Joseph has been the popcorn theme for fall for a few years. Once again I have thought about the life of Joseph for months and started understanding the tragedy Joseph had faced before He became
a great leader in the second command. Joseph
was hated, hurt, halted, and humiliated.
His life had stopped as He knew it.
He was hurled into a deep pit of rejection. He was despised by his half brothers. Did they not think once that He was
motherless, he didn't have a mother to weave him a coat. He was the one who witnessed the death of his
mother at Benjamin's birth. So if His
father gave him special attention and compassion, it was completely the right thing to
do. His half brothers had a mother who
took care of them. They didn't love
Joseph. Joseph knew what it was like to
lose someone He loved and who loved him.
Many times I've heard teachers teach that Joseph was prideful and that
His Father favoring him was wrong. Another reason Joseph was hated is that he had dreams. God gave him dreams of future happenings. God gave something special to Joseph and he could not help that he had dreams. He was excited to tell them about the dreams because they were from God. Wouldn't you be excited if God gave you a special talent? They hated him because of his dreams and his Father even questioned where his heart was. After
much thought, I have come to the conclusion that He had to give Joseph special
attention because He was motherless and His brothers loved each other more than
they loved him. He was the half
brother born to Jacobs favored wife Rachel. Joseph needed special
care. His father knew how to sew, how to
dye and make fabric. It was a very
loving thoughtful thing for a father to do.
He knew he had no mother to make him one. There was no proverbs mother there for
him. He certainly was not favored by
the mother's there because they favored their sons over him.
Today we still have to be cautious of slave traders and those that would take our children for terrible purposes. Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery but God was still there to protect Joseph's life. I see...Joseph in my mind, laying his head upon a rock awake, in tears at the thought of the seething hatred of his brothers. He could not even say goodbye to his father or his baby brother. I'm sure fear filled his heart as he wondered what was going to happen. I'm sure Joseph cried out to God continually. You know what I think there are boys and girls of all ages, adults as well, living out this same tragedy this very day, somewhere around the world. Maybe even going through more horrible things than Joseph ever went through. I have been thinking about why children must be made aware of the dangers. Joseph is a way to teach them. I see young people being pulled into terrible things on the internet and the changing of our vocabulary has dirtied their hearts and has pulled them into a life of bondage. Many children's minds have been scarred and marred by wickedness. Should they fear? They should fear to drift from God. The power of internet influence will kill the heart of any person who will not guard their heart and run to God for cover.
My husband's mother was taken captive as a young girl. She was taken from her family by the Nazi's and placed into a forced labor camp in World War 2. Tragic, horrific things happened in the Nazi camps. We know that these kinds of things still happen in various places in the world including our own country.
Joseph obviously was taught to praise and trust the Lord through grief. Jacob taught him how to continue trusting the Lord even through the loss of his mother and being disliked by 10 of his brothers and their mothers. The fact is that Joseph was able to still trust the Lord through tragedy. We need to learn and teach these things for ourselves and our children, even more as our world is quickly turning away from God almighty. We must be faithful and diligent in teaching our children the valuable things Joseph was taught by Jacob.
Where ever we find ourselves in life we know God gives us courage and hope. When we are trusting and believing God, He gives us the strength to overcome. We can see this in the life of Joseph. Joseph knew tears, Joseph knew fear, Joseph knew grief, Joseph knew disappointment, but God gave Him power, God gave him victory. Why? because Joseph believed God and trusted in Him with his whole heart.
One thing Joseph was taught in childhood was to work hard. That was exactly what he did while in captivity. He did his very best at what he did. Not only was he giving his best, but he was also trustworthy. He once again became favored with an authority in his life. We should give our best in whatever we do. It might not be the best of all, but it should be our best. He was respectful to authority, he followed the rules, and he put God first in his life.
Joseph followed God's Word first. Just like Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel, who were taken into captivity as children during a time of war. If they were told to do wrong they would appeal with respect, or they chose rather to die like they did in the bible account in the book of Daniel, but the Lord delivered them. They prayed to the Lord each day and looked for the Lord for guidance. God was still working in the details of their lives. Each one of those young boys grew up to be men of leadership.
Indeed, we should not love one child over another but Joseph did need special care at that particular time. He was 17 years old and he had no mother. He loved Joseph more but the only love Joseph got was from his dad and his baby brother. No matter what was happening there was no justification for envy and murderous behavior. They did not care if he died or not. They didn't care what happened to him. They were heartless.
The first murder in the world was because of envy. Cain killed Able. Christ's crucifixion came about because of envy. The spiritual leaders stirred up envy and strife and it led up to the crucifixion of Christ.
Mt 27:17-18 Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?
18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. ( They did what they did because they were envious.)
Recently I was teaching my grandchild who is getting used to having a little brother. She is a toddler, a very smart toddler. I was explaining to her if her brother gets a gift and she doesn't, she should be happy for him. This is true for every person. We need to be happy for our brothers and sisters who are blessed in ways we may have not been. We sometimes go through wrong emotions as people. That is when we need to go to God and ask him to help us respond the right way. When our hearts are right before God we can feel happy for those receiving a blessing when we are not.
(Here's a thought)
I guess Joseph could have been angry his mother died and they all had mothers and questioned God's love for him because they were blessed with mothers but his died.
That fact is that Joseph's heart was right with God and He was not envious.
Sometimes we all are tempted to be envious and when we do we need to realize it's our hearts that need to get right.
Joseph knew these things as God prepared him for leadership in the Second Command.
God had a purpose for Joseph that He could not see.
God has a purpose for every Christian and we should not feel envious but rather know that God gives each person a different life and different circumstances. If we can not rejoice with those who rejoice
over God's blessings then we are the ones that need to get right. Let us not forget to also weep with those who weep. Just like the compassionate love of Jacob for his motherless child.
We need to be content with what the Lord gives us and the life he gives us and not be envious
over others seemingly being blessed more than we are.
Father God, help each of us to love one another and help us rejoice for others when they receive a blessing and we do not. The fact is we already have many blessings from you Father. Just as all of Jacobs children did. Thank-you.
Help each one here - to have hearts that are right before you. Envying and strife are not from you.
Bind Satan and his influence to cause envy in the heart of our young people. We must remember to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with them who weep.
In Christ, I pray this Amen,
To Be Continued
Genesis 37: 2 -35
These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
We need to keep in mind that his father sent him to check on his brothers and most likely his -brothers were not doing what they were supposed to be doing, therefore it was a negative report
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
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.
And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
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?
And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.
And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.
And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.
And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.
And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;
And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.
And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?
Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.
And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?
And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;
And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no.
And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.
And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.
Continued.
Joseph Always Gave His Best
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