A Chosen Vessel - Joseph Part 3b A Faithful Prisoner and Ruler

If you want to take your Bibles and find Genesis chapter 40, actually, I think we're starting at the end of thirty nine this morning. As we continue on the life Joseph sort of fitting as Joseph is a type of Christ in the word of God. There are many parallels between the story of Joseph and the life and ministry of Jesus Christ and we've mentioned point out a few of those. We've been going through and we'll do so in future weeks as well. I want to start out with this.

Faithful. This word faithful. I think it epitomizes describes the the life of Joseph. He was faithful. Faithful no matter where it was that God put him.

And in his story, we are reminded no matter what circumstance we find ourselves in, to be faithful. It is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. What does God expect of you but to be faithful of him? Nothing more, just to trust and obey his voice throughout your life. That is what God desires from those he has redeemed.

The great heroes of the faith we looked up to from Noah to Abraham, to Job, to Joseph, Moses, and Esther, Elijah, John, and Paul, and Timothy, and many since then were just ordinary people who trusted in the Lord and were faithful to an extraordinary God. Particularly when times were difficult. When you sing the songs that are in the hymn book, what you don't realize is that most of the hymns in that hymn book were written by people who were suffering. By people who had suffered and they wrote songs about the grace and mercy and power and love of God that they experienced in the midst of suffering and that God is faithful, always faithful and it is our opportunity. It is our calling to be faithful to the one who is always faithful to us.

One who believes the words of God when he says, all things work together for what? For good to them that love the Lord, to those who are the called according to his purpose. Those who stay the course when things go south because things going south so to speak are not evidence that God has failed you but that God is trying to do something extraordinary in your life. Like he did in the life of Joseph. God was doing something extraordinary.

And yet at every turn in Joseph's life, it seemed things went from bad to worse. But as we study Joseph, in each case, we see he was faithful. He simply trusted the Lord and the Lord sustained him and the Lord blessed him and the Lord prospered him. The Lord took care of him and well, most of you know the end of the story. He made him the second highest ruler in Egypt.

Joseph was a faithful son. Trusted by his father for his honesty and integrity. At a young age, his father sent him out to look for his brothers to find them and tell his father what was what was going on, how they fared. When Joseph got to the place where his brothers were supposed to be tending the sheep, they weren't there. So, what did Joseph do?

Well, he went home, told his dad, I give up. I don't know where they are. Is that what he did? It's not what he did. He asked around.

He said, where are they? Where'd they go? Somebody tell me, where are And he ran them down. He found them. They weren't the place they were supposed to be.

They were another place. He was a good son and a faithful son and what was the result? Well, his brothers hated him. Yes, his father favored him and they resented that but that wasn't Joseph's fault and what did it result in? Well, they first threw him in a pit and left him for dead.

Then, they decided, oh, well, we can make some money off of him. So, they pulled him out and sold him as a slave. And then we see Joseph, the faithful slave. That's what he was. He was a slave in the house of Potiphar to whom he was sold when the traders got to Egypt but he proved himself to be trustworthy and God blessed him.

As a slave and as a servant, he rose to be the within a short time to be the most trusted and servant in the house. His master made him master over everything else. He proved himself to be trustworthy to God in the face of temptation. When the master's wife tried to seduce him, he said, no, not going to do it. I am not going to betray my master and I am not going to betray my God.

He was faithful. And what was the result? Well, he was thrown in prison falsely. That's what happened. You say, well, this doesn't sound too encouraging, pastor.

He keeps doing right and things keep going wrong. Well, understand if it appears that way but really they're going right. We just don't see that yet. So, now, in chapter 39, where do we find Joseph? Well, we find him in prison.

Verse 19 of chapter 39 came to pass when his master heard the words of his wife which he spake falsely accusing Joseph. After this manner did they servant do to me that his wrath was kindled And Joseph's master took him and put him into prison. A place where the king's prisoners were bound and he was there in the prison. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand.

All the prisoners that were in the prison and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it and the keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand because the Lord was with him that is with Joseph and that which he did and the Lord made it to prosper. So, you think, well, prison, that's terrible. That's awful. I can't imagine how cruel, how, how, how desperate. But prison didn't actually turn out to be all that bad for Joseph.

I mean, it wasn't good. But look what happened. He became the highest warden. In the prison. The sad plight plight of Joseph did not mean that God had abandoned him.

Matter of fact, it said right here even in the prison, the Lord was verse 21 but the Lord was with Joseph. You know, it doesn't matter where you are or what condition or state you find yourself in. If the Lord is with you, then, you are going to be what? You're going to be okay. You're going to be okay and if you're a child of God, he's with you.

And he was with Joseph. We must never assume that it's God's children that God has abandoned us. We must assume the opposite. For he has said, he will never leave us nor forsake us. And there must be a reason for our suffering.

Joshua one nine, God said to Joshua, have not I commanded thee be strong enough a good courage. Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God is with thee whithers ever thou goest. You thought, well, he wasn't in prison. No, he just had to lead 2,000,000 people into the land of Canaan and defeat cities that had chariots and had walls and looked undefeatable. That's quite a task.

I'm not sure whether I would want to be Joshua or Joseph at this point in time. Don't really want to be either but you know something whether it's in prison or whether it's leading a ragtag group of 2,000,000 people into the promised land to conquer it against insurmountable odds. If God is with you, you're going to be what? Gonna be okay. Everything's going to turn out.

Alright. James reminds us in James chapter one, my brethren, count it all joy when you fall us in the diverse temptations or when you fall into diverse testings or trials. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience but let patience ever perfect work that you may be perfect or complete an entire lacking nothing. Say, why does God allow this to happen? Well, he's got a reason.

Don't give up. Don't think, oh, he's abandoned me. He has not. He has promised to be with you. So, you are suffering from health woes.

And I know many of you are. Assume God has not abandoned you and has a purpose in your suffering. Like Paul and his thorn in the flesh, God's grace will see you through and I believe that Paul's thorn in the flesh was a thorn in the literal flesh. He was suffering from something he wanted rid of and God said, no. No, it it maybe a hindrance.

It maybe a hurdle, an obstacle but my grace is what? My grace is sufficient. And God's grace is. So, you are suffering from financial woes. Assume God has not abandoned you and will continue to provide even if it is day by day.

Like the widow who helped Elijah and every morning, she got up and there was just enough oil and there was just enough flour for the day. Day after day after day after day. For over a year, every morning, she got up and every morning, there was just enough for the day. For forty years in the wilderness, the children of Israel got up every morning and there was just enough manna on the ground. To feed them all.

2,000,000 strong. For that day. If the Lord can do that, he can take care of you. And I know we'd like to have money in the bank for the next ten years. But it maybe there are times when it just has to be day by day.

So, you are suffering from abandonment, betrayal, or loss. Assume that God has not abandoned you and he will show himself to be there for you in a special way as he was for Naomi and Ruth. They lost everything. Naomi's husband took her away from her homeland, her family, and then he died. And then both of her sons died.

And she is all alone heading back to her homeland with absolutely nothing. Nothing but who? Nothing but her God and her daughter-in-law, Ruth. And they got back. You know, God already had the plan laid out.

Thus, it was already, she just waiting for Naomi and Ruth to come was Boaz. Beautiful story. Was there some suffering along the way? Yes. And there is for all of us.

But God will not leave us. So, God was with Joseph still in prison. So, prison wasn't quite as bad and God gave him a ministry and a purpose there until God's next step in Joseph's journey and recognizing this, Joseph continued to be faithful to his God and we just need to be faithful in whatever circumstance we find ourselves in. We need to learn to be content and trust the Lord like Paul and we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. He showed himself to be a model prisoner in jail He served and obeyed the master of the prison and he rose to be the most trusted person in the jail.

Matter of fact, when people came into the jail, guess who was put in charge of them? Joseph, another prisoner was put in charge of. That's how trusted he was. And he sought to help his fellow prisoners. Look if you would in verse chapter 40 verse one.

It came to pass after these things that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their Lord, the king of Egypt and Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers against the chief of the butlers and against the chief of the bakers and he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard in the prison, the place where Joseph was bound. And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them and he served them and they continued a season in the ward and they dreamed a dream both of them. Each man, his dream in one sight, in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison. And Joseph came in unto them in the morning and looked upon them and behold, they were sad. And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward.

Of his Lord's house saying, wherefore, look you so sadly today and they said to him, we have dreamed a dream and there's no interpreter of it and Joseph said unto them, do not interpretations belong to God. Tell me them. I pray you. Now, here Joseph is, he's in prison. He ought to be down in the mouth.

He does has no freedom at all. It's all been taken away. But rather than sulking and getting bitter and angry, he found a way to minister to others. He found a purpose in where? In jail.

And when the butler and the baker were sent to prison, he noticed when they were sad. He cared and he asked and he helped them. The Bible tells us in I think I have this yet. Philippians two, three, and four. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory.

That's thinking about who? Self. But in loneliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others. Now, he could have been all all eat up with bitterness inside because he had been falsely accused and thrown into prison and now he had been there for several months or years already.

But no, when somebody else was sent in, he saw somebody with the need. He found a purpose. He found a ministry for his God. And it made prison different. I know I know Al laughs when I bring up the tire factory but the tire factory for me when I was I graduated from high school.

I went to college and God gave me a job in a tire factory. Now, how many of you have worked in a tire factory? You might work in a tire factory? No. No, we weren't tire factory.

Okay. Can you imagine a tire factory, you think it's cold or hot? Hot. Okay. The first summer I worked there, I worked nights from twelve midnight till eight in the morning.

And I wasn't good at sleeping during the day, so I don't remember really much of anything that happened that summer. It was all blur. And, most of the time, I worked in the Press Room. When the Press Room, was where these pipes brought in 300 degrees steam that went into these presses, and they put these rubber donuts, in the presses, and then the molds would come down and squeeze and it would melt that rubber and it would form the treads and all of that. This had to be 300 degrees in order to melt the rubber to turn this this what just looked like a rubber donut into a tire and then, after it formed and and cooled off just a little bit, it would come down some rollers and onto a belt and I had to inspect the tires.

Well, the tires were about 200 or plus degrees. So you had special gloves that you wore and you grab the tire, pull it up, spin it, look in one side on the inside and the outside, and then you spin it and you'd look on the inside here and this outside, and you had about ten to twenty seconds per tire in order to inspect them and if you missed a hole somewhere, that was bad news because you know, that could explode on somebody down the road and so, tedious job and too much responsibility for some kid just out of high school but but anyway, I did not view the tire factory in a beautiful light. My dad found the job for me and I was not real happy with him about finding the job for me but it paid well and it had a lot of hours but I was miserable, miserable, miserable, miserable. But the next summer, I came back and and I went into the tire factory, tried to get out of it first, didn't work and and I I started to notice and I started to think about, you know, something I'm surrounded by people who need the Lord.

And the Lord laid it on my heart that this was my mission field and I worked an entire factory that summer and two more and it completely changed my outlook. Because I had a purpose. My purpose wasn't just drawing a paycheck My purpose was being a light. Memorize most of the book of James over the next couple of summers and carried a Bible with me and talked to a lot of people. Wasn't always the maybe the greatest testimony I should have been but I tried my best and it it made everything different.

And worthwhile. And I think that's how Joseph felt. Because he had a purpose in ministry. He didn't think just about himself. He was thinking about others and if we'll do the same, no matter what circumstance we find ourselves in, it gives you purpose and meaning in life and the struggle that you're going through.

It does have a purpose and there is an opportunity. Don't be weary in well doing for in due season, you shall reap if we faint not. So, what was the result? Well, to make a long story short, short, he told the butler and baker their dreams. He ministered to them.

Wonderful but the butler's dream was that he was going to get his job back. The baker's dream was that he was going to have his head cut off. So, that wasn't quite so encouraging to the baker and behold, that's what happened. The butler was called back and was restored his job and the baker lost his head. And the butler told Joseph, when I get back to my job, I'm going to tell them what you did for me.

And what was the result? Well, look if you would at verse 23 of chapter 40. Yet, did not the chief butler remember Joseph but forgot him. So, two more years. First, first, first verse of chapter 41.

It came to pass at the end of two full years. Two more years, Joseph was in prison, the butler forgot, and the butler forgot, and the butler forgot, and Joseph stayed in prison and things again weren't looking all that great for Joseph but remember who's with him. God is with him. And God's waiting for just the right time to remind the butler about what Joseph did. You see, the timing wasn't right when the butler got out.

The timing wasn't going to be right for two years. They say, just two years. You try being in prison for two more years. How slowly do you think time might go? With some of the things that you're going through just a day, a week, a month seems like it takes a long time For two more years, he languished in prison but no doubt, he continued to be faithful.

No doubt, he continued to have opportunities. And this was not the end of the story because we get to chapter 41. And we look at chapter 41 and what do we see? Look in verse one again. It came to pass at the end of two full years that Pharaoh dreamed and behold, he stood by the river.

Behold, there came out of the river seven well favored kind or cattle and fat and they fed in a meadow. Behold, seven other kind came up after them out of the river. Ill favored and lean fleshed and stood by the other kind upon the brink of the river and the ill favored and lean fleshed kind did eat up the seven full and favored fat kind. So, Pharaoh woke and scratched his head. What was that about?

Well, that was an odd dream. They went back to sleep and he slept and he dreamed a second time. Behold, seven ears of corn came up on one stalk, rank and good and behold, seven thin ears and blasted with these wind sprung up after them and the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank or full ears and Pharaoh awoke and behold, it was a dream and it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled and he sent and called for the magicians of Egypt and all the wise men thereof and Pharaoh told them his dream but there was none that could interpret them under Pharaoh. No doubt, Pharaoh, like the rest of us, had many dreams but these particular dreams stuck with him. Some of you remember a lot of your dreams.

I rarely remember any of my dreams. Every now and then, I do remember some of a dream and that's kind of peculiar for me for it to stick in my mind. Well, these stuck in pharaoh's mind and as he went throughout his day, he just couldn't just couldn't get over these dreams. They just wouldn't let him be which really that was God not letting him be, wasn't it? There was a purpose in these two particular dreams.

And nobody could interpret them. Verse nine, then spake the chief butler under Pharaoh saying, I do remember my faults this day. Oops. I forgot about Joseph and Pharaoh was wroth with his servants and when Pharaoh was wroth with his servants and put me in ward in the captain of the card's house, both me and the chief baker, We dreamed a dream in one night. I and he and we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream and there was there with us a young man, a Hebrew, a servant to the captain of the guard and we told him and he interpreted to us our dreams to each man according to his dream he did interpret and it came to pass as he interpreted to us so it was, we so it was, me, he restored unto mine office and him he hanged.

Then, Pharaoh sent and called Joseph and brought him hastily out of the dungeon. He shaved himself, changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh and Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream and there is none that can interpret it and I have heard say of thee that thou canst understand and a dream to interpret it Joseph answered Pharaoh saying, it is not in me. God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. Yeah, Pharaoh was not at peace and Joseph's reply was, well, I I can't interpret dreams but you know, something God can. God gave you the dream.

God's taking your peace. Guess what? God can give you your peace back. You want, you want to hear it? Same thing obviously is true for us.

If you'll trust the Lord, if you pray, if you'll trust him, lean on him, that peace that that you're lacking, he can, he can give you peace that passes what? All understanding. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph in my dream, behold I stood and he told him and he told him the dream. So, here's Joseph. He gets yanked out of prison.

Been there for several years now. He's brought before Pharaoh Joseph didn't take the glory for himself. He gave all the glory to who? Live all the glory to God. See, this time in prison, his time as a slave did not weaken his faith.

It did what? It strengthened his faith. You know, when bad things happen, either one or two things are going to happen to you, either the bad things are going to weaken your faith or they're going to what? Strengthen your faith. Oh, let it be the second one.

Let it strengthen your faith, not weaken your faith because God will not leave you nor forsake you. Trust him. Joseph trusted it, strengthened his faith, and he gave the glory to God. He didn't take any of it for himself. And he didn't ask for anything in return.

He didn't even ask for his freedom. He didn't even ask for it. He just said, what is it? I'll help you. God will help you.

Go ahead. He demonstrated his wisdom and his usefulness to Pharaoh. God indeed was with him. God gave him the interpretations to the dreams. Verse 28, verse 28 of chapter 41, this is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh, what God is about to do, he shows unto Pharaoh.

Behold, there comes seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt. There shall arise after them seven years of famine. All the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine shall consume the land and the plenty shall be known and the land by reason of that famine following for it shall be very grievous. And for that, the dream was doubled under 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. Let Pharaoh do this and let him appoint officers over the land to take up a fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years and let them gather all the food of those good years that come and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh and let them keep food in the cities that the food shall be for store in the land against the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt that the land perish not through the famine. So, what did he do? Well, he interpreted the dream.

Who helped him? Well, God did because God was still what? God was still with him. Why why did God choose to communicate with Pharaoh in dreams? Why didn't he just tell Pharaoh?

Could God have done that? Could have. Why did he communicate with Pharaoh in a dream? Because it forced Pharaoh to seek out who? It forced Pharaoh to seek out Joseph.

It was all part of the what? All part of the plan, unknown to Joseph, unknown to Pharaoh but it was God working out his plan. He does have a plan for us. We don't know all the parts. We don't see all the pieces.

We don't see the the the it's not like it's a movie script. You can see what God is going to do in five years, ten years, twenty years. No. It's more like a slideshow. This is what God has for you today.

He, let's get through the day and he'll show you the slide for what? For tomorrow. But he has a plan. He gave good counsel to Pharaoh and what was the result? Well, up till now, every time he does something good, something what?

Bad happens. So, we come sort of expect that. So, he does something good and something bad happens but you know something, that's not always the case. So, verse 38, Pharaoh said unto his servants, can we find such a one as this man, a man in whom the spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, for as much as God has showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art, thou shalt be over my house and according unto thy word shall my shall all my people be ruled only in the throne I will be greater than you.

So, now, Joseph goes from being a prisoner in Pharaoh's prison to being the second highest ruler in all the land of Egypt. Did God know that's where he was taking them to begin with? Yes. God knew all the way back when he gave Joseph dreams when he was a kid that one day, his brothers and his and his mom and dad would bow before him. That hasn't happened yet but that's coming as part of this.

God had it all planned out. God was with him. God saw him through. And all the time, Joseph was simply faithful. He didn't know what was coming.

He didn't know the end result but he just trusted in the Lord and kept doing what he could. Whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the what? The glory of God. Ecclesiastes nine ten, whatsoever thy find hand findeth to do, do it with all thy what? Do it with all thy might and Joseph did and he performed his task Pharaoh gave him faithfully here as Pharaoh knew he would and look if you would in verse 50 and I'm almost done.

Look in verse 50. Joseph and unto Joseph were born two sons. Before the years of famine came, which Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah, priest of On, bear unto him. And Joseph called the name of the first one Manasseh. For God said he hath made me forget all my toil and all my father's house.

You know what Manasseh's name means? It means forgetful. That's what he's named. He named his son forgetful because all that suffering God made him to what? Forget, it was though it had never had never happened.

You know, when when you're in the midst of what I my ruptured a disc in my back three years ago and I was laid up for a short time about a month in bed and in a lot of pain. At that time, nothing else hardly mattered in the world but being able to get up out of bed and out of pain but you know something? I've almost completely, I don't even remember what that was like. And prayerfully maybe I won't have to again. I don't know what God has but he made Joseph to forget the bad times for the good And he named his first son forgetful.

He named his second son, Ephraim and of course, everybody knows what Ephraim means, right? No, I didn't. I had to look it up. The name of the second called Ephraim. For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

What do you think Ephraim means? Fruitful. That's what Ephraim means. Forgetful and fruitful. You see, all his faithfulness, all this time, God was working and though it seemed like every time he did something good, something bad happened, it was leading to a wonderful place and if you know Christ, we know all of our stories are leading to a wonderful place.

It resulted in Joseph's freedom and great authority, wealth, and a beautiful what? A beautiful family. You know, when he was a slave, he probably wasn't thinking a whole lot about a beautiful family and wasn't very hopeful. I know when he was a prisoner in jail, he wasn't. But now he had two sons and a wife and and God had rewarded him graciously.

God was with him all the way as he had promised to be, as he has promised to be with us. We just need to learn to trust him. He will not fail us. You will see. Galatians six, nine, and 10.

And let us not be weary in well doing for in due season, we shall reap. If we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, while we're here, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. While we have this opportunity, don't waste it. Don't waste it being miserable and bitter, angry, or upset.

Find something to do. Find a ministry. Find a purpose. It may have to be from your house. May have to be in prayer.

It may have to be sending a car. I don't know what purpose and plan and ministry God has for you but if you're here, he has something Don't be weary in well doing. Find it. Do it. Trust him.

He will make your life all worthwhile. In the end, if you're a Christian, you know how it ends. But you have to be a Christian. You must know the Lord. All these promises there for those who put their trust in who?

God. For those who have received Christ as their savior, have thus become a child of God. If you're here and you've never done that, then, these promises, this beautiful story, it can be for you but it's not yet. You must accept God's offer of salvation. And I plead with you if you've never done that.

You can do that today. This can become your story. But you must trust him and Christian, how are you doing? Is your trust growing? Is your faith growing?

Are you letting the circumstances destroy you, make you miserable, overwhelm you, take it to the Lord. He'll give you peace that passes what? Understanding. Learn to trust him. Be faithful.

This has a good ending. It really does. Let's pray. Dear Lord, thank you. For your word, and for the life of Joseph, thanks many things we can learn from it.

Thank you for the sacrifice you made for us. Lord, I pray if there's one here that's never trusted Christ as savior that they would come as we give this hymn of invitation today that I might have the opportunity to lead them to the Lord. I pray they would not be bashful. Would not allow Satan to keep them in their seat but you give them courage and they would come. I pray Lord today for your children.

Lord, as we are suffering in different areas or have suffered in life. Lord, encourage us today. Help us to remember that you are there. You've made promises and you will not fail us and we just need to be faithful and to trust you and look for those opportunities for in due season, we shall reap. If we faint not.

In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.