Old Testament Characters (Part 2)
JOSEPH: God’s Providence From a Godly Man’s Viewpoint - Genesis 45:1-15

A Brief Survey of Joseph’s life
Joseph was the eleventh of twelve sons, the first by Jacob's favorite
wife, Rachel. His name, "may he [the Lord] add," was a part of Rachel's
prayer at his birth (Gen. 30:24).

As the child of Jacob's old age and Rachel's son, Joseph became the
favorite and was given the famous "coat of many colors" (Gen. 37:3) by
his father. This and dreams which showed his rule over his family
inspired the envy of his brothers, who sold Joseph to a caravan of
Ishmaelites (Gen. 37).

Joseph was taken to Egypt where he became a trusted slave in the house of
Potiphar, an official of the pharaoh. On false accusations of Potiphar's
wife, Joseph was thrown in the royal prison, where he interpreted the
dreams of two officials who had offended the pharaoh (Gen. 39-40).

Eventually Joseph was brought to interpret some worrisome dreams for the
pharaoh. Joseph predicted seven years of plenty followed by seven years
of famine and recommended a program of preparation by storing grain.
Pharaoh responded by making Joseph his second in command (Gen. 41:39-45).


With the famine, persons from other countries came to Egypt to buy food,
including Joseph's brothers. They did not recognize him, but Joseph saw
the fulfillment of his earlier dreams in which his brothers bowed down to
him.

After testing their character in various ways, Joseph revealed himself to
them on their second visit (Gen. 42-45). Under Joseph's patronage, Jacob
moved into Egypt (Gen. 46:1-47:12). Joseph died in Egypt but was embalmed
and later buried in Shechem (Gen. 50:26; Ex. 13:19; Josh. 24:32).

Some important statements by Joseph (discuss fully)
(Genesis 39:2-10 NIV) "The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he
lived in the house of his Egyptian master. {3} When his master saw that
the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he
did, {4} Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant.
Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care
everything he owned. {5} From the time he put him in charge of his
household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the
Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything
Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. {6} So he left in
Joseph's care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not
concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was
well-built and handsome, {7} and after a while his master's wife took
notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!" {8} But he refused.
"With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself
with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my
care. {9} No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has
withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then
could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" {10} And though she
spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even
be with her."

(Genesis 39:20-23 NIV) "Joseph's master took him and put him in prison,
the place where the king's prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was
there in the prison, {21} the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness
and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. {22} So the
warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was
made responsible for all that was done there. {23} The warden paid no
attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the LORD was with
Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did."

(Genesis 41:16 NIV) ""I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but
God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.""

(Genesis 41:37-40 NIV) "The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his
officials. {38} So Pharaoh asked them, "Can we find anyone like this man,
one in whom is the spirit of God?" {39} Then Pharaoh said to Joseph,
"Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning
and wise as you. {40} You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my
people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will
I be greater than you.""

(Genesis 41:50-52 NIV) "Before the years of famine came, two sons were
born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. {51}
Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, "It is because God has made
me forget all my trouble and all my father's household." {52} The second
son he named Ephraim and said, "It is because God has made me fruitful in
the land of my suffering.""

(Genesis 45:3-13 NIV) "Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my
father still living?" But his brothers were not able to answer him,
because they were terrified at his presence. {4} Then 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! {5} And now, do not be
distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here,
because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. {6} For two
years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years
there will not be plowing and reaping. {7} But God sent me ahead of you
to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great
deliverance. {8} "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He
made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all
Egypt. {9} Now hurry back to my father and say to him, 'This is what your
son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me;
don't delay. {10} You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near
me--you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all
you have. {11} I will provide for you there, because five years of famine
are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to
you will become destitute.' {12} "You can see for yourselves, and so can
my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. {13}
Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about
everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.""

(Genesis 45:24 NIV) "Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were
leaving he said to them, "Don't quarrel on the way!""

Some lessons for today
We live in a day of divided families...husband and wife divided against
each other; parent and child; brothers against brothers; sisters against
sisters; (in the church: elders against members; ministers against
elders; members against members). This certainly had been true of Joseph:
· his brothers had hated him enough to sell him as a slave
· for some 23 years his family had been torn apart

Joseph had tested and then tested again his brothers in the chapters
leading up to the events in this chapter:
· from the depths of their hearts, the brothers showed they regretted the
past and were repentant
· they refused to hurt their father again (44:30-34)
· they refused to abandon Benjamin, even at the cost of their own lives
(44:30-34)

We must face those who hurt us, even when it is terrible
God wants us living in peace with each other...therefore we must seek
reconciliation.

(Matthew 5:23-24 NIV) ""Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the
altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
{24} leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be
reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift."

(Romans 12:18 NIV) "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live
at peace with everyone."

(Hebrews 12:14 NIV) "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and
to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord."

1. Joseph called them close...wanting no one else to hear but also
putting them at ease
2. Joseph confessed their guilt for them: he got their terrible wrong
against him ‘out of the way’ and referred again to himself as ‘their
brother’
3. He assurred them of his forgiveness
4. He also shared a great lesson: God’s hand had been at work through
all the wrong

God can take horrible, terrible circumstances in our life (and in our
families’ life) and work them out for good: (Romans 8:28 NIV) "And we
know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who
have been called according to his purpose."

· God had chosen him to save lives through the famine
· God had chosen Joseph to save the family of Israel
· God had chosen Joseph to be exalted in Egypt

Joseph presents for us a most awesome demonstration of forgiveness and
reconciliation! It is very unlikely that any of us will ever suffer the
wrongs committed against Joseph by his own family members...

How does one react to hard times? What good can come from the hard times
when we look to God for help?

I am concerned that so many in our society are wanting to remain
'victims' all their life instead of going forward and working through
their difficulties. If we truly rely upon God, it helps us reframe our
thinking so we can move forward.

A definition of providence
"God's faithful and effective care and guidance of everything which He
has made toward the end which He has chosen."

The opening question of the Heidelberg Catechism (1563) asks: "What is
your only comfort in life and death?" Answer: "That I, with body and
soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful
Savior Jesus Christ who ... so preserves me that without the will of my
Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things
must work together for my salvation."

This statement gets at the heart of the biblical doctrine of providence.
We can distinguish this understanding of providence from several
distortions which have been advanced throughout the history of the
church:

Fatalism: the view that all events are determined by a law of cause and
effect.

Deism: the idea that God created the world but then withdrew from its
day-to-day operations, leaving it to run by itself as a machine.

Dualism: the view that two opposing forces in the universe are locked in
struggle with each other for its control. (Revelation teaches us that
Christ has already won the victory!)

In the New Testament, the Greek word for providence (pronoia) occurs
only once, and that with reference to human rather than divine foresight
((Acts 24:2 NIV) "When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented his case
before Felix: "We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you, and your
foresight has brought about reforms in this nation.").

Yet the theme of God's provident care for the created order is present in
the Bible:
· The Psalms are filled with allusions to God's direction and sustenance
of the creation. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament
proclaims His handiwork (Ps. 19:1). God directs the seasons (Ps. 104:19);
the clouds are His chariot, the winds His messenger (104:3); He stills
the storms and girds the mountain ranges (107:29; 65:6); everything that
hath breath is exhorted to praise the Lord "for his mighty acts"
(150:2,6).
· The so-called nature Psalms are not dedicated to the glory of nature,
but to the God who created and sustains it with His fatherly care.

After the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. and during the long period
of Exile, confidence in God's providence sustained the children of Israel
through all of their doubts and disappointments (compare Isa. 40:21-31;
42:1-6).

Two classic passages in the New Testament direct Christians to focus on
God's providential care as a remedy for overanxious concerns:
· In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commanded His hearers not to worry
about tomorrow, since the Heavenly Father cares much more for them than
the birds of the air or the lilies of the field (Matt. 6:25-34).
· The point is not that following Christ will exempt one from trouble or
pain. What it does provide is the assurance of God's presence in the
midst of the stormy tempests of life.
· Romans 8:28 (NIV) says: "We know that in all things God works for the
good of those who love him, who have been called according to his
purpose."
· This does not mean that everything which happens to us is good, nor
necessarily the result of a "snap decision" by God.
· It does mean that nothing can ever happen to us apart from the
knowledge, presence, and love of God, and that in the most desperate of
circumstances God is always at work towards the good.
· We are not given to understand how this is so. We are only told that
the sufferings of the present time are not worth comparing with the glory
that is to be revealed to us (Rom. 8:18-25).

Christians can face the future in the confidence that nothing "in all
creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ
Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:39).

Last modified: April 18, 2006