Part 4

I have always been fascinated with the above verse. It gives great hope to those who persevere and not give up. God's Word to us is true. It will come to pass. But we so often ask, "When?" Well, here we learn it will come to pass after an appointed time of testing. Jeremiah 29:10 confirms. "When the seventy years [the appointed time] have been completed..., I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you..."

Boy, we don't want to hear that, do we? We don't want time delays. And we certainly don't want testings, trials, tribulations...anything but our own personal wilderness. We want immediate satisfaction. Our mantra is, "I want it now." So, we get it on credit. It is our lifestyle these days. We are used to that. But God doesn't give credit. God doesn't pass on the promise until we have "cash in hand", so to speak. We have "cash in hand" when we pass God's tests and reach a certain level of maturity to handle the promise and not be overcome by it.

FIVE DIFFICULT STAGES TO THE PROMISE

RIDICULED

Let's look at the stages Joseph went through to reach rulership, God's promise to him. The first thing that happened to Joseph after believing God's promise was to tell his family of his coming good fortune. Yet, when he told his family, he was harshly criticised and thought ill of. Of course, they didn't like the idea of Joseph ruling over them.

It is typical when we receive in our spirit a promise from God, we want to share it. But often, people laugh at us, think we are "weird", or simply ignore us as weakminded. I once remember a suggestion from an evangelist that recommended, "When God plants an idea or promise into your heart, don't tell anyone. They will only disbelieve and cause you to lose faith." Not a bad suggestion.

BETRAYED

After ridicule, followed betrayal. His brothers plotted to kill Joseph, the big "dreamer." How dare he rule over them. They would take out revenge. They would kill him, throw him into a pit and claim a wild beast killed him. But one of the twelve brothers, Rueben, dissuaded them. They decided to throw him into a pit alive and let nature take its course.

SOLD INTO SLAVERY

But they later decided that he should not die, but be sold into slavery (unbeknowest to Rueben, however, who would later rescue Jospeh. This would teach him, the brothers thought. They would decide his fate, not the other way around. They sold to some Midianite traders passing by for 20 shekels of silver. The traders took him to Egypt. He would serve strangers.

(Rueben would go back to rescue Joseph only to find him gone. He went back to his brothers and told them what they already knew. They lied to Rueben and then concocted a story that wild animals killed him. And this is the story told to their father, Jacob.)

In Egypt, Joseph would be eventually sold to Potiphar, Pharaoh's Captain of the bodyguard, a high ranking official. Joseph would be put in charge of the Captian's affairs. And here Joseph would flourish, learning management skills, dealing with people, and making things work smoothly. But things would not go so smoothly for Joseph. He would be betrayed again.

FALSELY ACCUSED

This Captain's wife would take fancy to Joseph and sought intimacy with him. He refused. Yet she relented, but to no avail. Therefore, she would demand of Joseph he lay with her. She was so bold she grabbed him by his garment. But Joseph resisted to the point that his outer garment tore away and was left with the woman. Spurned, rejected, she became furious and devised a schemed whereby she would claim he attempted to rape her, and his coat was proof he was with her. For this false accusation, Joseph was jailed.

FORGOTTEN

In jail, Joseph would flourish again. His leadership skills were apparant to the head jailer, and he put Joseph in charge of the jail. For years, he managed the jail and its prisoners. Then a day came when two of the Pharaoh's servants were jailed. Each subsequently would have a dream. They were both greatly disburbed by their dreams not knowing its meaning. Joseph heard of their distress and offered to interpret. And he did. One servant, Joseph interpretted, would be set free; the other, would be executed. And so it happened.

Now the one set free was greatly pleased with Joseph's interpretation and Joseph sought a favor from him. He asked that he would put in a good word for him to the Pharoah. The servant readily agreed. But lo and behold, the servant forgot Joseph.

REVIEW

Let us now review our story about Joseph, son of Jacob. God gave Joseph a dream that one day he would be a great and mighty ruler even over his own family. Joseph believed God. Yet, Joseph, for his belief, would be severly tested. Now, he had two options. Continue to believe God and remain spiritually minded, or, become disenchanted and despair. So often, we believers believe God has forgotten us when things don't go according to our plans. And, too often, we give up on God. We then either mindlessly elevate self to the throne or give up on self and deteriorate into destructive behavior. Given the same circumstances as Joseph, which attitude would you have taken? (choose below)