A series on God’s
calling: Joseph, son of Jacob
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Genesis 37:1-11; 42:6-9; 45:1-8
[Traditionally
we think of someone who has received “God’s call on their life” as being a
missionary or pastor or some other paid ministry position. But God has called
all of us into ministry. And there’s not just one way that He does it. In this
series, we will look at how God called people in the Bible to ministry, and
what that means to us.]
As an adult, this became a problem because my
siblings teased me mercilessly every time we got together. After years of them poking
fun, I decided to go on the offense by accusing them of being jealous, even if
they weren’t. Joseph, the son of Jacob, had a much more serious problem with
jealous siblings.
Like myself, Joseph received special treatment from a
parent. In his case, it was his father, Jacob. One time Jacob had an expensive
robe made for Joseph as a special gift – the “coat of many colors”. His
brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more.
Joseph also had a unique gift from God. That is, God
spoke to him through dreams. Sometimes they were his own dreams. But other times
they were the dreams of another person, and he would interpret them.
As an immature seventeen-year-old who was full of
himself, he didn’t seem to recognize that God was speaking to him through his
dreams. Instead, he used them as a way to boast, or even provoke his brothers –
which it did.
One day Joseph’s brothers were out watching the flocks
when they saw him approaching them in the distance. At first, they plotted to
kill him, but later decided it would be more advantageous to sell him to a
caravan of traders going to Egypt.
Despite their evil intentions, God was with Joseph in
Egypt. It didn’t matter if he was a slave of Potiphar who had bought him; or a prisoner
due to false accusations; or in the presence of Pharoah when Joseph interpreted
his dreams. God blessed Joseph in all he did.
The result was that Pharoah placed Joseph in charge
of managing the whole land during a season of prosperity, followed by a severe
drought. It was during the drought that his brothers came to him for food. Not
recognizing Joseph, they bowed down to him. And he remembered his dream from
twenty years before.
With all the adversity that he had faced, Joseph
could easily have become a very bitter man, and seen this as the perfect
opportunity for revenge. Instead, when he finally disclosed his identity to his
brothers, he forgave them. And as he wept, he explained how God had been in
control during the whole time.
4b “I am your
brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And
now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling
me here because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you”. NIV Genesis
45
God isn’t limited in how he calls us into his
service. His only limitation is our own shortcomings. How is God calling you
into his service? With Pablum or dreams? Or some other means?
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