JOSEPH’S AUTHORITY.” (Genesis 39:2-4)
“…after these things Potiphar’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “LIE WITH ME.” (Genesis 39:7) “…as she spoke to Joseph DAY BY DAY, he refused to sleep with her…” (Genesis 39:2-4) So, one day when none of the men were in the house, “she caught him by his coat of many colors, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and RAN AWAY.” (Genesis 39:12) “And she called the men of her house “See, Potiphar has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out, and he left his garment, AND FLED.” (Genesis 39:15) Potiphar had Joseph put in the king’s prison, “But the LORD WAS WITH JOSEPH the LORD made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. Before long, the warden PUT JOSEPH IN CHARGE OF ALL THE OTHER PRISONERS AND OVER EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN THE PRISON.” (Genesis 39:21-22)
Sometime later, “Pharaoh’s CHIEF CUP-BEARER and CHIEF BAKER OFFENDED THEIR PHARAOH. And were put in prison.” (Genesis 40:1) They each had a weird dream and Joseph correctly interpreted their dreams and said “…please remember me and do me a favor when things go well for you. MENTION ME TO PHARAOH, so he might let me out of this place.” (Genesis 40:14) But THEY FORGOT and then two years later Pharaoh had a weird dream that greatly bothered him, and they told Pharaoh.
“Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this…You shall be OVER MY HOUSE, and OVER ALL MY PEOPLE shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over ALL THE LAND OF EGYPT.” Then Pharaoh took his SIGNET RING off his hand and put it ON JOSEPH’S HAND; and he clothed him in GARMENTS OF FINE LINEN and put A GOLD CHAIN around his neck. And he had him ride in THE SECOND CHARIOT which he had; and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So, HE SET HIM OVER ALL THE LAND OF EGYPT.” (Genesis 41:39-43) And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name ZAPHNATH–PAANEAH (Genesis 41:45) (the one who discovers hidden things).
Remember what I said, “ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD” it took 13 years, but Joseph stayed faithful to God and He put him just where he needed to be as he will with EACH OF US.
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham