Joseph Series: Pit to Palace #5
Is it worth it to resist sin and cling to integrity and faith in God when things are really tough for a long time? Can God be trusted to come through when the entire struggle is over - or will He let you down? The answer is in this story.
Introduction
Scott Hamilton won the Olympic gold medal in men's figure skating in 1984. As he recalled in an interview shortly after stepping down from the victory stand, he said, "Someone asked me why I was looking at the medal so intently. What I was doing was looking at 16 years of my life."
Going for Olympic gold is no short, simple road. Olympic athletes train most of their lives and many more of them experience defeat than experience victory.
Yet, apparently the reward is worth the effort, because every four years a new crop of athletes trained to a razor's edge of competence comes forth to try for the glory of winning the gold.
How sweet it must be for the athlete who has paid the price and won, to stand on that platform and receive that medal!
It wasn't Olympic gold that Joseph received when he stood in the court of the King of Egypt after his protracted stay in Potiphar's jail. As he stood there interpreting Pharaoh's dreams, it was victory, nonetheless. The man had paid the price of faithfulness to his God through the most difficult circumstances and now he was about to receive his prize.
Hanging onto what is right in the face of disappointment and discouragement can be tough. The temptation to quit when it seems that no one recognizes our efforts is great. It is important that we remember that God will reward every righteous deed done by His people, even if no one else notices what we have done. Our time will come to receive the gold - if we'll just hang on.
Let's look at the last part of Genesis 41 in this message and see how God rewarded Joseph for his faithfulness. By doing so we can be reminded that we can expect a reward from God when we stay faithful to Him.
(For those of you who may be new, we have been studying the life of the Old Testament character, Joseph over the last four weeks. This is message #5 in the series.
We'll begin reading this morning in Genesis 41:37 where we see Joseph:
I. Receiving A Promotion.
Before we read it, let's recall the background years. Joseph was a young man, about 17, hated by his brothers, sold as a slave in a foreign land, falsely accused and jailed. His trials continued for about 13 years. At least two of those years were spent in prison, serving time for something he didn’t do. During that time Joseph did not give up his faith or compromise his integrity.
Then, suddenly, he was pulled from his prison house to stand before the most powerful monarch in the world.
Pharaoh had some terrifying dreams and none of his court officials could tell him what they meant. Joseph, by the power of God, successfully interpreted them. God revealed through the dreams that Egypt was headed for a boom and a bust - seven years of prosperity followed by seven years of famine.
Joseph not only interpreted the dreams, he also told Pharaoh what he needed to do to prepare for what was coming. "Look for a man," he said, "who is discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Then levy a 20% grain tax and store the grain up while there is plenty."
Pharaoh and his court officials were impressed. This young Hebrew really sounded like he knew what he is talking about! Besides, he had an inside track with his God who is predicting all this. That certainly couldn't hurt anything. Of course God had been working Joseph into this position all along. Little did Joseph realize what was going to happen next.
(Read v. 37-40a)
For Joseph, promotion day had arrived! The long period of trials was over! He faced test after test and passed them all. From the pit at age 17 to Potiphar's jail at age 30, he maintained his righteousness and commitment to God. Now he was about to reap the rewards of righteousness.
Is it worth it to resist sin and cling to integrity and faith in God when things are really tough for a long time? Can God be trusted to come through when the entire struggle is over - or will He let you down? The answer is in this story.
The first part of Joseph's reward was:
A. Great Authority.
Joseph suddenly moved from being a relatively unknown into the second highest office in Egypt. He had authority in the palace.
(Read v. 40)
I don't know how much you realize it, but that verse has some far ranging implications. In a totalitarian government like Pharaoh's, the person or persons at the top have absolute power - including the power of life and death over their subjects. Joseph was now ruler of all Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself. Thumbs up, you live. Thumbs down, you die.
Consider that for a moment. Just who might that involve? Well, for starters, it would put Joseph in authority over Potiphar, the man who threw him into jail. It also gave him the power of life and death over a certain lying woman whom we named Mrs. "Pot-of-fire," the one who caused Joseph all this terrible suffering and humiliation in the first place! Also, what about that careless cupbearer who left Joseph in prison for another two years because he forgot to mention him to Pharaoh?
Ah, yes, some heads rolled when Joseph came to power, right? Wrong! Joseph wasn't that kind of man. Though the thought of their former house slave suddenly coming to power must have terrified the Potiphars and some members of Pharaoh's cabinet including the cupbearer, Joseph did not avenge himself - not here, not later, not ever. He was a man of God. He knew that vengeance did not belong to him but to God alone.
Do you and I realize that? Do you and I realize that, as God's children, we cannot ever, under any circumstances, "get even" with someone who has wronged us? The Apostle Paul put it this way in Romans 12:17-19:
"Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord."
That verse says never and it says it twice. We are never to take our own revenge. That option simply does not belong to us. It belongs to God alone.
What that means to you and me is this: If you have vowed to "get even" with someone who has wronged you (you're going to make them pay!), no matter how bad the wrong, you are in sin. Furthermore, if that person has come to you and asked forgiveness and you have continued in your intentions to get even, you must repent. Perhaps Jesus' words in Matthew 9:13 are words you need to hear:
"But go and learn what this means: `I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'"
"But this person doesn't deserve mercy!" you might say. You are probably right. But, you see, in God's eyes, neither do you.
When you give someone mercy, you give them something God has already given you. Further, you give them what they need, not what they deserve. If you are a Christian, that is just what God has done for you.
Listen to what Peter told Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8:22-23:
"Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity."
It sounds to me like Simon's salvation was in jeopardy. That "if possible" put as a qualifier on God's forgiveness indicates that God might not forgive him if he refused to come out of his bitterness.
Please listen to me for a moment. If you are in the "gall of bitterness" toward someone this morning, then you need to repent and seek God's forgiveness!
Well, besides Joseph's authority in the palace, he also had territorial authority.
(Read v. 41)
F.B. Meyer, writing of the days of Moses in the early part of Exodus says that Egypt could be compared to no other land in ancient history except perhaps Babylon for its wealth and influence - a vast, limitless area of affluence. Joseph was suddenly over it all!
Joseph also was given financial authority.
(Read v. 42a)
Those words "signet ring" in the original come from a root that means, "to sink." They describe the practice of sinking an impression into soft clay. It was Pharaoh's official seal and it gave Joseph use of his virtually limitless wealth. It would be like giving someone the use of a Discover Card with no upper limit. As the invoices came along to Joseph, he pressed out Pharaoh's seal and they were paid from Pharaoh's vast storehouses.
Not only did Joseph have new wealth, he was also dressed for the part.
(Read v. 42b)
Off comes the prison garb - on goes the royal stuff - the gold necklace, the signet ring, all emblems of his authority.
(Read v. 43)
Joseph was given a limo to ride around the kingdom! He got to ride in "Second Limo" and Air Force Two. The Pharaohs just loved to get into their war chariots, decked out with gold emblems, drawn by milk-white stallions, and parade around the land. Now, everywhere Joseph went he would be only slightly less magnificently honored than Pharaoh.
Joseph's only boss would be Pharaoh himself.
(Read v. 44)
The second part of Joseph's reward was:
B. A New Name.
(Read v. 45a)
I think I like "Joseph" better!
Why a new name? Remember that Joseph was not an Egyptian. Yet he was given authority over Egyptians. That might not be the best politics from Pharaoh's standpoint, so he gave Joseph an Egyptian name. (That name, by the way, means "the God speaks and lives." We don't know the whole significance of it. Some believe that since the little word "nath" appears in it, Joseph had been named in honor of the Egyptian goddess "Neath." Whatever the case, Joseph's new name is thoroughly Egyptian. So was his new wife.(Read v. 45b)
We know very little about this woman, Asanath. Her name also contains that little word "nath." It may mean, "belonging to Neath." Did Joseph win her over to worshipping the true and living God? I wish we knew.
We do know that Asanath was a PK. Her dad was Potifera (similar to Potiphar -"belonging to Ra"), the Priest of On.
Know what? Joseph was suddenly Big News! He was High Visibility. There is nothing he could say or do that wasn't voiced throughout the land. He was a celebrity. He was famous. A poor boy made good! Why? Because he was faithful to God. He was reaping the rewards of righteousness!
I can't help but be reminded of the NT passage in Matthew 25:23 which says,
"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
Because Joseph proved Himself faithful, God could trust him with much.
Sometimes it works out that way for us here on earth, too.
I recall a newspaper article that told of this same kind of earthly rewards in the here and now.
It told of a car dealer who went out of his way to give a foreign student an honest deal on a new automobile. Fifteen years later, the young man had become the sole purchasing agent for the Iranian Contractors Association. He showed his gratitude for the kindness he had received by placing a multimillion-dollar order with that dealer for 750 heavy dump trucks and 350 pickups. "It's unbelievable!" exclaimed the businessman. The good he had done was rewarded years later beyond his wildest imagination.
Sometimes the rewards of righteousness are on this earth, just like in the case of Joseph. Sometimes, though, the rewards are later. Listen to some NT passages about our reward:
Matthew 16:27- For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. (NIV)
Luke 6:23 - "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven.
Revelation 22:12 - "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. (NIV)
1Corinthians 2:9 - but just as it is written, "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him."
I'll say more about our reward in just a bit.
(Read v. 46a)
Unlike some of our presidents of this century, Joseph inherited an economy that was about to prosper. So he began:
II. Executing A Plan.
His first step was to survey the situation. Remember that Joseph hadn't seen the outside world for several years.
(Read v. 46b-48)
It was a massive grain-collection program. One fifth of all the produce of the seven fruitful years went to the government storage bins. It was stored in giant granaries in the cities in which it was collected. That was a wise move, not only from a distribution standpoint, but also it would help the people trust Joseph a little more, since they could see where their taxes were going. Egypt experienced seven years of bumper crops.
(V. 49)
Imagine that! "Don't bother to measure anymore. We haven't the scales that go that high!" - as they shut up another massive silo full to the brim and sealed it off.
Then, in this chapter, we see Joseph:
III. Beginning A Family.
We might pause to note here that some people do just fine in adversity. But they suddenly lose it in prosperity. They hang in there through the tough years, then they come into some money and lose their commitment in a matter of months. Not Joseph.
Let's look at Joseph's home life with Asanath.
(Read v. 50-52)
Did you catch the significance of those names? Joseph still honors God.
Notice, too, that Joseph didn't fall into the trap of polygamy as his father had done. Joseph was a monogamist. Though he could have had a harem in his position, had he wanted it, he remained faithful to one woman.
Let's consider that name he gave to his oldest boy. He named him Manasseh. The root word from which Manasseh comes is "sanah" and it means, "to forget." But scholars tell us it means even more. It means "to take away the sting or hurt of memory."
If you are hanging onto bitterness toward someone because you think you cannot forget let me tell you, if you surrender your sin to God He will help you forget. Joseph's actions and the name of his oldest son, here, prove it. There may be someone right here in this room who needs to give birth to a "Manasseh." By that I mean you need to forgive someone before it is too late and you die in your sin. Bitterness will destroy you.
Finally, we see Joseph, and all of Egypt:
IV. Surviving A Famine.
After seven years of prosperity, the famine came on the land, just as God had promised.
(Read v. 53-54)
There was bread because of the faithfulness of a young man named Joseph.
I want to pause here for must a moment and speak to you younger people. Some of you here this morning are the same age Joseph was when God started putting him to the test. You haven't yet seen the potential of your life. You don't even know where it is going. Let me say to you that it isn't too early to be concerned for God's working in your life. God can use you greatly if you make up your mind to commit to righteousness now.
(Read v. 55-57)
Conclusion
So how does the story of a man who lived in a day when people wrote on clay tablets speak to us living in a day when people write on computers? I see three truths that are worth keeping:
1. Bad Memories Need Not Defeat Us. Joseph could easily have allowed himself to be consumed by bitterness as he sat and brooded over the events of his life, but he didn't. In not doing so, he proved for all of us that it really is our choice whether we are defeated by bitter memories.
2. Great Blessings Need Not Disqualify Us. Joseph went from prison rags to palace riches, but he did not waver in his faithfulness to God.
3. Lengthy Afflictions Need Not Discourage Us. It took Joseph 13 years to understand what God was doing in his life. Ultimately, he did understand. Don't despair when trials stretch out before you and you cannot see the end of them. It is all a part of God's plan.
Just in case things are so bad that you're having trouble believing that right now, let me end with a story that I think will help.
An old missionary couple had been working in Africa for years and was returning to New York to retire. They had no pension; their health was broken; they were defeated, discouraged, and afraid. They discovered they were booked on the same ship as President Teddy Roosevelt, who was returning from one of his big-game hunting expeditions in Africa.
No one paid any attention to them. They watched the fanfare that accompanied the President's entourage, with passengers trying to catch a glimpse of the great man.
As the ship moved across the ocean, the old missionary said to his wife, "Something is wrong. Why should we have given our lives in faithful service for God in Africa all these many years and have no one care a thing about us? Here this man comes back from a hunting trip and everybody makes much over him, but nobody gives two hoots about us."
"Dear, you shouldn't feel that way," his wife said.
"I can't help it; it doesn't seem right."
When the ship docked in New York, a band was waiting to greet the President. The mayor and other dignitaries were there. The newspapers were full of the President's arrival, but no one noticed this missionary couple. They slipped off the ship and found a cheap flat on the East Side, hoping the next day to see what they could do to make a living in the city.
That night the man's spirit broke. He said to his wife, "I can't take this; God is not treating us fairly."
His wife replied, "Why don't you go in the bedroom and tell that to the Lord?"
A short time later he came out from the bedroom, but now his face was completely different. His wife asked, "Dear, what happened?"
"The Lord settled it with me," he said. "I told him how bitter I was that the President should receive this tremendous homecoming, when no one met us as we returned home. And when I finished, I suddenly remembered the truth: we're not home yet! 1
Remember that our greatest reward as Christians remains for us when we get home.
View Other Messages in this Series
Dave Redick is Minister of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Sweet Home, Oregon and Editor of The Preacher's Study. He may be reached at pstudysupport@comcast.net.
Copyright © 1996-2008 by The Preacher's Study. Permission is granted to subscribers to use this document in total or in sermon preparation in the context of the local congregation only. Publishing it in a book, on the Internet, or anyplace beyond the local congregation is prohibited.
All Scripture quotations and references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise stated.
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