Participants:
Series Code: SSP
Program Code: SSP220024S
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00:01 Hello Friends and welcome back to our 3ABN Sabbath School.
00:03 We are in Lesson Number 11. 00:06 We have just moved quickly through the book of Genesis. 00:08 Lesson 11: Joseph, Dreamer of Dreams 00:11 and we are looking forward 00:13 to finishing up the book of Genesis. 00:15 We're going to be looking at Chapters 37 through 50. 00:17 So, we'd like to invite you to join us 00:19 and also, to go to: 3abnsabbathschoolpanel. com 00:23 if you missed any of the lessons so that you can catch up 00:26 so, don't go away, we'll be right back. 00:28 Music... 00:58 James: Hello Friends 00:59 and welcome back to our 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 01:02 My name is Pastor James Rafferty 01:04 and we are finishing up the book of Genesis. 01:07 We are in Lesson Number 11: Joseph, the Master of Dreams 01:11 and we are going to be covering chapters 37 through 50. 01:15 So, a large chunk of Genesis is remaining 01:18 and there is a lot for us to learn... 01:20 to glean in this last section of the book of Genesis. 01:23 So, I'm joined to my left by Pastor Ryan Day. 01:26 Ryan: Amen... always a blessing to be here today. 01:28 We're talking about the attack on Joseph. 01:31 James: All right... and Pastor Kenny Shelton. 01:33 Kenny: Good to study the Word of God together 01:35 and we talk about Judah and Tamar. 01:37 I just say, "Fasten your seatbelt... 01:39 it's an exciting chapter. " 01:40 James: Okay... and Jill Morikone, 01:42 glad you're with us today. 01:44 Jill: Thank you, Pastor James. 01:45 I have Genesis chapter 39 which is Joseph in Egypt. 01:48 James: Okay and then last, Pastor John Lomacang. 01:52 Lomacang: The dream of Pharaoh. 01:54 You know, everybody has a dream including Pharaoh. 01:57 Panel: That's right... laughter. 01:58 James: So, we've got some good stuff 02:00 that we're going to be covering today. 02:01 Before we get started, 02:03 we want to ask for the Holy Spirit to be with us 02:05 in prayer... so Pastor John, would you pray for us, please? 02:07 Lomacang: Sure... "Loving Father in heaven, 02:09 we are always humbled when we open the Bible 02:11 to recognize that it is a book 02:14 we can never completely comprehend 02:16 but with your Spirit's guidance today, 02:19 Father, reveal to us those things 02:20 which we must share in the glory of Your own character. 02:25 Give us wisdom and understanding 02:26 and may the end result be all the honor and glory go to You. 02:29 We ask in Jesus' name, amen. " 02:31 Panel: Amen... amen. 02:33 James: So, our memory lesson this morning 02:35 is found in Genesis chapter 37. 02:38 We're going to be covering chapters 37 02:39 and 38... 39 and 40. 02:42 In Genesis chapter 37 verse 19, which says, 02:45 "Then they said to one another, 02:48 'Look, this dreamer is coming!'" 02:51 This is Joseph's brothers 02:52 talking about Joseph the dreamer of dreams. 02:55 He's about 17 years old 02:56 when his brothers are becoming acquainted with the fact that 03:00 he's having these dreams 03:02 and they're not happy about these dreams. 03:03 So, this story, basically, of Joseph 03:06 is covering the last section of the book 03:08 and it occupies more space than any other patriarch 03:12 or character in the book of Genesis. 03:14 Although Joseph was just one of Jacob's sons, 03:18 he's presented in Genesis 03:19 kind of like a great patriarch, if you will... 03:22 like... like Isaac and Jacob. 03:25 So, we see here too that the life of Joseph 03:28 highlights two important theological truths. 03:32 First of all, that God fulfills His promises. 03:35 Panel: Amen. James: I love that. 03:36 God fulfills His promises 03:37 and second... that God can turn evil into good. 03:42 Panel: Amen... amen. 03:43 James: And we really need to understand that 03:45 because there's so much evil in the world today 03:46 and yet God can overrule it with good. 03:48 Panel: Yes... James: So, this week's study, 03:51 we're going to focus on the early life of Joseph. 03:53 He is Jacob's favorite son... not his first son... 03:56 Reuben was his first son 03:57 but he is Jacob's favorite son who is ironically nicknamed: 04:01 The Dreamer 04:02 according to Genesis 37 verse 19... 04:04 which means literally: The Master of Dreams. 04:08 That's the literal Greek meaning of the word 04:11 implying that he is an expert of dreams 04:13 and this title fits him really well 04:16 because as we find out, 04:17 he not only receives and understands 04:20 and interprets prophetic dreams 04:21 but he also fulfills them in his life. 04:23 so, he receives them... he interprets them 04:26 and he is actually the fulfillment 04:27 of many of these dreams. 04:29 So, in these chapters, we're going to see again 04:31 that God's providence is affirmed... 04:32 that what God predicts, actually comes to pass 04:35 despite the evil... 04:36 despite the wickedness of the human heart. 04:38 Reminds me of the book of Daniel in a sense... 04:40 you know, Daniel had these dreams 04:41 and then he was part of the fulfillment of these dreams 04:44 and, of course, the word we get from the book of Daniel 04:47 is that interpretation is... is sure... 04:49 the prophecy is sure and certain 04:51 and I love that about the Word of God... 04:53 that the Word of God is sure and certain... 04:55 it's something that we can really depend on 04:57 in these last days. 04:58 Okay, let's go to Sunday's lesson: 05:00 Family Troubles is the title of Sunday's lesson. 05:02 Jacob has, at last, settled in the land. 05:05 And while Isaac was only "a stranger," 05:07 the text also says that Jacob "dwelt in the land... " 05:12 and that's Genesis chapter 37 verse 1. 05:14 Yet, it was then, as he was settling into the land, 05:17 that the troubles actually began... 05:19 and these troubles were family troubles. 05:21 They weren't troubles from outside 05:22 as some of the previous chapters reveal, 05:24 they were troubles from inside. 05:26 The controversy doesn't concern the possession of the land 05:29 as in the past 05:30 but well, mainly, the spiritual battles that are taking place 05:34 within the family dynamic 05:36 and who doesn't relate to that? Panel: Yeah. 05:38 James: Right. Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 05:39 So, let's start in Genesis chapter 37 verse 1, 05:41 "Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger, 05:44 in the land of Canaan. " 05:45 Verse 2, "These are the generations of Jacob. 05:47 Joseph, being seventeen years old. " 05:50 Let's just stop there for a second. 05:52 Do you remember when you were 17 years old? 05:54 Jill: I do. Panel: Laughter. 05:55 James: I remember when I was 17 years old... 05:58 17 years old was a big deal... 05:59 I mean 16... Driver's License... 06:01 17... you're moving into adulthood, right? 06:03 You're almost 18... you're almost free so to speak. 06:06 17 years old... 06:08 so, this is a time in Joseph's life 06:11 when some remarkable things are going to happen to him. 06:14 He's going to experience some things 06:15 but you know, when I was 17, I thought I knew a lot 06:18 and I really didn't know that much. 06:20 And it might be... 06:22 this might play into the story here a little bit 06:24 with Joseph, right... 06:26 he's still a young man... he's still a kid. 06:28 He's out feeding the flock with his brethren 06:30 and the lad... okay... the Bible says, 06:33 "The lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, 06:37 his father's wives; 06:38 and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. " 06:43 So, maybe he's a little bit too young to know better 06:46 than to go snitch into the Dad, right, so to speak, 06:50 and now, Israel, verse 3 says, 06:53 "loved Joseph more than his other children, 06:55 because he was the son of his old age. 06:57 And he made him a coat of many colors. 06:59 Verse 4, here it comes... 07:02 "and when his brethren saw 07:04 that their father loved him more than all his brethren, 07:07 they hated him and could not speak peaceably unto him. " 07:13 Now, think about that. 07:14 They hated him but they couldn't speak peaceably unto him. 07:17 They couldn't speak nicely to him. 07:18 They were always... 07:20 the opposite of peace is... what? 07:22 There's going to be some anger there... 07:24 there's going to be some strife there... 07:26 there's going to be... they're always speaking words 07:28 that are kind of going to try to push his button... 07:30 push his button, push his button... 07:31 that's what they're trying to do. 07:32 So, those words come to us when people don't like us. 07:37 People hate us... his brothers hated him 07:39 and so these words are coming in that are... 07:41 they're trying to push his buttons 07:43 and it says, going on... 07:45 we're not finished with this... with this hate thing yet 07:48 because it says in verse 5 that Joseph dreamed a dream... 07:50 and he told it to his brethren and they hated him yet more. 07:52 Panel: Laughter. 07:54 James: It just gets worse right? Panel: Yeah... yeah. 07:55 James: You've got this hatred coming 07:57 because his dad loves him more than the others... 08:00 because he's a snitch or he's, you know, being... 08:02 you know, actually, he's being honest right? 08:04 He's being honest with his Dad... 08:06 he's talking to his Dad about what the brothers are doing, 08:08 so, he's kind of bringing a report... it's an evil report... 08:10 but that's not his fault... it's the brothers' fault. 08:12 But, of course, when you're in that kind of a situation, 08:14 then you add to the fact that Joseph favors him 08:16 and then you add to the fact that he's having these dreams 08:18 and you add to the fact 08:20 that he's got this coat of many colors, 08:21 things are just building... things are mounting here 08:24 and so, he goes on in verse 6 it says, 08:26 "And he said unto them, Hear ye, I pray you, 08:28 this dream which I have dreamed... " 08:31 Now, you know he's 17 because, you know, 08:33 as you get older, you start picking up... 08:35 you start sensing some of these things... 08:37 you know what I'm saying? 08:38 Joseph's just acting like, you know, 08:41 "Hey, you got to hear the dream I dreamed. " 08:42 They don't even want to know that he had the dream, right? 08:45 "You got to hear this dream that I dreamed... 08:46 it's all about how you're going to bow down to me... 08:51 I'm going to be the leader here, you know... " 08:53 I was like, "Joseph... " I mean... the guy is just... 08:56 in a sense, he's just innocent and honest... 08:59 straightforward... 09:00 "Dad, I can't believe these guys are out in the field 09:02 and they killed this lamb and they're eating it. " 09:04 And... and... and... and... 09:06 and... "Hey, look... look at this dream that God gave me 09:08 and check this... 09:10 oh, look at this new coat that Dad gave me. " 09:11 And he... and the brothers were just there... you know, 09:14 the older brothers are just thinking, 09:15 you know, they're thinking all kinds of hate. 09:18 And he's just kind of going along, you know, I mean 09:21 by the time we get to the end of the story, 09:23 Joseph is just shocked... awake... 09:26 right... he wakes up in the shock 09:28 of the evil that comes upon him 09:30 and I think, sometimes, in this world, Friends, 09:33 you know, we... we talk about 09:35 you know, the young and the innocent 09:36 and truly, you know, 09:38 our kids are many times young and innocent 09:40 and then, all of a sudden, 09:41 the cruelty and the evil of this world 09:43 just wakes them up... it wakes us up. 09:44 I still remember when I made that transition, you know, 09:47 from the young and the innocent, 09:48 to a realization of how evil and wicked this world was 09:52 and it changes you... it hardens you... 09:55 you lose that innocence... that youthful innocence 09:58 and you grow and... 09:59 and hopefully, you can mature, 10:01 you know, we've got a choice at that point 10:03 where we get to become like the evil that has impacted us 10:05 or we're going to mature in a different direction. 10:07 And so, the story goes on here. 10:09 It's actually... 10:11 it gets a little bit worse before it gets better... 10:12 so... "Behold we binding sheaves in the field... " 10:13 he said, "and, lo my sheaf arose, 10:15 and stood upright; 10:16 and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, 10:18 and made obeisance to my sheaf. 10:20 They bowed down to my sheaf. " 10:21 And verse 8, "And his brethren said to him, 10:23 'Shalt thou indeed reign over us? 10:25 or shall you indeed have dominion over us?' 10:29 And they hated him yet the more... " 10:32 Panel: Hmmm... 10:34 James: There was more room for hate. 10:35 Panel: Hmmm... yeah... 10:37 James: You know, this is one of the things 10:38 that this chapter brings out quite clearly and that is, 10:40 hate has no boundaries. 10:43 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 10:45 James: You can have a little bit of hate 10:47 and a little bit more hate... 10:48 and a little bit more hate on top of that... 10:50 and the devil will always put more hate into you. 10:53 He's always going to stuff it in there... 10:55 he's going to push it in there and so... 10:57 they hated him because he was a snitch... 11:00 because he was telling... 11:01 they hated him because his father loved him... 11:03 they hated him because he had this jacket... 11:05 they hated him even more because he had this dream 11:06 and they hated him more 11:07 when he told them about the dreams. 11:09 Hate just continues to build. 11:10 You've got to get off the hate cycle, 11:11 we need to get off the hate cycle. 11:13 We need to just jump that hate train 11:15 and let God take all that hate away from us 11:17 so that He can replace it with His love and with His grace. 11:21 "And he dreamed yet another dream, 11:22 and he told it to his brethren... " 11:24 ah...! Sometimes I'm thinking, 11:26 "What? Joseph, what you're doing here?" right? 11:29 Panel: Laughing. 11:30 James: "Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; 11:32 and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars 11:33 made obeisance to me. " 11:35 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: 11:37 and his father rebuked him, and his father said unto him, 11:40 "What is this dream that thou has dreamed? 11:41 Shall I and thy mother and they brethren 11:44 indeed come and bow down ourselves to thee 11:46 to the earth?" 11:47 There's symbolism here that the woman in Revelation 12 11:50 is... is clothed with the sun and the moon and the stars 11:52 that's a symbol of God's people. 11:54 "And his brethren not only hated him... now they envied him, 11:58 but his father... who had rebuked him... 12:01 observed the saying. " 12:03 That word "observed" means: he hedged about... 12:05 he guarded... he protected and he attended to the saying. 12:09 He was thinking about this... hmmm... 12:11 "there's something going on here with Joseph. 12:14 Not only do I favor him, 12:16 but it appears that God is favoring him also. " 12:19 You know, when you have the favor of God, 12:22 you're going to find yourself in a situation 12:24 where you're going to face an incredible amount of trials 12:28 and they're for a couple of reasons. 12:29 One reason is is because when God favors you, 12:31 and God favors all of us by the way... 12:33 that puts you as a target to the enemy... to the devil. 12:37 Right? But Number 2 is because God... when He favors you... 12:41 He wants to prepare you for the position... the responsibility 12:45 the work that He has for you to perform 12:48 and part of that preparation, of course, 12:50 is to learn how to be a servant. 12:52 Jesus Christ... we're Christians... 12:54 Jesus Christ is our great example 12:56 and He came to serve 12:58 and this is the lesson 12:59 that Joseph is going to be taught by God 13:01 and he's going to be taught this by becoming a slave... 13:04 he's going to be taught this 13:05 by going through some tremendous trials 13:06 and we're going to be talking about those 13:08 being in all of this... 13:10 all of this leads Joseph to put his trust more strongly 13:14 in the heavenly Father. 13:15 Panel: Amen. 13:16 James: Put his trust more strongly in God 13:18 so, it's going to be a great lesson as we go through this... 13:20 it's just begun... we just laid the foundation, 13:22 Pastor Ryan Day... take it... take it from there. 13:25 Ryan: Okay, you know, we were talking yesterday 13:27 and as we were mingling through these studies and... 13:31 and... and... chatting with each other 13:32 about the studies that we've been doing 13:34 and it's amazing... I'm... if... you know, so many people... 13:38 we live in a world where people love drama 13:40 and I can tell you... 13:42 all of these drama shows on television... 13:45 they got nothing on the Bible, I'm telling you... 13:47 even right here in Genesis... 13:48 there's just... it's so much full of drama 13:50 and... and... and... and excitement 13:52 and... and... and so much emotional... 13:54 it's like an emotional... 13:55 taking on an emotional roller coaster 13:57 and the story of Joseph does not fail in any sense 14:02 because when you get through this story about the end, 14:04 you just feel like, "Wow... 14:05 it's amazing to see what this young man went through. " 14:08 But I have Monday's Lesson... my name is Ryan Day... 14:11 I have Monday's Lesson which is entitled: 14:13 The Attack on Joseph. 14:14 So, basically what Pastor James just shared on how 14:17 we see this... this envy... this hate... 14:20 this hatred building, building, building, building, 14:22 from Joseph's brothers and now... 14:24 they're about to take action 14:26 because their hatred and their jealousy 14:29 and just all of that passion in a negative sense 14:32 that's building up in their heart towards him... 14:35 it... it explodes and so, here we go, Genesis chapter 37, 14:39 I'm going to start with verse 12 and the Bible says, 14:43 "Then his brothers went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. 14:47 And Israel said to Joseph, 14:49 'Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? 14:51 Come, and I will send you to them. ' 14:54 And he said to him, 'Here I am. ' 14:56 And he said to him, 14:58 'Please go and see if it is well with your brothers 15:00 and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me. ' 15:03 So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, 15:06 and he went to Shechem. " 15:08 Now... me... I kind of see things 15:09 in a little bit different light sometimes, 15:11 I... I kind of try to look at both sides here 15:14 and put myself in Joseph's shoes... 15:15 put myself in the brothers' shoes... 15:17 and, you know, there has to be 15:19 you only have to go off what the text says, 15:21 we have to... we have to only go off what the text says, 15:23 but I have to imagine 15:24 that this isn't something that Jacob is completely oblivious to 15:28 right, he's seen the tension that's building between Joseph 15:30 and his brothers... 15:32 he's seeing the actions and somehow... 15:34 you know, sometimes how Joseph even in his innocence 15:36 can probably come across... maybe a little bit, you know, 15:39 could use some humility... maybe a little bit of arrogance 15:41 maybe boasting sometimes... 15:43 you know, from the brothers' perspective... 15:44 and they're looking at this going, "Look at this little... 15:46 look at this little... this... this... this... this kid 15:49 who just stays in the tents all day 15:52 and, you know, we're out here working hard 15:54 and he's just in the tent in the cool... 15:56 dreaming his little dreams... " 15:57 and so, their jealousy just builds, builds, builds... 16:00 you can imagine, as a father, I'm surprised Jacob 16:02 he could... it could have clicked with him to say, 16:04 "Maybe I should probably go with him... 16:06 maybe I probably shouldn't send him by himself 16:07 because the brothers have been 16:09 you know, they've been angry with him... " 16:10 and so, you know, I was just thinking of... 16:12 you know, we have to understand that 16:13 even though the Bible says nothing negative 16:14 as far as flaws towards the character of Joseph 16:17 because he was a righteous man 16:19 and I believe in his youthful innocence, 16:20 he was doing all that he thought was right 16:22 but sometimes, that can come across in his innocence... 16:25 to some people, you know, 16:27 when you try to take, you know, darkness and put it with... 16:29 what does the Bible say there? 16:30 I had a... I had a text for that... 16:32 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 verses 14 and 15, 16:34 "Do not unequally yoke yourself together with unbelievers. 16:37 For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? 16:39 And what communion has light with darkness? 16:41 And what accord has Christ with Belial? 16:44 Or what has a believer with an unbeliever? 16:47 What part does a believer have with an unbeliever?" 16:48 So, you can see... there's some strife here. 16:50 The two seeds, right... 16:52 the two seeds from Genesis 3:15 are present in this story. 16:55 The brothers... the seed of the serpent 16:57 and Joseph the seed of the woman. 16:59 And so, you know, 17:01 there's... there's some tension definitely building here. 17:03 And so, now we go on with the story in verse 15, 17:05 it says, "Now, a certain man found him, 17:08 and there he was, wandering in the field. 17:10 And the man asked him, saying, 'What are you seeking?' 17:14 And so he said, 'I am seeking my brothers. 17:16 Please tell me where they are feeding their flocks. ' 17:19 Then the man said, 'They have departed from here, 17:22 for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan. ' 17:25 So Joseph went after his brothers 17:28 and found them in Dothan. " 17:30 They're not... they're not worried 17:31 the father expects them to be... they went somewhere else 17:34 and now, it's going to make matters even worse 17:36 because now here comes Joseph 17:37 off in the direction that they thought... 17:39 they were going to go to escape Joseph's drama... 17:41 and their father... 17:42 you know, they're already, I'm sure, 17:44 upset with their father because the Bible says, 17:45 "He favored him... " right, and that's not right. 17:47 Let's just be honest... it's not right 17:49 but the truth of the matter is he... 17:50 the Bible says, "He loved Joseph... 17:51 he... they perceived that he loved Joseph more than them 17:54 and so, they hated Joseph for that... 17:55 they were jealous 17:57 and so, now, here he comes to Dothan. 17:58 He... he's hunting them down 18:00 and so, now we see in verse 18 here, it says, 18:03 "Now when they saw him afar off... " 18:05 you could just imagine the things that were happening 18:07 in their minds... what they were talking about. 18:09 It says, "Even before he came near them, 18:12 they conspired against him to kill him. 18:14 Then they said to one another, 'Look, this dreamer is coming! 18:18 Come, therefore, now kill him and cast him into some pit; 18:23 and we shall say, 'Some wild beast has devoured him. ' 18:26 We shall see what will become of his dreams!" 18:31 So again, they're... they're already plotting 18:33 and, of course, let's just be honest, 18:35 what spirit is behind this? 18:36 Who's behind all of this planning... 18:37 this plotting to kill Joseph? 18:39 It's none other than the devil himself. 18:40 Because the devil understands... 18:42 he's still looking back from Genesis 3:15... 18:44 he's waiting for that seed to come 18:46 and Joseph looks like the prime person 18:48 that that seed's going to come through 18:49 so, the devil's like, "You know what? 18:51 I'm going to use the brothers... I'm just... sometimes... 18:53 can the devil sometimes use family against family? 18:56 Panel: Absolutely. 18:57 Ryan: I mean, the last people in the world 18:59 that some people expect to come against them, 19:00 you know, especially when a person is living for God, 19:04 or going to be, you know, righteous 19:05 and live the holiest life that they can, 19:07 you know, the devil will use them the most... 19:09 the people that you wouldn't think you'd use 19:10 and that's family... 19:12 in this case, Joseph is experiencing that 19:14 and so, "We shall see what shall become of his dreams!" 19:17 You can just sense and tell that... 19:19 you can see the hatred the... the... I mean it's... 19:21 I don't even know if "hate" is the right word either... 19:24 they despised him too... to the utmost. 19:27 And so, verse 21, it says, 19:29 "But Reuben heard it... " so, Reuben's the oldest... 19:31 Reuben... you know, he's... he's the eldest 19:33 but he's not in good favor with his father 19:35 right, for some of his past actions 19:37 "But Reuben heard it... " the Bible says 19:40 "and he delivered him out of their hands, 19:42 and said, 'Let us not kill him. ' 19:44 And Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood, 19:47 but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, 19:50 and do not lay a hand on him... ' 19:52 that he might deliver him out of their hands, 19:55 and bring him back to his father. " 19:57 So, notice here... this is quite interesting. 19:58 Sometimes, people skip over this... 20:00 Reuben has actually taken up for him... 20:01 he recognizes this isn't right, we can't kill the boy... 20:04 this is our father's son... this is our brother 20:06 and so he says, "Look, let's just kind of teach him a lesson, 20:09 let's throw him in this pit, you know, let him know that, 20:11 "Hey, we're not going to take your mess anymore, 20:12 we don't like your little dreams... 20:14 we don't like your little... you know... whatever it is... 20:16 we don't want to deal with that, 20:17 let's just teach him a lesson and throw him in a pit. " 20:19 And then, Reuben's idea was to come back later 20:21 from wherever he was 20:23 and take him out of the pit 20:24 so he can bring him back to his father. 20:25 But the story doesn't end there. 20:28 Verse 23, "So it came to pass, 20:30 when Joseph had come to his brothers, 20:32 and the stripped Joseph of his tunic, 20:34 the tunic of many colors that was on him. 20:37 Then they took him and cast him into a pit. 20:39 And the pit was empty; there was no water in it. 20:43 And they set down to eat a meal. " 20:45 The brothers over there just having... just eating a meal 20:47 and their brother's in this pit 20:48 and it goes on to say, 20:50 "Then they lifted their eyes and looked 20:51 and there was a company of Ishmaelite's, 20:52 coming from Gilead with their camels, 20:57 bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, 20:59 and on their way to carry them down to Egypt. 21:02 So Judah said to his brothers... " 21:04 now Judah speaks up and he says to his brothers, 21:06 "What profit is there if we kill our brother 21:09 and conceal his blood? 21:10 Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, 21:13 and let not our hand be upon him, 21:15 for he is our brother and our flesh. " 21:17 And notice... "And his brothers listened. " 21:20 They said, "Okay, fine, we're not going to kill him 21:21 but you know what? We can't this... " 21:23 as the Bible says, this lad... 21:24 "we can't have this lad around here anymore, 21:25 we've got to get rid of him. " 21:27 And so, in verse 28, 21:28 "Then Midianite traders passed by; 21:30 and the brothers pulled Joseph up 21:31 and lifted him out of the pit, 21:32 and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. 21:37 And they took Joseph to Egypt. " 21:39 Now you're kind of seeing this the Joseph imagery from... 21:42 from Joseph to Christ... he's a type of Christ... Jesus. 21:44 As Jesus was sold for Silver, 21:46 we see Joseph in... in his righteous state 21:48 he's being sold for doing nothing wrong, really 21:52 and then, of course, it goes on to say, 21:54 "Then Reuben... " verse 29... 21:56 "Then Reuben returned to the pit, 21:58 and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; 22:00 and he tore his clothes. 22:01 And he returned to his brothers and said, 22:03 'The lad is no more; and I, where shall I go?'" 22:05 So, Reuben's upset, you know, his brothers have... 22:08 have gotten rid of him... he's no longer there 22:10 where he thought he was going to return back 22:12 now to retrieve him and take him back to Daddy. 22:14 That's not happening though. 22:15 Verse 31, "So they took Joseph's tunic, 22:17 killed a kid of the goats, 22:19 and dipped the tunic in the blood. 22:20 Then they sent the tunic of many colors, 22:22 and they brought it to their father and said, 22:24 'We have found this. 22:25 Do you know whether it is your son's tunic or not?'" 22:28 Panel: Hmmm... Ryan: Such deceit... 22:29 such deceit... Panel: Yes. 22:31 Ryan: And then verse 33, 22:32 "And he recognized it and said, 'It is my son's tunic. 22:34 A wild beast has devoured him. 22:36 Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces. " 22:38 Then Jacob tore his clothes, 22:40 and put sackcloth on his waist, 22:43 and mourned for his son many days. 22:45 And all his sons and all his daughters 22:46 arose to comfort him; 22:48 but he refused to be comforted, 22:50 and he said, "For I shall now go down into the grave 22:52 to my son in mourning. " 22:54 Thus his father wept for him. 22:56 And in verse 36 ends with, 22:57 "Now the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, 23:00 an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard. " 23:03 You know, it's interesting 23:05 because you can see that the devil's behind this. 23:06 The devil attacked the law 23:08 which represents the righteousness of God in heaven 23:11 long before there was an Adam or a Eve on earth 23:13 and now we see even all the way down through this... 23:17 this fallen humanity... 23:18 we see it right here in the character, 23:20 these brothers have broken half of the Ten Commandments. 23:23 For instance... "Honor thy father and thy mother" 23:25 that was gone... they dishonored their father, 23:27 "You shall not murder... " 23:28 you know, even though they didn't kill him, 23:30 remember what Jesus said, 23:31 "If you hate your brother, 23:33 this is just as well as you murdered him... " right? 23:34 "You shall not steal... " 23:36 they tore this tunic... 23:37 they stole this tunic that his father had given him. 23:39 They were thieves. 23:40 "You shall not bear false witness... " 23:41 did they lie? 23:43 Of course, deceit is flooded in this story. 23:44 "And you shall not covet. " 23:46 They were jealous of their brother. 23:47 They wanted what he had but they couldn't have it 23:50 and, therefore, it let them to a jealous... a more... 23:52 more hot-headed and hardened heart 23:54 a horrible spirit to do what they had done to their brother. 23:57 It's... it's... it's a twisted story 23:59 but at the end of the day, righteousness prevails... 24:02 truth wins and Jesus gains the victory through Joseph 24:05 and we'll see that as we go forward. 24:07 Panel: Amen... amen... amen. 24:08 James: We are starting well in this last section 24:11 in the book of Genesis last three lessons. 24:14 Don't go away, we're going to be right back. 24:15 Music... 24:21 Ever wish you can watch a 3ABN Sabbath School Panel again 24:24 or share it on Facebook... 24:26 Instagram or Twitter? 24:27 Well, you can by visiting 3abnsabbathschoolpanel. com 24:32 A clean design makes it easy 24:35 to find the program you are looking for. 24:37 There are also links to the Adult Bible Study Guide 24:40 so you can follow along. 24:42 Sharing is easy... 24:43 just click "Share" and choose your favorite Social Media. 24:47 Share a Link... Save a Life for Eternity. 24:50 Pause... 24:52 James: Hi Friends, welcome back to our study in Genesis 24:55 chapters 37 and onward, 24:56 we're passing it over to Pastor Kenny Shelton. 24:59 Kenny: Praise the Lord, this is Tuesday's Lesson 25:01 and as far as I'm concerned, it's dynamite. 25:03 If you have your Bibles, 25:04 make sure you turn to the book of Genesis chapter 38 25:07 because you'd have to read the whole chapter 25:09 in order to find out what's going on here... 25:11 in order to get... you know... 25:13 start and... find in the middle of it 25:14 and come to an end... you have to read the whole chapter 25:17 and by the grace of God, I'm going to move quickly 25:19 and try to go through a lot of things that went on here. 25:21 This gives us a count certainly of... of Judah and his family 25:25 with all their missteps... all their sins... 25:28 all their wrong choices... 25:29 you know, sins... everything 25:31 is the bottom line has been brought out here good 25:33 God's plan will be fulfilled. 25:36 Man's not going to mess it up so, God's still in charge. 25:39 Now, let's look at this chapter and I'm just going to 25:42 break it down into four parts here quickly, 25:44 the chapter... Genesis chapter 38 25:47 verses 1 through 11, here's what we find now, 25:50 this is what we find... Judas... Judah gets married. 25:52 Now, we're going to break down 25:54 and go into this a little bit more 25:55 and find out how young he was when he got married 25:57 and what all took place, 25:58 but his marriage came along with some issues, 26:00 you know, again, going where God didn't want him to go 26:03 and doing different things so we'll look into that 26:06 and then... then in verses 12 through 23 26:09 we find Judas' incest with his daughter-in-law. 26:14 Tamar... notice and without him even knowing it. 26:18 So, it starts to get complicated... he didn't know it 26:19 how do you mean he didn't know it? 26:21 And so, how did this really take place? 26:22 Three: He dealt with... verses 24 through 26, 26:26 how he dealt with it when it came to light? 26:29 You know, the Bible says, "Be sure your sins will... 26:31 will find you out... " and they found him out 26:33 and then, how did he deal with it? 26:36 Four: The birth of his twin sons 26:39 verse 27 there Genesis 38, 26:42 "In him his family was built up... " 26:44 so, it's very important now. 26:45 During this lesson, this brings out a... 26:48 I want to say some sordid things went on in this story 26:52 and so, you know, 26:53 instead of trying to go into a whole lot of detail about it, 26:54 you look at it and you say, 26:56 "God is merciful and God is good and God does have a plan 26:59 and it will be fulfilled. " 27:00 But we see that I think, Brother James, you mentioned it, 27:04 that God takes, you know, some of the evil things... 27:06 and he has a way of turning them into good things. 27:08 Panel: Yeah. 27:10 Kenny: This is what He's doing right here... 27:11 He's showing us... certainly, there is hope for us, 27:12 praise God for that 27:14 especially I found out when it was linked to salvation, 27:17 salvational things and God's plan is good. 27:19 Panel: Yeah. 27:21 Kenny: In Genesis... so, where did Judah go wrong? 27:23 Now, we talk about men... you said 17... 27:26 you say... 15... you say 14 and 13... 27:28 they were getting married at that age. 27:29 Things were going on... they were having children... 27:31 lot different than we think about maybe today. 27:33 Genesis 38:1... notice... 27:35 I'm just going to look where Judah first went wrong. 27:37 You'll say, "Well, it might be in the second thing... " 27:40 but notice, Judah... you know, he's probably... 27:42 some say 14... some say 15 or 16... 27:44 so, he's very... he's very young. 27:46 Now, notice what he did. 27:48 He left his family in Genesis 38:1 27:52 and it says, "He went down. " 27:53 Now, notice... those words are not good. 27:56 "He went down... " 27:57 You know, we are to... we ought to strive to go up 27:59 isn't that right? Panel: Right. 28:00 Kenny: But notice, he left his family and he went down 28:02 and he mingled with whom? 28:04 The... the Canaanites. 28:05 It's been said especially with young people 28:08 and I think this holds true. 28:09 When they change their company, they change their manners. 28:13 Jill: That's good. 28:14 Kenny: Interesting... when you are around, 28:16 you sometimes become like that. 28:18 If this happens and many times it does, 28:22 it can be fatal so let's not overlook that part. 28:24 A bad decision... sometimes opens up the door to 28:28 another bad decision. 28:30 Now, so, how important are decisions? 28:33 I'm quoting Ministry of Healing I Ike this... page 510 says this 28:37 "Short and decisive are the steps 28:39 that lead men down from high and holy ground 28:43 to a low level. 28:45 In a moment's decision... " you've been there probably 28:48 I know I've been there. 28:49 "In a moment's decision may be made 28:52 that fixes one's condition forever. " 28:54 How important are decisions? 28:56 Can fix our destination forever. 28:58 "One failure to overcome leaves the soul unguarded. 29:02 One evil habit, if not firmly resisted, 29:06 will strengthen into chains of steel, 29:10 binding the whole man. " 29:12 So, we're saying that... we have to say, 29:15 "Then how can we make good decisions?" 29:17 Well, let's just use Jacob of an example, shall we? 29:19 Again, Ministry of Healing page 511 says this, 29:21 "It was through faith... " I like this, 29:24 "and prayer that Jacob, from being a man of... " 29:28 notice this... "feebleness and sin, 29:31 became a... oooh a prince with God. " 29:33 Notice this, this is really heavy... 29:36 "Our spirit may be so identified with His 29:40 that in thought and aim we shall be one with Him. " 29:46 Panel: Hmmm... 29:48 Kenny: Man! that should be... that's our goal 29:49 is to be one with Him... isn't that right? 29:51 Let His mind be in us. 29:52 Judah finds... Judah finds a... a Canaanite... 29:56 I want to say, first of all, the first mistake: he went down. 29:58 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... yeah. 30:00 Kenny: He knew he wasn't supposed to go there... 30:01 we know, there are principles about it, 30:03 God told, "Don't be messing with the Canaanites... " 30:04 because of all the problems. 30:06 So, now Judah... again 15 so years old... 30:08 he goes down and he begins to mess around in the... 30:12 with the Canaanites... he finds himself a wife... 30:15 Genesis 38:2 30:16 now, he has three sons... notice... 30:19 the first born is old enough... 30:21 "When he's old enough, Judah... " 30:22 what does he do again? 30:24 He goes back down to Canaan to get a wife for him, 30:26 he's really making matters worse here, right? 30:29 God says, "Don't do it... " 30:30 encouraging... don't... 30:32 don't... don't do that... Canaanite wife... now... 30:34 now, it's Tamar... 30:35 now notice, the firstborn is wild 30:37 and he's wicked and he dies. 30:39 Interesting... huh. 30:41 The second son is to take her, 30:43 we know that when one son dies 30:45 then the wife... childless, right, 30:48 this next son comes up... next son and supposed to wed her 30:51 and take her and raise seed for his brother, 30:54 well, the brother said, "Ah ah... 30:56 that's not going to happen, I'm not going to do that. " 30:58 He refuses to raise the family in remembrance of his brother 31:03 and so, he also was wicked. 31:06 I mean, the first son... wicked, 31:08 you know, he... he died early. 31:10 Second son... wicked... he died early. 31:12 So you see all the sin out there right there... 31:14 third son... you know, Judas said, "Hmmm... third son" 31:17 and now, "Oh, he's too young, 31:18 So... so... Tamar go back to your home 31:22 and you wait until he older and then you can marry him. " 31:24 So, did she really want to wait that long? 31:27 Judah put off the arrangement 31:30 and does not fulfill his promise. 31:33 I got a feeling... she's getting a bit nervous there. 31:36 Then, suddenly the death of his two older sons, 31:38 I want you to think about that for a moment. 31:40 Promised his third son... 31:43 all of a sudden he's starting to feel something. 31:45 What happened to my other two sons? 31:48 Did she have something to do with that... possibly? 31:51 and now I'm going to say 31:52 now, the third son's going to be promised to her, 31:54 he's saying, "I'm going to put it off for a while. " 31:56 So, really maybe possibly he had no intentions of fulfilling 31:59 that promise that he made. 32:01 So, we're having deceit... we're having incest... 32:03 we're having all kinds of problems going on here, 32:05 right, but it gets a little bit deeper as... 32:07 as... as we go along here. 32:09 I'm going to bring another point here, 32:11 I think I just about missed it... 32:12 I don't want to really miss that point. 32:13 Pause... 32:15 Judas says, "Go back home... don't forget to go back home 32:19 and wait until he's of age and then, when he comes of age, 32:23 then, you can get married. 32:24 Well, you know, one bad thing leads up to another... 32:26 we realize that and so 32:28 yet even in our life, you may have that going on right now, 32:31 something's happening... 32:33 you've got bad things... now all of a sudden, what? 32:35 Some worse things seem like to be coming on the scene. 32:37 Suddenly the death of his two older sons... 32:40 after the marriage to Tamar 32:42 and now notice, again, he hesitated... 32:44 he put it off and again, I don't think that he intended for it 32:48 to be fulfilled. 32:49 She had something... 32:50 did she have something to do with his death? 32:52 Well, we find out that third son was Shelah, I think 32:56 wasn't it? The name a little different maybe, 32:57 the younger son became of age, he was not given to her. 33:00 So, what did... what did... what did Tamar... Tamar do? 33:03 She was a childless widow 33:06 and she decided to take matters into her own hands. 33:08 Right and so she decides, "Okay, I can't have the sons, 33:11 then I'm going to have Dad. " Panel: Hmmm... 33:13 Kenny: That's an interesting thought 33:14 and so, he has lost his wife... 33:16 then it was time for the... we call it the... 33:18 the shearing of the sheep. 33:20 After a time of getting over the death of his wife and so on, 33:22 it's over... he goes up and he's going to shear some sheep 33:25 but along with shearing the sheep, 33:27 you say, "Well, that's going out... " 33:28 there was a time of festivities that went along... 33:30 when you said you're shearing sheep, 33:31 you're also doing other things. 33:33 Panel: Hmmm... 33:34 Kenny: And she found out that's where he was going 33:36 so she made a plan to deceive him 33:38 and to go up there 33:40 and basically saying, you know, "I'm going to have the son... 33:42 it's going to be through Dad. " 33:44 And so, she dressed as it were as... as... as a prostitute. 33:47 She covered her face... he did not know it 33:49 and when he went up and then fun and the game... 33:52 whatever was going on... 33:53 he... they made an arrangement 33:55 and she became pregnant, you know, with twins 33:58 as we well know. 33:59 But he did not know that but remember, he didn't have money 34:02 to pay her for this, right. 34:03 She was playing the prostitute. 34:04 When he found out three months later, right, 34:08 that witnesses come by and they say, "Oh... " you know, 34:11 "your daughter-in-law... she's pregnant. " 34:12 He's going, "Why, oooh, what's going on here?" 34:14 You know, 34:15 I'm going to find out what's going on with this right here 34:17 and he said, "Well, we're just going to burn her. " 34:19 Of course, that was one of the things, you know, 34:21 that could happen or sometime it's a... 34:23 it's a seal in the forehead... it can be... 34:25 and also, it can be literally burning... 34:27 he was... he was in charge... it could have happed. 34:29 But, you now, I think the story is very interesting because 34:33 she was associated with the Assyrians... 34:35 their customs and so on and so forth. 34:38 She knew... she knew that if dad didn't fulfill his promise, 34:42 that also... that what she could go to dad 34:46 and dad would have to fulfill that. 34:48 A little different that what... sometimes we think is going on, 34:50 you know, sheep-shearing time... 34:52 we have to be careful of sheep-shearing time. 34:54 Remember, things are going on... 34:56 God is greater... God is bigger 34:57 and He's going to fulfill the promises that He's made. 35:01 Hang on to Him... not the world. 35:02 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 35:04 Jill: Amen, thank you all so much 35:05 that's... that's a heavy chapter and mine is the opposite. 35:09 We get into... I'm Jill Morikone, 35:11 I have Wednesday: Joseph, a Slave in Egypt 35:14 and we see here Joseph resisting temptation... 35:18 where we see Judah stepping into sin, 35:20 we see Joseph resisting temptation. 35:23 So, Joseph arrives in Egypt. 35:25 The chapter of what Pastor Kenny had with Judah and Tamar 35:29 was kind of that interlude between. 35:30 We're picking up right where Pastor Ryan had left off. 35:34 Joseph was sold as a slave to Potiphar, 35:37 Captain of the king's guard there in Egypt. 35:40 So, I have... if we're going to get through it, 35:44 A... five takeaways from Joseph's temptation 35:47 and then eight lessons that you and I can learn 35:50 as we deal with temptation. 35:52 So, let's jump right in... Genesis chapter 39 verse 1. 35:56 "Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. 35:58 And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, 36:01 Captain of the Guard an Egyptian, 36:03 bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there? " 36:06 Panel: Hmmm... 36:08 Jill: Takeaway Number 1... 36:09 When all seems lost, God is still in control. 36:13 Panel: Amen... that's right. 36:14 Jill: If you were in Joseph's shoes, 36:16 if I was in his shoes... you'd say, "Wait a minute, 36:18 I went from a favorite son to a slave... 36:20 I'm a slave here in Egypt... I'm estranged from my family... 36:24 I'm never going to see them again. " 36:25 When all seems lost... God is still in control 36:29 and He still has a plan. 36:31 Next verse... verse 2, 36:32 "The Lord was with Joseph, he was a successful man; 36:36 and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. " 36:40 Takeaway number 2: when you least expect it, 36:42 God intervenes. 36:44 The Lord was with Joseph and the Lord made him a success 36:48 as he was a slave there in Egypt. 36:51 The next verse... verse 3, 36:53 "And his master saw that the Lord was with him 36:56 and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. " 36:59 Verse 4, 37:01 "So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. 37:04 Then he made him overseer of is house, 37:06 and all that he had he put under his authority. " 37:11 Takeaway Number 3... 37:12 When you faithfully serve... God will bless you. 37:17 Panel: Amen. 37:18 Jill: I love Proverbs 22 verse 29, 37:20 "Do you see a man who is diligent in his business? 37:23 He shall stand before kings; 37:25 he shall not stand before mean men... " 37:28 is what the King James says. 37:30 So, when you faithfully serve... God blesses. 37:33 The next verse... verse 5, 37:35 "So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer 37:38 of his house, and all that he had 37:40 that the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house... " 37:43 why? "for Joseph's sake; 37:46 and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had 37:49 in the house and in the field. " 37:51 Takeaway Number 4: 37:52 When you belong to God, 37:53 the people around you are affected. 37:56 I love that... the Lord blessed Potiphar's house. 37:59 Did he serve God? No. 38:01 Was he a follower of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? 38:04 No... but God blessed him... an unbeliever 38:08 because a believer of the true God 38:11 was faithfully serving God in the midst of his household. 38:14 So, when you belong to God, your spouse is affected... 38:18 your children are affected... 38:20 your co-workers are affected. 38:23 Your boss is affected. 38:25 Your subordinates are affected. 38:27 When you belong to God, other people are affected. 38:30 Panel: That's right. 38:31 Jill: Verse 6... we're in Genesis 39 verse 6, 38:34 the first half of the verse, 38:35 "Thus he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, 38:38 he did not know what he had except the bread which he ate. " 38:42 Takeaway Number 5: 38:43 When you follow God, other people trust you. 38:47 Potiphar trusted Joseph with everything that he had 38:50 in his house. 38:52 Now, we come to the turning point in this story, 38:55 it seemed like he goes from the slave 38:57 where he's beaten down and he's nothing 38:59 and he rises... right? 39:01 Because of the blessing of the Lord upon him 39:04 to a level of Management there 39:07 overseeing everything in Potiphar's house. 39:10 And now, we see... there is trouble in paradise... 39:13 the second half of verse 6, 39:16 "Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. " 39:22 Now, it's interesting to me... 39:24 the Word of God usually doesn't say what people look like right? 39:27 We don't know what Mary the mother of Jesus looked like. 39:29 We don't know a lot of people... 39:31 we don't know what they looked like. 39:33 But it says "Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. " 39:36 The word for "form" in Hebrew is: outline, form or figure. 39:40 So, that means... his body... 39:42 Joseph is well-built. 39:43 The word for appearance is literally: countenance. 39:47 He had a good-looking face. 39:48 So, he had a good-looking face and a good-looking body. 39:51 It's actually the same two Hebrew words 39:53 that is used to describe Rachel... Joseph's mama. 39:56 Panel: Hmmm... Jill: In Genesis 29:17 it says, 40:00 "Leah's eyes were delicate, 40:01 but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance. " 40:04 The same two words... 40:05 so he must have gotten his looks from his mother. 40:07 And Potiphar's wife begins to take notice. 40:10 Let's look at verse 7 through 10, 40:12 we see the temptation. 40:14 "And it came to pass after these things 40:16 that his master's wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, 40:19 and she said, 'Lie with me. ' 40:21 But he refused and said to his master's wife, 40:24 'Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, 40:27 and he has committed all that he has into my hand. 40:30 There is no one greater in this house than I, 40:33 nor has he kept back anything from me but you, 40:36 because you are his wife. 40:38 How then can I do this great wickedness, 40:41 and sin against God?' 40:44 So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, 40:46 that he did not heed her, 40:48 to lie with her or to be with her. " 40:51 Sometimes, when Satan cannot get us with discouragement, 40:57 he tries pleasure. 40:58 Joseph had faithfully served God in discouragement... 41:03 in trying times... 41:05 and Joseph would not bend... 41:06 he faithfully served God... 41:08 so, Satan says, "I'm going to try something else. " 41:11 So, let's look at these lessons, if we get through them, 41:14 eight lessons that you and I can learn 41:16 when dealing with temptation. 41:18 Lesson Number 1: 41:19 Make decisions on principle not by how you feel. 41:24 Was Joseph tempted by Potiphar's wife? 41:27 The Bible doesn't explicitly say that 41:29 but if you study what Egyptian women wore, 41:32 and the fact that she clearly came on to him, 41:35 I would have to say, "He was probably tempted. " 41:37 James chapter 1 verses 14 and 15, 41:41 what does it say? 41:42 "Each one is tempted when he's drawn away 41:45 by his own desires and enticed. 41:46 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; 41:50 and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. " 41:53 You see, desire is not wrong and feeling is not wrong. 41:56 It is what we do with that. 41:59 There's that old saying that I love... 42:02 "You can't stop the birds from flying over your head, 42:05 but you can stop them from building a nest in your hair. " 42:08 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 42:09 Jill: Make decisions on principle... 42:11 not by how you feel. 42:12 Lesson Number 2: 42:14 Make decisions on how it affects God 42:17 not yourself or even other people. 42:20 What did Joseph say? 42:21 "How can I do this great wickedness... " 42:23 and her... you know... 42:25 "and sin against God?" 42:27 We often think, "Oh, this little thing won't... 42:29 it won't hurt me... it's no big deal... 42:31 I'm not hurting anybody but myself. " 42:33 No... it's hurting God. Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 42:35 Jill: David... after his sin with Bathsheba, 42:38 the Psalm of confession... Psalm chapter 51... 42:41 what did he say in verse 4? 42:42 "Against You, You only, have I sinned, 42:45 and done this evil in Your sight. " 42:48 Had he hurt Bathsheba? Absolutely... 42:50 Had he hurt Bathsheba's husband? 42:51 Absolutely. 42:53 But the sin was against God Himself. 42:55 Make decisions based on how it impacts God. 42:59 Number 3: Once you've made your decision... stick with it. 43:02 Don't change your mind. 43:03 She spoke to him day by day but he didn't listen to her. 43:06 Number 4: Sometimes drastic action is required. 43:11 We're back in Genesis 39 verses 11 and 12, 43:13 "It happened at this time, 43:15 when Joseph went into the house to do his work, 43:18 none of the men were inside the house, 43:19 that she caught him by the garment saying, 43:21 'Lie with me. ' 43:22 But he left the garment in her hand, 43:24 and he turned and he ran outside. " 43:26 Panel: Hmmm... 43:27 Jill: You know, Mark 9:43 to 47 has an interesting connection. 43:33 It says, "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. 43:36 If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off, 43:39 If your eye causes you to sin, cut it off. " 43:41 Jesus is not promoting self-mutilation. 43:44 He's saying that sin needs to be dealt with quickly at any cost. 43:48 Do not explain away sin... do not excuse it... 43:51 do not rationalize sin... do not minimize sin. 43:54 When drastic action is required, you take the drastic action. 43:57 Number 5: Make no provision for the flesh. 44:01 Romans 13 verse 14, 44:03 "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, 44:04 and do not make provision for the flesh. " 44:07 Sin needs to be dealt with quickly at any cost. 44:09 Panel: Yes. 44:10 Jill: For instance, if your issue is pornography, 44:12 you cut off the Internet. 44:13 You throw away your magazines. 44:15 You cancel that subscription. 44:16 Do not have things in your home that cause you to stumble. 44:21 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... Jill: Number 6: 44:23 Accept the power of the Holy Spirit... 44:26 we cannot do anything 44:27 without the power of the Holy Spirit living in us. 44:31 Number 7: Utilize the power of the Word of God. 44:34 God's Word works in our hearts to free us from sin. 44:38 Number 8: Crucify the flesh... 44:40 that old man or that old woman of sin. 44:43 Joseph's decision to stand for right cost him his job. 44:47 It cost him his freedom yet it was the right decision. 44:51 His master's wife falsely accused him... 44:54 he was thrown into prison, 44:55 yet, even there God showed up. 44:57 In Genesis 39, the last verse says, 45:00 God was with him. 45:01 God showed him mercy and showed him favor 45:04 in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 45:07 So, stand for God... you will never regret it. 45:10 Panel: Amen... wow! yes, thank you. 45:12 Lomacang: Thank you for passing that on to me the way you have 45:15 because when he's thrown in prison, 45:16 I must begin by saying, 45:18 "God's providence knows no haste and no delay. " 45:22 Every experience we are called to endure 45:25 has an expiration date. 45:26 Every setback is a setup for comeback. 45:30 So, here we are... Joseph standing firmly... 45:33 I'm John Lomacang 45:35 and we're going to walk through Genesis chapter 40 and 41. 45:37 What I've noticed about the author of this lesson... 45:40 he has made us read and... 45:43 and my wife and I have taken this one as a project together... 45:46 reading this lesson through together 45:48 and how enhancing it has been. 45:50 Every setback is a setup for a divine comeback. 45:54 When you stand for what's right, 45:56 God never abandons you but He holds you 45:59 in a position where your timing is a moment 46:05 for God to be exalted. 46:07 Now Joseph... lovely the way you established that... 46:12 I love the way you established how Jesus works. 46:14 Thank you so much. 46:16 Every experience we are called to endure 46:18 has an expiration date. 46:20 But if we would hold on when the trials passed... 46:24 when the trials finally pass, 46:26 we'll see that God's providence has always been in charge. 46:31 When we take a stand for what is right, 46:33 God will cause our difficulty to be reversed for our blessing. 46:39 Now we look at the story in Genesis chapter 40 and 41, 46:43 we begin by the baker and the butler. 46:46 I want to begin in Genesis chapter 40 46:50 and I'm just going to walk through the story 46:54 rather than reading... this was a lot of reading. 46:56 You find the butler and the baker 46:59 made a wrong decision and ended up incarcerated. 47:04 Panel: Hmmm... 47:05 Lomacang: But it was not a coincidence. 47:08 Even both of them being incarcerated... 47:10 I looked back on the story and said... what... 47:12 if they were not incarcerated, they would not have met Joseph 47:15 and in their incarceration, they both had a dream 47:18 but they could not interpret the dream. 47:20 One... let me just go-ahead and read verses 9 and 11, 47:24 about the... the chief butler. 47:28 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 47:29 "Then the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, 47:31 and said to him, 47:32 'Behold, in my dream a vine was before me, 47:35 and in the vine were three branches; 47:37 and it was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, 47:43 and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes. 47:46 Then Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; 47:48 and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, 47:51 and placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand. '" 47:54 And... and... Joseph made it very clear 47:57 when... when the butler couldn't understand it, 47:59 he said in verse 8, 48:00 "Do not interpretations belong to God? 48:03 Tell them to me, please. " 48:05 And so, the butler is telling him... 48:07 and this turns out that the dream that the butler had 48:11 meant that the chief butler would be restored. 48:14 Panel: Come on... 48:15 Lomacang: But then the baker said, 48:17 "Well, I had a dream too. " Panel: Smiling... 48:19 Lomacang: He should not have told the dream. 48:21 Verses 16 to 17 of Genesis chapter 40, 48:24 "When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, 48:28 he said to Joseph, 'I also was in my dream, 48:31 and there were three white baskets on my head. 48:36 In the uppermost basket were all kinds of baked goods 48:40 for Pharaoh, 48:41 and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head. " 48:44 And Joseph probably said, 48:46 "He shouldn't have told me that dream... " 48:48 because it turned out that the chief baker would be hanged 48:52 and the birds would eat his flesh. 48:54 Panel: Yes. Lomacang: It's a sad story but 48:56 Joseph said, "When you tell these dreams to Pharaoh, 49:00 please remember me. " 49:01 And the Bible said of verse 23 of Genesis chapter 40, 49:05 "Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, 49:08 but forgot him. " 49:10 Now, I look at this as not coincidental 49:12 but once again... because sometimes people will say, 49:15 and they will get upset with people that appear 49:17 to forget them, 49:19 but God blocked... 49:21 because this very disappointment 49:24 was really a preparation for a divine appointment. 49:29 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... hmmmm. 49:30 Sometimes, we can be released from our suffering 49:33 but it has no purpose to serve in God's broader picture. 49:37 The... the deliverance had to be done a certain way... 49:41 that's where we get to Pharaoh's dream 49:43 in Genesis chapter 41 verses 15 and 16, 49:46 and by the way, 49:48 the way that Joseph was called to that moment is 49:52 when Pharaoh told his dream to the butler... 49:56 the butler said, 49:58 "I was in prison and there was a guy that was in there 50:01 that not only told me what my dream was 50:03 but it came to pass exactly the way that he said it would. " 50:07 And so, they went and called for Joseph... 50:10 cleaned him up... 50:11 dressed him up 50:13 and he came before the king... before Pharaoh 50:17 and here is what the Bible records about that meeting. 50:21 The details are phenomenal, you should read the story. 50:23 He says in verse 15, "I have had a dream, 50:27 and there is no one who can interpret it? 50:30 But I have heard it said of you 50:33 that you can understand a dream, to interpret it. " 50:36 So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, 50:39 "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace. " 50:43 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 50:45 Lomacang: And you'll find in both instances... 50:47 the butler and the baker and Pharaoh. 50:49 You find in both instances, 50:51 Joseph did not take the credit to himself. 50:53 Panel: That's right. 50:55 Lomacang: One of the things that we have to keep in mind 50:56 especially those of us who are in public life, 50:58 whenever somebody compliments you... 51:00 always give the glory to God. Panel: That's good. 51:03 Lomacang: "Wow! do you know, that was really good... 51:05 you really liked that? I can do it again next week. " 51:07 Panel: Laughing. 51:09 Lomacang: No... always give the glory to God 51:11 because I know that each one of us has a gift 51:13 that God has entrusted to us. 51:14 God has not said, "This is your gift, 51:16 do with it as you please. " 51:18 No... every gift that we have was given to us by God... 51:21 always give glory to God. 51:24 Panel: Yeah... hmmm... hmmm... 51:25 Lomacang: So, when I look at the story, 51:26 Joe... I said, "Joe... " 51:29 I'm thinking of Jill... Panel: Laughter. 51:31 Lomacang: I called you "Julie" in the past 51:33 and now, I'm about to call you Joe. 51:35 Jill: Thank you... Panel: Laughter. 51:36 Lomacang: You had four specific takeaways 51:38 about how God works. 51:40 First of all, Amos 3 and verse 7, 51:42 "God is the revealer of all secret things... " 51:47 and I love the way He considers his servants in the... 51:51 in the scenario of revealing what is secret to everyone else. 51:55 Panel: Yes. 51:57 Lomacang: Amos 3:7, "Surely the Lord God... 51:58 surely the Lord God does nothing, 52:00 unless He reveals His secrets to His servants the prophets. " 52:03 I told somebody once, I said, "God has secrets... 52:06 but He doesn't tell everyone... " 52:08 and he says, "Really?" 52:10 and it was another pastor. 52:11 He said, "What are those secrets?" 52:13 I said, "Well, you got to be God's servants to know... " 52:15 and he was desirous 52:16 and when I read it by God's Word, 52:18 he said, "That's phenomenal. " 52:19 God reveals secrets... 52:21 He is the revealer of all secrets. 52:22 Number 2: God is the guardian of all secrets. 52:25 Panel: Yes. 52:27 Lomacang: Deuteronomy 29:29, 52:28 "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, 52:31 but those things which are revealed belong to us 52:34 and to our children forever, 52:35 that we may do all the words of this law. " 52:39 If God is... if God is guarding a secret 52:43 that He doesn't want you to know, 52:45 don't presume on God and continue begging God 52:48 when His desire is for you not to know... 52:51 let's go back to the beginning of Genesis, 52:53 what happened when Satan said, 52:55 "God has something He doesn't want you to know... " 52:58 and even Adam fell into the pit of trying to find out 53:02 what God determined to guard. Panel: Hmmm... 53:04 Lomacang: The third one... 53:05 God's knowledge supersedes our intellect. 53:07 Panel: Yes. 53:09 Lomacang: Isaiah 55 verse 9, 53:10 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 53:13 so are My ways higher than your ways, 53:15 and My thoughts than your thoughts. " 53:18 So, this is something that amazes me, 53:22 I used to hear about... well, not used to... 53:24 but I still hear about people getting degrees and... 53:26 and it always bothers me when I hear the phrase... 53:29 somebody just got their Master of Divinity 53:31 and I always ask myself, "How can you master Divinity?" 53:36 Panel: Laughter. 53:37 Lomacang: Now, I understand they may have fulfilled 53:39 the requirements in the course 53:40 but I think they need to change that 53:41 from a Master of Divinity 53:43 to an accomplishment of a Master's degree 53:46 but we can never master Divinity. 53:49 I thought, "How... what degree did you get?" 53:51 "A Masters of Divinity. " 53:53 Lomacang: Now understand... I'm putting this 53:55 in the proper context... that seems kind of cocky to me 53:58 that we could ever master Divinity... 54:00 excuse me... that's where I am right now. 54:02 Panel: It's all right. Lomacang: The fourth one: 54:04 God's knowledge transcends our speculation. 54:06 Isaiah 46 verses 9 and 10, 54:08 "Remember the former things of old, 54:10 for I am God, and there is no other; 54:12 I am God, and there is none like Me. 54:13 Declaring the end from the beginning, 54:15 and from ancient times things that are not yet done, 54:18 saying, 'My counsel shall stand, 54:20 And I will do all My pleasure. '" 54:21 God's foreknowledge transcends our speculation. 54:26 If you don't understand it, don't speculate. 54:28 Wait for God to reveal it in His time. 54:30 So, the question is: How can we learn to trust God 54:33 and cling to His promises even when it does not appear 54:36 that Providence is in charge at all? 54:38 Four very quick points: 54:40 God took Joseph from incarceration to liberation. 54:46 Jill: Nice... Panel: Yes. 54:47 Lomacang: Wait on God. 54:49 God traded Joseph's humiliation for exaltation... 54:53 but only in His time. 54:55 God transforms Joseph's condemnation to commendation 54:59 and finally, Joseph rose in God's time from pits to palaces. 55:06 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 55:07 Lomacang: That's why we know all things work together 55:10 for good to those who love God, 55:11 and are called according to His purpose, Romans 8:28. 55:15 Jill: Amen. Panel: That's right, amen, amen. 55:18 James: Great lesson study from each one of us. 55:21 So, just to close things up, 55:23 we got a couple of minutes just to summarize 55:25 our lessons for this week, Ryan. 55:28 Ryan: You know, Joseph's brothers lacked a lot of love 55:32 and, you know, that love can only come 55:34 by the working of the power of the Holy Spirit. 55:36 You know, what comes to my mind is the text in 1 Corinthians 13 55:39 verses 4 and onward, 55:40 it says, "Long suffers long and is kind, 55:42 love does not envy; love does not parade itself, 55:45 love is not puffed up; 55:46 love does not behave rudely, 55:49 love does not seek its own... " 55:51 and... in this case, you know, 55:53 we need... we need that power of love in our life 55:55 and it can only come by surrendering to the Holy Spirit. 55:58 Kenny: Amen... praise the Lord, 55:59 you know, some of the things that we've encountered 56:02 and we went over here... it got kind of messy 56:04 but God sure straightened it out and that's good. 56:06 It's just... it's just couple of little lines 56:09 from that little song that I learned many years ago, 56:11 says, "For His eye is on the sparrow 56:14 and I know He watches me. " 56:17 Panel: That's right... amen... hmmm... 56:18 Jill: All right, Genesis 39 56:19 which is really all about temptation. 56:21 and none of us can escape temptation. 56:23 It's because we live in this world of sin. 56:25 So, I want to encourage you whether you have been tempted 56:28 and have fallen... 56:29 whether you are right now struggling with that temptation, 56:32 reach out to Jesus... He can forgive... 56:36 He can cleanse... He can give you victory. 56:39 Panel: Amen. Lomacang: That's right 56:40 and Genesis 40 and 41, is simply a beautiful lesson 56:45 in waiting on the Lord. 56:46 Isaiah tells us clearly... in Isaiah 40 and verse 31, 56:52 "But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; 56:57 They shall mount up with wings like eagles, 57:00 they shall run and not be weary, 57:02 they shall walk and not faint. " 57:04 If you are in a pit... wait on God... 57:06 you'll eventually be in a palace. 57:09 Panel: Smiling... amen. 57:10 James: Amen, well it's been a good Lesson Study this week 57:13 from Genesis chapter 37 through Genesis 41 57:16 and one of the main points 57:18 that I think Pastor John you brought out that I loved 57:21 and I think can summarize the whole Lesson Study 57:24 is that our trials have an expiration date 57:28 where... where just as it says in Psalm 23... 57:32 walking through the valley of the shadow of death. 57:34 Keep on walking with the Lord... 57:37 He will take you through this valley. 57:39 That trial will expire and He will bring you 57:42 like He did with Joseph 57:44 and like He has done all through the book of Genesis, 57:46 He will bring His goodness... His righteousness to pass. 57:49 Well, we're finished with Lesson Number 11, 57:51 Joseph, Master of Dreams 57:53 and we're going to be going into Lesson Number 12: 57:55 Joseph, Prince of Egypt. 57:57 Again, the last sections... the last lessons 57:59 are all about Joseph, 58:01 so, we want to invite you to join us 58:03 as we continue and finish up our study 58:05 in the book of Genesis. 58:06 Panel: Hmmm... amen... amen. |
Revised 2022-05-31