What We Learn From Joseph

There was a dreamer.  He had crazy dreams that indicated he would be something big.  His family would bow down to him, even his father the great Jacob.  Jacob wrestled with God.  Jacob saw stairs coming down from heaven with angels ascending and descending.  Jacob was named Israel because he had wrestled with men and God.  He did not like that his favorite son was having these kinds of dreams.  But Joseph was born from Rachel and Jacob worked 14 years for his cheating father-in-law to have this women.  He got her after 7 but he promised to work 7 more for Laban.  Joseph was not very esteemed by his brothers.  They did not like their baby brother's dreams.  They did not like his fancy coat that their dad had made for them.  Joseph was treated differently.

 God again and again picks the younger son to rule over the older. Isaac over Ishmael.  Jacob over Esau.  Joseph over his brothers.  And even Josephs youngest gets a better blessing then his oldest (Joseph does not much relish it).  God's plan for the younger sons is one of first-born right.  This is a pattern in the scriptures that does not end with Joseph.  Moses is younger then Aaron.  David is the youngest.  And then their is Jesus.  Jesus is called the second Adam.  He inherits the kingdom of God.  

So what does this mean for us?  We (most of us) are gentiles.  God made his covenant with Jews.  But we are grafted in to the tree of life by faith.  We are real heirs to the promise Abraham received because Abraham is the father of the faithful.  Jacob acted like a first born.  When his father refused to give him what God said was his, he took it from his brother by faith.  When Joseph was exalted above his family in Egypt, he acted as the first born and saved them.  David became King and destroyed his enemies and gave his son Solomon great peace so that Solomon could build the Lord the temple.  And Jesus came as the chosen one to save his people from the sin that the first Adam plunged the world into.  Firstborn rights have some firstborn responsibilities.  We are co-heirs with Christ.  This means that we must act like children of the promise.  It means that my life should  reveal Jesus.  It means that we walk worthy of our calling.  What does walking worthy mean?  We find our examples in the scriptures.  We find instructions in the Scriptures.  We find patterns for our life, in the Scriptures.  It is here that our minds are renewed.  Here that we learn the stories that should shape us and guide us.  When we are betrayed, we remember Joseph and say with him, you meant it for evil but God used it for good.  When our enemies surround us we remember David and the deliverance that God showed to him again and again.  We remember Jacob wrestling with God and receiving the promise.  When we stand before kings, we remember Moses and God's promise to give him the words to speak to Pharaoh.  These people in the scriptures are our people.  We learn from them by seeing their story in our story.  We look to Christ, the author and finisher of our faith as we find trials surrounding us. We remember.     

Joseph was envied.  Envy leads to murder.  They threw their brother in a pit.  They tore his special coat.  They sold him for the 20 pieces of silver (Jesus was betrayed for 30).  What do you think he thought of his dreams as he lay in that pit, betrayed by his own people?  When he was sold in Egypt he was sold to the captain of the palace guard.  Potipher entrusted all to Joseph.  He was betrayed again by Potipher's wife.  He was again thrown into a pit.  He was in prison for a long while.  He was dead for a number of years.  But God exalted him even in prison.  Joseph's dreams would come true.  He would be exalted above his family and they would bow down to him.  God is faithful to do what he promises.  Joseph is also an interpreter of dreams.  I think we can safely say that he knew what his dreams meant.  Two men are thrown into prison from the Pharaohs courts.  One the cup bearer, one the baker.  Both these position are ones of great honor.  They have dreams.  Joseph interprets the dreams and in return asks to be remembered.  God remember me.  The one that you gave those dreams to.  Remember the promises that you made to me.  And to this cup bearer he asks to be remembered.  He is not remembered for two years.  Pharaoh has a dream.  It is a bit more like a night mare.  No one can give him the meaning of this dream.  Joseph is remembered.  He stands before Pharaoh and shows him what the dreams mean.  He is given Pharaohs ring, the ring that gives him complete authority over Egypt.  Joseph is remembered.  And he is the means that God uses to save his people.  He is a savior.  He is a Christ to his family, who will become the nation of Israel, and to Egypt.  His family comes and bows to him.  Joseph feeds them when they are hungry.  He saves them when they needed saving.  He gives them land not just any land but Goshen, the best land.  

There are so many deaths in this story.  But each one is followed by a resurrection.  This is one of things that we remember when we are in the pit.  God remembers His people.  God makes good on His promises.  Death is never without a Resurrection.  Joseph was 17 when he was sold as a slave into Egypt.  He was 30 when he stood before Pharoah.  That is a long time.  May we remember his story when we are in a pit.  May we remember the beginning, the middle and never forget the end.  God is faithful and brings saving life out of our trials.  And if we are faithful like Joseph, we will be an abundant blessing to those around us!