Some parents and grandparents leave wonderful legacies. We often hear that in testimonies at funerals. You can see in some people the impact of their godly and wise parents and other family members stamped on their lives. But such is not the case with Joseph. As the story of Joseph unfolds, the Spirit of God draws a picture of a family that you would never dream could give rise to such an amazing man as Joseph. In fact, by now you might even be asking, “Can any good thing come out of the house of Israel?”

So far, we have learned very little about Joseph. The focus has been on his father and brothers and the role they played in Joseph’s early years as they unwittingly fulfilled the sovereign purposes and plans of God in Joseph’s life. In fact, we learn little about Joseph until he reaches Egypt.

The subject in our passage is: “The Bitter Emotions of Resentment and Betrayal”. In this unfolding picture of Joseph’s father and brothers we see that uncontrolled negative emotions lead from one sin to another. But despite the hatred and resentment displayed by Joseph’s brothers and the irresponsibility displayed by his father, the overall principle in Joseph’s life is that God is sovereign – what others intend for evil, God can use for good to achieve his purposes.

Last time we began to see how Joseph’s family background of favoritism, lying, and scheming formed a most improbable foundation for Joseph’s later achievements and character. And yet, as we noted before, such behavior does not need to be repeated generation after generation – it can stop. And it did ultimately stop with Joseph, despite being surrounded by a clueless father (couldn’t relate to his sons, didn’t pick up on their feelings, couldn’t express his own emotions properly) and resentful brothers (with all of their deep psychological and emotional problems). Certainly Jacob’s background, character, and personality help us understand why his sons acted as they did. “Like father; like son” was certainly a true maxim in Jacob’s family.

Jacob was clueless as a father but wealthy as a farmer. His wealth is clearly visible in the size of the gift he gave to Esau to placate his lingering anger when he came back home from Uncle Laban’s after 20 years (Gen. 32:14-15). This is an extremely wealthy man and now he is so wealthy that he has farming operations in Shechem, 50 miles away from where he now lives in Hebron. When you have assets where you can’t see them it’s always good to have someone you can trust looking after them. Just ask the thousands of investors who discovered in late 2008 that they had been defrauded out of billions of dollars by Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme.

Jacob employed his sons to look after his business operations in Shechem. After all, who better than your own flesh and blood to be trusted with your money? But evidently Jacob becomes concerned about what was happening when he wasn’t around. Perhaps he was concerned that “when the cat’s away the mice play!” Or, perhaps he thought that even his sons might be ripping him off when he wasn’t around. Knowing what we know about Jacob himself and his business ethics, he would have every reason to suspect that his sons had adopted the same practices that he had. Why wouldn’t they? Why wouldn’t they cheat and steal and lie and scheme? After all, they had several generations before them who had done it. It was a family tradition. So, it must surely have crossed his mind that they would have no compulsion about cheating their dear old dad. After all, he had done it once himself, hadn’t he (Gen. 25:29-34; 27:1-36)? Or, perhaps it was Joseph’s previous bad report about his brothers (Gen. 37:2) that caused Jacob to be concerned about what was going on over at the farm in Shechem. Or, to be charitable, perhaps Jacob was genuinely worried about his sons welfare. After all, working away from home isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, is it? There were long days and a hard commute and lots of distractions. Any father would want to know how his sons were getting along. Or, perhaps, Jacob couldn’t get out of his mind the sordid affair that took place in Shechem years before (Gen. 34) when his sons manifested…

I. The Overpowering Emotion Of Hate: The Shechem Atrocity (Gen. 34)

Jacob and his entourage were on their way back to Canaan from Uncle Laban’s and they came to Shechem (33:18-20). He must have liked the place, because he didn’t just pitch his tent there (he didn’t just get a motel room for the night), he actually bought the parcel of land where they camped from a man called Hamor. He even erected an altar there. This was going to be home, at least for a while.

One day, Dinah, Jacob’s daughter, went into the wrong part of town. It was innocent enough. She just wanted to get to know the other ladies of the area (34:1), albeit, they were idol-worshipping pagans - not the sort of women you’d really want your daughter hanging around with.

That’s when any father’s worst nightmare happened - his daughter, Dinah, was sexually violated by Shechem (34:2), Hamor’s son (after whom the city was named). Now it isn’t clear whether this means he had raped her or that he had defiled her sexual purity by having sex with her without being married to her. Actually, Shechem isn’t as bad a guy as at first you might think. We’re told that “He was more honorable than all the household of his father” (34:19). I hate to think what the rest were like!

Jacob’s reaction to this sordid affair was most bizarre. When he found out what had happened to Dinah, instead of exploding like a canon, guess what? He kept quiet until the boys came home from work that night (34:5). Can you believe that? He didn’t say a word! What kind of father was that?

In any event, Shechem professed to really love Dinah and wanted to marry her. So, according to the custom, his father, Hamor, tried to get Jacob’s approval for the marriage (34:6-11).

In contrast to their father, when the boys heard what had happened, they were like red hot pistols. They couldn’t see straight they were so mad. Hate overpowered them. And when someone is that angry, there’s no telling what they will do – reason, courtesy, honour, integrity all go out the window. Add to their anger the fact that they had a long history of dysfunctional role models in their family as to how to handle disputes and then you know there are going to be fireworks.

So, the boys took over the negotiations while Jacob is silent. Hamor must have thought his offer could not be refused. The terms of his offer were that (1) Jacob’s sons could marry the Shechemite women and (2) they could own property and run businesses there. In other words, Hamor is offering full residency status with the opportunity to become wealthy.

And Shechem’s offer was over the top (34:12). Shechem, the suitor, offered to pay any dowry that Jacob asked: “Just name your price! Money is no object!” So, now there is a lot of money on the table plus they could own land, buy and sell, and get wives there. They were made! But anger isn’t so easily assuaged. Revenge was smoldering in their hearts.

So, the boys made a counter offer. They told Shechem and his father that they couldn’t give their sister Dinah to Shechem because he was uncircumcised, but perhaps they could make a deal! If the men of Shechem underwent circumcision, then there could be intermarriage among them and they would become “one people” (34:16). Failing that, if they refused to be circumcised, then they would simply take their sister and leave. All offers were off. It was a “take-it-or-leave-it” offer.

Hamor and Shechem said, “Sounds good to us. You’ve got yourself a deal” (34:18). So they talked the other men of the city into it as well, reasoning that if Jacob’s family dwelled with them permanently, they would all benefit from their livestock, property, trading etc. Jacob’s business enterprise would increase their local economy and improve their standard of living. Little did they know that they had just been “had” by the master deceivers and schemers.

Thus, the men of Shechem were all circumcised. And while they were recovering and still in pain, on the third day Simeon and Levi took their swords and killed every man in the place, including Hamor and Shechem (34:25-26). Then, if that wasn’t enough, the rest of the brothers came and plundered the city, taking all their animals, their goods, their crops, and all their wealth, capturing their wives and children and all their household possessions as well (34:28-29)

Once again, Jacob’s reaction is bizarre to say the least. He didn’t care about the atrocity that they had committed. He only cared that his reputation had been marred and he had been put in danger: “You’ve troubled me by making me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land ... and since I am few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, my household and I” (34:30).

How self-focused can you get. The men have just been murdered by your sons and the city has been decimated by them. And all you care about is your reputation and safety! Self-focused people are like that. They don’t care about the morality of the circumstances. They don’t think about the atrocity just committed. They don’t worry about anyone else’s well-being. It’s all about them.

Well, perhaps this experience was on Jacob’s mind when he sent Joseph to check on his brothers in Shechem. If his sons could do that when he was right there, what might they be doing when he wasn’t looking? And what about the Shechemite people? They hadn’t forgotten the mass murder of their countrymen. Perhaps they would take revenge on his sons.

In any event, whatever the reason, back in our chapter 37, Jacob says to Joseph (the stay-at-home, favorite son), “Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them... Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.” So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron and he went to Shechem (37:13-14).

What we see unfold now is ...

II. The Lingering Influence Of Resentment (Gen. 37:18-36)

When Joseph was still in the distance, his brothers’ hatred was rekindled and they “conspired against him to kill him” (37:18). Resentment is a powerful emotion. It is often accompanied by revenge. Resentment is that insidious emotion that hides behind our thoughts and actions. It’s never usually out in the open but it whispers in our heart: “Remember what he / she did to you when ...? Remember what he / she said about you ...?” That’s the subtle power of an unforgiving memory.

The sight of his multicolored coat probably set them off. They were dressed in work clothes suited to shepherding sheep but Joseph was dressed in a robe suited to a king’s palace. And all their previous feelings of resentment against daddy’s favorite son were aroused again. “Look this dreamer is coming. Come, therefore, 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” (37:19-20).

The memory of his dreams and his previous “bad report” still obviously were a sore point with them. They resented him and desperately wanted revenge. The last people who had crossed them were all brutally murdered. Jacob’s sons aren’t exactly angels. They are thugs, who will stop at nothing to get revenge.

So, the plan is to kill Joseph. This would be an ideal place to do it without anyone seeing them. They would dump the body into a pit and then they would report to Jacob that a wild beast had devoured him. That’s the scheme – a cold blooded murder and a water tight lie. “Then let’s see what will become of his dreams,” they said. In other words, “We’ll make sure that his dreams don’t come true!”

But into this murderous plan comes a voice of moderation. Reuben, the oldest son, wants to change the plan just a bit. Reuben said, “‘Let us not kill him ... Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand upon him’ – that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father” (37:21-22). Among the 11 brothers it seems that Reuben was the only one with any conscience at all. But he is still Jacob’s son with the family genes. He’s still a schemer. Now he is scheming against his brothers, but with good intentions. At least he wants to save Joseph’s life.

So, that’s what they did. “They stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it” (37:23-24). This wasn’t exactly a happy family reunion. His dreams certainly didn’t look like they would come true – quite the opposite. Though it does not say so here, we know later that Joseph was scared to death and pleaded with his brothers for his life, but they would not listen (42:21).

But now they have a dilemma: What do they do with Joseph? They can’t leave him in the pit forever. Reuben, the one who had proposed the present course of action, is absent now and the rest of the brothers evidently don’t know how to move forward. So, now what?

Do you see how complicated sin is? Do you see how uncontrolled emotions lead from one sin to another? Hatred, resentment, and revenge make a tangled web that leads from one problem to another. You tell one lie and then you have to tell another to cover up that one and on and on it goes. If they weren’t going to take Joseph’s life, what were they to do with him? And what would they tell their father anyway? These were callous, cold-blooded killers. While their brother is in the pit wondering how this would all end, they “sat down to eat a meal” (37:25). When they looked up from eating, lo and behold, a caravan of Ishmaelite traders was coming from Gilead on their way to Egypt (37:25).

You can just see the wheels turning in Judah’s head. He was evidently a “profit-oriented” guy, the businessman of the bunch, a “bottom line” thinker. He sees an immediate solution to their dilemma: “What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh” (37:26-27). Judah’s reasoning is, “Look, it’s all well and good to kill Joseph, but that wouldn’t make us any money, would it? Much better that we sell him to these traders rather than kill him. And, listen, don’t forget he is our brother after all. Yes, it would be so much better to sell our brother rather than kill him. Killing him is a bit extreme and we wouldn’t gain anything by it. We might as well make money while we’re at it.”

Clearly, the idea of killing Joseph wasn’t dead yet. As they ate their lunch, they must have still been debating whether to go through with it, especially if Reuben, the moralizer, the voice of conscience, wasn’t around. So, this is a perfect way out of the dilemma, a great compromise. We won’t kill him, we’ll sell him. “So, the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for 20 shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt” (37:28).

Hardly has the ink has dried on the contract, than Reuben returns for Joseph. No one is around, and when he looks into the pit – no Joseph! Deeply distressed, Reuben returns to his brothers and says, “The lad is no more; and I, where shall I go?” (37:30). It seems that Reuben’s concern is not so much for Joseph as it is for himself: “What am I going to do?” I wonder where he learned that from? Good old Dad, of course. “Poor me, what am I going to do?” Not, poor Joseph, what’s he going to do? No, it’s all about self.

The problem is that Reuben is the oldest son and as such would have to give account to Jacob for Joseph’s disappearance. Compared to his brothers, Reuben may not seem so bad. You know, he at least talked some sense into his brothers so that they did not kill Joseph, and he at least seemed to have a sense of accountability to his father. But, remember, Reuben is no angel either. He has a history. In fact, Reuben has a shocking past.

Some time previously, he had committed incest with Bilhah, Rachel’s maid servant and one of Jacob’s concubines (35:22), the mother of his two brothers, Dan and Naphtali. This is an extreme example of what can happen in blended, multiple-wife families. Again, as with the Dinah incident, Jacob remained silent again. We’re certainly getting a clear picture of Jacob and his philosophy of parenting. He seems to have the same kind of policy on parenting as the U.S. armed forces have on homosexuals: “Don’t ask; don’t tell.” At the time of Reuben’s incest, Jacob did nothing and said nothing but he evidently had a long memory, because, on his death bed, his last words to Reuben were, “Reuben, I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is, “you are my firstborn, my might and the beginning of my strength, the excellence of dignity and the excellence of power.” But the bad news is, “unstable as water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father’s bed; then you defiled it” (49:3-4).

This isn’t exactly what you want to hear from your father on his death bed, is it? Isn’t it sad that Jacob waited until that moment to get it off his chest and disapprove of Reuben’s behavior.

Anyway, Reuben is caught between a rock and a hard place. He has his brothers to deal with on one hand and his father on the other. He thought he would return and rescue Joseph from the pit, take him home, and all would be well; Joseph would be safe and Jacob wouldn’t know the difference. But now Joseph is missing and he needs another way out.

The web of deceit gets more and more complicated. Now they have to cook up another scheme (37:31). So, they dipped Joseph’s coat into blood and said to Jacob, “We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s tunic or not?” (37:32). Butter wouldn’t melt in their mouths! “We found this! How gross. What could have happened? Is it your son’s, by any chance?” Notice they don’t say, “Is this our brother Joseph’s?” But, “Is it your son’s, by chance?”

Of course Jacob recognized it right away. It was unique. And he drew the exact conclusion that they wanted him to, “A wild beast has devoured him” (37:33). Jacob immediately went into an extended period of deep mourning. He “tore his garments and put sackcloth on his waist and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, ‘No, I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning’” (37:34-35). It reminds us of David’s mourning for Absalom with such deep grief that he wished he had died in Absalom’s place. Probably Jacob kicked himself a hundred times for having sent Joseph out to check on his brothers.

Jacob doesn’t seem to have grasped the character of his sons. He evidently was not a reflective person. He didn’t sit around thinking much about life and morality and his family. He didn’t put 2 + 2 together – i.e. his sons were murderers + they hated Joseph = they will kill him. There is no evidence that Jacob suspected his boys at all. Their butchery, deceit, incest hadn’t registered in Jacob’s thinking that perhaps they had perpetrated this crime.

It’s amazing how blind we can be as parents. We don’t see the real character and behavior of our children. We can see it in other people’s children but not our own. The biblical truth is that we reap what we sow. This was certainly true in Jacob’s life. The law of the harvest is a universal principle and nowhere more so than in the family. If we do not train up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, we will reap the consequences. If we do not spend time with our children, figuring out what makes them tick, where they are, who their friends are etc., we may be in for a nasty shock one day.

The chapter ends with a note of dramatic irony. While Jacob is mourning, we know the truth - Joseph is alive and has been sold by Midianite slave traders to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officers (37:36). That statement sets us up for the rest of the story in which, despite all its twists and turns, God is sovereignly working out his purposes in Joseph’s life

In these stories about O.T. characters we learn so many lessons for our lives today. In this passage about Joseph and his family, the behavioral principles we have noticed is that…

1. Uncontrolled emotions lead from one sin to another. Joseph’s brothers suffered from the uncontrolled emotions of hate and resentment. Jacob resented what Reuben had done to Bilhah. Joseph’s brothers hated the men of Shechem because of what they had done to their sister, Dinah. And they resented Joseph because of his favored position, bad reports of them etc. Other negative emotions that often rage uncontrolled in people’s lives are envy and jealousy, bitterness and grudge, fear and worry, guilt and blame, shame and rejection.

Uncontrolled emotions all stem from a depraved heart. Jesus said, “Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matt. 15:19). “Hate” is the emotion which, when uncontrolled, leads to murder, whether psychological murder or physical. That’s how powerful emotions are.

Remember: “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer: and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 Jn. 3:15). And, Eph. 4:31-32 says, “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.”

This is the contrast between a redeemed heart and an unredeemed heart. Christians should live in the reality of who we are in Christ. We are his redeemed people. We are God’s children – His sons and daughters. We are precious to God. We are no longer dominated by sin but by righteousness (Rom. 6:11-14). We are members of Christ’s body. We are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. We are holy and beloved.

So, the first behavioral principle we notice in our passage is that uncontrolled emotions lead from one sin to another. The second behavioral principle is that…

2. Self-absorption is irresponsible and immature. Jacob is an example of a father who is totally absorbed with himself and totally disconnected from his kids. He has no sensitivity to what’s going on in their lives, nor does he care until it’s too late on his death bed. When he should have spoken up and disciplined his kids he remained silent, even in the face of the most egregious crimes like the sexual violation of his daughter, murder, and incest! But in the meantime, he has modelled a lifestyle that they have followed perfectly. His character, values, ethics, lifestyle, self-focus are all adopted by his sons. Only Joseph broke out of that mold and how he ever turned out as he did is only attributable to God’s sovereign grace.

But you see, for example, in Reuben, the exact duplicate of his father’s self-absorbed thinking, “What about me. Poor me.” And you see in the others, their father’s ethics and character duplicated exactly.

Like Jacob, so many parents are more absorbed with themselves than their kids. They don’t spend time with them because they would rather be doing what they want to do - watching sports or socializing or earning more money or building a bigger house. So, the kids are shipped off to baby-sitters or sent to summer camp just to be rid of them for a while. Like Jacob, the only thing they care about is that their children don’t embarrass them or in any way negatively affect them.

Like Jacob, so many parents do not discipline their children. Why? Because they are absorbed with themselves and shirk their parental responsibility. Yet, discipline and order and standards are what children want. That’s the environment in which they thrive and become strong, responsible adults. They like teachers who keep order in the class room and they want parents who mean what they say because that gives them security and consistency and order. Children whose fathers don’t exercise discipline are often insecure and angry because they never knew where they stand. No one ever taught them the boundaries, so they are lost, trying to make their own way in life.

3. Whatever your values are will be passed on to your children. They are watching you every step of the way. Parents are their primary role models. How you handle your money will be passed on to them. How you spend your time will be passed on to them. Your standard of sexual morality will be passed on to them. Your commitment to the Lord will be passed on to them. Of course, God is sovereign, as in Joseph’s life, and He can and does change the pattern, but that does not let us off the hook.

All of this background serves to emphasize the amazing life of Joseph, who suddenly comes into focus when he reaches Egypt. And in Joseph we suddenly find not someone who harbors resentment (as you might expect), not someone who is irresponsible and immature, not someone who has uncontrolled emotions in his life, but someone who is clearly a beautiful picture of Christ - though he was reviled, he did not revile others in return; though he suffered, he did not threaten in return (2 Pet. 2:21-24).

Written across the entire story of Joseph’s life is this motto: God is sovereign – what others intend for evil, God can use for good to achieve his purposes.

There have been many examples of injustice in world history. Nelson Mandela was incarcerated unjustly for 27 years for his crusade against apartheid in South Africa. Alexander Solzhenitsyn was unjustly imprisoned and forgotten. In February 1945, Solzhenitsyn was arrested for writing derogatory comments about Stalin and the war. He was accused of anti-Soviet propaganda and of “founding a hostile organization.” After being beaten and interrogated, on July 7, 1945, he was sentenced in his absence to an 8 year term in a labor camp. Through his writings he helped to make the world aware of the Gulag, the Soviet Union‘s forced labor camp system. He was exiled in 1974 and didn’t return until 1994. For Solzhenitsyn this experience resulted in his spiritual conversion.

Elie Wiesel, the holocaust survivor, is another example. Unlike Solzhenitsyn, Wiesel’s experience, in his words, “consumed his faith forever.” This is what he writes:

“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God himself. Never.” (Elie Wiesel, Night, trans. Stella Rodway, N.Y.: Bantam Books, 1960, 32).

We know that in places like Cambodia and Mumbai, India, every day, women and children are stolen, sold, and abused. We know that in our own culture every day, men and women are battered by angry spouses and partners; men and women are abandoned and their lives left shattered by unfaithful spouses; people are injured and killed by drunk drivers.

Our subject in this study is: “Responding to injustice, false accusations, unfairness.” The lesson we learn from this narrative is that, When we are unjustly accused, perhaps even condemned, we must wait for God’s deliverance and vindication.

To be falsely accused is a painful experience. I have experienced it as have many of you, I’m sure. I have experienced it from my own father, which makes it even more painful than from others. But probably none of us has experienced it to the same degree as Joseph – at least we probably didn’t end up in prison because of it.

What makes false accusation particularly painful is when you are betrayed by those you trusted and served faithfully. Sometimes we need to defend ourselves, as Paul did (2 Cor). But our greatest defender is God, not self; He is our great advocate and vindicator.

Joseph was wrongly treated by his brothers. Even though his intentions in finding out how they were doing were honorable and sincere, they mistreated him and sold him as a slave into Egypt. Joseph was mistreated by Mrs. Potiphar. Again, even though his actions were honorable and sincere, he was falsely accused of attempted rape. This led to the loss of his job and a term in prison, where, as we will see now, Joseph was further mistreated, being forgotten by someone whom he had helped in prison.

Despite all Joseph’s mistreatment, we never read of him angry, depressed, bitter, rebellious against God, or self-pitying. Yet again, Joseph depicts supreme Christ-likeness even when, we might wonder, will the cycle ever stop? The cycle is obviously intended to portray the theme of his entire life that “God is sovereign – what others intend for evil, God can use for good to achieve his purposes.”

In previous studies in this series we have already seen this principle clearly displayed so far in Joseph’s story. Though he was mistreated by his brothers, the Lord was with him; the Lord did not forsake him nor leave him. Though he was mistrusted by his brothers, he was implicitly trusted by Potiphar and the prison keeper. Though he was misjudged by Potiphar due to Mrs. Potiphar’s false accusation, the Lord’s favor toward him ensured that his trust was regained by the prison keeper. Though he was misused as a slave, yet he rose to the highest ranks both in Potiphar’s house and the prison.

Notice these theological principles in our passage…

I. Faithfulness To God Does Not Exempt Us From Trouble (39:20-23)

Following the false accusation brought against Joseph by Potiphar’s wife, “Joseph’s master took him and put him into prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison” (39:20). What a slap in the face for Joseph. What treatment after his faithful service to Potiphar! Surely this is not how someone as loyal and diligent as Joseph should be treated.

In fact, faithfulness to God may land us right in bad circumstances. Obedience to God may cause us all kinds of injustice, false accusations, loss of employment, or ridicule from others. You may be exactly where God wants you to be, living in obedience to His word, seeking to walk worthy of the gospel, bearing the name of the Lord boldly, and yet in spite of that you may be facing deeply troubling and difficult circumstances. That’s when you need to decide whether to live with and for the Lord (and perhaps face years of trouble), or turn your back on the Lord in your attempt to have an easier life.

That was the choice that Victor Frankl had to make. Frankl was a Viennese psychiatrist who survived the Nazi death camps at Auschwitz and Treblinka. He discovered that the imprisoned person who no longer had a goal, who no longer could find meaning and purpose in life, was unlikely to survive. Frankl concluded: “Everything can be taken away from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s way. The way in which a man accepts his fate and all the suffering that it entails, the way in which he takes up his cross, give him ample opportunity – even in the most difficult circumstances – to add deeper meaning to his life.” (Cited in John Ortberg, “If You Want to Walk on Water You’ve Got to Get out of the Boat,” 108-109),

Even though we read repeatedly that God’s favor rested upon Joseph, He did not preserve Joseph from going to prison. Nonetheless, the Lord was with Joseph in the prison. “The Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy (steadfast love)” (39:21a). This means that Joseph would experience the favor of God even in prison. Joseph would experience God revealing himself even in prison. Joseph would know God’s presence in a powerfully, life-transforming way even in prison.

Just how did Joseph experience this? Well, one way was that the Lord “gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison” (39:21b). Though we may face bad circumstances, one thing we can count on is “the Lord is with us.” Sometimes our circumstances are such that it’s hard for us to appreciate or grasp that the Lord really is with us. But God does not limit the experience of his presence and power to mountaintops. In fact, we can experience God’s presence and power, perhaps in even greater ways, when we are facing the tough challenges of life.

I had Lyme disease for 18 years prior to a diagnosis. During those years there were some very dark periods, yet in them all, though I could not figure out and did not know how or when it would all end, nonetheless I was profoundly aware that “the Lord was with me.” Indeed, I learned more about God in those dark days than I ever did in the good, easier days. I learned about his fathomless grace, his unconditional love, his uncompromising faithfulness.

Now, notice these parallel cycles and phrases in Joseph’s life:

1. The favor of others toward Joseph

(1) “The Lord was with Joseph” (39:2, 21).

(2) “Joseph found favor in (Potiphar’s) sight” (39:4); “the Lord granted gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison” (39:21).

2. The appointment to a position of trust and responsibility

(1) Potiphar “made him overseer of his house and all that he had he put under his authority” (39:4). And, “the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing” (39:22).

(2) Potiphar “left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate” (39:6). “The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority” (39:23).

3. Joseph’s success and prosperity

“His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand” (39:3). And, “The keeper of the prison saw that the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper” (39:23b).

4. The connection between God and Joseph’s performance

Both Potiphar and the prison keeper recognized the connection between Joseph’s God and Joseph’s character and success (39:3-4; 39:21-23).

But don’t think because God was with him that life was easy. His initial prison experience was anything but easy. Psalm 105:18 tells us about Joseph that, “They hurt his feet with fetters. He was laid in irons. Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.”

Eventually, however, Joseph was rewarded and vindicated. He was given a most unique position in the prison – he, a prisoner, was put in charge of the other prisoners (39:22). Like Potiphar, once the prison keeper had delegated this to Joseph, he didn’t think about it again: “He did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority.” Why? “Because the Lord was with him and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper” (39:23).

Faithfulness to God, then, does not exempt us from trouble. But notice also that…

II. In All Our Troubles, God Is Providentially At Work (40:1-22)

Joseph first experienced God’s providential intervention in his life through the prison keeper, who recognized in Joseph his honesty, reliability, loyalty. He recognized that Joseph was not a threat to others nor a potential escapee. Then one day, in a seemingly “natural occurrence”, two new prisoners arrive, two senior officers of Pharaoh’s household - the butler (cupbearer) and the baker. We don’t know what these two men had done, but it was serious enough to warrant prison. Interestingly, these two “special” prisoners were put into Joseph’s custody, and it would appear that the very person who consigned them to Joseph’s keeping was none other than Potiphar himself, “the captain of the guard” (40:3-4; cf. 39:1). If it was Potiphar, he must have known that Joseph did not try to rape his wife. Otherwise why would he give Joseph the responsibility for these two men in prison? If it was Potiphar, his influence over the prison keeper would explain why the prison keeper’s treatment of Joseph paralleled Potiphar’s treatment of him.

And notice this: these two prisoners were senior management from the royal household. Perhaps this was the connection that would lead to Joseph’s vindication. Perhaps this was a case of “it’s-not-what-you-know-but-who-you-know.” Was all of this coincidence? No! Was it God’s providence? Yes!

Like Joseph these men had held senior, trusted positions. In fact, they were closely related positions in that both men were responsible for the health and safety of Pharaoh. The baker was entrusted with all Pharaoh’s food preparation and the cupbearer was responsible for tasting the food and drink before Pharaoh – just to make sure there were no poisons in it! So, the cupbearer had to trust the baker or else he would pay for it with his life.

In prison, they were attended to by Joseph (40:4), and in prison they experience their remarkable dreams (40:5-19). Both men had a dream on the same night in prison. Both of their dreams related to their jobs in Pharaoh’s household. Instinctively, they knew that these were no ordinary dreams – they weren’t the product of eating garlic the night before! These dreams had special significance and implications, which, though they did not understand, caused them great anxiety. Noticing their downcast faces, Joseph asked them: “Why do you look so sad today?” (40:7). If you would expect anyone to be downcast, it would be Joseph. But he doesn’t focus on his own situation but on that of the others.

Don’t you so often find that in some people? Perhaps you go to visit someone who is in dire circumstances, sick or aged or unemployed, and instead of you encouraging them, they encourage you. I wonder in your own life, when you have passed through dark circumstance, if you have been used by God to bring light and hope to someone else. That’s what Joseph did in prison. Undoubtedly, God was using Joseph, perhaps even changing Joseph for greater tasks ahead. Before entering into the reality of his vision years before, he had to experience oppression, rejection, false treatment, and suffering. He had to be the sacrificial lamb, if you will, who would pay the penalty for his brothers’ sins in order that they could enter into the blessings that he would provide for them. Joseph was going to find out that before God uses us, he tests us. Someone in the church I pastored once said: “You’ll never know that God is enough until He’s all you’ve got.”

The two new prisoners explained to Joseph that the cause of their sadness was that they had both had dreams which they didn’t understand without an interpreter. To which Joseph replied, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me please” (40:8).

Joseph knew that only God could interpret dreams. His invitation for them to tell the dreams to him indicates that he knew that God would help him interpret them; he was aware of his very special relationship with God. Isn’t it ironic that the dreamer himself is now the interpreter of other people’s dreams? And isn’t it ironic that we know the rest of the story – that Joseph’s boyhood dreams of dominating others would ultimately come true but in a very circuitous manner?

First, the chief butler’s dream (40:9-11). In his dream, he saw a vine with 3 branches which budded, bloomed, and bore grapes. Then he squeezed the juice out of the grapes into Pharaoh’s cup and gave the cup to Pharaoh. Joseph’s interpretation of the dream (40:12-13) was that within 3 days the chief butler would be reinstated to his position. This was great news! And Joseph seized this opportunity to make a request of the butler: “But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. For indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; and also I have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon” (40:14-15).

Surely this was the least the butler could do for Joseph. After all, not only had Joseph given a favorable interpretation of the dream but now the butler knew why Joseph was in prison, and that Joseph himself had been unjustly treated by his brothers and unjustly accused by Mrs. Potiphar. Surely, there was sufficient affinity between Joseph’s and the butler’s situation that the butler would “remember” Joseph when he was restored to his position in the royal palace.

This was Joseph’s self-defense. There is a time when we need to speak up in our defense against false accusations. There is a time when we should ask for help from others, even though we know that ultimately our life is in God’s hands. There is no contradiction in this - we trust God and make the need known to others. But we must be sure of God’s timing. Joseph waited until this opportune time when he thought God was at work in his life.

But it’s so easy for us to get ahead of God, to push for answers, to try to open doors that God isn’t opening. So often what we want and try isn’t God’s timing or God’s way; he isn’t urging us to move forward at that time. And it’s so easy to defend ourselves at the wrong time. When we try to vindicate ourselves at the wrong time, it comes off as being defensive and self-serving, perhaps even insincere.

Then, the chief baker’s dream (40:16-17). Recognizing Joseph’s ability in interpreting dreams (and liking his interpretation of the butler’s dream), the chief baker now relates his dream to Joseph, hoping for a similar outcome. In his dream, the chief baker was carrying on his head 3 baskets of food for Pharaoh but, as he walked, the birds ate the food out of the baskets. Joseph’s interpretation of the dream (40:18-19) was that within 3 days, Pharaoh would execute the chief baker and hang him on a tree: “And the birds will eat your flesh from you” (40:19b). This was very bad news indeed, exactly what the baker did not want to hear.

The Outcome (40:20-22). Within 3 days, the outcome was just as Joseph had said. On his birthday, Pharaoh threw a feast for all his servants at which time the chief butler was reinstated to his previous position, but the chief baker was executed. Evidently, by this time Pharaoh has discovered the truth about what had happened as between the butler and baker. It would appear that the chief baker was guilty of whatever had happened that caused the two men to be thrown into prison in the first place, whereas the chief butler was declared innocent. That would explain the different outcomes and it would explain why the chief butler was reinstated to his position of trust again.

In any event, from a human perspective it looks like Joseph’s situation is going to improve. After all, he has connections now to the highest authority in the land. Surely this would be the ticket to Joseph’s release from prison. Finally there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel - at least, there is a glimmer of hope.

Faithfulness to God, then, does not exempt us from trouble. But in all our troubles, God is providentially at work. Nevertheless..

II. God Does Not Always Act As And When We Would Like (40:23)

An ironic twist intervenes in the progress of Joseph’s experience. Despite Joseph’s kindness to the chief butler and despite the similarity of their circumstances - both being falsely accused (Joseph by Mrs. Potiphar and the chief butler by Pharaoh); both being mistrusted and mistreated; both being innocent men in prison - nonetheless, “…the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him” (40:23).

Why did the chief butler forget? Don’t you think that would have been uppermost on his mind? Don’t you think he should have been so grateful to Joseph, that he would have attended to this matter immediately? Perhaps he purposely “forgot” in order to protect himself. After all, if he told Joseph’s story to the king, the king might be offended that the butler was raising the issue of false accusation again – this time as it pertained to Joseph rather than himself, which was probably a sore point for the king given that he had just falsely accused the butler. The king might also be offended that the butler was accusing one of the king’s senior officers (Potiphar) of mistreatment, injustice etc.

So, perhaps this was a matter of saving his own skin. Whatever the reason, he “did not remember Joseph but forgot him.” To “not remember” someone or something is probably a Hebraism for consciously not calling something to mind. You see this in, “For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more” (Heb. 8:12, 17) – i.e. God consciously chooses to not remember our sins. Whereas, to forget is perhaps an unconscious matter. So, in that sense, perhaps what the chief butler did to Joseph was either consciously choosing to put it out of his mind or unconsciously forgetting.

The irony here is that once again, Joseph is mistreated, this time by someone who “owed” him a favor, this time by someone who had experienced the same injustice that he had, and that makes it doubly unjust. In fact, Joseph remained in prison for two more long years.

But there is another dramatic irony here. We know what’s coming next – another opportunity that was far greater than the one that had just eluded Joseph. It would not come for another 2 years (41:1) but come it would. How disappointed Joseph must have been as time went by and he did not hear from the chief butler. Yet what he did not know is that, in God’s providence and sovereign direction of his life, the next opportunity would be far greater than the one that just passed him by.

Final Remarks

Perhaps you can think of a time in your life when you might have felt like Joseph, when you were unfairly treated. Perhaps at work you were passed over for a promotion that was given to the boss’ favorite who was less qualified and hadn’t been with the company as long as you had. When you were falsely accused, perhaps someone else implicated you in something that happened, in which you weren’t involved at all. Perhaps your supervisor at work jumped to conclusions and blamed you for something you didn’t do.

We all suffer from this at some point in our lives. Children suffer from it and come home in tears over some wrong done to them by their friends or teacher. Young people suffer from it when other students pass the blame on to them or lie about them. Adults suffer from it in their marriages and places of employment. Injustice can take many different forms, be it criticism, rumors, backstabbing, rejection, abuse (physical, emotional psychological, spiritual, sexual), personal condemnation, or the demeaning of your person. So…

1. What Do We Learn From Joseph About Injustice?

a) We must not allow injustice to control us emotionally. We must not allow the mistreatment and unfairness of our situation to take over our emotions. It’s so easy to allow “a root of bitterness to spring up and cause trouble, and by this many become defiled” (Heb. 12:15). We may not have control over our circumstances, but we can control how we respond to them. We can control our attitude to them.

We must not let the hurt degenerate into unchecked anger. I’m not suggesting that such treatment should not make us angry, for it often does. But we must keep a check on our emotions by not letting “the sun go down on our wrath nor give place to the devil” (Eph. 4:26-27), “not falling into reproach and the snare of the devil” (1 Tim. 3:7).

Anger can so easily degenerate into sinful behavior, “for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:20). Anger can consume us and become so destructive in our lives.

b) We must not allow injustice to control us psychologically. Don’t let others’ treatment of you to control your thinking. Otherwise you can become cynical, scornful, critical of everything and everyone, resentful, bent on revenge. In fact you can become paralyzed by bitterness and anger.

You may recall Corrie ten Boom’s own story. She stood strong, like Joseph, even when she was put into a Nazi concentration camp for hiding Jews during WWII. Her sister, Betsie, died there and Corrie certainly struggled with issues of forgiveness, especially when, after the war was over, she came face to face with one of the prison’s most cruel guards. Corrie ten Boom had just spoken to a crowd of people in Germany about forgiveness and no sooner was the meeting over than this guard confronted her. He didn’t know that she had been one of his prisoners whom he had cruelly treated with his leather whip. He told her that he had been a guard at Ravensbruck (where she had been a prisoner – although he didn’t recognize her) but that since then he had become a Christian. Then he thrust out his hand asking for her forgiveness. Corrie ten Boom recounts how her blood froze. She knew she had to forgive him. And she knew that since the war, those victims of Nazi brutality who were able to forgive their enemies were able to also rebuild their lives, but that those who nursed their bitterness remained invalids.

Corrie went on to say that when she finally summoned up enough strength to hold out her hand to the guard, that, in that moment as their hands clasped each other, she knew the love of God like never before (Cited from Gene Getz, “Men of Character, Joseph,” 80-83).

We must not allow mistreatment to control us emotionally or psychologically, and ...

c) We must not allow injustice to control us spiritually. So many people turn against God when they encounter injustice, unfairness, mistreatment, false accusations, betrayal. When things don’t go well it’s easy for us to blame God. We never read that Joseph blamed God for his circumstances. In fact, we don’t read that he blamed anyone – not his brothers, father, Potiphar, Mrs. Potiphar, the butler, the baker, or the prison keeper.

When bad things happen, so many Christians stop living like a Christian. When things go against them they stop going to church, stop reading their Bible, stop praying. If there was ever a time when we need to turn to God and deepen our spiritual lives, it’s when life deals us a body blow. Joseph seemed to grow in his spiritual life during this experience. Even in prison, he attributed the ability to interpret dreams to God.

d) We must not allow injustice make us impatient while we wait for God to open up the way before us, while we wait for God to vindicate us, while we wait for God to reward us openly.

Joseph spent a good portion of his time in Egypt in prison and, some of that time, he knew that one man on the outside could probably attain his freedom, but he forgot Joseph. The following 2 years must have been interminably long for Joseph as he must have despaired of ever getting out - that opportunity had passed; would there ever be another?

If he ever wondered where God was in all this we don’t read about it. Did he wonder if God had abandoned him? Did he ever doubt whether God actually existed at all? We hear of people all the time in the news who have been condemned to prison for crimes they have not committed. And I often wonder how they deal with that emotionally, psychologically, socially, spiritually. After 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela went on to live a productive life.

As Christians, we have a divine resource that non-Christians do not have and yet that is the resource that Satan turns us against, just when we need the Lord the most. Only He can protect us from self-destructing under these circumstances.

2. What Do We Learn From Paul About Injustice?

Paul was mistreated, misunderstood, unfairly criticized, unjustly imprisoned, stoned, shipwrecked, starved etc. But he said, “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ has forgiven you” (Eph. 4:31-32) . That’s the Christian principle for responding to false accusations, unfairness, and injustice. Paul reminds us: “If your enemy hunger feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:20). That’s hard when we’ve been mistreated but so necessary.

3. What Do We Learn From Peter About Injustice?

Peter writes to Christians who were suffering for their faith in Christ - unfairly, unjustly mistreated. He reminds us of a basic Christian principle: “For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God” (1 Pet. 2:20). Peter reminds us of the example of Jesus “who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth; who when he was reviled did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but committed himself to him who judges righteously” (1 Pet. 2:22-23).

4. What Do We Learn From Jesus About Injustice?

All of this, of course, points us to One greater than Joseph, One who cast aside his royal robes, took upon him the form of a servant, One who came to his own but his own did not receive him, One who was given a purple robe of mockery by those who called for his death. But the One who was abased, God highly exalted to be a Prince and a Savior.

Jesus teaches us much about responding to injustice, both in the ways He responded to injustices perpetrated against Him, and in His teachings. Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Lk. 6:27). “To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either” (Lk. 6:29). The response of a Christian to the offenses of life (mistreatment, false accusation, injustice etc.) should be entirely different from that of a non-Christian, because we live according to a counter-cultural lifestyle. Our responses are turned on their head so that instead of revenge, we bless; instead of bitterness, we forgive.

The overall lesson that we learn from this study is that… When we are unjustly accused, perhaps even condemned, we must wait for God’s deliverance and vindication.

We move on in the story of Joseph to a crucial turning point in his life. Now he will have the opportunity to make something of his life for God – but that will depend on his attitude. His attitude will determine whether he advances or stagnates, whether he puts the past behind him or lives in its shadow, whether he speaks for God or is silent out of fear. Now he can either take advantage of the opportunities God gives him or he can become paralyzed with the hardships he has already suffered and never do anything meaningful for God.

The subject in this study is: “Controlling your attitude”. You can consciously control your attitude in order to be effective for God. The overall principle in this segment of Joseph’s life is that... “when life is painful, you can choose to forget the past and be fruitful for God in the future.”

I. To Be Fruitful For God, We Need To Speak Boldly For Him (Gen. 41:37-40): Pharaoh Adopts Joseph’s Proposal

Following Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream and his suggested action plan, Pharaoh liked what he heard. “The advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants” (41:37). He obviously believed Joseph’s interpretation of his dream and that convinced him to accept Joseph’s proposed action plan. And who better to carry out that action plan than the interpreter of the dreams himself. “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” (41:38). The rhetorical answer is: “No! There is no one quite like him.”

More importantly, Pharaoh recognized and acknowledged that Joseph’s abilities (both practical and spiritual) came from God – the Spirit of God was in him. This could not be said of the wise men of Egypt, who had utterly failed the test but Joseph had passed with flying colors. What Joseph had promised had come true – “It is not me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer” (41:16).

Now Pharaoh joins all the others who put their trust in Joseph. Just as Potiphar had promoted Joseph over his whole household, so now Pharaoh promotes Joseph over the whole land. Just as the prison warden had committed all the prisoners to Joseph’s supervision and care, so now Pharaoh commits all the people of Egypt to Joseph’s supervision and care. Just as the chief butler had recommended Joseph for his ability to interpret dreams, so now Pharaoh recognizes Joseph’s abilities to govern Egypt. But more than that, Pharaoh recognized and acknowledged that Joseph’s abilities were divine in origin. Joseph is a man “in whom is the Spirit of God.” Nothing like this could ever be said of the wise men of Egypt – they had nothing to offer. But what Joseph offered was a direct result of his spirituality. What greater commendation can be made of anyone?

Should not people say the same of us? Is this not the highest approbation we can receive when others notice that the Spirit of God is in us? Is this not how we should live in such a way that others attribute our abilities and character to God? Do others see that in us? When they see our actions, our attitudes, our relationships, our values, our ethics, do they attribute them to the indwelling of the Spirit of God? Do our lives point others to God? Or, do we attract attention to ourselves?

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘See I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” (41:39-41).

How much higher are God’s ways and thoughts than ours. Joseph had hoped that the chief butler would have secured his freedom to go back to his old position in Potiphar’s house. But now, he would go to a much higher position in Pharaoh’s house, as ruler of the land! This was far beyond anything the chief butler could have done for Joseph. Was the 2 year wait hard? Yes. Was it worth it? Yes! The time and circumstances had to be just right for this to happen. God’s timing and his ordering of our circumstances are always right.

Our challenge is to let God be God and order our lives according to his providential ways for our good. Notice these details of God’s sovereign care and control:

1. God ensured that Pharaoh needed Joseph! He needed Joseph to interpret this dream. His own wise men were totally inadequate and useless. Joseph was the only one who could solve the riddle. And he needed Joseph to solve a real and urgent problem - what to do about the impending disaster.

2. God created Pharaoh’s need. God had caused Pharaoh to have these dreams. God had rendered the wise men incapable and useless, so that Joseph stood out head and shoulders above them by comparison.

3. God provided Pharaoh’s solution. The man he needed was right in front of him. “Can we find such a one as this?... There is no one so discerning and wise as you.” There wasn’t anyone else in the whole of the Egyptian kingdom who could come close to Joseph, and Pharaoh knew it.

4. God orchestrated Pharaoh’s response. Pharaoh didn’t turn to Potiphar or his other senior officers. Instead, under the providential ordering of God, he turned to Joseph, God’s man – (a) without having had any experience with Joseph’s leadership; (b) without requiring Joseph to prove himself (no probationary period); (c) without concern for Joseph’s recent incarceration as an accused rapist who was imprisoned for an indeterminate sentence with no chance of parole; (d) without requiring Joseph to take out Egyptian citizenship even.

Pharaoh could have minimized or ridiculed what Joseph said. He could have written off Joseph’s interpretation as being a melodramatic, trumped up, highly imaginative interpretation. After all, wasn’t Egypt the world power? Wasn’t Egypt prosperous and secure? But, God opened his understanding to the reality and truth of the dreams and to the realization that only Joseph could solve the problem.

How much higher are God’s ways and thoughts than ours! We cannot fathom the ways of God nor can we contemplate the thoughts of God. As the apostle Paul puts it: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and his ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counsellor? ... For of him and through him and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:33-34). Or, as the prophet Isaiah puts it: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD (Isa. 55:8).

We need to learn to trust the Lord’s ways and thoughts. “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:11-13). Again in Isaiah: “... those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isa. 40:31). And again in Romans: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28). Do we really believe that?

So, suddenly, Joseph’s life changes and he has authority over all Egypt; only Pharaoh was higher than he. What a dramatic turn of events! What a roller coaster ride from Potiphar’s house to Pharaoh court; from prison to parliament; from obscurity to notoriety; from false accusation to true recognition. I wonder what he must have thought about his life so far. Was he beginning to see the big picture? Could he see a pattern here? Was his life beginning to make sense? Could he see how God was working? Did the pain of betrayal, false accusation, and mistreatment begin to blend into the background of God’s sovereign ways? Did he now realize that all the events that had transpired so far in his life were part of a bigger plan? Could he now see the future with clarity?

When Joseph was suddenly promoted by Pharaoh he must have pumped a little fist: “Yes! Finally!” All of sudden he must have seen the culmination of his dreams of greatness from 13 years ago. All of a sudden he was vindicated! Dreams do come true! The dreams he had had so many years before were a revelation from God and not the stomach flu!

II. When We Speak Boldly For God, He Opens Up Opportunities We Never Dreamed Of (Gen. 41:41-45): Joseph’s Appointment And Authority

Pharaoh is convinced of Joseph’s suitability for this position. First, because Joseph had demonstrated his spiritual power by interpreting dreams with 100% accuracy. That’s a spiritual power that no one else in the kingdom had. No wonder Pharaoh concluded that the Spirit of God was in him.

And second, because Joseph had demonstrated his practical skills. He had served Potiphar well when he was in charge of his house (39:4). He had served the prison keeper well when he was in charge of the prisoners (39:22). So, now Pharaoh sets Joseph over the whole land. “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” (41:41-43).

Joseph is endowed with privilege, power, and prestige. That’s what high ranking government official have.

1. Joseph had royal privilege. He rode in his own private chariot from Pharaoh’s collection, just like having the presidential seal on the side, or like having the ER II emblem on the side. His royal privileges extended to private body guards who went ahead of his chariot, clearing the way of any security risks or demonstrators or hindrances (41:43).

2. Joseph had dictatorial power. The extent of his power was total. It stretched from Pharaoh’s house and to all the people of Egypt. He was set “over the whole land of Egypt” (41:41). He would “rule” over the entire land; his word was final (41:40). He was the king’s vice regent. First, his power was authorized and sealed with the gift of Pharaoh’s “signet ring” (41:42). This gave Joseph financial and legal authority. He could seal all the official documents with this ring. He was now the king’s official right hand man with all the power that went with that position. He could sign documents and authorize actions just as though the king was doing it himself. Second, his power was evident in his “garments of fine linen” (41:42). Now he had a wardrobe fit for a king: it went with the position. Fine linen was the most expensive Egyptian fabric (cotton). Third, his power was displayed in the “gold chain around his neck” (41:42). This was the symbol of power and wealth and position. Joseph had full and complete political power. There was no one was greater than he in the land, except Pharaoh himself. No one had more authority than he, except Pharaoh himself. Pharaoh said, “I am Pharaoh and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt” (41:44). That’s incredible power and position and privilege.

Not only was Joseph the most powerful man in Egypt under the king, but he was also the most powerful political ruler in the known world!

3. Joseph had presidential prestige. He rode in a royal chariot and his own front men cleared the way and demanded that people “bow the knee” before him. This was the height of prestige and pomp. And on top of all this…

4. Joseph had a cultural identification (41:45). First, Pharaoh gives Joseph a new, Egyptian name – “Zaphenath-Paneah.” Among the various translations of Joseph’s new name, “the God who speaks and lives” seems to be the most common. While the reference to “God” might refer to the Egyptian gods (“Nath” was an Egyptian goddess), nonetheless, perhaps Pharaoh was recognizing Joseph’s God who had enabled Joseph to interpret his dreams – “the God who speaks and lives.” So, perhaps this was a clever way for Pharaoh to acknowledge Joseph’s God while at the same time giving Joseph a more acceptable Egyptian name.

Second, Pharaoh gives Joseph a new Egyptian wife – “Asenath, daughter of Poti-Phera, priest of On” (41:45). I suppose Pharaoh would have concluded in his pagan logic that Joseph should have a religious wife, in keeping with Joseph’s religious bent. This woman’s name includes the same reference to “nath” and her father was a priest. So, Joseph was solidly identified with Egypt, even though he probably would not have chosen this way of doing it. As Gene Getz observes: “Together this couple not only represented the king of Egypt but deity as well. Their name would constantly remind people of their religious position in the kingdom” (Getz, 104).

III. When God Opens Up Opportunities, He Gives Us The Ability We Need (Gen. 41:46-57): Joseph Puts His Plan Into Action

Notice that the narrator repeats: “Joseph went over all the land of Egypt” (vv. 45 and 46) doing what a new prime minister does - getting to know his country and his people. And between these two clauses is sandwiched the statement that “Joseph was 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh the king of Egypt” (41:46). By structuring the story this way, the narrator is forcing us to ask some questions:

1. Would a young man of 30 years old with no governing experience be able to govern this vast, new country? Would the people respect him? Would he have the knowledge? Would he be able to handle the power?

2. Would a young man of 30 with no political experience be able to deal with the country’s worst economic recession? What would he do? Would he carry out his own advice? How would he administer this program? Will his God who interprets dreams also enable him to deliver them from the famine?

3. Would a young man of 30 be able to handle the position with its privilege, pressure, power, and prestige? Will he fall flat on his face? Will he be trapped by pride? Will he squander this opportunity?

The narrator has given us some pointers for the answers. First, Joseph had already proven that he was a survivor. Through God’s protection and deliverance he has already survived the depths of rejection in a pit. He has already survived the shame of slavery. He has already risen from slavery to Potiphar’s estate manager. He has already survived sexual temptation by the boss’ wife. He has already survived prison life and behaved admirably. He has already risen from a prisoner in general population to the prison supervisor.

This is a man who has faced numerous enormous obstacles in his short life and has come out smelling like a rose, or, to coin a biblical phrase, “like gold refined in the fire”(Rev. 3:18; cf. 1 Pet. 1:7). Severe testing was Joseph’s strong point. He evidently had nerves of steel. He evidently had the smarts to withstand extreme pressure. He evidently had the courage to face obstacles head on. He evidently had the confidence in God to carry him through. He evidently had the right attitude to survive, not becoming bitter or wallowing in self-pity but always being willing to leave things with God and move on.

So, first, one pointer as to whether Joseph was up to the job was that he had already proven himself to be a survivor. And another key (and the primary) factor is that God was with Joseph. Here is the key to understanding the whole of Joseph’s variegated life. Remember our thesis of this study: “No matter what others may have meant for evil, God meant it for good.” God had been weaving together the multi-colored strands of his life to produce a beautiful tapestry that no multi-colored coat could equal or portray.

Let’s consider now how this applies to our own lives:

1. We need to be constantly aware of the providence of God in our lives. This is what helps us to deal with disappointments, false accusations, injustice. This is what keeps us going through the hard times.

2. We need to be convinced of God’s role for us in life. If we are living in obedience and using the gifts he has given us, then that gives us assurance during hard times. Joseph knew that his dreams would come true. Undoubtedly that’s what kept him going, even though he may have had his moments of doubts and questions. But there were significant purposes for his testing:

a) So that he would mature spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

b) So that he could gain valuable experience – e.g. managing Potiphar’s estate, supervising prisoners.

c) So that when the time came, Pharaoh would know that he was the only man who could solve his problem.

d) So that he could experience God’s sustaining grace in the most desperate of circumstances, which grace would stand by him during the hard leadership years ahead.

e) So that he would learn to wait on and trust God.

f) So that he would know without a doubt that God was working on his behalf carrying out his purposes.

g) So that his perseverance would be fully developed, for he would certainly need it in the years to come.

While we wait, let’s do so in the confidence that God is working out his purposes in our lives. He hasn’t forgotten about us nor has he cast us aside. Getting us prepared and ready for the next stage in life is all part of God’s purposes for us. So, consider the times of waiting, of mistreatment, of false accusations etc.. to be all part of God’s preparation of us.

Joseph now has to prove that he can do the job and that the plan will work (Gen. 41:47-57). As Joseph predicted, there were 7 years of plenty (41:47-49). And Joseph executes the plan exactly as he had described it to Pharaoh. If you don’t have a plan, one thing is for certain, you’ll never achieve it. “Plan your work and work your plan” was a motto that Joseph followed. So, he organized the storage of the excess crops during these 7 plentiful years. Just as he had said, the “ground brought forth abundantly” (41:47). And in every city, Joseph put in storage food from the surrounding fields (41:48). In fact, he “gathered very much grain as the sand of the sea until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable” (41:49). That’s how productive and fruitful the crops were, like the grains of sand on the sea shore, immeasurably abundant.

When God carries out his promises, he does so in abundance so that there is no doubt that this is from God; so that no one could question the connection between these 7 years of plenty and Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream. In Paul’s words, “so that the excellence of the power may of God and not of us” ( 2 Cor. 4:7).

This doesn’t mean that Joseph escaped criticism. Even though it was obvious to any casual observer that this was the direct result of Joseph’s prediction, there were probably those who grumbled and criticized him. I can hear them now, saying: “Why can’t we eat this food and enjoy it while it lasts. Who says there are going to be 7 bad years - no one knows the future? This man’s nothing but a dictator, on a power trip.” These are the kind of comments, complaints, and criticism that leaders have to deal with.

Then, after the seven years of plenty, as Joseph predicted, came the 7 bad years (41:53-57). The entire known, inhabited world was thrown into economic and social chaos as the famine spread. After year 1, I can hear some people saying: “Well, we’ve had years like this before. I remember 1936 when the sun was so hot we fried eggs on the steps of the town hall.” Or, “The climate has always gone in cycles. This is nothing new – this too shall pass.” Or, “We’ve had droughts as long as I can remember. In fact western Canada has experienced multi-year episodes in the 1890s, 1910s, 1930s, 1960s, 1980s, and the early 2000’s. So, this is no big deal. We’ll get through this. In fact, we’ll come out of this stronger than ever. We know how to look after ourselves. We don’t need this power-monger in Cairo telling us what to do.”

But as year followed year without any abating of the famine, there was one difference between Egypt and the rest of the world: “The famine was in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread” (41:54).

So, year 1 was followed by year 2 and by year 2 by year 3. By now the people were hungry. Children are crying to their parents for food. Old people were languishing from lack of nourishment. Households were desperate all across Egypt and around the world. “So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, ‘Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do’” (41:55). Joseph had both the responsibility and authority for administering the program for the entire country

How much trust Pharaoh expressed here in Joseph! “He’s my man! Talk to him! He’s got the plan!” It’s almost as if Pharaoh said to the people: “Look, don’t call me; go to Joseph.” Actually, Pharaoh knew that only Joseph and Joseph’s God could pull them through this crisis for “The famine was over all the face of the earth and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt” (41:56).

Well, Joseph’s food bank program worked flawlessly. But human nature being what it is there must have been enormous challenges facing Joseph, like how to maintain honesty and fairness among people desperate for food. He probably had to deal with food lines that erupted in fist fights, people trying to steal food for the black market, and how to handle illegal immigrants who were sneaking across the Israeli border into Egypt looking for food, for “all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands” (41:57).

Joseph was dealing with a worldwide famine. All eyes were on him. The survival of millions of people depended on his program. Where do you think that Joseph first learned how to handle this kind of administration (albeit on a smaller scale)? That’s right, in Potiphar’s household (no small task) and in prison where he supervised all the prisoners (no small task). Now he is “set over all the land of Egypt” (41:41) and Pharaoh is directing people to deal with him alone – and whatever he tells you to do, just do it (Maybe that where Nike got there line from – “just do it”)

Now while all of this is going on Joseph’s family expands (41:50-52). In between these two paragraphs (vv. 47-49 and vv. 53-57), the narrator tells us about Joseph’s family life. While the food bank program is in its first stage (storing food for later), Joseph’s family expands. “Before the year of the famine came... Joseph had two sons” (41:50). He was “making proverbial hay while the sun shines.” Soon he would have no time for this. His firstborn son he names Manasseh: “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house” (41:51). Isn’t that great! This must surely be the key to Joseph’s survival - his attitude! All the pain and suffering of the last 13 years he puts behind him. All the rejection by his father’s house he puts behind him. Now he has his own life to live and nothing of the past is going to hold him back. God had removed the sting of the past and he has moved on.

How can he do this? The name of his firstborn sons tells us: “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house” (41:51). He attributes it all to the grace of God. He didn’t do it – God did. He knew exactly that in the eyes of God he was elect and precious, and nothing was going to rob him of that.

So many people can’t ever get out of what Bunyan called “the slough of despond.” Their past haunts them like a never-ending nightmare. They know where they want to run but can’t. They never get past asking, “Why me?” They never get past searching for answers. They never enjoy what God has provided for the present – forgiveness, peace, joy, family, friends etc. They never look forward to what God has for the future. They live their lives constantly digging around in the attic of their past with all its skeletons and bad memories.

I’m not saying that we shouldn’t reflect on the past, we should, but not to dwell on it, not to stay there. But rather to turn bad into good, to rid ourselves of any bitterness, or malice, to see how the experience of the past can shape our thinking, attitudes, behavior, and relationships for good going forward. I don’t want to diminish the pain of those experiences – they are tragic and painful. I have had them; I know. I know how painful it felt when my father criticized me and cut me out of his life for many years. He even quoted 2 Cor. 13:5 to me, doubting my salvation, all because I was not adhering to the church tradition he was. And this just when I was about to enter the most spiritually fruitful time of my life! Anyway, I decided to move on past that – not live there; not dwell on something for which he was responsible, not me. And while I don’t have the capacity to consciously forget something, I can live in the control of God’s Spirit, not in the control of my memory. I decided that my life would not be ruined by someone else’s distorted thinking. I can live in the joy of God’s abounding grace and not in the pain of the past. The whole point of salvation is that we are new creatures in Christ, “the old is gone, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17).

Joseph named his second son Ephraim: “For God has cause me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction (41:52). Unbelievable! What a wonderful attitude! What emotional healing had taken place without a psychiatrist, counsellor, or self-help group! It was all of God.

What a transformation that would make in our country if our leading politicians lived in such consciousness of God. And if we can just get this notion through our heads, our whole attitude to life would change too. You can make a conscious choice how you live your life. You can decide to spend your life trapped in the past, wallowing in despair and self-pity, or you can spend your life living in the joy of the Lord, being “fruitful” for him “in the land of your affliction.” By the grace of God you can turn sorrow into joy. You can turn barrenness into fruitfulness for God. It’s your choice. You decide whether you want your to life to count for something for eternity or not. You decide what kind of legacy you want to leave behind. You decide whether to live looking in the rear view mirror or looking ahead through the windshield of the future. It’s all a matter of attitude – it’s your choice. And by the grace of God you can change your attitude.

Remember out thesis for this study: “When life is painful you can choose to forget the past and be fruitful for God in the future.” You can go like Joseph “from forgetfulness to fruitfulness.” Joseph had turned his back on the past and was using all of the talents and opportunities God had given him to make a difference now, to be fruitful now, even in “the land of his affliction.” By God’s grace you can turn away from the past and face the brightness of God’s future in Christ and make your life count for God.

FINAL REMARKS

Well, even though most of us will not experience this rags-to-riches story of Joseph, we will benefit from the same principles as he did.

1. You can endure significant, lengthy trials by God’s grace, even betrayal, false accusations, and injustice. For 13 long years Joseph’s life was the pits. It must have seemed like eternity until his life turned a corner. But despite the suffering and the length of time, Joseph did not lose hope in God. He may have been a slave in Egypt but he did not become a slave to the past or to self-pity. He may have been a prisoner in Egypt but he did not become a prisoner to doubt or discouragement.

2. You can be free from the burden of bad memories. While you cannot erase your memories (only God can consciously forget), you can be free from their burden. You do not need to be controlled by bad memories; they need not defeat you or hold you captive. By God’s sustaining and liberating grace and mercy you can consciously choose whom you will serve. Like Joseph, “when life is painful, you can choose to forget the past and be fruitful for God in the future.”

Paul says this: “Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey?” (Rom. 6:16). You can choose whether you want to be a slave to bad memories, bad experiences, bad relationships, bad friends, bad behavior, bad habits. You can choose whether to occupy your thoughts with good things – those things that “are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report” (Phil. 4:8) – or with bad things. If you can’t do it on your own, then find a mentor or professional counsellor who can help you deal with it, but don’t spend your life tormented by the past.

3. Don’t let the past hold you back from serving God now. Joseph could have easily pleaded inability (emotional, psychological, experiential etc.) to step into the position that God opened up for him, but he didn’t. Instead he stepped out in the boldness of faith which God supplied, trusting God for daily ability, strength etc. Like Joseph, “when life is painful, you can choose to forget the past and be fruitful for God in the future.” So many people fail to use their lives productively for God because something in the past haunts them. This is the work of Satan and not of God.

4. Let the past experiences prepare you to persevere. Joseph had seen the hardship of a lifetime by the time he was 30 years old - favoritism, rejection by family, mistreatment, injustice, false accusations, betrayal. But instead of that crippling him it enabled him to face the future, it strengthened him to meet obstacles head on. In all the tests and trials that lay ahead in his life nothing would daunt him, discourage him, or deter him. His sufferings had truly taught him to persevere. The Hebrew Christians were becoming discouraged with opposition and suffering, so much so that they were in danger of quitting their Christianity. So, the writer of Hebrews spurs them on: “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Heb. 10:36). It says of Moses that he “persevered because he saw him who is invisible” (Heb. 11:27). Writing to encourage the Thessalonians, Paul says: “We boast of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure” (2 Thess. 1:4). James says: “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:4). And Peter says: “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love” (2 Pet 1:5-7).

It’s all a matter of attitude, and you can control that. Satan wants you to give up but you can choose to be fruitful in the land of your affliction. Let us make our past experiences of hardship and suffering and bad memories the building block for future fruitfulness rather than the depth charge of despair and doubt.

In the previous edition (Part 7) of this series on Joseph, our subject was: “The Truth About Reconciliation: The Conscience Must Be Activated.” We noticed that the process Joseph followed in dealing with his brothers and their offences against him was solidly based on the principles of Scripture regarding forgiveness. The process of forgiveness is not without its challenges, as each case must be evaluated on its own circumstances. In dealing with significant offences, the biblical process is that the offender must repent and confess before forgiveness can be extended and reconciliation take place.

Nonetheless, throughout this process, grace must blanket all our dealings with the offender so that he / she knows that we hold no ill feelings towards them and that we are willing to forgive. The overriding objective is to “win our brother / sister” not only to be reconciled with us but more particularly to be reconciled to God. This principle and process is supported in the N.T. by such texts as Matt. 18:15-20 (dealing with church discipline of a sinning brother), as well as in texts that deal with the reconciliation of a sinner to God – repentance and confession leads to forgiveness and reconciliation.

The foundation of reconciliation is trust. That’s our subject in this message on reconciliation: Trust must be earned. The overriding principle that we will learn from our passage is that “trust is the foundation of true, full, and lasting reconciliation.”

The question in Joseph’s mind is surely about trust. Are his brothers telling him the truth or not? Have they truly repented or are they merely sorry that they are in trouble? Are they changed men? Can he safely proceed to the next step – namely, to reveal himself to them, express his forgiveness, and be reconciled to them? Can he trust them?

Notice firstly that…

I. Trust Must Be Earned With Everyone Else Involved (Gen. 42:29-38)

Joseph’s brothers’ returned home to face a standoff with Jacob (42:29-36). Upon returning to Canaan the brothers recounted to Jacob everything that had happened in Egypt, including (1) the harsh treatment by “the man who is lord of the land” (42:30), who “spoke roughly to us and took us for spies of the country” (42:30); (2) their self-defense as to their honesty and family background (42:31-32); (3) the refusal by “the man, the lord of the country” (42:33) to believe them; and (4) his test of their honesty by keeping Simeon hostage and demanding that they return with Benjamin (42:33-34). These were the terms on which they could return and “trade in the land” (42:34). This was the ultimatum: “Do what I say or starve to death in Canaan.”

Then, the plot got even more complicated. Upon opening their sacks of grain in front of Jacob, they found that, not only had one of them received his money back in his sack, but they all had! “Surprisingly each man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid” (42:35).

Immediately, Jacob weighed in on the situation. He was, understandably, vexed and this revealed his own misgivings and distrust of his sons. “You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me” (42:36). Clearly, Jacob holds them responsible for Joseph’s disappearance and now Simeon’s.

So, Reuben tries to persuade Jacob (42:37-38). Reuben is the negotiator, the compromise maker. Years before he tried to negotiate a compromise with his brothers when they were bound and bent on killing Joseph (35:22). And now he tries to negotiate with Jacob, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; put him in my hands and I will bring him back to you” (42:37). Of course, this was a ridiculous and totally irrational offer. Did he really think that Jacob would kill his own two grandsons if Benjamin failed to come back? What kind of security would this afford Jacob? None! In fact, it would only add to his tragic loss.

Anyway, Jacob didn’t trust Reuben, understandably. He didn’t trust him because Reuben had had sex with Jacob’s concubine, Bilhah (35:22), something that Jacob resented until his dying day (49:3-4). And, he didn’t trust Reuben because, as the oldest son, he should have protected Joseph but had failed miserably to do so. Oh, Reuben had probably tried to rationalize everything: (1) that Bilhah was only his father’s concubine and anyway, how can something that feels so good be so wrong; (2) that he had at least saved Joseph from death at that time; (3) that he had planned on returning to rescue Joseph from the pit; and (4) that it was just “unlucky” timing that, before he got there, the other brothers had sold Joseph to slave traders - there was nothing he could have done about it.

Human beings are masters at self-rationalizations. We can rationalize just about anything if we want to. We can even rationalize sin as being God’s will! Like leaving one’s spouse to go live with another woman, as some have argued.

To give Reuben the benefit of the doubt here, perhaps this offer to kill his two sons was Reuben’s attempt to gain back his father’s trust and to fulfill his responsibility as the oldest son. But, Jacob was intransigent – he wouldn’t budge. “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother (Joseph) is dead and he (Simeon) is left alone. If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave (42:38). Reuben’s attempt to regain his father’s trust and broker a deal to help his brothers failed once more.

Sometimes, trust cannot be regained easily. Relationships can be fractured so badly that they are beyond repair, at least for a time. I think that’s why Jesus affirmed that divorce is an option when one spouse commits sexual immorality - such an act can so destroy trust that, sometimes, it cannot be regained. The act of sexual immorality effectively “kills” the marriage relationship and to renew it might not be possible. So, Reuben’s offer failed to persuade Jacob and it seemed that for the time being, life back at the ranch carried on for a while (43:1-2). They had grain now from Egypt (9 sacks full in fact) but that eventually ran out.

Hunger is a powerful motivator, isn’t it? Do you know that people will do anything to satisfy hunger - it’s a built-in survival response. Mothers will steal, kill, prostitute themselves or whatever it takes to feed their children. And we shouldn’t sit here and moralize about that since we are not in their situation.

The prospect of hunger arouses Jacob to revisit this issue of going back to Egypt, so he said to the brothers, “Go back, buy us a little food” (43:2). But to go back meant he is going to have to rethink the whole issue of sending Benjamin.

Previously, Reuben had tried to persuade Jacob; this time Judah tries to persuade Jacob (43:1-10). Judah reminds Jacob of Joseph’s demand that they bring Benjamin with them (43:3), saying, in effect, “So, Daddy dear, if you want us to go back to Egypt, Benjamin must come with us, otherwise we aren’t going. Take it or leave it.” (43:4-5). It was one thing for Jacob to deny this request earlier when they had food but now the food was all gone.

But Jacob is still resentful, distrustful. “Why did you deal so wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another brother?” (43:6). In Jacob’s convoluted way of thinking, when the brothers told Joseph about their younger brother Benjamin back home, they were “dealing wrongfully with me” (i.e. Jacob). Why did Jacob think it had anything to do with him? Because he was pleading the “poor me” approach now. Well the answer is simple: “The man (whoever he is) asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family saying, “Is your father still alive? Have you another brother (43:7a), Judah replied, “So, that’s why we told him. How were we to know he would tell us to bring Benjamin down there?” (43:7b).

Then Judah played his final card. “Send the lad with me and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. I myself will be surety for him: from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring home back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever” (43:8-9). “Trust me,” Judah says, “not Reuben or the others – just me. In fact,” he continues, “if you had agreed the first time, we would already have been there and back by now” (43:10). It’s as though he is blaming Jacob for the delay and for their present dire circumstances.

Finally Jacob relents (43:11-14). He had no other choice – let Benjamin go or die. So, “If it must be so, then do this. Take some of the best fruit of the land in your vessels and carry down a gift for the man – a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. And take double the money in your hand, and take back the money that was returned in your sacks – perhaps it was an oversight (43:11-12). Jacob, ever the schemer, adds a sweetener to the deal with a gift for “the man” (whoever he is; whatever his name is). In addition, they were to take double the money they had taken before (just in case they needed it), as well as the money that had been returned to them. Perhaps the returned money was an “oversight.” Well, no harm in some positive thinking, is there? “I mean, surely my boys wouldn’t have knowingly stolen the money, would they? It must have been an oversight.”

“And take your brother also and arise, go back to the man. And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man that he may release your brother and Benjamin (43:13-14a). It’s funny how people start talking in terms of “God” when things get desperate, isn’t it? When you’re in trouble, it just seems to be the right thing to start calling on God. “Anyway, when it’s all said and done,” Jacob says, “if I’m bereaved, I’m bereaved (43:14b). A kind of matter-of-fact fatalism takes over – “whatever will be will be, the future’s not ours to see, que sera sera.”

So, not only must trust be earned with everyone else involved (for all of them were implicated in this), but in addition…

II. Trust Must Be Earned Specifically With The Offended Party (43:15-44:34)

The boys arrived back in Egypt, only to be ushered into the governor’s mansion for a surprise welcome in Egypt (43:15-34). Just the sight of Benjamin puts Joseph in a celebratory mood. They’re all going to enjoy a noon-hour banquet (43:16). Like the father in Luke 15, Joseph must have thought: “This my brother was dead and is alive again, was lost and is found.” For him this was cause for rejoicing. But for them, it was cause for fear, which generates their rationalization of what was happening: “It’s because of the money which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys” (43:18).

So, what would you do if you were in their shoes? You would probably do exactly what they did – to plead their case to someone who has influence with Joseph. So, they told Joseph’s steward what had happened, how they had discovered the money in their sacks on their way home the last time. “So we have brought it back in our hand and we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks” (43:21-22). “Honestly,” they say. “Scouts honor. Cross our hearts and dare to die. We didn’t know.” (That’s just my free flowing translation).

To their utter shock, the steward reveals the mystery. “Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money (43:23a). Really? God actually did that? Our God? “Yes, that’s right. Your God is in control - I put the money in your sacks.” They were learning great things about their God – how their God acts on their behalf even through a pagan Egyptian! “Well, wad’ya know!”

So, the noon hour party took place. They gave Joseph the presents they brought for him and “bowed down before him to the earth” (43:26). Then Joseph inquired about their father “and they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves (43:28). Within two verses (26 and 28) they bowed down twice before Joseph. They must have been getting weak in the knees by now with all these push-ups. Joseph’s dream was coming true!

Then Joseph looked right at Benjamin. He couldn’t have recognized him after all this time for he had grown from a one year old into a 23 year old man. But perhaps there was something about his features, or his movements, or his demeanor that he recognized. After all, they were blood brothers with the same mother and father. And immediately, Joseph pronounced a benediction on him, “God be gracious to you, my son” (43:29).

There’s more talk about God here than they have heard in years. Actually, they didn’t want to hear about God or talk about God before. After all, who wants to talk about God when you’ve done what they’ve done. When sin is present in your life the last thing you want to talk about is God. Your conscience cries out in protest. You can’t live in sin and talk about God – they don’t go together. You have to rid yourself of sin in order to enjoy talking about and with God. For God himself will not tolerate sin. Sin is an immediate barrier to fellowship with him.

Now the emotion of the whole moment was too much for Joseph. “His heart yearned for his brother” and yet it still was not the right time to reveal his identity, so he goes to his bedroom to weep in private (43:30). Once he had regained his composure and washed his face, dinner was served. According to Egyptian custom, Joseph was seated by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians by themselves. And so they sat before Joseph in birth order, all the way from “the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another” (43:33). No one wonder they were astonished: “How could he possibly know our ages? This is scary. He knows all about us.”

You can only imagine their further confusion when the food was served and “Benjamin’s serving was five times as much as any of theirs (43:34a). “How come he’s giving our youngest brother five times as much food as us?” they must have thought. “So they drank and were merry with him” (43:34b). Happy days were here again! Or so they thought. But, before the happy days would come, there was ...

The final test (44:1-34). Evidently, Joseph still wasn’t prepared to trust his brothers. So deeply had he been hurt by them before, so untrustworthy had they proven themselves before, so conniving and devious had their lives been, that Joseph had to bend over backwards to determine if they had really changed. Could they be trusted? Were they telling him the truth? Was everything as it seemed on the surface? Or, were they acting this way just because they needed food? So, he administered a final test of their trustworthiness.

As they were leaving for home, Joseph’s steward was instructed “to fill their sacks with food as much as they could carry and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack” (44:1). This is the same test as the last time but with a twist. Joseph’s silver cup was to be put into Benjamin’s sack (44:2)! Again, you can hear the drum beat (dum-de-dum-dum) as something ominous is about to happen.

They set off for home as before but barely had they made it outside the city limits, than Joseph’s steward caught up with them to lower the boom. Specifically, on Joseph’s instructions, when they find Joseph’s silver cup in Benjamin’s sack, they say, “Why have you repaid evil for good? Is this not the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing” (44:4-5). Now this does not infer that Joseph actually practiced divination. While divination using liquids in a cup was common in Egypt, it was not practiced by the Israelites. I would argue that this reference to divination is just another part of the “trick” that puts pressure on the brothers. This cup was not just any old drinking cup, but one that is used in divination to discover the will of the gods by how oil and water mixed. The implication is, “So, how do you think you would not be discovered?” This threat is repeated in 44:15.

The irony here is that the brothers were truly innocent. We know it, they knew it, the steward knew it, and Joseph knew it. This was just one big charade, a trick, but with the very genuine, purpose of testing and revealing the brothers’ hearts.

Of course, the brothers denied such a charge. “Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing”(44:7). “We are honest men,” they argue. “In fact, we brought back the money that was in our sacks the last time (and, by the way, we didn’t have to – but we’re honest men, remember). So, why would we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? In fact, we’re so confident, here’s what we’ll do. Whoever is found with the silver cup in his sack shall die. Oh, and we’ll add to that, the rest of us will be your lord’s slaves” (44:8-9).

This is like the TV commercials. You won’t pay $500, $400, or $200 – you’ll only pay $99. But wait, there’s more. If you order within the next 30 seconds, we’ll double the offer. That’s what the brothers were doing: The thief will die. But wait, there’s more. We will be your lord’s slaves.

But Joseph’s steward modified the terms of the deal. After all, he knew what the tricky test was all about and he really didn’t want anyone to die over this. So the final terms are: “He with whom the silver cup is found shall be my slave (not Joseph’s) and the rest of you shall be blameless (44:10). On those terms Joseph’s steward searched the sacks and, lo and behold, he found the cup in Benjamin’s sack (44:11-12). Now, what would they do? How would they react? Would they do the same as they did to Joseph – go wild with anger and kill Benjamin? That’s what the old, unchanged brothers would have done. They had no scruples at all as to how to settle a score.

Well, they go wild alright but with fear and shock, not anger (44:13). Just when they thought they were in the clear, now this. In fact, they were sure that the governor really liked them (for some strange reason), sufficiently so that he had actually entertained them in his mansion! Now they had the food, they had retrieved Simeon from custody, Benjamin is with them and they’re on their way home. Things were finally looking up and now this. Talk about a reversal of fortunes!

But there is no violence, no accusations against Benjamin. Instead, with their shoulders drooping low, they trudge back to the city to face the inevitable music. And they did the only thing they could do: “They fall before Joseph on the ground (44:14). That must have been a pretty sight for Joseph!

Did you know that this was when the first Kodak camera was made? I’m pretty sure that Joseph had commissioned his wise men to invent a camera just for this Kodak moment (although the text doesn’t say so). No, actually, I think this was when the first Panasonic movie camera was used – to catch the brothers coming back into the courtyard of the governor’s mansion, their donkeys in tow, their clothing all torn in their anguish, tears probably coursing down their faces, making their beards look like matted straw. They were indeed a pathetic sight. But to Joseph they were a picture of beauty! To Joseph they were changed men. This must have done his heart good. The test had worked. It had revealed their hearts. They were different men now.

“And Joseph said to them, ‘What deed is this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?’” (44:15). Did they not realize that someone in Joseph’s position and with his power could, and almost certainly would, find out who had stolen the cup?

Judah now rises to the occasion (44:16-34). Judah, the one who had led the group in getting rid of Joseph, the one who had finally persuaded Jacob to let Benjamin go with them, the one who had told Jacob he would bear the blame if they didn’t bring Benjamin back, now he is the spokesperson for the group. To Joseph’s accusation, Judah pleads: “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord’s slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found”(44:16). There was nothing they could say. They couldn’t clear themselves. They were caught red-handed. They were powerless and Joseph was all-powerful. This was a new day. The tables were turned. So powerful was this realization, that Judah confesses the truth: “God has found out the iniquity of your servants.” “God has revealed the sin of our hearts,” he confesses. “Here we are – we have no excuses, no rationalizations, no defense, no counter arguments, no one else to blame. Just do what has to be done. We are now your slaves, all of us, not just Benjamin.”

This was there only option in dealing with this disaster. Judah knew he couldn’t appeal for justice, so he did the only thing he could – he appealed for mercy. This was a clear confession of sin, going all the way back to casting Joseph in the pit. This was the sin that God had now uncovered. Now he realized that this was divine retribution for how they had acted years before.

Then the worst news of all: “The man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father” (44:17). What? Really? We can go? But what about Benjamin? And more particularly, what about our father Jacob? Judah had offered all the brothers to be Joseph’s slaves but no, Joseph only wanted Benjamin? How could they possibly return to their father in peace? They couldn’t. They were all complicit in this together. They must all bear the blame together.

This is undoubtedly what Joseph wanted to hear. He knew that they had treated Benjamin with compassion and mercy in this disaster; now Joseph wanted to know how they would treat their father.

Now, Judah is at his absolute finest (44:18-34). He articulated the most heart-wrenching account of what they had told Joseph before about their aged father and his attachment to his youngest son, Benjamin, and how Joseph had insisted that they bring Benjamin to Egypt, how they had pleaded with Joseph that their father would die if Benjamin left him (44:19-22), but how Joseph had been unmovable in his demand (44:23), and how they had recounted this to their father and their father had reminded them that Rachel (his favorite wife) had born him two sons – the one disappeared (apparently torn apart by a wild beast) and if anything happens to the other son “it will kill me” (44:27-29). So now, Judah pleaded, if they return home without Benjamin, as soon as their father sees that he is missing, he will drop dead on the spot (44:30-31). And furthermore, “your servant (Judah) became surety for the lad to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.’ Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers (44:32-33).

Notice that everything in this marvelous plea is focused on others. Firstly, it focuses on the best interests of Benjamin. Judah not only does not accuse Benjamin of getting them into this mess, but he actually offers to be his substitute! He is fully prepared to carry out his promise to Jacob – he will be the surety for Benjamin. And secondly, it focuses on the best interests of Jacob. If Judah stays and Benjamin goes back, Jacob will live. And his final pleas is this: “I just couldn’t bear to see my father die from this” (44:34).

Now Joseph knew for sure the answers to his doubts. These were trustworthy men of integrity and compassion. And Judah, who had made the deal to sell Joseph to slave traders, now offered to be a slave in the place of Benjamin. Judah, who at one time couldn’t have cared less about his father’s sorrow at losing his son, Joseph, now was willing to become a slave in Egypt in order to protect his father’s feelings and life.

This is genuine repentance. Genuine change. Their sensitive consciences convicted them of their earlier sin that needed to be dealt with now. They freely and openly admitted guilt. They were willing to do whatever it takes to make right the wrong, even being a substitute for Benjamin.

Final Remarks

And that’s how you earn and regain trust. Not by trying to make excuses, not by trying to find technical loopholes in the law, not by trying to implicate others. But by simply and honestly confessing the truth and repenting of your sin, changing the way you think, act, and speak. This is the stuff of which trust is made - repentance and forgiveness lead to reconciliation, which, over time, re-establishes trust.

Remember our thesis for this message: “Trust is the foundation of true, full, and lasting reconciliation.”

So, what do you do if you lose trust in someone? The relationship needs to be properly restored, and a relationship is properly restored only when trust is earned and re-established. And trust is re-established when there is confession and repentance by the offender, forgiveness by the offended person, and personal reconciliation between the parties through trust that is earned over time by the offender.

If trust isn’t there, the relationship at best is flimsy. Even though the offender may have repented and you may have extended forgiveness and reconciliation may have taken place (at least at a superficial level), there must also be trust. And, as this part of Joseph’s story shows, trust has to be earned and demonstrated over time. This is true in marital relationships, employment relationships, friendships, and church relationships.

What is trust? To trust someone is to have no doubt in your mind as to that person’s integrity, confidentiality, and loyalty. You may love someone, but you may not fully trust that person. Many relationships are that way. And I would argue that such relationships will never progress to full, lasting, and genuine relationships if they are based solely on love. In addition to love, there must be full and complete trust in order for a relationship to be more than superficial.

When I do pre-marital counselling, I often ask: “Why do you want to marry this person?” And the reply is invariably: “Because I love him / her.” And I say something like: “Is that all?” Marriage relationships must have not only “love” but also “commitment” and “trust”. Love without commitment means that when things get rough, the marriage may fall apart. Love without trust means that the relationship will be strained, plagued with doubt, suspicion, even paranoia: “I wonder where he is now? Why did she say that?” etc.

Today there is a trend toward “open” marriages. Open marriages are where the two spouses say, “We love each other but we may not be able to fulfill each others needs, so we are open to our spouse having relationships with other men / women.” This fundamentally cannot work on a long term basis. If you break trust, you effectively break the relationship until and unless that trust is re-earned and re-established. And sometimes the breach is of such a nature that trust cannot be re-established.

How is trust earned?

1. Trust is earned over time. You can’t rush it.

2. Trust is earned by your attitude. Never give cause for suspicion. Always be truthful – deception kills trust. Always have mutual respect – lack of respect kills trust. Don’t be condemning of the other person’s shortcomings, weaknesses, mistakes, habits, idiosyncrasies.

3. Trust is earned by your actions. Be reliable. Do what you say, keep your promises, make your word your bond. Be supportive. Demonstrate confidence in the other party. Nurture a healing, healthy, safe environment where you can be yourself without fear of reprisal.

4. Trust is earned by your communications. Openness, transparency, for example, about your feelings. Let your “yes” be “yes” and your “no” be “no”. Keep confidential communications confidential. If you break confidentiality, you break trust.

5. Trust is earned by your beliefs - sharing mutual beliefs and sharing a mutual commitment to the Lord. Herein lies the key to trust.

Now you can see why Joseph followed a long, drawn-out process with his brothers. He was willing to forgive from day one, but he didn’t do so until he saw honest confession and repentance and the evidence that he could trust them again. And the evidence was in their change of attitude, behavior, speech, and their belief in God.