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God's vision for Joseph

We are looking the Bible teaching in the light of Joseph's life phases and events, and we look over that is there any teaching in our lives? God has spoken to my heart about Joseph and his brothers, and shown that Joseph's and his brothers life events are very similar as nowadays are in the life of many Jesus disciples. God is calling His people to cleanse from all defilements of flesh and of seducing spirits, and to live according to sanctification of the love and the truth of God.

Vision

Jacob had two wives Leah and Rachel and Jacob loved more Rachel. God created monogamy not polygamy. God set monogamy in paradise, but allow polygamy before the old covenant, and in the old covenant for the sake of corrupted (from sin) mind of people. However, in the New Covenant is valid monogamy, and God doesn’t allow polygamy in the New Covenant. Polygamy in Jacob's family brought many problems into their family life, such as Jacob loved more Rachel as Leah, and the result of this Jacob also loved more Joseph, which Rachel bore. Jacob didn’t love his other son as much as he loved Joseph. Surely, to his heart affected the matter that he got Joseph in old age as his other sons.

Jacob did not act fairly, because he should have to love all his sons equally. Jacob's injustice affected in a harmful way to his other sons, and they felt themselves as abandoned. This abandonment emotion and experience led them to act hostile toward Joseph. Brothers were angry to Joseph, because he got father's attention, which would also belong to them. Abandonment and anger lead brothers to act jealously and bitterness towards Joseph.

Think about how wide impact was Jacob's injustice. It brought into family life emotions of abandonment, anger and bitterness. We must be careful how we treat our family members and our neighbors. Many problems and deep wounds in the heart of our family member or neighbors can be due to our negligence, indifference, and injustice. Of course many people will hurt themselves by their wrong choices, but also how other people treat them.

Jacob's should have to pay attention to all of his sons, not just to Joseph. This is a very powerful teaching which we can be seeing Jacob's relationship with Joseph and his other sons. Jesus died for all men and not chosen people for whom He would have died, but He died for all, because He loves every man. Therefore, His disciples must also love equally every man, every family member and every neighbor. If in our family is injustice, so we must repent and remedy things to be correct and fair concerning every family member.

Joseph's brothers acted also wrongly, because God does not call people to hate their neighbors, and He doesn't encourage people to be envious and bitter towards other people. Anger, envy and bitterness are sins, which must repent and cast out from our heart. Jacob's unfairness is not an acceptable defense for Joseph's brothers that they would have had to have right to be jealous and bitter towards Joseph. Injustices acts which we face in this world are not a permission to make a sin. Certainly, it is true that if the man encounter unfair treatment, so his carnal mind becomes bitter and his heart hates him who has treated him injustice.

Anger and envy, and bitterness, however, destroys the man, even if those emotions have come by injustice and wrong things what other people have done to us. Anger brings into the heart of the man bad feelings and effect of evil sin, which burst out from the heart of the man in a very bad way. Envy and bitterness inside of the heart of the man bring bad feelings, which effects are bad and harmful to us. God loves you and me, and He wants that all is well with you and me, and God doesn't want that sin destroy our hearts. That is why God wants to save us and forgive our sins, so that we can forgive to those who have sinned against us. Forgiveness is only remedy against injustice what we have experienced. Forgiveness, protects you from sin, so forgive to those who have sinned against you. If you think that you have suffered so much injustice that you can't forgive, so think about Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. Jesus Christ himself had been suffered and in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin, so He can succor them who are suffering and tempted; Hebr 2:18 and 4:15. People crucified Jesus Christ to the cross and rejected the most valuable thing in the world, which is God's salvation in Jesus Christ. You can't go in front of Jesus Christ and claim that you have been treated badly, because no one has not treated as wrong and injustice as people treated Jesus Christ in the Calvary. Jesus was creating the world with His Father for the reason that He wanted to love the people. What was response of the people to love of God? Jesus Christ was killed in the Calvary, there is not existing worse injustice, unfairness and will never be as killing of Jesus Christ, who was and is good and holy, Saviour of the world. If you receive Jesus Christ into your life and let Him change you, so you receive power of the Holy Spirit to forgive those who have sinned against you. Do you let Jesus Christ influence in you forgiveness and love?

God shows the vision by the dream to Joseph where his father, mother, and brothers bow to him. When Joseph told this dream to his brothers, so they hated and envied him still more because of his dreams, and because of his words. However, his father observed the word. This dream and God's vision were given to Joseph for the reason that God wanted to tell them that He shall take care of them by Joseph's ministry.

Brothers were angry to Joseph for his words and vision, and brothers became more hostile towards Joseph. However, God had spoken to Joseph and chose him to this mission. God draw very accurate vision into the heart of Joseph. Very often happens that when God elects according to His own purpose and grace someone to some mission, so very often envy and bitterness occupy hearts of other people. Envy and bitter mind say same words and have same attitude as Joseph's brothers had. Envy and bitter mind say that in vain you think and believe that God has chosen you. Envy and bitter person is very sardonic, and he means that he is better as you are. He also says to you that reject your "crazy" visions, because God has not shown anything to you and your visions are not from God. However, God elects right and He is only one who can see to the heart of the people. God elects the mission and ministry to all of His children, so He also elects the suitable mission to you. God also speaks and draws accurately this mission into your heart. Reject envy and bitterness from your heart and receive anointment and mission given by God and begin to serve the Lord.

Envy is increasing in the hearts of brothers, because they wanted to be in the position where Joseph was. Brothers didn't want to accept their mission. Do not envy others and theirs ministries. Be content with it what God gives to you, otherwise you'll spend your life in bitterness and cannot find those gifts which God has reserved for you. Many believers are envy to other believers for their ministries. Do not envy others, but praise about the mission of your neighbor. Members of the body of Christ are equally dependent one another as natural body parts are dependent other parts. Receive your mission and begin to serve your Lord. Do not try to be more or less as you are in Jesus Christ. Very damaging to you, and Christ's body is that if you try to be more than what you are in Jesus Christ and equally damaging is if you try to be less than you are in Jesus Christ. Therefore, receive the mission given by God and bind it firmly into your heart, and do not let it go off from your heart.

The Bible the word of God teaches that Jesus' disciples must turn away from all evil and eagerly pursue peace and holiness with all, without which no one will see the Lord. Jesus' disciples must diligently look that not any believer lack from the grace of God, that no root of bitterness growing up may crowd in on you, and through this many be defiled. Bitterness has tendency to defile also hearts of other people. Have you ever thought about those consequences, which are as a result of bitter and erroneous talks? Many people believe all kinds of lies and erroneous talks and not clear up that are they true. So many people will be defiled by root of bitterness. The Bible says that we must repent and reject bitterness if we want to see and serve the Lord. Hebr 12:14-15.

Equipment and trial

Brothers were in Shechem feeding their father's flock and Joseph came to them. Brothers saw him from a distance. And before he came near to them, they plotted against him, to kill him. They mocked Joseph saying that behold dreamer is coming. Mocking brought up anger, envy and bitterness into their hearts, which influenced bloodthirstiness in their hearts and desire to kill Joseph. Nowadays, also among believers are envies, bitterness and anger and result of this many believer want to destroy and mock their neighbors. In many cases, they who are under sins of envy, bitterness and anger, they are driving away many people from the churches by wrong reasons. There exist also health "driving away", in which some people want to live and practice continuous sins or want to support false gospel. However, in many cases' people are driven away from the church by wrong, deceitful and false reasons.

Brothers wanted to kill Joseph, but Reuben's conscience pricked in his heart, and he wanted to save Joseph and deliver him to his father. It was very hard place to Joseph when his brothers cast him into the pit (well), which was in the wilderness. Brothers have experienced father's abandonment and injustice, and for this reason they abandoned Joseph and cast him into the pit. He who has experienced abandonment, he also abandons other people. Experience of abandonment is very terrible and distressing experience, and for this reason the man doesn't want to experience it again, but first he wants to abandon others that no one couldn't abandon him. Deep wounds of abandon experience fade away from our heart when we understand and experience that God loves us and doesn't abandon us. The plan of God for you is that He wants to change your heart from sinful deeds to produce fruit of the Holy Spirit. Sin destroys us, but if you allow that God can heal your wounds of the heart, so you shall be renewed and life well-balanced life by the power of the Holy Spirit according to teaching of the word of God.

Joseph's own brothers abandoned him and cast him into the well, because Joseph's presence reminded to them that father doesn't love them in a same way as he loves Joseph. That was the reason why they wanted to kill him. Is there envy in the congregation of God about it that does God love more my neighbor as me? Yes, there is, and unfortunately I have seen it many times. This kind of distorted envy cause it that some believer oppresses his neighbors and is driving him away from the church.

This "well experience" was very hard experience in Joseph's life, but I believe that it was also God's providence and training for the coming mission. Joseph "studied" in practice hard school to flesh of the man about forgiveness. Think about Joseph in dark and desolate well. Joseph was in the well thrown by his own brothers. Joseph experienced to enormous abandon experience. When Joseph's brothers have to undergo abandonment of their father, so they now "infected" this terrible experience to Joseph's heart. Sin is very gruesome, terrible, horrible and rude. One of the horrible influences of sín is that it spread from heart to heart as cancer, which destroys all completely.

Sin always grows and expands and increases more sins, and that we can see in case of Joseph's brothers. Joseph's brothers sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. Love and lust of the money and greed came to their hearts. Sin wants to be greed and is seeking profit. Brothers's sin expanded and they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a ram of the goats, and dipped his coat in the blood. They planned that they show Joseph's bloody coat to father and say that beasts had been killed Joseph. They commit a lie, because they tried to hide their deeds by lying. Sin expanded as it always shall be expanded.

There is no space to lie and deception in congregation of God. If in our heart is marks of lies and deception, we must repent and correct a lie for the truth. Lying lips are abomination to the Lord, and He will judge all who are speaking lies. All Jesus' disciples must be accurate in there that what we talk and say, that God does not judge us together with wicked ones.

Joseph's brothers took his bloody coat to father. Brothers had planned that it looks like beasts have devoured Joseph and torn him in pieces. Jacob tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his loins. And he mourned many days for his son. Sin of brothers hurt very deeply Jacob's heart. Jacob was very unhappy and sad. I'm sure that God spoke very powerfully to Jacob, because Jacob has favoured Joseph more as other his sons. When Joseph was now gone and was not anymore in the family Jacob got time to pay attention to his other sons. God's kingdom law is that what you sow you will reap. When Joseph was not anymore in the life of Jacob, so he got possible to love his other sons as much as he has loved Joseph. Jacob had loved Joseph more as other his sons. Jacob's action was injustice and now he got a change to love his other sons. God will judge our injustice acts, and we must face them and correct them. Jacob's brothers also made sin and God will judge and handle also them, and also they must face a consequence of theirs acts. God will deal with them later. Also you and I, we must reap that what we have sown. God wants that our sowing would be sowing of righteousness and not sowing of sin and crookedness.

When God calls us to serve Him and give to us our ministry, so He also prepares and tries our heart. In the kingdom of God not he that commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends. If you feel and know that you have a ministry from the Lord, but you don't want to undergo trials and God's training, so you can't receive this ministry. Sometimes also some believers want to have some ministry in their own flesh and God has not called them to this ministry, but they want to have this ministry in their flesh. But whom God has called, He will also prepare and train, for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. God tries us that are we obedient to Him, because we can serve God only by obedience in the love and truth by the power of the Holy Spirit. God tries us also for the reason that we would rightly divide the word of truth. God tries us also that we would love Him. The Bible says that blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him.

God called Joseph and gave him a ministry and mission. What you think that did he think in the well and after selling for the slave, that does God's calling come true in his life? The people are very little, and we agonize and worry that do the ministry and calling come true in my life. God doesn't train His children in the same way as people would train. In "the school" of God are different principles for training as are in the schools of the people. When prophet Samuel anointed David as the king of Israel, so very soon David had to escape Saul and David's "court" were dark and dismal caves, where David lived. God didn't train David for the king of Israel in the king's palace, but in dark caves because of Saul's persecution. God used the well, by position of the servant and prisoner, when God trained Joseph to be over all the land of Egypt. God trained Joseph to be over all the land of Egypt (except pharaoh), because there would come big and wide famine in all lands. Joseph's mission was protecting Jacob's family, that they not exhausted to hunger.

Why God trains His children like this way? The main purpose in serving of God is the salvation of the man and forgiveness of sins. For this reason God trains His children in the "school" of practice that we have ability to forgive to those who had sinned against us. For this reason God's children have to undergo sufferings, segregation, scorn and contempt that they would learn to forgive and live in and by the forgiveness. The gospel is the message about the great forgiveness of God. People are slaves of sins, who enjoy for the desires of sins, which shall destroy them. For these reason people don't want to receive forgiveness of God. But forgiveness of God is only way (in and by Jesus Christ) to real life and rejecting sins and its destructive effect. For this reason God's children have called to wander in the "school" of God, where we have to learn in and by forgiveness. God will work in our heart by the power of the Holy Spirit that we learn to live in and by forgiveness towards all people, also towards them who has sinned against us. We can't be servants of God without forgiven heart. So we must learn to live in and by forgiveness. That is the reason why God leads His children also in those paths where people despise, hate and reject us.

Slavery

Midianites sold Joseph into Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, and captain of the guard. Think about this? Joseph was abandoned and failed by the act of his brothers and Joseph was sold to Egyptian officer of Pharaoh's. Joseph didn't abandon God of his father, but served God also in the slavery of Egypt. The Bible records that the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man. Potiphar saw that there was great blessing of the Lord because everything what Joseph did prosper in his hands. So Potiphar gave grace to Joseph and made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. The Lord blessed also house of Potiphar because of Joseph.

Joseph was beautiful in form and beautiful of appearance. For this reason Potiphar's wife watched Joseph and lusted for him. Potiphar's wife said for Joseph that, lie with me. Sin wraps a human eye and paints lust of the heart as beautiful and covetous things, where lust brings sin into the heart of the man. Lust of the flesh came to the heart of Potiphar's wife, when she watched for Joseph. However, Joseph was the servant of God and said: Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither has he kept back any thing from me but you, because you are his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? Potiphar's wife didn't care about Joseph's refusal, but she tried day by day to seduce Joseph to make sin with her. Every time Joseph refused to make sin of adultery. One day Potiphar's wife caught Joseph's garment by saying that, lie with me. Joseph didn't want to make a sin, but fled in that consequence that his garment left in her hand. Potiphar's wife became angry, because Joseph had rejected her intentions. For this reason, she set up Joseph as guilty of attempting to rape her. Because of this false testimony and a lie Potiphar sent Joseph to the prison.

Lust of the flesh came to the heart of Potihar's wife, and this lust brought obsession into her heart about Joseph and desire to make sexual sin with him. The flesh of the man desires plenty of making sin that the man is the slave of sin and have obsession to make sin. Potiphar's wife was the slave of her obsession and lust, and she had decided to make sex with Joseph. Joseph's refusal caused to Potiphar's wife emotion that she had been rejected as women who were ready to offer sex to a man. This caused also emotion about getting angry, which caused false lie and revenge in her heart, because she didn't get change to accomplish her sinful lust and obsession. Sin is very rude and deceitful, and it came into view in this case very awful way.First sin in the heart of the man brings lust and obsession for sexual sin, and then anger and false lie. When sin can't conquer your heart it wants to revenge you by a lie and deception. Sin is also prepared to catch you like Potiphar's wife did to Joseph. When sin tries to catch you, only method is shaking sin off for you like Joseph did.

Joseph succeeded in his life, because he didn't live in sins. The real success in the life of Jesus's disciples is that they don't want to  live in sins, but want to live pure and righteousness life with God. Joseph succeeded because he didn't make sin of adultery. The real success in the life is that we from the grace of God want to keep our heart pure and away from sins. Unfortunately, some believers' measure success of their faith by money, fancy cars and houses. Prosperity theology is such kind of unhealthy group who measures their faith by material success. The real success in the life of Jesus' disciples measure by pure and righteous heart, where we want to keep sins away from our hearts. Joseph was obedient to God and God rewarded him with pure and righteous heart, but satan rewarded him by prison sentence. A prison sentence was not a reason of Joseph's bad life, but because he was pure and righteous before God, so sin revenged it for Joseph. My heart breaks right here because faith and purity of Joseph were great evidence about power of God and from its effect in the life of the man who loves God.

Think about Joseph! His own brothers had rejected him, and he was alone in Egypt without support of the "congregation". Joseph couldn't to talk with his family and congregation (pastoral care and counseling) and tell about his bad feelings. Joseph was alone, but only God was with him. In this situation Joseph for certain needed comfort and that somebody should understand his situation. Sin sent "beautiful" woman to the life of Joseph, who offered her lap and her feminine love by sex for Joseph. Think about Joseph, he was a man with his best age and woman draws nearer him and offers herself to Joseph. Before this kind of offer many men have corrupted their hearts by sin of adultery. Why Joseph didn't fall into sin?

Joseph lived near God and for this reason he saw that Potiphar's wife love offer was not solution to his problems and loneliness. Joseph knew that lap of this woman would destroy and corrupted his heart by sin of adultery. Joseph was a man and has flesh of a man and needs of a man in his heart and flesh of a man is bound by slavery of sin. Joseph didn't fall, because he lived near God and accepted that God and His will can the final authority in his life and God helped Joseph to withdraw from sin of adultery. Without presence and help of God Joseph would be fall into sin. Praise God about His great grace and power to protect His nation from evil effects of sins. So fulfilled in Joseph's life obeying the Commandments of God: thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife. You can be also lonely or in very bad situation, but if you want and accept that God can help you, so He will help you to overcome sins which evil spirits have aimed in your life.

Prison

Joseph had to go to prison because of deception and lie of Potiphar's wife. God blessed Joseph also in the prison. The Lord was with Joseph, and extended kindness to him. And He gave him favor in the eyes of the warden of the prison house. And the warden of the prison house gave all the prisoners in the prison house into Joseph’s hand. And all which they did there, he was doing. There was no looking of the warden of the prison house to anything in his hand, in that the Lord was with him, and the Lord was prospering what he was doing. The Lord trained also in the prison Joseph to his ministry and mission. This sinful world and satan wouldn't prevent God's training to Joseph, but God trained Joseph that he would be ready to take his place in that ministry what God has planned him. Think about sovereignties of God in this world. All is His hands in this world, because He is Almighty God. God doesn't train a man as people would train filling head full of theoretical knowledge, but God trains by practical life and by those situations which are in our life, and which He leads into our life or what He allows to come into our life.

The butler and the baker of the king of Egypt sinned against their lord, against pharaoh of Egypt and Pharaoh put them into same prison where Joseph was. In the prison, the butler and the baker dreamed a dream, which Joseph interpreted to them. Joseph said that within three days Pharaoh shall lift up butler's head and restore his place. Joseph also said that within three days shall Pharaoh lift up baker's head from off him, and shall hang him on a tree. On the third day happened exactly as Joseph had said.

Fulfilling of the vision and possessing of the promises

After two years from events of Joseph's interpretation of baker's dream in the prison, Pharaoh dreamed a dream. Heart and spirit of Pharaoh was troubled, because no one of Egypt's magicians couldn't interpret dream of Pharaoh. Then the butler spoke to Pharaoh and told to him about Joseph that how he has interpreted his dream correctly in the prison. So they brought Joseph before Pharaoh. This was God's preparation for Joseph to come him out from the prison to take his ministry and start to serve God with that ministry, which God had given to him.

Joseph said to Pharaoh: "It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace." So Joseph explained Pharaoh'd dream. For the result of interpretation of dream Pharaoh set Joseph over all in the land of Egypt, where only Pharaoh was over Joseph. God used Joseph in the prison to the butler explaining him to his dream a´ns now God used Joseph to interpret Pharaoh'd dream and result was that vision and promise which God has given to Joseph came true. Very important was that Joseph gave honor to God saying that it is not in me, but God shall give an answer. We must give honor to God and release that it is not in me, but it is in God! So when we understand and accept this, God can use us in His own godly purposes.

Do you feel that you are like prison with your sins and problems, and you don't have ability to accomplish your ministry and can't have power to live pure life as God's child? Remember that what God did to Joseph! God released Joseph from prison, and He can also release you from your sins and problems. Accept His methods and prepare to come from your "prison" and walk with Him in love and truth.

Famine reached also Joseph's family and his brothers came to buy corn in Egypt. Brothers didn't recognized Joseph. Joseph tested his brothers and accused them as spies and put them in the prison. Joseph's brothers must also eat what they have sown.

Joseph asked from his brothers: Have you a father, or a brother? Brothers answered: We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loves him. The crime and deception were before them, and they laid to Joseph that he was dead. Jacob had taken to again favour son from his sons, who was Benjamin, who was born from Rachel. God shall fix broken relationship of this family after everybody must face wrong things what he has done. Jacob must again lose his favour son, that he could get back all of his sons including Joseph and that Jacob would love equally all of them.

Joseph said that he wants to see that young Benjamin. Brothers said: The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die. Joseph said: Except your youngest brother come down with you, you shall see my face no more. When Joseph saw how suffering of his brothers, he was not able to control himself in regard to those standing beside him. And he called out, Cause every man to go out from him. And no man stood before him as Joseph was making himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud; and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. And Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph. Is my father still alive? And his brothers were not able to answer him, for they trembled before him.

And Joseph said to his brothers, Now come near to me And they came near. And he said, I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be grieved, and let no anger be in your eyes because you sold me here for God sent me before you to save life. For the famine has been in the midst of the land for two years. And there are still five years in which no plowing and harvest will be. And God sent me before you to put a remnant in the land for you, and to keep alive for you a great deliverance. And now you did not send me here, but God. And He has placed me for a father to Pharaoh, and for a lord in all his house, and a ruler in all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, So says your son Joseph, God has placed me as a lord to all Egypt. Come down to me, do not delay. And you shall live in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your sons and sons of your sons, and your flocks, and your herds, and all you have. And I will nourish you there, for there are still five years of famine; lest you be made poor, you and your house and all which belong to you. And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that my mouth is speaking to you. And you tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and all that you have seen. And hurry and bring down my father here. And he fell on the neck of his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. And he kissed all his brothers, and wept on them. And afterwards his brothers spoke with him.

Joseph was beloved of God, because after all injustice that he had gone through, he forgave to his brothers. God wants to affect in our life forgiven mind and patience. A true story about life of Joseph is also powerful pattern about the Lord Messiah Jesus. Nation of Israel didn't recognized Jesus as the Messiah, but rejected Him to be crucified and to die on the cross. In the hard tribulation Joseph revealed himself to his brothers and after that they recognized him. In the same way also in the last days in the end time nation of Israel is in tribulation and the Lord Messiah Jesus shall reveal Himself to nation of Israel, and they will recognized Him as the Messiah in the last days in the end of times. To this beautiful promise of God to nation of Israel (that God will save them in the end of times) is good to end this teaching by saying: Praise to the Lord, come quickly Lord Jesus.

 

Sources:
Old King James Bible
Green's literal translation
Jewish Publication Society 1917 OT


 

Petri Paavola from Finland

 

 

 

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