Embracing the past and suffering for the mission God has given you now

 Read Genesis 41

You know the story.  God has revealed to the Pharoah of Egypt through Joseph, Son of Jacob, that there will be 7 years of plenty and 7 years of famine. The only guy around who could handle getting the country ready to endure this was Joseph.

Yes, dreamer boy Joseph who earned the scorn of his brothers was the one.

Yes, Joseph the slave was the man for the job.

Yes, Joseph who was doing time in the Pharoah’s prison was the perfect pick.

You da man, Joseph!

Joseph could have been bitter.  He could have said, “Let’s all just die.  I’m going back to my cell.”  He could have thrown a pity party but he did not.

He went to work. People moved out of his way when he was going somewhere.  Joseph was the man in all of Egypt.

If you have ever been on a U.S. naval vessel, you had better understand one phrase for sure:  Gangway!

Gangway can be a raised walkway or passage, but most of the time it means get out of the way.

If the CO or XO shouts gangway, then you had better melt into the bulkhead.  The CO needs to be where he is headed yesterday.

Any senior officer can shout gangway and people should move, but generally, it’s the commanding officer or his second in command who needs to be somewhere immediately.

There is another group of people who can use the command.  They are the security Marines aboard aircraft carriers.  If security is called to any point on the vessel, the Marines need to be there immediately.

Sailors and Marines don’t always get along that well, especially when they are couped up for several months sharing the same spaces at sea.  Sailors significantly outnumber Marines on carriers.  So when security is called to any area, Marines yell gangway and start moving.

If you are not part of the bulkhead, you will be. Imagine being a 19-year-old hard charger couped up in this metal contraption at sea.  You need to let out your frustration.  A sailor who doesn’t get out of the way works just fine.  That dude is getting run over.

When Joseph was headed anywhere, people got out of the way of his chariot.  This wasn’t just any rich guy with his Mercedes.  This was Joseph and he was on a mission to save the country.

Joseph was on a mission from God.

He was on a mission from God!

And Joseph was about the Lord’s business.  He was charged by God through the Pharoah to save the country.  Pharoah was surely not a man who knew the one true God, but he must have known of him and he must have realized that the Spirit of this God lived within Joseph.

So, Joseph was about his business, but do you think he was happy?  Do you think he was waiting for the other shoe to drop?

Why would he think this?

Coat of many colors—the scorn of his brothers.

Siblings bowing down to him—thrown in a hole and sold into slavery.

In charge of Potiphar’s household—thrown into prison for something he didn’t do.

Was Joseph just waiting for the inevitable negative event that would send him to rock bottom again?

I say not.  I think he embraced what God had given him and didn’t look back.  How do I know?

Joseph had 2 kids.  OK, and…

Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”

Joseph named his kids what he did because God made him forget the troubles of the past and embrace the prosperity that followed his hard times.

Do you remember me telling you that one of our lessons from the story of Joseph was to be faithful to God and do your best? Joseph knew that he had been through some stuff but now he was able to put the trials of his past behind him and embrace his situation.

His situation was not necessarily easy.  I’m sure he had all the comforts of wealth but he was on a mission from God.

Joseph was in the right place at the right time to do the things God had planned for him in advance and Joseph was good with that.  He could have carried a chip on his shoulder.  He could have thrown a pity party.  He could have just saved the part of the country where the Pharoah lived and kicked back and enjoyed life.

But he embraced his assignment and he was good with the path that got him where he was.

I like to watch some science fiction now and again.  The time machine shows and movies usually interest me.  What would happen if someone went back in time and changed even the smallest thing?

I’ll watch a movie about time travel if it appears interesting.  Sometimes after watching a time travel movie that didn’t live up to its billing, I wish I could go back in time and unwatch it.

Who cares about going back in time?  Have you ever wanted to undo something in your past?  Were there one or two things that you would have not done if you got a do-over?  Was there an opportunity that passed by that you would have liked another shot at?

You think that Joseph might have skipped the trip to visit his brothers tending the flocks and not been thrown in a hole.

You think that Joseph might have just gone along with a roll in the hay a few times with Potiphar’s wife, just to not have to deal with her scorn.

But Joseph embraced his past and his suffering and now embraced where it landed him.  He was the second most powerful man in Egypt, probably in the whole region and he was on a mission from God.

We know that Joseph embraced his role in God’s plan by the names he gave his kids.

Do we embrace our part in God’s plan?  How do we know?

Do we long to change things in our past or do we move forward in faith?

Do we trust in the Lord or is our doubt a stumbling block to others?

Do we wait patiently upon the Lord or are we constantly asking God, why, when, how?

Are we ready to respond to the Spirit that lives within us or do we put in our earplugs because God’s Spirit might lead us out of our comfort zone?

I don’t expect anyone to rename their kids, but I challenge you to accept the life path, struggles, victories, lessons learned, your ups and downs, arguments and agreements, and other factors that might seem to confound in the moment as part of the preparation that you have been given to do God’s will.

Once you have accepted that, I challenge you to embrace all of these experiences and be ready to do what God has in store for you.

Amen.

Patient while you wait. Ready when called!

 Read Genesis 41

I give you the following with apologies to Solomon.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to get a coat of many colors,

A time to have your coat taken from you.

A time to walk the countryside seeking your brothers,

A time to have your brother throw you in a hole.

A time to see visions of your brothers bowing before you,

A time to be sold as a slave.

A time to be Dad’s favorite,

A time to be lost to your Dad.

A time to work as a slave,

A time to be a slave in charge of the entire household.

A time to bring blessing to your master,

A time for your master’s wife to falsely accuse you.

A time to be thrown into prison,

A time to be in charge of the prison.

A time to understand dreams and anticipate your release,

A time to wait for your release,

A time to wait for your release,

A time to wait for your release.

Just how long is it going to take that cupbearer to talk to Pharoah?

The answer is—until the Pharoah had dreams that he didn’t understand.  Fat cows being eaten by skinny cows and scrawny heads of grain-eating full heads.  What did it mean?

The cupbearer realized that he had been remiss in not mentioning Joseph earlier, but with the onset of the Pharoah’s dreams, Joseph came to mind.

I mentioned previously that if Joseph had been released shortly after the cupbearer was restored, he would have likely gone home and not left a forwarding address.  Not even the extended warranty people would have found him.

He surely had a thing or two to say to his brothers and his dad.  He wasn’t going to hang around Egypt, get a flat in the city, and a job as a management consultant.  He would be long gone.

He wouldn’t give Pharoah his business card and say, if you ever get a weird dream, give me a call.  I’ll give you a rate.

He would be gone, but as it was, Joseph was still in the palace prison and the cupbearer remembered him. It had been 2 years since his release and restoration, but the cupbearer finally remembered Joseph.

Pharoah’s court of advisors and magicians and other charlatans didn’t have a clue what the dreams meant.  Giving a false interpretation might cost you your head, so Pharoah’s top people produced no results.

I think they used the advisor’s maxim.  When in doubt, mumble.  They were no help.

Pharoah summoned Joseph.  Joseph threw on a shave and some new clothes appropriate to appearing before Egypt’s sovereign and the story unfolds.

Joseph made it clear to Pharoah that the meaning of the dreams came from God and then went on to explain that Egypt would have 7 years of abundance and 7 years of famine.

The message came in 2 dreams to affirm that the matter was not up for discussion.  God had decided and this would happen soon.

The message from God continued with a job posting.

Senior level executive needed to run country and administer taxation program of one-fifth of the crops for collection annually for 7 years.   Must supervise commissioners in the administration of food collection and storage.  Distribution and sales skills a must. 

Advanced degrees in business and management desired along with 10 years experience in government administration. 

Education and experience requirements may be waived if the Spirit of God dwells within the applicant.

Serious inquiries only.

When God writes the job description, it will only fit the person he has in mind.  Pharoah realized that and appointed Joseph over everything except his own personal decisions.  He was the second in command of all of Egypt.

He had a really good benefit package. Joseph got a chariot.  He got some bling. Pharoah even threw in a new name and a wife.

Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.

Joseph did what he said needed to be done.  So much grain was collected that the collections folks stopped keeping records. Everything was on track.

Joseph didn’t spend all of his time on the road.  He had enough time at home to have 2 sons.

Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”

Joseph was able to put behind him all of his sorrows and had eyes to see the abundance that God had provided him.

He had gone from trusting God and doing his best in the worst of circumstances to acknowledging God when he was moved from the mailroom to the board room.

Let’s do some math.  There were 7 years of abundance and 7 years of famine.  It seems like one-seventh of each year’s harvest would have done the trick.  Instead, Joseph required one-fifth of the harvest.

Some people don’t like fractions, but one-fifth is more than one-seventh.  That burger with a one-third-of-a-pound patty is larger than that quarter-pounder.

Some of you don’t believe me and others are just upset that I brought fractions into the sermon. Why collect more than you need?  Might the famine last more than 7 years?

God said 7 so I’m sure that Joseph believed 7 years would be the extent of the famine. 

Realize that the drought and famine were not confined within the borders of Egypt.  People from all over would come to Egypt because they had food.  Egypt had food and it was for sale.

Had the Pharoah’s name been Ramses, Dave Ramses, he might have advised the people to set aside one-fifth of their 7 years of abundance into an emergency fund. We will discover later, that the common people didn’t have a financial advisor and they didn’t have an emergency fund.

But for the 7 years of famine, they had access to food.  This made Egypt unique and powerful and Joseph was at the helm.

There is more to come in the story of Joseph and Egypt, Joseph and his brothers, and Joseph with his father and his sons, but for now, consider that God’s time and timing are not our time and timing.

We made that reference when Joseph was stuck in a bad spot but we consider it again as Joseph was elevated to his top-level position.

Had everything happened in accordance with Joseph’s timeline, he would not have been around to do this mighty work.  Egypt would have suffered.  The surrounding countries that were drought-stricken would have suffered beyond what they could manage.

Even Joseph’s own family would have found no place to turn when they had no food. Joseph was in the exact place and time where God would use him for the good of many.

It’s all good to know stuff, but how do we apply it to our lives?

That’s a good question.  By good, I mean it’s a difficult question.  I don’t really expect to do any time in prison.  I might do a bit or two in Facebook Jail, but that’s probably it.

Most of the time if I have a dream and think that was a good one.  I need to write it down, but when I look at my notes in the morning, I can’t read the hieroglyphics.  Of course, most of the time I can’t read my own notes during the day.

So what do I take from this part of Genesis?

How about, if God’s Spirit is within you, all the knowledge, skills, and abilities that you acquire from your life experience are ready to be put to use for God.

How about the character that you develop in both adversity and victory is available to produce great things because God lives within you.

How about we accept that regardless of what’s happening in this moment, God has good plans for us.

How about, there will come a time when your trust in the Lord, your faithfulness, and your acknowledgment of him in everything you do will be rewarded.  It may happen in this lifetime or it may come in that place that eye has not seen and ear has not heard what the Lord God has in store for us, but it will come.

If it comes in this time, do not be stunned.  Get to work.  If God manifests great things for you to accomplish in this time, get to work.

Those great things might encompass saving a nation or saving a child.

It might involve feeding multitudes or feeding a single family.

It might involve a career change, not always as drastic as going from managing a prison to managing a country, but you might be called to something else than what you are doing right now that will bring glory to God.

It might involve no job change at all.  It might just be working at whatever you do as if you were working for the Lord and not for men.

But make no mistake, your lessons learned, your waiting upon the Lord, your readiness to take what the Lord has given you and put it to work at once, and many other life experiences and strengthened character traits will have a place in God’s time to produce good fruit.

Be patient while you wait.  Be ready when you are called. Your time is coming in God’s time.

Be patient while you wait.  Be ready when you are called.

Amen.