We are looking in these weeks between now and Advent at God’s timeless call, starting from the beginning of the Old Testament through the Old Testament, prophets. And today we come to the story of Joseph in Genesis 37. That’s where we’ll be reading our text this morning, if you want to look ahead in your Bibles or devices. Earlier this week I returned with our mission team that was in South Africa with a mission partner there, Orchard Africa. It was a great trip, so good, and we saw firsthand what God is doing through the congregations and leaders in the network of Orchard mission partners. One of the first mornings there, we were brought to a preschool. A preschool for children whose families and situation in life was really very precarious and certainly vulnerable. In many ways, hard to see where the hope was for these children, really. And yet, there they were in preschool. Uh, given some hope through, uh, the church and the mission partner there, Orchard Africa. The lead teacher at this preschool, uh, called the children to stand up one by one and introduce themselves to the mission team. And one by one, these precious little ones, they stood up, told us their name, what their age was, what village they were from, and then they told us what they wanted to be when they grew up. It was moving to hear these little four year olds really share their dreams of being a teacher. A firefighter was a favorite one for the guys. Um, a doctor. a lawyer, a policeman, and yet knowing that the odds were really stacked against them, for any of them, to realize their dreams, I was all the more grateful for our partnership with Orchard Africa, who through their network of churches and leaders, are serving these children and many others, 24 7, day after day, feet on the ground, So I ask you, what do you want to be when you grow up? Or, maybe better put, uh, Who did you want to be? When you grew up, have you ever had a dream, or a hope, or a plan for your life? Only to see it shattered by circumstances beyond your control. Maybe a job didn’t work out, a relationship turned sour, or a betrayal left you feeling like the rug was just pulled out from underneath you.

While the Old Testament character of Joseph Knew this feeling all too well and today our journey through God’s Timeless call brings us to his story Joseph last week pastor serve Susan brought us the story of Abraham and God’s promise to him Joseph was one of Abraham’s great grandsons. That’s a pretty good family to be born into right? Well, this family was prone to drama just as much as any family is, even today. Turns out, Joseph was favored by his father, but despised by his brothers. Joseph had dreams for what he would be when he grew up. And as we’ll discover, Joseph’s dreams, which seemed so promising, led him down a path of pain, of betrayal, and of unexpected detours, certainly. And yet, as we look at his story, we see that what others meant for harm, God used for good. So through Joseph’s turbulent journey, I pray that we’ll learn about resilience and redemption, about faith and forgiveness. So, if you have your Bibles ready, or I’ve brought the verses on the screen, I’ll be reading some selected texts, uh, in Genesis chapter 37, beginning at verse 1. Now Israel, that’s the, another name for Jacob, Joseph’s father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age, and he made an ornate robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

Joseph had a dream. And when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, Listen to this dream I had. We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field, when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it. The brothers said to him, Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us? And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. Now he jumped to verse 17. So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan, but they saw him in the distance and before he reached them. They plotted to kill him. Here comes that dreamer, they said to each other. Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams. When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. Let’s not take his life, he said. Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness and don’t lay a hand on him. Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. And now to verse 26. Judah said to his brothers, What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood. His brothers agreed. So when the Midianite merchants came by, His brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for 20 shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. He went back to his brothers and said, The boy isn’t there. Where can I now turn? Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, We found this. Examine to see whether it is your son’s robe. He recognized it and said, This is my son’s robe. Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces. Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned for his son many days. This is the word of the Lord. I think we need to pray as we continue. Lord God, this is your word. It’s a, it’s a horrific story. But it’s all too common in the human experience. And even for us today, we can experience a lot of calamity, disaster, and hardship. So, come, Holy Spirit, open our hearts to hear your word afresh and anew this day. And may we not only learn about Joseph, but learn about ourselves and your plans. that you have for us and how may we may walk in paths of forgiveness to the glory of Jesus in whose name I pray. Amen. Dear friends, grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Amen. Imagine a world where every dream you had was a glimpse into your future, promising, but along the way, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. This is the start of Joseph’s story, a young man with dreams full of promise, only to find himself caught in treacherous events of envy and betrayal by those who were closest to him. You might well find that. that Joseph’s story echoes pain and experience in your own life. And if you hang in there with me to the end, I pray that you’ll see that God has the ability to weave these broken strands in our own life and create a beautiful tapestry of His purpose, plan, and grace. For Joseph, first point, his dreams spark envy and betrayal. Joseph’s story begins with dreams, dreams that show his brothers bowing down to him. And if, if you know the story and read further in Genesis 37, there’s another dream of Joseph in which it’s not only his brothers, but his mother and father. Bow down to him as well. And these dreams certainly symbolize future greatness, but they don’t sit well with his family. His brothers, especially, are consumed by envy, and they plot against him. And as we read in the story, they strip him of his robe, throw him into a pit, and ultimately sell him into slavery. Joseph’s dreams spark envy and betrayal, and here’s the first insight from this, is that jealousy can lead to destructive actions. Thanks. Joseph’s brothers, they allowed their envy to prevail. poison their hearts and turn them against their own flesh and blood. However, get this, God’s plans are not derailed by human sin. Even when betrayal strikes, God is still at work. It just may take faith to believe that. We might not always understand why things happen, but Joseph’s story reminds us that God can use even the worst of circumstances to shape our character and our destiny. The Bible says it this way in Romans 8, And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who’ve been called according to His purpose. It doesn’t say that all things that happen are good. No, it’s truthful. But it says that God is able to take all things and work for the good of those who love Him, who’ve been called according to His purpose. Which brings me to the second point to remember, is the hidden hand of God in trials. If you know the entire story of Joseph’s life, it continues to spiral downward further and further. First as a slave in the house of a man named Potiphar, and later falsely accused and left to ruin and rot in a prison, in a dungeon.

In all of this, there is no indication or sign of Joseph’s dreams ever. And yet, as we know the story, biblical scholars tell us that it might have been 13 years or more for the dreams of Joseph to finally be realized, and yet, the entire time, God’s hand was moving behind the scenes, such that even in the darkest moments, God was working to bring Joseph to a place of humility and ultimately of influence. Such that when Joseph finally meets his brothers again nearly 20 years later, now as ruler of Egypt, He tells them, you intended to harm me, but God intended it for good. What an amazing statement. Our second key insight is that God is present in our trials, working out his purposes, even if we can’t see it. Joseph’s resilience wasn’t just about surviving his trials, but about trusting that God was with him through them. Listen to this key truth. God’s sovereignty transcends our circumstances. Let me say that again. God’s sovereignty transcends our circumstances. Joseph’s elevation to power was not just for his own vindication, but it was a strategic placement by God for a greater salvation, preserving a nation, Joseph’s own family line, and God’s own people. chosen people. So too, our sufferings are not without purpose. But it takes eyes of faith to trust this. Our sufferings are often the place where God’s presence can be most powerfully experienced and his purposes. Most profoundly fulfilled. I believe this is the same for you and for me today. When we read Joseph’s story, we have the vantage of knowing how the story ends. When you go through challenging times in your life, you don’t know how it will end. And yet as we remember Joseph’s story, God offers us the opportunity to trust Him. That the challenges we face today may very well be the tools God uses to make us And to who he wants us to be. Here’s how the Apostle James writes about this. Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work. So that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. The Apostle Paul writes about this in his letter to the church in Rome who certainly knew about hardship. He says, let us also glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance there.

That is again. And then get this, perseverance, character, and character, hope. Are you seeking hope in your life? It’s more likely than not a difficult pathway to get there. For the Bible tells us it’s suffering that produces perseverance, and perseverance produces hope. And hope does not put us to shame. Paul continues, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who’s been given to us. As we follow Christ and trust in God, we can often find that life slows or maybe a setup for God’s highs. You know, Joseph didn’t just cling to his dreams. He learned ultimately to cling to his God. And in God’s presence, even the worst circumstances can be turned around. They were for Joseph. How about for you, or for me? Facing some tough times? Remember, God has a knack for turning setbacks into setups. And I’m not saying this is easy. Neither are John, or, I mean, Paul, or James, or God. But my dear friends, let our faith be not just about what’s comfortable. Let it be comforting in our lives, especially when times are hard. Which brings me to my final point today. And that is the transformative power of forgiveness. As Anne read for us. Joseph’s life does indeed take an unprecedented turn for the good. From prison to palace, from cistern to second in command in the most powerful nation at that time. Joseph’s rise to power in Egypt, it’s not just the happy ending for his own personal story. It becomes the stage for one of the Bible’s greatest acts of forgiveness. When his brothers rightfully fear retribution after their father’s death. Joseph reassures them. He could have easily taken revenge, but instead, Joseph chooses to forgive. Which brings me to the final insight. Forgiveness is not forgetting or excusing the wrong. Rather, it is releasing the burden of bitterness and choosing grace. Joseph’s ability to forgive his brothers, it not only sets him free, but it also reconciles his family. Amen. Forgiveness, like Joseph’s, has a transformative power that brings healing and can restore relationships.

It’s also a reflection of God’s heart toward us, that He forgives, even when we don’t deserve it. Paul writes about it in Ephesians this way, Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other. Just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Joseph is what Bible scholars call a type of Christ. Uh, uh, a pre shadowing of who Jesus is and what he would do. Favored by the Father. Betrayed by his brothers. Jesus, who forgave, not as Joseph did from a position of power, but Jesus rather, on the cross, Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing. He forgave from a position of vulnerability and humiliation. And yet then, Jesus rose again. And then one day, He’s at the Father’s hand now. He’ll return, and every knee in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. Everywhere will confess him as Lord. Today, Jesus offers you and me that same undeserved forgiveness because he’s paid it all. Joseph was looking ahead to Christ. Jesus accomplished the payment for our sin. He paid the price for your sin and mine. I mean, glory be to God. And now for those of us who follow Jesus, we are called to live lives Just as Jesus lived of grace and of forgiveness to forgive just as God in Christ Jesus has forgiven you. And just as for Joseph, so also for us, the pathway of forgiveness. It offers the opportunity for restoration and relationships and within our families. Dear friends, this is God’s timeless call across the pages of scripture and of the centuries. God’s timeless call for you and for me today to forgive, just as God in Christ Jesus forgives. Here’s how the Bible talks about this grace we’ve received in Ephesians 2. But God being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he’s loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved, and raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one, Friends, this key text, it’s the cornerstone of our faith in Christ Jesus and the forgiveness we receive because of Jesus and salvation through trust in His name. It’s this profound nature of God’s forgiveness. So as I close, let me just ask a couple of questions for you to take and ponder.

First, where in your life have you faced betrayal, disappointment, or hardship? And what’s your response? Like Joseph, God is inviting you to trust him, even when you don’t see the full picture. And leading to the second question, who might you need to forgive? Joseph shows us that holding on to bitterness only holds us back. Rather, when we forgive, we open the door for God to bring healing and transformation in our own hearts. And in our relationships, through Joseph, we see that God’s purposes prevail even in the middle of pain. And that through Jesus, we have the ultimate resource of resilience and of redemption, and of faith, and of forgiveness. Trust in God, for He can turn what was meant for evil into good, transforming your trials into testimonies of His grace. Join me in prayer. Heavenly Father, we ask for the courage to trust in your divine plan, especially during times of uncertainty and hardship. Fill us with a spirit of forgiveness, mirroring Joseph’s grace and your boundless love. So that we may heal and be healed. Guide us throughout this week and beyond. Reminding us of your presence and the promise that you do indeed work all things for the good of those who love you and are called according to your purposes. I ask this in Jesus precious name. Amen.