Simple Evangelism

At the risk of over simplification, the success of Joseph boils down to 3 factors. Since God is no respecter of persons, this holds true for for us today.

First, God is real and is number one. Without anyone else He still exists. He is the all in all, the creator, the mighty one, the master of the universe. Without God nothing good happens. God existed back in Joseph's time, as he exists for us today.

Second Joseph had a relationship with God.  He accomplished amazingly good things. He took care of  that himself and in doing so put him in a position to help others. He took care of his own relationship with God despite what was going on around him.

When we neglect our own relationship with God we suffer. Nothing ever should stand in the way of freely associating with God. There is no altar rail, no veil, no condemnation by others, education, position, ethnic background, gender, overloaded schedule or anything else in this life that should get in the way of our approach to the throne.

Finally, once we know how much we are loved by God, then we can begin to really help others. It is beautiful the changes in Jacob's family as Joseph rose up. Jacob's blessing in Genesi 49:22-26 says it all:

22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: 23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: 24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) 25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: 26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

A fruitful bough runs over the wall! The reason Joseph 'was separate' from his brethren was that he knew God and listened to Him. It was evident in Joseph's life that he listened to God from the very beginning of the record on Joseph. It is that simple!

Fear not: For am I in the Place of God?

In the eyes of many scholars and ministers, when going over Jacob's family album and the deliverance God brought through Joseph, forgiveness is the big theme. Joseph is honored for his great forgiveness.  I think forgiveness is a little easier than people think.  It relies on God. For me the Joseph record is the story of God's great love and provision.

The true exercise and action of man is trusting and believing God. Genesis is filled with records of people that sojourned through the wilderness of life, physically, mentally and spiritually, to ultimately find the wellspring of grace that was really right there all the time. Jacob's sons were no exceptions.

Genesis 50:14-21
And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father. And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.  And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. 

And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

After all the ways God showed His love during hardship and famine, despite the poor relationships, envy, strife, evil intentions, immorality and lack of trust; Joseph's brothers still in the end thought they were in big trouble and fearful of what would happen to them. Have you ever thought this way? Joseph reminded them how God meant all of it for their good. God is what resided and kept Joseph's heart. God was available to them too.

It is interesting listening to ourselves when we talk about God.  We may talk in chapters, verses, formulas and quotations, pontifications and special language. We talk fast, slow, loudly, quietly, intensely or cautiously about God. If we listen to ourselves long enough the 'trust factor' starts to become visible. It shows in the above conversation in Genesis 50. The 'trust factor' is not that we've proved every jot and tittle of the Bible. It is about our relationship with God. Bottom line is just what Jesus Christ told us in the gospels:

Matthew 22:35-41 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Living Larger

"This world ♪♫♪♫ is not my home, ♪♫♪♫ I'm justa passin' through.." seem to be the lyrics Jacob was fond of singing in the later part of Genesis. He mourned the loss of his son Joseph and from that point

on he seems to waiting to for life to be over.

In Genesis 45:27-28, his reaction to the news of finding out that Joseph was alive and sending for him is recorded:

And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons (not yet used in Israel according to E.W.Bullinger) which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived: And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die. (Genesis 45:27, 28)

Imagine Jacob's reaction when he saw the wagons and all the wonderful things provided for a comfortable trip to Egypt. As they set out for Egypt, Jacob stopped at Beersheba and had a conversation with God (Elohim).

And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God(Elohim) of his father Isaac. And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. And he said, I am God (El), the God (Elohim) of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes. (Genesis 46:1-4)

Instead of life ending, it was beginning anew for Jacob. Jacob was 130 years old when he moved to Egypt, not an easy thing to do at his age. He would be well-taken care of in Joseph's domain and  under his watchful eye. Joseph's care and wisdom came from God. Joseph's heart reminds me of the verse in Timothy where Paul writes about Timothy:

Philippians 2:20-21 For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.

Jacob actually lived to be 147 years old. God blessings always extend beyond human vision. Ephesians 3:20 reminds us of that:

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, (Ephesians 3:20)

Confessions of a Grassroots Activist

The news is a abuzz over scandal after scandal. When the facts are revealed it becomes clear that every situation is complex and chaotic.  It seems impossible to get to the truth! It also seems that the closer one gets to the answers, the spin starts to accelerate at a greater speed. Some of the problems were very evident from the beginning and my sense of justice started to roar when some of the recent revelations came to light. Then I remember:

Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

In the Greek, the word 'vengeance' is the greek word 'ekdikesis' ('ek'-out from, dike - justice =Link in 'Digging Deeper')

 In Romans 12:19, the responsibility for justice is squarely on God.  God's justice is the only true justice. He is all good. He is all light. There is absolutely no darkness in Him at all. He is love. Vengeance is not a dark word. When we are walking by the spirit, we are all that too. We don't have to get indignant for God! This world is full of  so many things we could get irritated about. We would be on edge all the time. Did Jesus Christ walk around indignant all the time? He could have, the world threw everything at him. The Joseph record in Genesis shows he didn't either.

God's word says we are to 'rejoice in the truth'. I absolutely love it when something that is not right is exposed. It is part of rejoicing in truth. However, we must stay out of the mud.  We speak the truth in love!

Revival is is Not Packaged, Manufactured, Sold or Taxed

Fishing season is coming up. My husband has already been dangling some bait. He is very particular about the bait.  The livelier it is, the bigger the chance for success to catch a hungry whopper! He is an expert at snagging a boatload of fish!

Genuine relational belief in God is very attractive.  I'm not talking about pre-fab believing, like doing all the right things that are expected. I'm talking about a human being that emanates all of the fruit of the spirit and genuinely cares for others and enjoys all things God.

Joseph, in the Genesis record was able to affect nations and influence a large number of people because he had connections to the true God. In the beginning of the record, his brothers didn't seem to like him. They regarded him as a  goody two-shoes. As the Joseph record evolves, it all changes, not overnight, but slowly over the course of many years they matured and coalesced and became the future of the first nation of believers.

Joseph had to have had great thankfulness for the faithfulness of God. During certain periods of his life, he may felt lonely but he was steadfast. The amazing thing about him was that at those times, despite some people not liking him, he got the attention and honor of some pretty key individuals. Joseph rose to the top in Egypt, not because of his ambition, but because of his regard for God.

When God becomes real in a person's thinking, a revival takes place. It is contagious and affects others, one way or another. The hope, peace, joy, expectation and genuine love is unmistakably from God and belongs to God. It cannot be bought, sold, invented or manipulated. God never controls us, we accept, protect and guard our hearts because we choose who we worship and follow. Choice is a valuable commodity. When we lose that choice howbeit ever so subtly or blatantly, we need to take note. Our choices are at the root of everything we do.

Have you ever been involved in a complex situation which seemed out of control with no answers on the horizon? Sometimes when I'm in those situations, I start questioning myself. From there it could go into guilt, sadness and hopelessness. When I start feeling guilty about something, it jars me awake and I then do what I'm supposed to do: ask God and honestly seek His resolution.

God's solutions to the events in Joseph's life attracted attention and glory for God. Joseph made many decisions. He chose to go to prison for refusing his master's wife' demands. He chose to explain the visions of the baker and the butler. He chose to help Pharaoh. He chose to do his best to provide for Egypt against the famine. He chose to help his family and provide for them as God worked with him. The bottom line is: Joseph chose to listen to God and that is what made him a success.

When Joseph explained Pharaoh's dreams, he started with God:

Genesis 41:25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. 

28 This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.

32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

Pharaoh accepted what he said and put things in action:

38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? 39And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.

 These actions changed the course of Egypt's history as well as brought about changes in Joseph's family that continues to effect us today. I would call that revival!

People and 'Real'ationships

 'Real'ationships are an amazing study and perhaps no greater revelation can be found in Genesis chapters 42 and 43 about Joseph's relationships with his brothers.  It is a story of true forgiveness, redemption and reconciliation. There is so much embedded in this record that just a surface reading is not enough, but it is significant piece of learning how humans interact where two forces, good and evil exist together.

On the one hand, we read about Joseph whose goodness is revealed as the story in Genesis continues. Joseph trusted God as he rose to the top in Egypt. On the other side of the story is the record of Joseph's brothers and their very human nature. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers due to their jealousies, anger and rebellion. They, for the most part, were entrenched in fear.

Fear affects thinking.  It causes misjudgment, hard feelings and uneasy relations. Imagined scenarios are the result, not reality. Have you ever had a difficult interaction with someone and you realized that they were thinking evil of you and there was nothing you could do to convince them of your genuineness towards them. In dealing with hurts, sometimes time has to heal (like a pulled muscle). At other times it means pulling away (like burning your hand when the potholder slips). Pulling away need not be permanent as we see in the record of Joseph, but it requires protection that only the wisdom of God can give.

In chapter 42 and 43 of Genesis, E.W. Bullinger (The Companion Bible) points out 4 steps in the reconciliation of Jacob's sons. The whole record of Joseph from the time of being thrown in a pit to the time when he is united with his brothers is over the course of 22 years. The first step on Joseph's part is to speak roughly to them. They did not know who he really was. He did not immediately break down, reveal his heart to them and they lived happily ever after. How did he know they might try and do harm to him again?

After his second action of throwing them in jail, he overheard them making references to the fact that they were remorseful over what they had done to to their brother. The scene of him stripped of his beautiful coat at the bottom of the pit in anguish popped up during their incarceration. They were scared. Their fear was punishing them not God.  This conversation, however, showed Joseph some of their change in heart (the beginning of repentance).

They had come to Egypt to buy corn during a famine. Joseph sold them food and told them to go back to their land leaving Simeon behind in jail (interesting choice). He asked them to bring back their youngest brother (who was his full blood brother having the same mother).  Joseph had their money put back in their packs secretly (Bullinger's 3rd step) and sent them on their way. When they discovered the money returned, again they had fearful thoughts. Guilt does nothing but breed more fear. They were carrying a lot of baggage in their heads, not just on their animals. Have you noticed that people who carry a lot of baggage tend to read its weight into relationships they have? That baggage conjures up negative emotions in their hearts and it is difficult dealing with them.

Finally, as the famine continued they went back to Egypt with the youngest son of Jacob in tow and were treated well in Egypt. Joseph still did not reveal who he was. Joseph gave them more supplies and sent them home, however he planted a silver cup in Benjamin's pack unbeknownst to them.  Joseph sent guards after them to search for the silver cup and it was found in Benjamin's pack. Benjamin was the favored brother of Jacob.  Judah asked to take the punishment for the theft instead of Benjamin because of the hurt that it would incur to his father to lose another son. It was at this point finally Joseph could reveal who he was and after 22+ years Judah had changed and matured. Only God could have provided the way to effect the change.  Look at the blessing gave Judah at the end of his life in 49:8-10:

Genesis 49:8 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. 9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Our difficulties with people and situations we find ourselves in can best be dealt with by giving the situation to God. A fellow blogger wrote that this is like getting on a moving sidewalk and moving forward through life regardless of the scenery. I like that analogy!

An Answer of Peace

After Joseph settled in in Egypt, he became very successful in prospering his first boss,the captain of the guard. Joseph managed his household until the captain's wife put him in a bad position by lying and Joseph was thrown into prison. While he was there, two cell mates joined him. These men had some strange dreams that perplexed them and God gave Joseph the explanations of the visions. One of men became Joseph's 'get out of jail free' card and brought Joseph before Pharaoh who also had some dreams that troubled him. Pharaoh asked Joseph to interpret his two-part dream. Joseph's response was electrifying:

And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. Genesis 41:16

Joseph was able to give Pharaoh the answer he needed. The answer would have far-reaching effects on not only Egypt, but on Joseph's family and Israel as well. Joseph fully acknowledged the role of God in giving him the understanding of the visions.  God is the only one that can give supernatural revelation.  It is up to God to reveal the meaning for His own purpose. When a man or woman is given revelation to speak what God wants spoken, there is always a very good reason for the revelation and it is solution-orientated. God's gift in operation is an infusion of love in a challenging world. This is not about a gray bearded man standing on a street corner yelling 'sinners repent' at all the passer-bys.

And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Genesis 41:32-33

The vision was doubled and God had Joseph explain that when a vision is doubled, it is established and will happen soon. God is 'the master' of communication. We can apply this same principle when we hear from God. God gave Pharaoh a picture from two different angles just to establish it for him. Pharaoh accepted God's love and he got an 'answer of peace'. God is eager to help!

Today we have all the tools for our own quest for an 'answer of peace' in all situations. God wants us to have peace. We are human so that it can be challenging to believe. We absolutely need God's assurance daily. How many times have you presented a challenging situation to God and then just happen to be reading in a certain section of the Bible and the answer just pops up in your reading. Or how about the times you have wondered about something and then you meet up with someone that says the right thing at the right time and you know it is from God. It might come from a little child, a friend, family member or a complete stranger (like a stewardess on an airplane).

Pharoah indeed took heed to what Joseph spoke and his respect for Joseph was very clear. 

And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? Genesis 41:38

Every person who acknowledges God's resurrection of Jesus Christ and accepts God's provision of Jesus Christ as our lord has the spirit of God resident within. We also have the magnificent instruction manual to operate it and we have God's genuine, eager love.  Yes, life is messy, but we can always have an answer of peace!

The Oldest Child

Being the oldest in a family doesn't mean as much to us today as it did in the Old Testament. In Jacob's family, figuring out who had the birthright was a little complicated as there were two wives and two surrogates wives. Chronologically Reuben would have been the oldest child. He would have gotten a double portion of the inheritance and be charged with watching over the family after Jacob's death. The birthright had practical implications for families back then. Reuben however, messed up:

Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.2 For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's:) I Chronicles 5:1-2 

 The father could change the birthright.  As I read about Joseph's visions in Genesis 37, I cannot help but wonder that he was spiritually the one to watch over Jacob's household in God's eyes. Since it wasn't normal custom, somehow God would have to convey and encourage the idea in Joseph's mind.  It does appear a little strange that he shared his visions with his brothers but maybe they needed to know. A lot of things happened in that family as time went on, some of them were really goofy things. Throughout it all, Joseph was the rudder toward success for them. Judah matured as did some of the others because of the way Joseph watched over them. Walking for God requires encouragement and believing. Sometimes it may be misconstrued as arrogance.

The spiritual birthright today is unquestioned in the New Testament order. God clearly designated which of his sons would be Lord over His household.

12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; Colossians 1:12-19

Today we belong to the group of those who are 'partakers in the inheritance' because we have accepted the lordship of Jesus Christ. God in His foreknowledge, sees all who make this acknowledgement which opens the doors to  His household with all of its privileges:

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come 39 Nor  height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:29-39

Everywhere Under The Rainbow We Can Fly

As I was driving on a familiar road recently, I was reminded of an incident that had happened along that road several years ago. The evening had been the end of a warming spring day and my husband and I were in the car driving to someones's house. On the west side of the car, the sky suddenly turned pea-green, nasty and windy. It was truly ominous looking! It was very strange because as I turned and looked out of the passenger side of the car a huge rainbow sprawled over a blue sky! I watched the rainbow all the way to our destination and it was a great lesson for me on where to put my focus.

In Philippians 4:6-8 is a great gem on dealing with pressure:

⁶ Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. ⁸ Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

In analyzing what we think about, it is not about what we should not think about, rather it is about what we should focus on. I know that sounds confusing but Genesis 39 is a good example of Joseph's mindset that enabled him to successfully take advantage of God's help when he faced situations that endeavored to take him down.

When Joseph got to Egypt he was sold to the captain of the guard.  God was with him and he prospered and even brought  prosperity to his owner. It was not a lovely situation to have been sold into slavery by your brothers, but he forged ahead regardless. I'm sure that pressure was always around, he dealt with it by not letting it stop him from moving ahead. Even when more pressure presented itself in a situation from the deceptive captain's wife, he went forward despite being thrown in prison unjustly. From there he ended up getting the Pharaoh's attention, and rose to the top assisting Pharoah as his right hand man. God prosper him and now even the whole country of Egypt benefited from the grace of God. Pharaoh is recorded to have said:

And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the spirit of God is? Genesis 41:38

In this world there is the good and evil; there's right and there's wrong. Joseph did some amazing things. The ups and downs are very visible in Chapter 39. Several times in the chapter we can read about God prospering Joseph. We have the advantage of being able to read later outcomes which are amazing, but Joseph did the 'one day at a time' thing.

Rainbows are beautiful. They are made when light passes through a medium such as a prism or even a small drop of water! The medium slows light's speed so that it breaks up into various colors and hues. Guess who designed the rainbow!? Pretty good huh? Remember Genesis 9:14? They are much prettier than storms. It is a great reminder of a 'God so loving that he gave'.

16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” Genesis 9:14

Sibling Rivalry

The twelve sons of Jacob became the foundational family of Israel. In Genesis 37, the focus of Jacob's family is on the sibling relationships of the twelve. In verse one, the record indicates that Jacob was living in Canaan. In the ensuing verses, we find out that Joseph was a favorite of his father, Jacob, because he was a child of his old age. He gave him a beautiful coat of many colors. This did not sit well with his brothers.

In verse two,  we read about Joseph tending sheep with four of his brothers: Naphtali and Dan, (who's mother was Rachel's servant, Bilhah) and Gad and Asner (born of Zilpah, Leah's servant).  Joseph was the son of Jacob and Rachel (three varieties of half-brothers listed here, there were four in total). These mixed polygamous marriages spawned complicated and difficult relationships. Joseph returned to Jacob from tending sheep and delivered an evil report on some things going on. The end result was more ill feelings.

Joseph had a dream in the middle of all this, that stirred up even more dislike. God had called Joseph to be a leader.  Joseph's brothers' reactions to this dream were predictable:

⁸ And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. Genesis 37:8

His father's reaction to a second similar dream was recorded in verses 10-11:

¹⁰ And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? ¹¹ And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

The brothers were ready to kill him. Ruben and Judah stepped in and it was decided to sell Joseph to traveling Ishmaelites for 20 pieces of silver and that is how Joseph ended up in Egypt. The rest of Genesis is about the Joseph story from chapters 37, 39-50. We can read the detailed outcome of all this by reading the ending, but Joseph could not have seen this. He must have trusted in Almighty God by putting one foot in front of the other and believing day by day.

When the brothers decided to get rid of him, the coat was one of the first things to go. Then they cast him in a pit. When stuff like this happens, it can be attributed to several things: like jealousy, envy and anger. All these feelings thrive in a mind where there is a lack in trust and believing in the Almighty God. The outcome of all of it, whether the brothers understood it or not, was to try to bring Joseph down in his own mind and challenge what God had called him to do.  Joseph found himself at the bottom of a pit, without the beautiful coat and he knew that his brothers had turned against him.

The only answer for Joseph was God as we will see later. The story of Joseph is one of believing, success, victory, forgiveness in true sense of forgiveness, the story of a man in whom the spirit of God was, and most important: the love of God for His people:

¹⁸ Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.¹⁹ He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.²⁰ Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old. Micah 7:18-20

Joseph the Prototype of the One To Come

A significant portion of Genesis is devoted to the life of Joseph. It the story of family, government, investment and prosperity in a down economy, relationships, discretion and everything else that life presents today. It is no wonder that God lays out in the very first book a great example of life at its fullest. The greatest lesson of all is Joseph's life with God. He is in a sense a prototype of Jesus Christ.  We can learn much from studying the lives of the men and women that God highlights in the Bible. They show us each individually pieces of what the ultimate life of Christ embodied.

Joseph's life was by no means easy, but it was full of success. Most everyone knows the story of how his brothers threw him in a pit and he was captured and taken  to Egypt and ended up at the right hand of Pharoah to handle all his business (prototype alert - who is at the right hand of God?).  Pharoah was not a right-winged Israelite, but he could recognize that the spirit of God worked in Joseph when Joseph's brother did not. Imagine that!

Genesis 41:38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?

Joseph was good at what he did and the whole country of Egypt thrived even when the the world was in famine. Joseph respected and listened to God.  It was more than just obedience, it was love,  respect and thankfulness for all God can do. I imagine Joseph had great human qualities but it was God that was the wind in his sails. He was human just like us. He experienced hurt and injustice throughout his life. In forgiving his brothers, he listened to God so as to bring about change, restoration and help for them.

Forgiveness can be slow. It can take time, not because God is dragging His feet, but because the humans involved may be slow in believing. God can work at lightening fast speed if we let Him. Joseph wanted his family restored immediately but it became a developing story because of human lack of understanding and receptivity. So he trusted God to help him with the timing. God will do that for us too when we rely on his wisdom and grace. Sometimes God has to teach us to move on in some cases for our own well-being. Regardless, God has our best interests at heart.

Egypt got the benefits of God because Joseph obeyed God. Pharoah listened to Joseph. He realized it so much so that he acted on what he recognized and respected Joseph and the God that he represented. God desires the best for everyone including Pharoah and the Egyptians. Today everyone can have the spirit of God residing in his own heart because of what God provided through Jesus Christ.  That is amazing! We are coated with amazing technicolor spiritually as we move through life and its ups and downs. As we respect God and as we recognize the work of His son, Jesus Christ, we realize the spiritual side of life down to the smallest details through the three 'R's' of the divine life: recognizing, realizing and respecting. 

GOD IS REAL!

Just recently, I was reading a book by Jay Adams, From Forgiven To Forgiving.  It is a tremendous book and many of his points reminded me of the Joseph record in the Old Testament. Several years ago, I did a study on Joseph, one of the sons of Jacob. Many chapters in Genesis are devoted to the events in this man's life. His life was not easy but to his credit he is described as a man on whom the spirit of God resided. Perhaps because of this he had huge challenges, but through them all God guided and strengthened him as he handled them one by one. He is an amazing example of how forgiveness is brought about. He handled things God's way.  He had the humility to not try to outdo God and thus was able to be an instrument of true deliverance.


Forgiveness is a much written about subject. There is no question in my mind that the adversary wants to muddle and twist people's ideas in this particular area.

Ephesians 4:32 (King James Version)And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

'Even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you'.  That sets the standard. Jesus Christ died for our sins once and for all.  This doesn't mean we have to be crucified to serve God but it does mean that we have answers to life's challenges and that we extend those answers to others. When we teach God's word to others and help them to apply God's word to every situation we are 'kind'.


Joseph's goal was restoration.  His brothers were pretty much a mess and had displayed very cruel behavior toward him in the past.  God worked in Joseph's heart to help facilitate the change that was necessary to cause them to see what changes they needed to make. God knew how to handle them and Joseph carried it out. God knew also that Judah would change and he showed Joseph how to bring that out. Several steps were needed. At one point Joseph spoke roughly to them and threw them in prison. It was there that they started to admit their lives had not been sterling and they repented of what they had done to their brother. It is a great record, one to be digested and re-digested.


God is real and he knows the best way to deal with life's issues. In the age that we live in of secular humanism, we need to take heed to a man like Joseph and how he did things. Our relationships with others should be based on truth, not feeling. Our goal is to help others come up and out of the quicksand of this world. It is  a world of competition, strife, ambition, greed and control. We can't just do that by patting someone on the head and saying nice things. We need to help people by giving them the words of God and telling them how Jesus Christ stood in the gap for us and that we have full access to the throne room of God. That is the promotion of true forgiveness!