what challenges did joseph face in the bible?

One of the household employees who witnessed Josephs act while he was imprisoned and later released and returned to serve the Pharaoh of Egypt was pardoned. WebJoseph felt more isolated every day; his brothers avoided him, whispered when they saw him and often ridiculed his honesty and integrity. The Lord was with Joseph even while he was imprisoned, and the prison warden showed favor toward him. b. His preparations are described in Genesis 40:47-48. Joseph had a lot of things going his way in life at first. Benjamin was born just as Josephs mother passed away. And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured (Genesis 41:47-49). What does the Bible tell us about Joseph? - About the Catholic Faith What is the theme of the story of Joseph? All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. Joseph understood the lesson fleshed out in his own fathers experienceGod is real! Unselfishly he offered to interpret the dreams of his two fellow prisoners, telling them that the knowledge came from God (see Your email address will not be published. Not discovered. WebWhen I say physically from sickness, from disease, from lack and want it means, it is the will of God for us to prosper in all areas of our lives. He put in every city the food from the fields around it. His brothers would love this if they knew. 8. Joseph: The Man with a Divine Purpose | Bible.org But we must keep in mind that if we dont apply these teachings, they wont help us at all. And yet, we are never promised this. 2. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Honest, good-hearted people who hear Gods word, cling to it (Luke 8:15, NLT). As far as the narrative is concerned, Joseph was neither arrogant nor naive in telling the dreams to his brothers; he was right. It teaches leadership as well as spirituality. Joseph needed the time as a manager of Potiphars household and a manager of the prison before he became a manager of all of Egypt. Hopefully, God will reveal to you the reason (or at least part of the reason) behind your suffering. Also see: Best Books Every Woman Should Read. At one point, a light bulb went off in my head: I am genuinely trying to do what is best for my son. 0000036829 00000 n This challenge focuses on; identity, favour, integrity, jealousy and forgiveness. Joseph dreaded the night in this foul Egyptian hellhole. As a group they sell Joseph into slavery, but as individuals they deal with the following years and how they can make amends. Being a slave leader still means youre a slave, so it isnt the really the best position. His status changed in an instant from favored son in Canaan to anonymous slave in the house of an Egyptian. And yet, the reality is most of us need the practice. Because of the famine, Joseph's family in the Valley of Hebron needed food. Pastor John gets to the heart and offers practical suggestions for growing in evangelism. And of course, we can look forward to the day when all the bad things will be forgotten, and we can spend an eternity closer to God than ever before. Also see: Advantages And Disadvantages Of Monopoly. Joseph refuses to betray Potiphar, and his wife gets jealous. Our current circumstances, however dismal or successful, are not our story's end. Kendall, R.T. God Meant It For Good. Egyptians intentionally mummified their dead early in their Go deeper by registering for our course on the Story of the Bible. I am the oldest of seven children, and if I had a dream and told it to my family, no one wouldve hated me or sold me into slavery because of it. He thought back to the dream where God had told him he would become powerful. And he remembered. Acknowledging our guilt; resting in His grace. Please pray for me. Fear of God and Faithfulness to God. He put them through painful tests, but those plans and schemes had a goal. Word/name. He brought his whole family to be closer to him, and was finally reunited with his father once again. Joseph was rejected, betrayed and abandoned by his own family. Man is not to make plans according to his finite judgment. Joseph Relate the history concerning Jacob and Rachels first son. The dryness of the arid climate preserved bodies buried in shallow sandy pits, as in the image below. Joseph: Staying Faithful When Things Just Get Worse The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Josephs charge, becausetheLordwas with him. He did as the angel of God commanded him. 0000003001 00000 n I have gone through an extremely horrific work situation in the last three years. When trials and troubles come into your life, you may feel like you are getting beaten with rods and ground into powder, but as Isaiah 28 says, grain must be ground to make bread. In addition to at least one sister, Josephs family had ten elder brothers. Salem Media Group. In the same way that God can give us the grace and strength to get through challenging times, He also gives us grace and strength to live with integrity like Joseph did. Fists to his forehead he pleaded again with God in the dark for deliverance. God made stunning promises and then ordained time and circumstances to work in such ways as to make the promises seem impossible to fulfill. He obeyed his father, seeking out his brothers miles away, in order to honor his father. Simply stated, the 8th commandment teaches us that obtaining gain by ungodly means is evil. Perhaps while he could interpret dreams, he frequently could not comprehend what was happening in real life. He was indiscriminate. Summary of the story of Joseph in the Bible, How Joseph shows patience through the bad times, Sometimes waiting means doing nothing but wait, How Joseph shows patience through the good times, Nehemiah: 15 Biblical Leadership Principles, 6 Benefits of Praying together for Married Couples, What My Home Taught me about Justification and Sanctification. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. Which council established the canon of the Bible? In the Old Testament, Joseph is a favored son of Jacob and Rachel. How did God use the suffering Joseph experienced? Notify me of follow-up comments by email. God used all of it for good, to save countless lives. But God does not want us to miss the largely silent, desperate years Joseph endured. 3a. I think in this season of life you need to wait on the Lord. Yes! He felt something crawl across his leg. Im always looking to finish something and move on to the next. Jacob lived in the land of his fathers sojournings, in the land of Canaan. Wow! Is my father still living? But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence. Joseph as a king. Joseph was an amazing servant leader. God enabled Joseph to have the wisdom and guidance to perform this difficult task: During the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly, and he gathered up all the food of these seven years, which occurred in the land of Egypt, and put the food in the cities. Then Joseph said to his brothers, Come close to me. When they had done so, he said, I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! When Joseph arrived, they were not there. OUR PART: I will do what I can to not fret and to find strength in the Lord, to move forward and not give up. 0000022780 00000 n Sometimes he wants to teach us something, and some lessons take time. Faith-fueled peace doused the anxious fire in Joseph's chest. WebA bible challenge to read the chapters in the book of Genesis concerning the account of Joseph. Thanks for the comment and Im praying for you now! Wait is wait. Joseph was the firstborn child of Rachel, who was Jacobs genuine love and one of his four wives. Bible Study Guides - Joseph There is coming a day when those who are faithful, even to death (Revelation 2:10) will hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant. 5 Lessons for Hard Times from the Life of Joseph. In ancient Egypt, the priests were the interpreters of the dreams. Joseph hated spiders. The angel known as the Satan (Hebrew for the adversary), as told in the He also needed time in a powerless position so he could learn humility and dependance on God. Job emerged from his ordeal a better and wiser man who exhibited such patience amidst the upheaval of life. Joseph was given the knowledge and direction by God to do this challenging task: Due to this, Egypts population survived the famine buyers traveled from all over I am studying it even more now. Were uncomfortable with the idea of suffering at all, but we like to think we can handle it for a few months. Joseph and Mary Josephs story starts in Genesis 37 when his father, Jacob, gives him a special coat of many colors. Joseph Joseph wept, and the brothers fell before him offering to be his slaves. Foreshadowing the undeserved grace that Jesus would bring centuries later, Joseph did not hold a grudge, ready and waiting with open arms, calling for those who needed forgiveness to accept it. They approach him to apologize again and seek his grace and mercy. Even when personally And whatever he did, theLordmade it succeed. Joseph knew that sinning against Potiphar was wrong, but that it was even worse to commit the sin because it was offensive to God. Then the LORD said, Rise and anoint him; he is the one. So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Consequently, Josephs brothers plotted to kill him but instead they sold him to some Ishmaelites that were passing through to Egypt. Believers and non-believers can see it as an illustration of the need to keep trying and persevere. Joseph could have used his power to bring vengeance. It would have been a disaster. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zipah, his fathers wives. WebGod was with Joseph every step of the way. The sad part of this episode in Josephs life is that Potiphars wife slandered him and accused him of Day after monotonous day passed with no sign of change. 0000013379 00000 n Which god is the father of Jesus? Despite her many attempts to lure Joseph into sin, Joseph would not sin, But he refused and said to his masters wife, Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. He was a compassionate man. Dutripons Latin Bible concordance (Paris 1838) identified 16 people named Joseph in the Bible, 9 of whom featured in the New Testament: Joseph I. Joseph (Genesis). The pharaoh calls for Joseph, who once again interprets the dream with wisdom. However, as they were eating, a group of Ishmaelite traders came by, so they chose to sell him into slavery as a profit-making scheme instead. After their father dies, Josephs brothers begin to worry again that Joseph will now take vengeance upon them. Recommended: Best books every man should read. Lesson 1: Josephs story shows God can work with young people. Joseph just continued being righteous and faithful. The Bible story of Joseph is an inspiring tale of how a young man rose from adversity to become one of the most powerful men in the world. The other important theme and lesson is that The Lord was with Joseph (Genesis 39:2a), and of course He is with all His children, even today. Every story contains instructive lessons about behavior, righteousness, and what it means to live by Gods Word, whether you are seeking a lesson for a kid, a young adult, or someone who is well past middle age. He smiled at the irony of this "favor." It can be difficult to wait during the bad times, but it can also be difficult to wait during the good times. Genesis 39:3-4 tells us, And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. Learn the Art Of Deferred Gratification: We may learn a lot about leadership from Josephs life, including the necessity to resist the lure of rapid fulfillment. I have truly been encouraged by this article. You just surrender. The greatest place to begin making plans for the future is always by seeking the Lords guidance and wisdom. He is working, even when we cannot see it or feel it. A cupbearer and a baker who work for Pharaoh also find themselves in prison. Joseph was still stuck. Again, thanks for sharing. Humility is often a painful lesson to learn, but it is a requirement for any good servant leader. She maintains a faith and lifestyle blog graceandgrowing.com, where she muses about the Lord, life, culture, and ministry. I am yours. Genesis 39:1-12 - Lessons from Joseph in Potiphar's House - Bible He did a great job and rose to the top position in each setting, but no one was going to let him out. It took Joseph 13 chapters (Gen. 37-50) and approximately 24 years (best guess from Bible scholars) to come to this place of Even though Josephs life took many unexpected turns, he eventually ascended to the position of second-in-command inside the Egyptian kingdom. Joseph - Overcoming Lifes Challenges - Webflow He was pacing in his soul. He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. Joseph can be trusted to the point that Potiphar left everything he had in Josephs care. As a slave he tried to live his life well and he found favour with his master. Fast forward to being a man in his 30sbecause he was tested, his character had become chiseled and polished. In this article, well review the biblical story of Joseph and then discuss 5 strategies we can learn as servant leaders today from Josephs exemplary levels of patience. Was Father still alive? 0000037599 00000 n The warden paid no attention to anything under Josephs care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. Joseph was scarcely more than a boy 17 or 18 years old yet he faced challenges that would daunt many grown men. In Genesis 45, Joseph was able to lavish forgiveness and mercy and the best of the land of Egypt (verse 18) to the same brothers who had betrayed him. When the seven years of drought arrived, Joseph opened the storehouses and provided enough food to bring the nation through the famine. As Joseph responded to suffering with faith, meekness, and humility, God molded and shaped a leader. We may doubt our faith, but God will continue to be right by our side. He was immaturehe didnt stop to think of the hurt that his actions could cause. His life was not fair and he was punished for sins he did not commit. Joseph Protected His Family
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