joe hits rock bottom

JOE HITS ROCK BOTTOM...

THEN RISES TO THE TOP

Genesis 45:1- 8

Genesis 45:1-8 (NLT)

Joseph Reveals His Identity

1 Joseph could stand it no longer. There were many people in the room, and he said to his attendants, “Out, all of you!” So he was alone with his brothers when he told them who he was. 2 Then he broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace.

Genesis 45:1-8 (NLT)

3 “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. 4 “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt.

Genesis 45:1-8 (NLT)

5 But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. 6 This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.

Genesis 45:1-8 (NLT)

7 God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. 8 So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser[b] to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.

Beware that the Drama doesn’t overshadow the Deeper Message in Bible stories.

Keep an eye on the Golden Cord which connects God’s promises to their fulfillment.

The Joseph Saga: The key step from a special family to a Holy Nation.

TAKE HOME

God’s Dream…Build a Nation…Then Bless the World

His promise to Abraham…out of you will come a new nation. Gen 12:1-3

But Sarai is barren…with no progeny on the horizon. Gen 15:2

And when a child is born…God calls for him to be sacrificed. Gen 22:2

The Saga Of Isaac And Rebekah Genesis 24, 25

Twin boys arrive…as different as night and day Genesis 25:21-28

Jacob becomes the larger player in the Great Drama Genesis 27

Jacob and his wives (and their handmaidens) become parents of the Big Twelve Genesis 29, 30

Joseph…Second From The Youngest…Here Comes A Nightmare Genesis 37

Dreaming gets him in trouble Genesis 37:1- 11

Kill the dreamer. Genesis 37:19

Better yet…sell him! Genesis 37:26, 27

He is purchased by a security guy in Egypt Genesis 37:36

Falsely Accused…Doing Time In The Royal Dungeon Genesis 39

Good looks, a fine build, and a foreign accent…just what the lady of the house finds appealing. Genesis 39:6, 7

Tossed in jail, his dream reading gets the Pharaoh’s attention. Genesis 41:14-16

“God is trying to tell you something!” Genesis 41:25, 28

Suddenly…Joseph Is Thrown Into A Huge Authority Role…Yikes! More of Genesis 41

You are the number two man in Egypt! Gen 41:39

A seven-year savings plan is immediately put in place. Gen 41:46-50

The next years brought hordes of hungry people to Egypt to buy grain. Gen 41:56-57

Back At the Ranch (Where Dad and Eleven Brothers Live) They Are Scraping the Bottom of the Barrel Genesis 42

Checkbook in hand, they head for Egypt…and to (unidentifiable) brother Joe. Gen 42:1-7

Joseph messes with them. Gen 42, 43, 44

He can do this no more…and spills the truth: I am Joseph, your brother! Gen 45:1-16

It is time to move Jacob’s entire family to Egypt, to escape even more years of famine. Gen 45:16-34

For All Of The Drama…Always Remember The Purpose Of It All

So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now do not be distressed and angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you…God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. It was not you who sent me here, God. Genesis 45:4-7

The ‘Joseph’ Story Is So Replete With Rich Details That We Can Lose Sight of Its Place In ‘The Story’

God promised to park his people in a foreign land for 400 years…this is the beginning.

Planting a Special People in Egypt required much orchestration on God’s part.

Joseph’s faithfulness and amazing forgiveness kept God’s plan on track.

How is my life serving a greater good than my own safety, comfort and acceptance by others?

I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

I trust Him as my Lord and Savior.Confession

Beware that the Drama doesn’t overshadow the Deeper Message in Bible stories.

Keep an eye on the Golden Cord which connects God’s promises to their fulfillment.

The Joseph Saga: The key step from a special family to a Holy Nation.

TAKE HOME

I will keep an eye on the Golden Cord which connects God’s promises to their fulfillment.

GO and SHARETHE GOOD NEWS