Theme: GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER OUR PERSONAL HISTORY
Text: Genesis 37-50

God is sovereign. He is in control. He created and rules the whole universe. He holds the universe in the palm of his hands. In Isaiah 45:11-12, “This is what the Lord, the creator and holy one of Israel, says: ‘Do you question what I do? Do you give me orders about the work of y hands? I am the one who made the earth and created people to live in it. With my hands I stretched out the heavens. All the millions of stars are at my command.’”
“It is God who sits above the circle of the earth. The people below must seem to him like grasshoppers! He is the one who spreads out the heavens like a curtain and makes his tent from them. He judges the great people of the world and brings them all to nothing…Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out one after another, calling each by its name. And he counts them to see that none are lost or have strayed away” Isaiah 40:22-26.

God preserves and governs everything in the universe. He controls and governs the affairs of nations. Nothing happens outside his sovereign will. The hearts of kings, rulers, prime ministers, presidents are in the hands of God. World history is his story.
Not only that he determines and governs world history, he also determines and governs our personal history.
It is amazing to see the extent to which scripture affirms that God brings about various events in our lives. That he in fact governs all aspects of our lives.
God cares about us.

“Not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows” Matthew 10:29-30.

The implication is God is never too busy with world affairs that He doesn’t have time to look after us. He looks after us. He deeply cares for us. Each one of us. Does he evn get confused? “Kinsa gani ka? Unsa kahay mayo para kanimo? Hmmm…Mura’g di man mapuslan ning bataa ni!” The answer is solid NO!

Our dependence on God to give us food each day is affirmed every time we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” Matthew 6:11, even though we work for our food and obtain it through entirely “natural” causes.
God plans our days before we are born, for David affirms, “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” Psalm 139:16.
God said to Jeremiah, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world” Jeremiah 1:5.

All our actions are under God’s providential care, for “in him we live and move” Acts 17:28. “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps” Proverbs 16:9.

Success and failure come from God:
“For no one on earth-from east or west, or even from the wilderness—can raise another person up. It is God who alone judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall” Psalm 75:6-7.

All our abilities are from the Lord:
“What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if all you have is from God, why boast as though you have accomplished something on your own?” 1 Corinthians 4:7.

From these passages we can conclude that God is the God of world history. That He is sovereign; He is in control of our personal circumstances.
Consider some Bible characters whose lives are an object lesson to God’s Sovereignty.

First in the list is a young man named Joseph.

Personal Profile:
· His name is Joseph
· The 11th son of Jacob
· Jacob’s eldest son by his beloved wife Rachel
· 17 years old
· Occupation: shepherd


I. JOSEPH WAS LOVED BY HIS FATHER AND HATED BY HIS BROTHERS.

“Now Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day he gave Joseph a special gift—a beautiful robe” Genesis 37:3.

In Joseph’s day, everyone had a cloak or we call it robe. It is probably equivalent to a modern-day jacket. It was used to warm oneself, to bundle up belongings for a trip, to wrap babies, to sit on, or to serve as a security for a loan (collateral). Most cloaks were plain, knee-length and short-sleeved. In contrast, Joseph’s was probably the type of cloak rich and powerful people wore—long sleeved, ankle length, and colorful. This shows the favoritism Jacob showed Joseph.
It was obvious to the other boys that Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son, especially when Joseph received the multi-colored cloak. It was like adding insult to injury. And because of it, his brothers hated him all the more.

WHY DID HIS BROTHERS HATE HIM?
· Because his father loved him (37:3)
· Because he reported to his father their evil deeds.

“But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing” Genesis 37:2.
Joseph did this not because he is “sipsip” or “pa-epal” but because he was faithful to his father.

· Because of the gift he received from his father.
The multi-colored cloak aggravated the already strained relations between Joseph and his brothers. When there is favoritism in the home, there is going to be war.

“But his brothers hated Joseph because of their father’s partiality. They couldn’t say a kind word to him” Genesis 37:4.

· Because of his dreams

PRINCIPLE:
1. When you become parents, the rule should be: NO FAVORITISM!
2. If right now you are your father’s or mother’s favorite, please tell them to treat your siblings the same way. Or if you can’t tell them that, be discreet about it.



II. JOSEPH HAD A DREAM

What is a dream?
Dreams are said to derive from the activities in which the dreamer has been immersed during the day.

“As a dream comes when there are many cares” Ecc. 5:3.
Dreams recorded in Scripture are of two kinds:
1. Ordinary dream phenomena in which the sleeper “sees” a connected series of images which correspond to events in everyday life.

2. Dreams which communicate to the sleeper a message from God (the dream of Joseph the father of Jesus).

The word dream is sometimes synonymous to “vision”. A vision is a dream while you’re awake. Joseph’s dreams fall under number one.

What was the dream of Joseph?

FIRST DREAM:
“One night Joseph had a dream and promptly reported the details to his brothers, causing them to hate him even more. ‘Listen to this dream,’ he announced. ‘We were out in the field tying up bundles of grain. My bundle stood up, and then all your bundles gathered around and bowed low before it!” (37:6-7).

SECOND DREAM:
“Then Joseph had another dream and told his brothers about it. ‘Listen to this dream,’ he said. ‘The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!” (37:9).

Reactions against his dreams:

FIRST REACTION:
“’So you are going to be our king, are you?’ his brothers taunted. And they hated him all the more for his dream and what he said” (37:8).

SECOND REACTION:
“This time he told his father as well as his brothers, and his father rebuked him. ‘What do you mean?’ his father asked. ‘Will your mother, brothers, and I actually come and bow before you?’” (37:10).

In his excitement, Joseph told his family about his dream. Although the dream was prophetic, something that will happen in the future, it caused his brothers to hate him even more.
Joseph’s dream pictured the prominence that he would eventually have in his family. In the culture of his day, the first born was the prominent one. Joseph’s dream not only insulted his older brothers, it also violated the custom.
Joseph could have been more sensitive to his family’s response to his dreams. No one enjoys a braggart. If you want to tell others about things you have done, share your success in a way that gives the glory to God. Humility is the word.
His second dream was even more alarming. According to this dream, even the sun and moon, presumably his father and mother (though his mother was already deceased), would bow to Joseph. The eleven stars were his brothers.
Now, even his father was insulted by Joseph’s behavior. The son could have talked about his dreams with more tact.

PRINCIPLES:
1. God is the source of dreams.
“For I know the plans I have for you…” Jer. 29:11.

2. Nurture first the dream. Do not announce it immediately. Practice the LAW OF TIMING.

3. Do not share the dream to people who do not share the dream. Practice the LAW OF INNER CIRCLE.

4. THE LAW OF BAMBOO: “The higher it grows, the lower it bends.” Learn humility.


III. JOSEPH SUFFERED A SERIES OF INJUSTICES

“Soon after this, Joseph’s brothers went to pasture their father’s flocks at Schechem. When they had been gone for some time, Jacob said to Joseph, ‘Your brothers are over at Schechem with the flocks. I’m going to send you to them.’
‘I’m ready to go’, Joseph replied.
‘Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are getting along’, Jacob said. ‘Then come back and bring me word.’ So Jacob set him on his way, and Joseph traveled to Schechem from his home in the valley of Hebron.
When he arrived there, a man noticed him wandering around the countryside. ‘What are you looking for?’ he asked.
‘For my brothers and their flocks’, Joseph replied. ‘Have you seen them?’
‘Yes,’ the man told him, ‘but they are no longer here. I heard your brothers say they are going to Dothan.’ So Joseph followed his brothers to Dothan and found them there.” Genesis 37:12-17.

Jacob asked Joseph to go find his brothers, who were grazing their flocks near Shechem. When Joseph arrived, he learned that his brothers had gone on to Dotham.

1. His kind visit was reciprocated with harsh treatment.

“When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance and made plans to kill him” (v.18).

Isn’t that unjust?
Where is God during this time? Joseph visited them probably to give them supplies but it was received with harsh treatment. If you were Joseph, how would you feel?
Can your jealousy toward someone make you feel like killing him? Before you say, “of course not”, look at what happened in this story. Ten men were suddenly willing to kill their own brother over a colored jacket. Their deep jealousy had grown into an ugly rage, blinding then to what is right. Jealousy can be hard to recognize because our reasons for it seems to make sense. Left unchecked, jealousy can lead to more serious sins. You may not kill but you can destroy by spreading lies or stories about the person you are jealous with.

2. His brothers planned to kill him, but decided to starve him.

“’Here comes that dreamer!’ they exclaimed. ‘Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into a deep pit. We can tell our father that a wild animal has eaten him. Then we’ll see what becomes of all his dreams!’
But Reuben came to Joseph’s rescue. ‘Let’s not kill him,’ he said. ‘Why should we shed his blood? Let’s just throw him alive into this pit here. That way he will die without our having to touch him.’ Reuben was secretly planning to help Joseph escape, and then he would bring him back to his father.
So when Joseph arrived, they pulled off his beautiful robe and threw him into the pit. This pit was normally used to store water, but it was empty at that time” (v.19-24).

Isn’t that unjust?
It was an option that was not right, but would leave them guiltless of murder.

“They pulled off his beautiful robe…” (v.23.).

3. His brothers sold him to slavery.

“Then, just as they were sitting down to eat, they noticed a caravan of camels in the distance coming towards them. It was a group of Ishmaelite traders taking spices, balm, and myrrh from Gilead to Egypt.
Judah said to the others, ‘What can we gain by killing our brother? That would just give us a guilty conscience. Let’s sell Joseph to those Ishmaelite traders. Let’s not be responsible for his death; after all, he is our brother!’ And his brothers agreed. So when the traders came by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty pieces of silver, and the Ishmaelite traders took him along to Egypt” (v.25-28).

Isn’t that unjust? Where is God during this time?
Although Joseph’s brothers didn’t kill him outright, they thought he was good as dead (or at least out of their lives) when they sold him to slave traders. They were quite willing to pass the blame to these cruel men. Like what Pilate did during the crucifixion of Christ.

“He sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd saying, ‘I am innocent of the blood of this man. The responsibility is yours!’” Matthew 27:24.

Joseph faced a 30-day journey through the desert, probably chained and on foot. He would be treated like baggage, and once in Egypt, would be sold as a piece of merchandise or an animal.
A slave is usually considered to be a person (male or female) owned by another, without rights, and—like any other form of personal property—to be used and disposed of in whatever way the owner may wish.
Isn’t that unjust? Where is God during this time? What would happen to his dream?

4. His brothers made their father believe that has torn in pieces.

“Then Joseph’s brothers killed a goat and dipped the robe in its blood. They took the beautiful robe to their father and asked him to identify it. ‘We found this in the field,’ they told him. ‘It’s Joseph’s robe. Isn’t it?’
Their father recognized it at once. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘it’s my son’s robe. A wild animal has attacked and eaten him. Surely Joseph has been torn in pieces!’ Then Jacob torn his clothes and put on sackcloth. He mourned deeply for his son for many days. His family all tried to comfort him, but it was no use. ‘I will die in mourning for my son,’ he would say, and then begin to weep” (v.31-35).

To cover their evil action, Jacob’s sons deceived their father into thinking Joseph was dead.
Isn’t that unjust? Where is God during this time?

5. He was sold into Egypt to Potifar.

“Meanwhile, in Egypt, the traders sold Joseph to Potifar, an officer of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potifar was captain of the palace guard” (v.36).

“Now when Joseph arrived in Egypt with the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potifar, a member of the personal staff of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potifar was the captain of the palace guard” Genesis 39:1.

Imagine the culture shock Joseph experienced upon arriving in Egypt. Joseph had lived as a nomad, traveling the countryside with his family, caring for sheep. Suddenly he found himself into the world’s most advanced civilized society with great pyramids, beautiful homes, sophisticated people, and a new language. While Joseph saw Egypt’s skill and intelligence at their best, he also saw the Egyptian’s spiritual blindness: they were very idolatrous people.
Isn’t that unjust? Where is God during this time?

Ancient Egypt was a land of great contrasts. People were either very rich or very poor. There wasn’t much middle ground. Joseph found himself serving Potifar, and extremely rich member of Pharaoh’s cabinet.
Rich families like Potifar’s had elaborate homes, two or three stories tall with beautiful gardens and balconies. They enjoyed live entertainment at home as they chose delicious fruits from expensive bowls. They were surrounded by vases of flowers, paintings, beautiful rugs, and hand-carved chairs. Dinner was served on golden tableware, and their rooms were lit with gold candlesticks. The servants, such as Joseph, worked on the first floor, while the family occupied the upper stories.
Where is God during this time? Has he forgotten Joseph the same way his brothers had forgotten him?

In the midst of a seemingly hopeless situation, God was with Joseph. He has never left him nor forsaken him. God was with him when he was thrown into the pit by his brothers. God was with him when he was sold into slavery. God was with him now in Egypt.

“The Lord was with Joseph and blessed him greatly as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potifar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did” (v.26).

Joseph had all the reason to be bitter, and to sour-grape; to be negative about his predicament. Instead, he chose to be positive. “Life is a matter of choice. Life is not so much about what happens to us, but about how we react to what happens to us.”

“A man had lost a leg in an accident and when he was picked up and discovered what had actually happened, he said to those around him, ‘Thank God it was the leg with the arthritis.’”

If you laugh at your troubles, there’ll always be enough to laugh at.

William Slangster, well-known British pastor, was told he had progressive muscular atrophy and could not get well. He made the following resolutions and stuck by them to the day he died:
1. I will never complain.
2. I will keep the home bright.
3. I will count my blessings.
4. I will try to turn it good.

Joseph was all alone in Egypt, separated from his family and friends. But the Lord was with him. And the Lord prospered him.

“…the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did” Gen. 39:3.

“When we have nothing left but God, we find that God is more than enough”.

It is God’s presence that makes all we do prosperous. Those that would prosper must therefore make God their friend; and those that do prosper must therefore make God the praise.
Where was God all this time in the life of Joseph? All this time God is with Joseph.

God has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” Hebrews 13:5.