Our Savior Lutheran Church

Last Week

In Lesson 6 we saw an exciting turnaround in Joseph’s fortunes as a result of his patient endurance. This week we will look at how God used Joseph’s adversity to prepare him for incredible professional and personal success.

To Get Us Started

Joseph learned humility through his many sufferings. We learn proper humility the same way. Often, our humbling experiences only teach us to laugh at ourselves.

1. What was your most embarrassing moment in high school?

2. What was your most humbling encounter with a traffic policeman?

The Word

Joseph had proven so faithful in small things that he was given boundless authority both on Potiphar’s vast estate and in the important royal prison. Joseph hadn’t known it, but those were the minor leagues. One day Pharaoh inserted Joseph into the lineup of big league leadership. Joseph was so well prepared that he quickly became Egypt’s most valuable player. God had guided Joseph’s preparation for his unique situation

Genesis 41:41-57

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 men 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.

[46] Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh's presence and traveled throughout Egypt. [47] During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. [48] Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. [49] Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.

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

[53] The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, [54] and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food. [55] When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph and do what he tells you."

[56] When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. [57] And all the countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the world.

Observations

Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams, and Pharaoh promoted him to serve as prime minister of Egypt. Though he may have caught glimpses of some supernatural meaning in his difficult and painful 13-year experience, Joseph saw God’s divine pattern for his life come into focus rather suddenly as he was promoted so quickly and so dramatically.

Observation 1

God wants to teach us lessons that will help us avoid the pitfall of pride.

We all face this temptation. Joseph certainly did. And we fail at times. Still, a prideful Christian will never reach his full potential in God’s service.

The Book of Proverbs teaches us:

“There are six things the Lord hates,

seven that are detestable to him:

[17] haughty eyes,

a lying tongue,

hands that shed innocent blood,

[18] a heart that devises wicked schemes,

feet that are quick to rush into evil,

[19] a false witness who pours out lies

and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers” (Proverbs 6:16-19).

At the top of this list stands pride. This sin has destroyed the effectiveness of more Christians than any other and has kept many from rising to the level of responsibility God had in mind. But if we allow Him, He will prepare us.

All of the pain and humiliation that came his way would some day help Joseph face the temptation toward pride and be victorious! It would also help him avoid making prideful decisions that would bring even greater pain – namely, the pain that always accompanies failure.

Only a man prepared as Joseph was could have avoided falling prey to pride when suddenly given such an awesome position and power. God had Joseph’s interests at heart, and the interests of all those his life would touch.

Observation 2

God wants to prepare us spiritually to persevere as we face difficult responsibilities.

God gives us all certain choices at various points along our journey in life. We can persevere in the midst of difficulties. This will teach us valuable lessons about ourselves and what it takes to be faithful in even more demanding and stretching responsibilities. The other choice is to choose to turn away and take what appears at the moment to be an easier way. This will lead us away from His perfect will and leave us unprepared for greater responsibilities God wants to give us.

Observation 3

God wants to design a curriculum for each of us to prepare us to perform well when given greater and greater responsibility.

As no other teacher, God knows exactly what curriculum we each need to prepare us in specific areas of our personality and to get us ready for specific tasks. We all need “the hammer, the file, and the furnace.” If we pass each test along the way, God will advance us to another level in His great work on earth. On the other hand, if we want to settle for less, He’ll honor our choice.

Greater pressure and the need for greater skills always accompany advancement. But with greater pressure also come personal growth and more meaningful and lasting fruit in the kingdom of God – now and eternally. Nothing is more important in life than to do the will of God and to advance His work. Our personal comfort should always be a secondary consideration. Jesus said, “if anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24).

Following God fully eventually brings marvelous rewards. But sometimes we must pass through a valley to reach the next mountaintop in God’s plan for our lives.

To Discuss

3. What would you say has been the most perfect period of your life when you liked what you were doing, your plans worked out, and your personal life was happy?

4. How did God prepare you for that “golden era” of life? What trials and disappointments did He use to train you?

5. How did Pharaoh make clear that Joseph had extraordinary authority (Genesis 41:42-43)?

6. What was Joseph’s strategy to prepare for the coming famine (vv. 46-49)? Where might he have learned such agricultural and managerial skills?

7. What can you infer about Joseph’s personal life from the names he gave his two sons (vv. 50-52)?

8. What were the results of Joseph’s famine relief project (vv. 53-57)?

9. What difficult life experiences have stretched your ability to handle responsibility? What did those difficulties seem like when you were going through them?

10. Which of these statements best captures your attitude toward accepting greater responsibility at work, at church, or in your personal affairs? Why did you choose this one?

a. I’m energized by responsibility. Give me more.

b. Responsibility keeps me awake at night worrying. I don’t want it.

c. Responsibility is a necessary evil. I accept it, but I don’t like it.

d. I’m getting better at handling responsibility. I feel good about that.

e. I have more responsibility than at any previous time in my life, but it does not feel good.

f. I have more responsibility than at any previous time in my life and feel confident it is God’s gift to me.

g. I avoid responsibility. Let someone better qualified take it.

11. Too much responsibility too fast is like too much money too fast. It goes to a person’s head and makes him proud and arrogant. Do you think difficulties and hardships are a necessary part of learning to handle big responsibilities? Why or why not?

12. How do you imagine Joseph felt when his famine relief project began to save lives on a broader scope than originally planned? What responsibilities do you bear that have a ripple effect into other situations and lives that you don’t always know about?

Men face real identity issues in terms of accepting and handling responsibility in a humble but confident manner. It’s difficult but important to be a strong leader at home and in the marketplace without being prideful or arrogant. Help one another accept the challenge that Joseph’s example sets before you.

13. Share with one another the challenges you are facing with increasing or pressing responsibilities.

14. Include these men and their challenges in your prayers this week.

Next Week

This week we looked at the amazing success of Joseph’s famine relief program and the heavy responsibility he carried in implementing it. Next week we will focus on something we touched on this week, the personal healing Joseph enjoined within his new family during the seven years of plenty.