Joseph’s story is an inspiring one indeed.  It is a story filled with struggle and unfairness happening to an innocent person.  However, it is also the story of God, personally, intervening to make things right.  We learn the value of trusting in God despite hardships in our lives from this story.  Furthermore, we learn the power of forgiveness even for our families as God desires from us.  Here are some highlights from his story.

 

1.  Joseph was the son of Jacob and they lived in Canaan (Genesis 37:1-2).

   1. Joseph was the favorite child of his father, Jacob.

      1. One of the signs of his favoritism is that he gave Joseph a fancy robe that none of his other brothers had.

         1. Joseph’s brothers hated him because he was the favorite child (Genesis 37:3-4).

2. Joseph had two dreams that would change his life forever (Genesis 37:3-10).

   1. Joseph was 17 years old when these dreams came to him from God.

   2. Joseph’s first dream was that he and his brothers were bundling grain out in the field.

      1. Joseph’s bundle stood in front of all the bundles his brothers made.

      2. These bundles all had to bow down to Joseph’s bundles (Genesis 37:5-8).

      3. This dream was a prophecy for the future.

         1. Remember, a prophecy is God foretelling what would happen in the future.

            1. In this case, God was showing Joseph’s brothers that He would give him authority over them in the future.

         2. Of course, this dream made Joseph’s brothers hate him even more!

   3. Joseph’s second dream was similar to the first one (Genesis 37:9-11).

      1. He saw the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowing down to him.

      2. This was another prophecy.

      3. God was showing that He was going to not only give him authority over his 11 brothers, but would also allow him to rule over his own mother and father in the future.

         1. This dream further enraged his brothers as they were ever more jealous of him.

         2. However, Jacob just kept this prophecy in his memory.

            1. He does not seem to be upset by it.

   4. What can we learn from Joseph’s relationship with his brothers?

      1. We learn that all of our blessings come from God (James 1:17).

         1. He gives us everything that we have.

         2. Although we must work to get the things we want and need, it is God that blesses the fruit of our labor (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

         3. In this case, God decided to bless Joseph in the ways he was blessed.

         4. It was God who decided to reveal the dreams to Joseph that he would be a leader of his family one day.

         5. Joseph did not have any part in this decision.

         6. So, his brothers were jealous of things that were not Joseph’s fault.

         7. The same thing happens to today.

         8. Sometimes, people will hate you for no reason at all.

            1. Many times, this is because they want something that you have.

            2. You cannot allow jealous people to rob you of your joy, because God has blessed you!

            3. The Bible tells us that when we are blessed, we are to always remain humble (1 Timothy 6:17).

            4. We are to always treat people with love and respect whether they have the same things that we do or not (Matthew 7:12; James 2:8).

            5. In fact, when we are blessed, God wants us to share what we can with others in need.

3. Unfortunately, Joseph’s brothers’ jealousy and hatred got the best of them (Genesis 37:12-36).

   1. Unfortunately, they had come to the conclusion that they were going to kill their own brother Joseph.

      1. They planned to kill him and say that a wild animal did the deed!

      2. The good part about this scene in Bible history is that the oldest brother, Reuben, talked the rest of the brothers out of killing Joseph.

         1. Instead, he talked them into throwing him into a pit and making sure no one did any harm to him.

            1. Reuben’s intention was to come back and rescue Joseph later.

   2. Joseph did not know this plan and was sent by His father, Jacob, to check on his brothers who were out in the field grazing the animals.

      1. Joseph’s brothers followed Reuben’s advice.

         1. They stripped him of his fancy robe and threw him in the pit.

         2. There was no water in the pit.

   3. Unfortunately, Reuben’s plan went terribly wrong.

      1. While Reuben was away from his brothers, the other brothers decided to sell Joseph off to slave traders.

         1. These slave traders forced Joseph from his homeland of Canaan to the land of Egypt far, far away!

      2. Reuben returned and was wracked with grief!

   4. To cover up their sin of selling off Joseph into slavery, the brothers pretended that Joseph was killed by a wild animal.

      1. They brought back the fancy robe filled with goat’s blood to their father Jacob.

      2. They caused their father tremendous grief by their lie!

   5. What can we learn from the evil actions of Joseph’s brothers?

      1. We can learn that revenge is never the way.

      2. Because they felt jealousy toward Joseph, they were going to make him feel pain.

      3. In other words, they were going to teach him a lesson.

      4. However, taking things into their own hands instead of having a family meeting to try to resolve their differences in a civilized way caused more harm than good.

      5. They hurt their father for no good reason by their lie.

      6. They hurt their brother Joseph for no good reason by their jealousy and hatred.

      7. They hurt themselves because there was nothing they could do to heal the broken heart of their father.

      8. As you can see, not settling problems God’s way always results in a domino effect.

      9. We hurt the ones around us and ourselves at the same time!

4. Moving on, unfortunately, we have come to a portion of Joseph’s life where he was falsely accused of trying to sleep with Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39:1-12).

   1. The opposite was actually true.

   2. Daily, she would try to tempt him into doing this ugly deed.

   3. One day, she cornered him while they were all alone.

   4. She again tried to make him sleep with her.

   5. However, Joseph’s integrity would not allow him to do so.

   6. He would not do so on two grounds.

      1. First, he did not want to hurt his slave owner, Potiphar, because he treated Joseph very well.

      2. Second, he did not want to hurt God, because we know that adultery is sin (Hebrews 13:4).

   7. What do we learn from Joseph’s thought process?

      1. Well, we learn what Jesus taught us in Matthew 22:37-40, which reads, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (New International Version).

         1. When Jesus says we are to love God, this means more than emotional tears.

            1. It means to live a life sacrificing our own wicked desires so that we are righteous in His eyes.

            2. So by not sleeping with Potiphar’s wife, Joseph made the sacrifice of obedience to God instead of indulging in a fleeting pleasure that he would have regretted later on.

         2. Also, Jesus is showing us that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves.

            1. In other words, we are to treat others the way we would want to be treated.

            2. We would surely not want any one cheating with our significant other.

            3. So, this is the attitude that Joseph had with Potiphar.

            4. He cared about Potiphar enough that he did not want to hurt Potiphar’s feelings out of selfishness!

            5. This teaches us to consider our actions wisely before doing something we would regret.

            6. If the action is sinful and/or it will hurt someone else, then it is something we should not do because we love God and others as well!

            7. Our motivation is to always treat God and man right!

   8. Unfortunately, even though Joseph did the right thing, Potiphar’s wife did not (Genesis 39:13-20).

      1. She said that it was Joseph who was trying to sleep with her.

      2. However, Joseph was not there to defend himself.

      3. To avoid sleeping with the woman, he ran away from her.

      4. Even though Joseph had proven to Potiphar that he was trustworthy, Potiphar believed his wife’s lie instead.

         1. This resulted in Potiphar putting Joseph in prison.

      5. What do we learn from his imprisonment?

         1. Well, we learn that life is not always fair.

         2. Sometimes, bad things happen to good people.

         3. However, you must realize that even if a bad thing happens to us, does not mean God has abandoned us.

         4. The Lord promises to be there for us at all times (Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 28:18-20).

         5. This includes the good times and the bad times of our lives.

         6. Even in bad times, He makes them easier for us until our times get better (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

         7. So, when unfair things happen to you, do not hate others, allow anger to get the best of you, or hate God.

         8. God never promised an easy life for us.

         9. He just promised to help us and give us the easy life in heaven later on (2 Corinthians 1:3-4; Revelations 21:4).

         10. Do not get mad at God for bad things happening.

         11. Remember, there is always someone else causing havoc in our lives.

             1. His name is Satan who causes the hardships in our lives (Job 1-2).

             2. However, always keep your faith in God no matter what, because God is always stronger than Satan and can stop Satan’s evil works anytime He wants to (1 John 4:4; Luke 13:11-17).

5. Moving on, we learn from Joseph to make the best out of a bad situation (Genesis 39:20-23).

   1. Let’s look at what God did for Joseph while he was locked away in the prison.

   2. The Bible says, “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 39:20-23 New International Version).

      1. This shows us that even in a bad situation we can be blessed by God.

      2. Joseph was a prisoner, but he was also put in charge of the rest of the prisoners by the warden.

      3. This must have been some sense of comfort to Joseph to see himself elevated to a level of authority and all that he touched being successful!

      4. So, it is with us many times.

      5. For example, we may be in the hospital to have knee surgery, but there can be someone in the hospital that has to have an amputation of his/her whole leg!

      6. We may not have what we want for dinner, but we have food when others are starving!

      7. We may not have the name brand clothing that we want, but we should be grateful to have them, because many people in this world cannot afford rags let alone good clothes!

      8. So, always think the positive in any bad situation you find yourself in.

      9. It could always be worse!

      10. And even with this being known, know that God is blessing you despite your bad circumstances at the moment.

6.  In Genesis 40, we start to see God begin to deliver Joseph from the prison (Genesis 40:1-23).

   1. The Bible is showing us that Joseph had the power to interpret dreams.

   2. A cupbearer and baker were both imprisoned by Pharaoh.

      1. The cupbearer had a dream that he saw a vine with 3 branches. 

         1. It budded and brought forth grapes.

         2. The grapes ripened and the cupbearer squeezed the grape juice into Pharaoh’s cup.

         3. God blessed Joseph to reveal the meaning of the dream which was good news to the cupbearer.

         4. This meant that he would be released from prison and restored to his position as the cupbearer for Pharaoh again.

         5. Joseph advised the cupbearer of his innocence and imprisonment for no reason at all.

         6. He also advised the cupbearer that he was a Hebrew man carried off into slavery.

         7. He asked the cupbearer to put in a good word with Pharaoh for him so he would be released from prison as well.

         8. Unfortunately, after the cupbearer was released from prison, he did not remember to put in a good word for Joseph!

         9. However, the good news is that God is not like mankind.

         10. He never forgets and He never lies.

         11. Since God knows everything, he cannot forget (Psalm 139:1-18).

         12. Since He is not capable of sinning, He cannot lie (1 John 1:5; Titus 1:2).

         13. So, any promise God makes in His Word for you and I can be trusted.

         14. Mankind will fail you, but God is incapable of failure due to His infinite perfection!

      2. The baker liked what he heard regarding the interpretation of the cupbearer’s dream.

         1. As a result, he wanted Joseph to interpret his dream.

         2. He dreamed that he was carrying baked goods on his head.

         3. While carrying them, the birds came and started eating them.

         4. The interpretation was bad news for the baker.

         5. Joseph let him know that the dream meant he would be executed and the birds would eat his flesh!

7. In Genesis 41, we find God working through Joseph to interpret two dreams that Pharaoh had.

   1. Unfortunately, two years had passed since the cupbearer made a promise to put in a good word for Joseph and as a result, Joseph was still in prison.

   2. Pharaoh dreamed that he saw 7 healthy cows and 7 unhealthy cows.

      1. In the dream, the seven unhealthy cows ate the healthy cows (Genesis 41:1-4).

   3. Pharaoh also dreamed of seven heads of healthy grain being eaten by seven heads of unhealthy grain.

   4. Pharaoh called all the people of the kingdom that could not help him understand the dream.

      1. He called his magicians and wise men, but they were not given the gift of interpretation like Joseph; so they failed to give Pharaoh the interpretation (Genesis 41:5-8).

      2. The good news is that their misfortune turned out to a blessing for Joseph.

         1. Finally, the cupbearer told Pharaoh of Joseph’s ability to truthfully interpret dreams.

         2. Now, this incident is what we call the providence of God.

         3. That is just a way of saying that God makes His Will happen in our lives whenever He wants to.

         4. In other words, God can and does intervene in our own lives.

         5. God is going to fix it where Joseph’s dream interpretation ability will help free him and elevate him to a status beyond being a slave shortly after this scene in the Bible.

         6. Although this is 2 years later, God moved the heart of the cupbearer to do the right thing and put in a good word for Joseph (Genesis 41:9-13).

      3. Pharaoh, the king, sent to the prison and had Joseph brought to him (Genesis 41:14-40).

         1. Joseph showed his humility by telling Pharaoh that he cannot interpret the dream, but God would provide.

            1. This is an example we should all follow.

            2. We may be good at many things in this life.

            3. However, we should never become conceited about our talents.

            4. This is because all blessings are gifts from God (James 1:17).

            5. God can give us things and He can take them away.

            6. Always remain humble, because without God we can do nothing (John 15:5).

         2. God gave Joseph the interpretation of the dreams and Joseph gave the interpretation to Pharaoh.

            1. Joseph said that the two dreams were one dream.

            2. There would be 7 years where food in Egypt would be extremely abundant.

            3. Unfortunately, after the good years ended, there would be 7 years of famine in the land.

            4. So, Joseph suggested that someone be put in charge of the storage of the food for the 7 good years so they would have food to take them through the 7 bad years of feminine.

            5. What do we learn from this strategy given by God?

               1. Well, it also shows us that we should not be so quick to spend everything we have.

               2. We must save a portion of what God blesses us with for hard times in our lives.

               3. This means you will have to sacrifice some of the things you want in order to save your hard earned money.

               4. So, be smart with your money.

               5. It spends very quickly and you can be broke before you know it.

               6. This is especially important in hard times where you have to depend on your savings to carry you though.

               7. If there are no savings in hard times, then you are in big trouble!

         3. Joseph ended up being the man Pharaoh put in charge of the grain storage program in preparation for the famine.

            1. In fact, Joseph was given a lot of authority in the land.

            2. He would be the most powerful person in Egypt next to Pharaoh.

            3. What does Joseph’s elevation to second-in-command teach us?

               1. Well, it shows us that we may have to endure some things we do not want to go through before God will bless us.

                  1. For example, we may not get the type of job that we want at first, but with time, God may promote us or give us a better job.

               2. Just because we don’t have everything we want or we are going something that we don’t want to go through, does not man God is not with us.

               3. Our suffering makes us appreciate the things that God blesses us with later on!

               4. Our suffering also makes us stronger people (James 1:2-4).

               5. It causes us to learn contentment, which means to be satisfied with what God has given us already while He may be working on giving us something better later (Philippians 4:11).

               6. It causes us to learn to be thankful, because there are always people worse off than you and I (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

               7. It also causes us to have more faith in God, because we learn to trust God more when we are suffering, because we can see His deliverance in our life (Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:19).

8. Joseph was put in charge of the granary and Egypt prospered in the good years before the famine struck the land (Genesis 41:41-56).

   1. The Bible says that Joseph was blessed with a wife and two boys.

   2. Since Joseph had the grain stored during the famine, Egypt was full of grain in the famine years.

      1. He sold the grain to other Egyptians who had need.

      2. He also sold the grain to foreigners who came to Egypt to buy food because the famine had struck the nations surrounding Egypt as well.

9. The Bible changes scenes and pictures Jacob and Joseph’s brothers back in Canaan.

   1. Unfortunately, they needed food, because the famine left them without much to eat.

   2. So, Jacob sent Joseph’s brothers to Egypt to buy grain.

      1. Ten of Joseph’s brothers ventured to Egypt, while the youngest brother, Benjamin, stayed home with Jacob.

         1. Jacob kept Benjamin behind to make sure nothing happened to him.

         2. Joseph and Benjamin were full brothers.

            1. In other words, they had the same mother, Rachel, and Jacob as their father.

            2. The other brothers had different mothers, but were still the biological sons of Jacob.

               1. In other words, the ten brothers traveling to Egypt were Joseph’s half brothers.

         3. The brothers arrived in Egypt and had to face Joseph, because he was the one who sold the grain.

            1. They did not recognize him, but he recognized them (Genesis 42:6-9).

            2. Joseph pretended not to know them.

            3. Joseph was at least 30 years old at the time.

               1. He was sold into slavery at the age of 17 (Genesis 37:2).

                  1. So, his appearance would have changed due to age and perhaps, the look of the Egyptians differed from the men of Canaan as well.

                  2. So, most likely, Joseph looked more like an Egyptian man instead of a Hebrew man; making his appearance even more unrecognizable to his brothers.

            4. The Bible says Joseph spoke roughly to his brothers and accused them of being spies (Genesis 42:8-13).

               1. This is not a good moment for Joseph.

               2. Most likely, he was still angry at what they had done to him.

               3. Nonetheless, the Bible presents the good and bad sides of a Bible character.

               4. We are to always speak kindly to everyone.

               5. This includes our enemies (Matthew 5:44).

            5. Joseph told them that they would have to prove they were not spies.

               1. In order to prove they were not spies, he told them that 9 of them would be imprisoned.

               2. The 10th brother would be allowed to go back to Canaan and bring Benjamin to Egypt so that Joseph could see him.

               3. So Joseph imprisoned all 10 brothers for 3 days (Genesis 42:14-17).

            6. However, Joseph changed his mind.

               1. He released the brothers from prison on the 3rd day.

               2. He changed the plan for the brothers as well.

               3. Instead of keeping them all in prison, he decided to let 9 of the 10 brothers go back to Canaan with grain to feed the family. 

               4. He required only one of the brothers to stay back in Egypt in imprisonment.

               5. Also, he required they bring Benjamin to Egypt on their return trip.

               6. Joseph told the brothers that they must bring Benjamin back to prove they were not spies (Genesis 42: 18-20).

            7. Before turning back to Canaan, a few more things happened to the brothers.

               1. The Bible tells us that Joseph overheard his brothers talking among themselves.

               2. They began to believe that the hardships they were experiencing in Egypt were punishment from God for mistreating Joseph in the past.

               3. After leaving them and crying by himself, Joseph had Simeon imprisoned.

               4. Joseph showed great mercy on his brothers.

               5. He had their sacks loaded up with grain, gave them food for their journey back to Canaan, and returned all of their money to them. (Genesis 42:21-26).

               6. This is the way to deal with enemies.

               7. The Bible says, “21 If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. if they are thirsty, give them water to drink. 22 You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads, and the Lord will reward you.” (Proverbs 25:21-22 New Living Translation).

               8. God tells us to defeat evil with good deeds and not evil in return (Romans 12:17-21).

10. After Joseph’s brothers left him, while traveling back to Canaan, they found that all of their money had been returned to them (Genesis 42:27-38).

    1. They panicked, because they thought they would be considered thieves by Joseph when they returned to Egypt.

    2. They made it back home to Jacob and told him all the events they experienced in Egypt.

       1. They also advised Jacob that Simeon was imprisoned and they needed to bring Benjamin back with them to Egypt.

    3. Extreme grief struck the heart of Jacob, because he thought Joseph was dead, Simone would be lost, and Benjamin would potentially become lost to Egypt as well!

    4. Reuben stepped up the plate and told his father that he would protect Benjamin.

       1. He even stated that Jacob could put both of his sons to death if Benjamin is not brought back to him without any harm.

       2. Jacob denied his request to bring Benjamin to Egypt, because the grief of any harm coming to Benjamin would kill him!

11. Moving on, we find out that there came a point where Jacob and Joseph’s brothers ran out of food again back in Canaan (Genesis 43:1-34).

    1. Jacob ordered the young men to travel back to Egypt to buy more grain and return to Canaan.

    2. Jacob reluctantly sent the brothers back to Egypt with Benjamin and twice as much money as they had before.

       1. This extra money was to make up for the silver left in their bag from the previous trip.

       2. He also sent them with gifts.

       3. The good part about this journey is we see one of Joseph’s brothers, Judah, tell Jacob to hold it against him if Benjamin did not come back safely.

       4. Notice, this shows us that families can change.

          1. They may argue, bicker, and fight at times.

          2. However, tragedies can bring a family together.

             1. This family suffered the loss of two brothers being Simeon and Joseph.

             2. They also suffered the effects of a major famine in the land.

          3. The good thing is that the brothers are now more concerned about causing grief to their father if they lost Benjamin compared to their lack of real concern for Jacob when they sold off Joseph into slavery!

          4. It should not take tragedy to bring a family together, but it does.

          5. This is why families should learn to appreciate each other in the good times, because hardships will come in the future and you need each other through those hardship times!

    3. Joseph’s brothers were met in Egypt with a feast prepared for them at his house.

       1. They were told that the money they found after leaving Egypt the first time was purposely left in their sacks and this money was a blessing from God for them.

       2. Also, Simeon was released from the prison.

       3. Joseph was greeted with the good news that his father Jacob was alive.

          1. Jacob was an old man and it had been at least 13 years since Joseph saw him!

          2. So, it was a blessing for Joseph to still have a parent in the land of the living!

          3. Even more, Joseph was introduced to his brother Benjamin.

             1. Joseph was so overcome with emotion that he had to leave the room and wept all alone.

12. After the feast, the brothers set their mind to return to Jacob in Canaan (Genesis 44:1-34).

    1. After the feast was completed and the brothers were about to return to Canaan, Joseph had their money secretly returned to them in their sacks.

    2. He also had a silver cup secretly put in the sack of Benjamin.

    3. Joseph sent his servant after the brothers as they traveled home to accuse them of stealing.

       1. They pleaded their innocence, but it was of no use.

       2. The servant said that if the cup was found in a person’s sack, that person would become a slave in Egypt.

          1. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

       3. They tore their clothes as a sign of their grief!

    4. The brothers returned to Egypt and pleaded with Joseph.

       1. In a most touching moment, Judah tells Joseph that he would trade his own freedom to make sure Benjamin would not be taken as a slave.

          1. Judah’s love for his father, Jacob, was so strong that He would become a slave in order to give Benjamin back to Jacob!

    5. Again, this is what family is all about.

       1. We must make sure we are taking care of our parents emotionally and physically.

       2. This is what Jesus means when He says for us to honor our fathers and mothers (Matthew 15:1-20; Ephesians 6:1-3).

          1. To honor them means to show them love, respect, and provide for them financially when we are old enough to take care of them.

       3. The happiness of our parents should always be there even if we are grown and have moved out of the house.

       4. We have to make sacrifices of our time, effort, and sometimes, money to make sure we are taking care of our parents properly.

       5. The Bible tells us that there will come a day when we are to pay back our parents and grandparents (1 Timothy 5:3-4).

          1. So, do not be a selfish child.

          2. Be ready to take care of your parents in their time of need.

13. In Genesis chapters 45 through 47, Joseph finally reveals his identity to his brothers.

    1. Joseph demonstrates his forgiveness for his brothers with the following words, “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 be no 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 45:4-13 New International Version).

       1. As you can see, Joseph forgave his family for the things they did unto him.

       2. This serves as an example to us.

          1. If Joseph can forgive the very people who caused so much suffering in his life, then we can forgive our own families as well!

          2. Joseph was human just like us.

             1. So, he shows us the possibility of forgiveness will always be there for you and me no matter how angry or disappointed we become with our family.

          3. Remember, forgiveness from God depends on whether we forgive other people.

             1. In other words, if we do not forgive others, then we cannot expect God to forgive us.

             2. In fact, God bluntly tells us this in Matthew 6:14-15, which reads, “14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (New International Version).

             3. Thus, we will not see heaven as our home if we do not learn to forgive other people.

       3. Pharaoh invited the brothers to come and live in Egypt.

          1. He invited them to move to Egypt where they would be provided for and avoid the poverty of the famine in Canaan land.

          2. The brothers went back to Canaan and picked up their father, Jacob.

          3. From there, the whole family moved to Goshen, Egypt where they were able to escape the famine and survive!

 

In summary, we are ever grateful for God preserving the story of Joseph for people of our age to benefit from.  Since Joseph persevered through many hardships at the hands of his brothers and other people in his life, we can do the same with God’s help.  In fact, we learn that God can use negative situations to create positive results for us.  If Joseph had not been a slave and gone through prison, he would not have become a governor in Egypt!  Thus, keep your faith and joy in the midst of your own personal struggle.  God just may be using a negative situation to create something positive in your life! Just like with Joseph, God will never leave you or abandon you!  Lastly, make sure you forgive all those who mistreat you.  If we want forgiveness from God, then we must forgive our enemies.

 

REFERENCES

 

Ball, K. (n.d.).  Christ and the angel of the Lord.  Retrieved http://www.delawarechurch.org/home/articles/christ-and-the-angel-of-the-lord.

 

Burton Coffman, J. (n.d.). Burton Coffman commentary

on the whole Bible. Retrieved December 7, 2012, from http://studylight.org/com/bcc/.

 

Wrestling with God. (2011). Retrieved December 15, 2012, from http://www.southsidechurchofchrist.com/sermons/253.html.