Meant for good – Week 3

Joke:  A woman after a nights sleep wakes up and told her husband about her dream that see had during the night, “I just dreamed you gave me a diamond necklace for my birthday. What do you think it means?”

“You’ll know tonight,” he said.

That evening the husband came home with a small package and gave it to his wife. Delighted and excited she opened it to find a book entitled:

“The Meaning of Dreams.”

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 Joseph – Week 3

 As we continue our series meant for good which is detailing the life of Joseph let me re-cap where we have been so far.  In the first week we dealt with promise and process.  We learned that there is often tension between them because often times there is a process of waiting and sometimes suffering before we see the promise come to fruition.

Last week we talked about perfection, which is God’s goal for us in the process.  Perfection isn’t getting everything right, it’s not doing everything perfectly.  It’s rather the priceless treasure of maturity, and Godly character that can only be acquired through the process.

And we have gotten to see how with all of Joseph’s trials and suffering that he has endured it’s preparing him to be the man God has called him to be.

And today what I want to talk about is procession.   Procession is a continuous forward movement, it is the ability to have progress no matter the circumstance.

So, let’s pick up our story . . .Joseph is still in prison and we ended last week with the last verse of Genesis chapter 40.

If you remember Joseph interpreted a dream the cupbearer had telling him that in three days he would be restored to his position and Jospeh asked him to remember him when that happens.

And verse 23 tells us. . .

Genesis 40:23 (NLT): Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer, however, forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought.

Now let’s pick up in chapter 41. . .

But before we do let me give a bit of information.  At the time when Joseph interpreted the dream that the cupbearer had, Joseph had already been in prison for about 10 years.

And up to this point Joseph had never advocated for himself for his release, but he maybe see’s this as his best opportunity to be released, so he says to the cupbearer, “please don’t forget me.”

And yet we know he does as a matter of fact verse 1 of chapter 42 tells us. . .

Genesis 41:1 (NLT): Two full years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River.

Let me ask you a question, do you think Joseph got tired of waiting?

Maybe he was thinking God how could that opportunity have slipped away?  How could the cupbearer have forgotten me? 10 years wasn’t enough, really?

How could a God who is omnipotent, omniscient, and all loving allow all this suffering in the first place?

And church, here’s the truth.   I’m not sure I can answer that.  I don’t know why we sometimes suffer the way we do.   But I will say this, God can and does use those seasons for good.  Even when we don’t understand the why.   Nothing is ever wasted with God.  And let me add this we are going to have trials and circumstances we would rather not have rather we know Jesus or not so fir me I’d rather have Jesus because He will walk with us through them all.

But I don’t know why God allowed Joseph to stay in that prison cell two more years.

Maybe this was the moment when Joseph said in his heart, “Whether you leave me in this pit for the rest of my life or get me out, blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Honestly, we don’t get to see what happens behind the scenes of a man’s heart. We don’t get to see Joseph crying out to God the questions of why.   We don’t get to see at all how Joseph responds.

But I’m convinced that God allows Joseph’s and all of our trials for the best reason possible and that is to use it for His glory, and our benefit.

God is making much of Himself through Joseph, and he is rescuing his people from what’s taking place.

He’s also creating a story that will edify all of us who are willing to look into it.

God’s glory, Joseph’s benefit, and even our benefit because we know that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.   And if He did it in the life of Joseph He can do it for you and I as well.

And we will see later that these things are inseparably linked: God’s ultimate glory, and our ultimate benefit.

But in the mean time, do you ever get tired of waiting? Have you waited for years, only to turn a corner and see no end in sight? Have all your attempts to remove the boulder in your path met epic failure?

Could it be that we need to learn that the end of us is the beginning of God.

See let’s be honest for most of us, it’s not Jesus and only Jesus, it’s Jesus plus something else.   We get a headache the first thing we run to is the Advil.  And listen I’m not saying anything is wrong with Advil.   I’m not saying never go to the ER.  But it seems much of how we do life is Jesus plus something.  We don’t just rely on God to bring things to pass, or work out the things in our lives that need working out.

It seems to me, and listen church I’m just as guilty, but it seems to me that we don’t have the kind of faith that says, God You’re the only one that can show up in this situation, because You’re the only one I’m going to, to show up in this situation.  We go to Jesus plus other things.

Psalm 20:7 (NIV): Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

Church, He will take you to the tomb where your only escape is a divine resurrection. And He will be your deliverer, not you.

He will not give his glory to another.

Isaiah 30:18 (NLT): So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.

You see God waiting and waiting.  Waiting, until the day and the hour when we come to Him and then when we finally do, he exalts himself to become our salvation, removing any remnant of the notion that we can save ourselves.  “Therefore the Lord waits.”

2 Peter 3:9 (NIV): The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Back to Joseph. . .

In Genesis 41:2-7, Pharaoh has two dreams, in one seven healthy cows are eaten by seven sickly cows, and in the other seven healthy ears of corn are eaten by seven diseased ears of corn.

Troubled by his dreams, Pharaoh summons all his wise men, but none can give him an interpretation.

And here’s where Joseph not even realizing it but God is setting up the events that will lead, not only to his release from prison, but far more than he could imagine.

In an instant, he’s about to become the second most powerful man in Egypt.

Pharaoh also is about to receive rescue from the living God through Joseph.   Which is miraculous in itself an Egyptian getting rescued from a Hebrew slave.    Church never underestimate what God can do through you if you would just partner with Him.

Scripture tells us. . .

Genesis 41:8 (NLT): The next morning Pharaoh was very disturbed by the dreams. So he called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. When Pharaoh told them his dreams, not one of them could tell him what they meant.

And let me just pause here to say this. . .often times its not until our false gods fail us, that we are ready for the living God to save us.

It’s an act of mercy when God allows us to be failed by the “gods” we trust in, whether those be false gods, or idols in our lives like money, success, or even other people.

God will not allow anything to take His place.

Back to our story. . .

Pharaohs magicians and his wise men couldn’t give him the interpretation it’s then that. . .

Genesis 41:9–13 (NLT): Finally, the king’s chief cup-bearer spoke up. “Today I have been reminded of my failure,” he told Pharaoh. 10 “Some time ago, you were angry with the chief baker and me, and you imprisoned us in the palace of the captain of the guard. 11 One night the chief baker and I each had a dream, and each dream had its own meaning. 12 There was a young Hebrew man with us in the prison who was a slave of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he told us what each of our dreams meant. 13 And everything happened just as he had predicted. I was restored to my position as cup-bearer, and the chief baker was executed and impaled on a pole.”

After two years the cupbearer finally was reminded.  Two years from when Joseph asks him to remember him.

Genesis 41:14–16 (ESV): Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”

Finally the moment arrives, he’s free.   But let’s face it the stakes are high.   Pharaoh has power to deal with Joseph, who he heard can interpret dreams.  And if Joseph isn’t careful Pharaoh can have him back in prison or worse.

Think of how tempting it could have been for Joseph to exalt himself, to make himself worthy to be set free.

But what does Joseph say? He doesn’t say well let me tell you.   I’m the only one that has the answer for you.  I did it for your baker and cupbearer.  I can do it for you as a matter of fact I’m probably the only one who can.

No, the first words out of his mouth are, “It is not in me.”

What kind of man stands with boldness and faith in front of the ruler who holds his whole fragile destiny in the palm of his hand and says you heard I can interpret dreams, but actually it is not in me.

Who does that?  Only a man who has been perfected by God’s process, and who has held to God’s promise in the darkness of the pit.

Joseph has experienced betrayal from his brothers, years of slavery, false accusation, a decade of imprisonment; but all the years of injustice and torment have forged a man with nothing to lose, and with only God to gain.

“It is not in me.” I am nothing. I have nothing. Oh wait I’ve got one thing and that is a God who never left me.

And now, after baking this masterpiece inside the oven of adversity, the timer goes off, and God removes his delicious, steaming loaf of awesomeness.

The procession is beginning. The great unveiling of glory. And Joseph gives glory straight to God. “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”

Church I know the process can be painful.  God’s perfection is costly and there’s a procession in it all.

2 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV): But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

The idea of triumphal procession comes from the Roman practice of the army returning to Rome after a military victory to parade their ranks, and their prisoners, and their spoils in the streets to the smell of incense and the sound of cheering and music.

And God is about to make a show of Joseph. He’s about to unveil the beautiful result of the painful process.

God is about to show up and show off through Joseph.

Hear this church, humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, and at the proper time, He will exalt you.

 In Genesis 41:17-32, Pharaoh recounts his dreams. And Joseph, full of the spirit of God, interprets the dreams. Seven years of plenty are coming, followed by seven years of famine. But Joseph doesn’t stop with the interpretation, he also proposes the solution.

Genesis 41:33–37 (NIV): And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. 36 This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.” 37 The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials.

Let me point out a couple things a minute.   Number one Pharaoh has been prepared by God to receive help from, not only a Hebrew, but a slave and a convict.

Secondly, notice that Joseph doesn’t put himself forward as the solution to the problem.

He doesn’t say, “I’m your man.” He says, “Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man.”

Do you think Joseph didn’t know that he was the ideal man for the job?   I think he did.

Look at his track record. When a boss puts Joseph in charge, he doesn’t have to be concerned for anything at all — he can just go to sleep, just like Potiphar, just like the jail keeper. Joseph is a master of turning chaos into order, and causing whatever is in his domain to thrive. He was made for this job.

But he does not put himself forward. He simply leaves his destiny in the hands of God.

Proverbs 25:6–7 (TPT): Don’t boast in the presence of a king or promote yourself by taking a seat at the head table and pretend that you’re someone important. 7 For it is better for the king to say to you, “Come, you should sit at the head table,” than for him to say in front of everyone, “Please get up and move—you’re sitting in the place of the prince.”

I have on occasions been invited to speak at other churches (talk about what happens).

It’s tempting for us to believe that we are at the mercy of people, economies, companies, or governments.   But we are not in the hands of man. We are in the hands of God.

Thats good news because that means we can cease our striving for position, which is what our culture tells us we need to do.

Listen I’m not saying don’t work hard. As a matter of fact Scripture tells us to do so.  But we don’t strive. Striving comes from thinking I need to be in control of the outcome.  Or need to perform well to receive.

But truth is rest, peace, and provision come from trusting in God.

Church, do you believe He cares for you, sees you, has a plan to for you? Do you really want to strive to attain things outside of His provision? Sometimes the hardest thing to do is step back and be quiet in an act of faith.

Letting go and letting God.   To be still and know that He is God.

Genesis 41:33–45 (NIV): And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. 36 This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.” 37 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.” Joseph in Charge of Egypt41 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command,  and people shouted before him, “Make way!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt. 44 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.” 45 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.

By the way his new name Zaphnath-Paneah means savior of the age, giver of the nourishment of life, and revealer of a secret.

What God has done in the heart of Joseph, He now puts on display to the world. This is the unveiling of a form of beauty that only comes from trusting God even in the suffering. This is God spreading the fragrance of His knowledge to the world.

Can you picture it we have a Hebrew slave, a convict, rising in the wave of God’s providence, taken to impossible heights by the tide of God’s irresistible grace.

This is the same providence that gave Joseph in his dreams of one day being exalted, that caused so much strife in his family.

This is the same providence that brought him to Egypt as a slave, and the same providence that held him inside of a prison for 12 years.

And church it’s the same holy river that surrounds your life and mine, don’t grow weary in well doing.  God has a plan, he will exalt in due season.

Who is like God, who puts this foreigner, a slave, and convict in the king’s chariot and makes everyone bow to him? Who is like God, who makes this pagan Pharaoh exalt the name and wisdom of Yahweh?

And I want you to know that Joseph’s procession is your procession.   It is the story of your life in Christ.

God allows us to bake in the oven of adversity until his divine timer goes off. And then when it’s time He pull’s you out of the oven, steaming and delicious, and makes a show of his handiwork.

It’s all about him, and not about you, which is the best news I could possibly give you. Because it means that however jealous God is over his own glory, that’s how jealous he is over your life coming to fruition as a conduit of his glory.

Jesus said it best in John 15:8. . .

John 15:8 (ESV): By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

God is the greatest farmer who ever lived. He is cultivating the fruit of your life with relentless dedication, on the good days, on the bad days, on the days of devastation. He is relentless in his obsession to bring you into your inheritance of joy and effectiveness.

Take heart.  He is even collecting your tears in bottles.

Maybe you don’t feel like all these things are true or happening in your life.   Well here’s the things about feelings.  Feelings are excellent servants, but terrible masters.

They were never meant to be your compass to glory, or your pathway to peace.

If you are a disciple, you will bear his fruit. And if you bear his fruit, you will bring him glory.   But it can only be done with his promise, his process, and his perfection, and the good news is that they have been freely given to you.

And this, is why you live and breathe: To bring glory to the glorious one. There is no greater calling, and there is no greater joy.

The procession is always happening. By faith, we can apprehend the fact of victory, even in the face of failure.

We don’t work for victory we work from victory.

Jesus already won.

Unlike the time of Joseph, we have a Messiah who has already come, and who has completed the full redemptive work on our behalf.  When Jesus cried out it is finished, He meant it is finished.

Jesus said, Be of good cheer why?  For I have overcome the world.

That victory is past tense, not future tense. This means that we can, by faith, apprehend a sense of victory, even in the pit. Not just a promise to come, but a promise that has already come.

2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV): For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

Let me wrap up today with this illustration. . .

Snowboarders get two runs in the Olympics, competing for gold in the finals. In 2010, legendary snowboarder Shaun White went last, and on his first run, his score was much higher than anyone else’s first run or second run score. In other words, he made his own second run totally irrelevant.   He had already won the gold by the time the last of his competitors had given their best.

For his second run, Shaun White could have slid down the half pipe on his stomach, or he could have skipped it entirely. He would still have ended up wearing the gold medal around his neck.

Before his second run, he and his team had already begun celebrating. He had the biggest, dumbest smile pasted on his face.

Suddenly, his coach grabbed Shaun White’s face in his hands, looked him in the eye, and said:

“Do whatever you want on this one. Whatever you want. This is your run.”

His words were filled with breathless excitement, exhilaration, absolute joy. It was like he was saying, “Just do what you were made for.”

Shaun White plunged into his second run with ecstatic intensity. He was a joy to watch, precision and flight.

He finished with some kind of Triple Mega Madness move that had never been seen before. His second score was higher than his first.

And so church. I say to you this day that you and I are on the second run! Jesus already ran the first on our behalf, and won the gold. Your entire life is the victory lap for a victory that you didn’t win, but a victory that is yours, nonetheless. Your entire life is the procession, intended to show the manifold goodness of God to principalities and powers in high places.

So, lift your chin. You are a king, a queen, a priest. Live like you are on the winning team, even when or if it looks like you are losing.

Breathe in the goodness of God, and let Him parade you through wind and rain and sunny days, making a triumphal procession out of your life.

Not so you can throw your snowboard away and be an underachiever.  But so you can pick it up and do what you were made for.

You were made to represent Jesus.  To bring Him glory.  So, go and do what you were made for.