Sunday 2nd August 2020 Devotion
Scripture:- Genesis 37:1-31
Topic:- Release My Key To Me
Text:- Genesis 37:20
A Song: Key must change hands 2x. No matter who is holding my key, with God on my side. I know my key must change hands.
A. Ten Lessons About Joseph. See Genesis 37-42:
- The story of how Joseph rose to the top is a lesson for those who want to translate their dreams to reality.
The Bible explicitly tells us that Joseph was the favorite of his father Jacob.
The cloak of many colors designated his heir-apparent status, even though he was not the oldest.
Joseph exacerbated the situation with his family by reporting dreams indicating that his brothers and his father will all bow down to him. - Not surprisingly, his brothers want to be rid of him.
They conspire to kill him by abandoning him in a pit.
Opportunely, a band of traders pass by and the brothers change the plan. They sell him as a slave. - With more twists of the plot, he is sold to a rich Egyptian, spends time in jail, and acquires a reputation as an interpreter of dreams.
- Finally, he is called to interpret the dreams of the Pharaoh that no one in Egypt can understand.
Joseph hears them and forecasts seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine.
He recommends a plan to collect grain and store it for the lean years.
Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge, and his plan works perfectly. - Years later, Joseph’s brothers arrive in Egypt in search of food because there is a famine in Canaan.
Joseph recognizes his brothers but they don’t recognize him. - Joseph has become an expert in human relations. He skillfully manipulates his brothers until his father, Jacob, sends all eleven brothers to Egypt.
Finally he reveals himself to his brothers amid much hugging and crying. - As you would expect, the brothers are fearful of what comes next. This kid they sold into slavery has now become the second most powerful man in their world.
But Joseph says to them: “Now, do not be distressed or reproach yourself because you sold me hither; it was to save life that God sent me ahead of you.”
Never again does Joseph refer to his brothers’ plan to murder him. - There are many lessons we can learn from the story of Joseph. We could focus on the transformation of Joseph. He starts as an arrogant young man. He is abused by his family and he spends much of his life in jail on false charges. But years later, the sight of his brothers brings him to uncontrollable weeping. He brings all the resources of Egypt to make his family comfortable. He has become a sensitive, family-oriented man.
- We could understand the story as an illustration of how God works in the world. Dreams are a way to communicate with the Divine, or a way to communicate with the deepest parts of ourselves.
- Joseph’s dreams first get him into trouble, but his ability to understand them leads him to be chosen by the Pharaoh and to save the world.
We could learn a lesson about the mysteries of how the world works.
B. There were seven things that happened to Joseph before he could attain his destiny which are as follows:
- His brothers envied him because their father loved Joseph more than the rest. See Genesis 37:3-4; 37:8.
- His brothers cast him into a pit and later sold him to the Ishmaelite, the Ishmaelite resold him to Portiphar. See Genesis 37:12-36.
- He became prosperous in the house of Portiphar and was made the overseer’s of his master’s property. See Genesis 39:1-6.
- He escaped the temptation of his master’s wife. Portiphar’s wife tried against Joseph and he was consequently jailed. See Genesis 39:8-18.
- He landed in the prison for being implicated but later was favoured and became popular in the prison. See Genesis 39:19-23.
- While in the prison, he found God’s favour and from there, he later became a Governor in Egypt after interpreting Pharaoh’s dream. See Genesis 40-41.
- Finally, he became Governor in Egypt in realizing his dreams, Genesis 41.
C. About the 3 Hebrews. See Daniel 3.
D. About Daniel. See Daniel 6.
E. About the woman with an issue of blood. See Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48.
F. About Herod and Peter’s imprisonment. See Acts 12.
Note A Story: A man that went overseas to study for his Doctorate degree.
Prayer Point:- I command who ever is holding my key, release my key to me now by fire, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Happy Lord’s Day!