Joseph’s Faith

Hello Church,

What a joy to live in the grace of our Lord Jesus, moment by moment, day by day.

If you’re reading along with me in the Bible plan (PDF) for this year, then we recently finished the story of Joseph in Genesis 37-50.  The tagline of Joseph’s life is this: “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.”  Joseph spoke those words to his brothers who were terrified that after their father, Jacob, died, Joseph would get revenge on them for selling him into slavery, but Joseph didn’t do that because he understood that though they did something truly evil, his sovereign God meant it for good  -- for the saving of many people, especially God’s people. 

What’s amazing about Joseph’s faith are at least three things.  First, a truly horrible thing was done to him.  He was human trafficked, sold as a slave to slave traders, removed from his family and taken to a foreign land, and yet he held this outlook that God was on his side.  Second, he was the only worshiper of Yahweh in all of Egypt.  I don’t think that’s an exaggeration.  Even if there were some people in Egypt who worshiped Yahweh, surely Joseph would not have been aware of them.  Similar to Daniel (though Daniel had Shadrach and his companions, and the Jewish exiles in Babylon), Joseph had no faith community around him to share his problems or receive prayer.  Even his family didn’t pray for him as they thought him dead, yet he maintained his faith in God.  Finally, what makes Joseph’s faith so amazing is that the Law had not yet been written.  Moses and the Law were to come 430 years later.  The only promise he might have had were the words passed on to him from one generation to another.  I’m sure Jacob told his children, “God, the Creator, the only true God, appeared to your great grandfather Abraham, and He promised him that He would bless him and make him into a great nation.  God then revealed himself to your grandfather Isaac, and then to me.”  Perhaps Jacob led his family in prayer every day; maybe he shared what little he knew about God with them.”  We should find it amazing that though Joseph did not possess the explicit written Word of God, he trusted in Him. 

Imagine you were drugged, blindfolded and captured, pulled into a van and when you woke up, you are a slave in a godless foreign country.  As far as you know, you are the only Christian and you don’t have your Bible.  How would you do?  I think we’d all fail miserably, or maybe not.  Why?  Because the God of Joseph is our God, too.  Often, we look more to the faith of Joseph, rather than the faithfulness of God.  We look at the integrity of Joseph, rather than the integrity of God.  We think we could never be like Joseph.  However, in the story of Joseph, God is the main actor, Joseph is merely the sub-plot.  God does not change. 

You know, for most of us, we don’t have arch enemies that want to end our lives, like Joseph did.  For us, we have people, who at times knowingly, and at times unknowingly, cause us harm.  They may gossip about us or misrepresent us or smear our character.  A friend might betray us.  We might be unjustly let go of our jobs.  Or, we may even be let go because of our faith in Christ.  All sorts of unfortunate things can happen, but in the midst of those things, God is greater.  He’s sovereign.  He sees the beginning from the end.  He knows all things.  He controls all things and He is for you.  He loves you.  You are His beloved child.  Whatever it is you are going through, keep trusting in Him, as Joseph did.  He will see you through it.

Soli Deo Gloria

Pastor Peter

Announcements:

The hymn of the month for February is Christ Our Hope in Life and Death (Keith & Kristyn Getty, Matt Pap) See the playlist here.

What truth can calm the troubled soul?

God is good, God is good.

Where is his grace and goodness known?

In our great Redeemer’s blood.

Who holds our faith when fears arise?

Who stands above the stormy trial?

Who sends the waves that bring us nigh

Unto the shore, the rock of Christ?

Unto the grave, what shall we sing?

“Christ, he lives; Christ, he lives!”

And what reward will heaven bring?

Everlasting life with him.

There we will rise to meet the Lord,

Then sin and death will be destroyed,

And we will feast in endless joy,

When Christ is ours forevermore.

What is our hope in life and death?

Christ alone, Christ alone.

What is our only confidence?

That our souls to him belong.

Who holds our days within his hand?

What comes, apart from his command?

And what will keep us to the end?

The love of Christ, in which we stand.

O sing hallelujah!

Our hope springs eternal;

O sing hallelujah!

Now and ever we confess

Christ our hope in life and death.