Joseph / Hebrews 11:22 / Genesis 50:24-26
The Mystery of Joseph’s Faith
Well, church, it’s good to be with you again. I love coming here and getting to share God’s word with you. As we walk through this series on the “Heroes of Faith,” you’re going to continue to hear these familiar stories week in and week out. Last time, I shared my hope that as we walk through these familiar names, you’ll be able to approach them with a spirit of curiosity. I want you to ask yourself: “What does God want to teach me tonight? What’s new and fresh about what God would have for me to learn from His word?”
Tonight, our author in Hebrews actually helps us out with that. He takes us to a somewhat obscure passage in the life of Joseph. As we talk about Joseph, one of the things you’ll find out really quickly is that he was an incredible man of integrity. Without a doubt, he deserves to be mentioned in this “Hall of Faith.” There are so many parts of Joseph’s life that could have made it in here—the author of Hebrews picks out specific things for each person—and yet, at first glance, this specific account might make you go, “What? That doesn’t make any sense.”
I promise you, by the time we get to the end, if I’ve done my job, it will make sense. But for now, let’s just sit in that mystery for a little while. Turn with me to Hebrews 11:22.
Hebrews 11:22 (NASB)
By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.
I don’t know about you, but even in my study, I find myself asking: How does this connect? With Noah, we talk about the flood. With Abraham, we talk about an incredible journey. And now we come to Joseph, this man of integrity, and we get a passage about his bones. What does that mean? To understand that, we have to understand the whole plight of Joseph’s life. We have to understand who he was and how he viewed God.
The Favorite Son and the Dreamer
Flip over to Genesis chapter 37. Our story picks up with Jacob and his family. Jacob, also known as Israel, was Joseph’s dad, and they were living in the land of Canaan. Scripture tells us that Jacob loved Joseph the most. He was the favorite child. Now, I think all of us in here understand what that means. Some of us hear “favorite child” and get excited because that was us. You’re thinking, “Yeah, favorite child, right here!” Others of you want to elbow that person in the gut because you know some other kid in your family was the favorite. Scripture tells us that parents do have favorites—so take that with you, hold on to it, it is truth.
Joseph was the eldest son of Jacob’s wife, Rachel. As Joseph goes through life, he ascends in status with his father. The crowning moment of this is when Joseph gets that incredible coat from his dad. It’s interesting to note what the coat actually meant. It wasn’t just because he was cold or because he was the favorite; it was a sign of status. They had a family business of shepherding, and Joseph became the manager. The little brother—almost the youngest—became the manager of all his older brothers. You can see the jealousy start to creep in.
Genesis 37:4-5 (NASB)
His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and [so] they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms. Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.
Because he was the favorite, because he was the manager, and because his brothers were essentially his laborers, jealousy started to turn into bitterness. Then Joseph has these dreams. These dreams, when interpreted, basically said that someday in the future, all of Joseph’s brothers would bow down to him as ruler. Joseph doesn’t keep this to himself. He goes to his brothers like, “Hey guys, guess what? You’re never going to guess what God told me! One day, hopefully in the not-too-distant future, you’re going to bow down to me.”
Unsurprisingly, they hated him even more. Joseph then has a second dream about his parents and brothers bowing down. Even as the favorite child, he wasn’t immune from a rebuke from his father for that one. But this wasn’t just a dream. Ancient history and Scripture insinuate that this was a clear promise from God. Joseph receives a promise that one day he will rule.
From Bitterness to Betrayal
His brothers move from jealousy to bitterness, and then they put that bitterness into action.
Genesis 37:19-20 (NASB)
They said to one another, ’Here comes this dreamer! ’Now then, come and let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; and we will say, ‘A wild beast devoured him.’ Then let us see what will become of his dreams!’
They plot to kill him and throw him into a pit, never to be seen again. This was their solution to the jealousy they were feeling. We see sin take steps of decline—jealousy gives root to bitterness, and bitterness gives root to violence and anger. Reuben, the oldest, tries to come up with a “better” plan to just throw him in the pit without killing him. Reuben had already been rejected by his father, and he thought if he could save the favorite child, he might be restored in his dad’s eyes.
But behind Reuben’s back, Judah comes up with another plan. These brothers are just fighting against each other, saying, “I’ve got a better plan!” Judah decides they should profit off the guy they don’t like. They decide to sell him.
Genesis 37:28 (NASB)
Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled [him] up and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty [shekels] of silver. Thus they brought Joseph into Egypt.
It was about a thirty-day trek through a scorching desert to Egypt. These brothers thought he was as good as dead anyway. They figured they’d make a few bucks, and eventually, their bitterness would reach its goal. It’s as if they walked away from that pit echoing their own words: “Now let us see what will become of his dreams.” They were trying to thwart the promise God made to Joseph.
Provision in the Prison
Yet, even as he is sold into slavery, God comes through.
Genesis 39:1-2 (NASB)
Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Ishmaelites, who had taken him down there. The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.
Joseph is sold into the house of Potiphar, an Egyptian officer. The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man. Potiphar gives Joseph charge over everything in his house—except for his wife. Does that remind you of anything? It’s like the Garden of Eden, where God told Adam and Eve they could have anything except the fruit of one tree. We see these mirror images of the Garden all throughout Genesis.
It wasn’t a problem for Joseph, but it was a problem for Potiphar’s wife. Scripture says Joseph was “handsome in form and appearance.” To put it bluntly, Joseph was dreamy. Potiphar’s wife throws herself at him, and Joseph is faced with an incredible decision. He says no. But she was persistent. Let me tell you, she was not a Proverbs 31 woman. She pursues Joseph until he literally has to run away from her. She grabs his garment, frames him for attempted rape, and Potiphar responds with anger.
If Potiphar were truly angry at Joseph, the punishment for attempted rape would have been execution. But Potiphar throws him in prison instead. Potiphar knew what kind of character his wife had; he was likely saving face. So Joseph ends up in prison, and again, it feels like his brothers’ words are echoing: “Now let’s see what will become of his dreams.” Joseph is getting further and further away from the promise God made to him as a seventeen-year-old boy. Yet, God comes through again.
Genesis 39:21-22 (NASB)
But the LORD was with Joseph and extended kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the chief jailer. The chief jailer committed to Joseph’s charge all the prisoners who were in the jail; so that whatever was done there, he was responsible [for it].
I don’t want you to miss this: For Joseph’s life, God’s provision looked like prison. That’s an insane thing to think about. How is prison provision? But all along the way, whether he’s being sold into slavery or thrown into prison, God is with him. He gives him favor and perseverance.
I wonder how many of us can relate to that? We look back on our trials with hindsight—and they say hindsight is 20/20—and we see how God provided even when the trial was all we could see. Sometimes when we’re in the middle of it, we have no peripheral vision. We only see the mountain we’re climbing; we can’t see that God is carrying us. Joseph bloomed where he was planted. Whether in Potiphar’s house or in prison, he simply trusted God.
The Two-Year Wait
While in prison, Joseph meets two of Pharaoh’s officials: the cupbearer and the baker. These were men who literally tasted Pharaoh’s food to ensure it wasn’t poisoned. They both have dreams on the same night, and Joseph notices they look sad the next day. Joseph tells them that God can interpret dreams. He tells the cupbearer he will be restored to his office in three days. He tells the baker that in three days, he will be executed.
After Joseph tells the cupbearer the good news, he makes a request.
Genesis 40:14 (NASB)
’Only keep me in mind when it goes well with you, and please do me a kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house.
For the first time, Joseph takes matters into his own hands. He’s tired of being in prison. He thinks, “This guy is being restored; he’ll tell Pharaoh, and I’ll finally get out of here.” But the Chief Cupbearer did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.
You can hear those words again: “Now let us see what will become of his dreams.” Not only were his brothers hundreds of miles away, not only had he suffered through slavery and prison, but when he finally thinks he has a way out, the door is shut. He spends two more years in that prison.
From the Dungeon to the Throne
Two years later, Pharaoh has a dream that none of his wise men can interpret. Finally, the cupbearer speaks up. “Oh, I totally forgot! There was a Hebrew youth in prison who interpreted my dream.”
Genesis 41:12-13 (NASB)
’Now a Hebrew youth [was] with us there, a servant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we related [them] to him, and he interpreted our dreams for us. To each one he interpreted according to his [own] dream. ‘And just as he interpreted for us, so it happened; he restored me in my office, but he hanged him.’
Joseph is called in, interprets the dream about seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine, and Pharaoh is so impressed that he makes Joseph the number two ruler in all of Egypt. Thirteen years after the promise was given to a seventeen-year-old boy, it finally starts to make sense. When you get a promise from God, you might think it’ll happen tomorrow. But for Joseph, it was thirteen years of slavery, prison, and being forgotten.
Genesis 42:6 (NASB)
Now Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down to him with [their] faces to the ground.
During the famine, Joseph’s brothers travel thirty days to Egypt to buy grain. They show up before the man in charge, and they bow down. Thirteen years later, the promise is fulfilled. In each trial, it seemed the promise was getting further away, but if God makes a promise, you are never any further from its realization than when you started, because God is God.
Looking back at his life from his deathbed, Joseph tells his brothers:
Genesis 50:20 (NASB)
’As for you, you meant evil against me, [but] God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
He has a mature perspective. He realizes that in the good, the bad, and the confusing times, God was at work. God never let go of him.
Faith in the Unseen Promise
Now we can finally understand Hebrews 11:22. Joseph, when dying, made mention of the Exodus and gave orders concerning his bones. Why? Because Joseph knew the promise given to his great-grandfather, Abraham.
Genesis 15:13-14 (NASB)
[God] said to Abram, ’Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. ’But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions.
This promise of slavery in a foreign land and a future Exodus was passed down from Abraham to Isaac, from Isaac to Jacob, and from Jacob to Joseph. Joseph believed in the promise of God so much that he gave orders for his bones to be carried out of Egypt when the Exodus eventually happened. He embodied the very definition of faith.
Hebrews 11:1 (NASB)
Now faith is the assurance of [things] hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Joseph believed in an unrealized promise because he recognized God’s faithfulness in his own past. He told his family, “When God delivers on His promise…” not “If.” He knew the God who was faithful in the pit and the prison would be faithful to the promise made four generations prior.
If you do a little sleuth work in Exodus 13:19, you’ll see that when the Israelites left Egypt, Moses carried Joseph’s bones. And in Joshua 24:32, when they finally settled in the Promised Land, they buried Joseph’s bones. His faith was rewarded.
Recognizing the “Slow Drip”
God has been faithful in all of our pasts. There is not one person in here who can look back and say God hasn’t been faithful. Now, that’s different from saying you haven’t had a rough life. You may have had a very hard life, but that speaks to the fall of man. The fact that you are here speaks to God’s faithfulness.
I think about my own call to ministry. I often characterize it as a “slow drip.” As a twenty-one-year-old on the back of a houseboat at Lake Mead, two elders told me, “We think you’re going to be a pastor.” I said, “Thank you, but no thank you.” For the next seven years, I tried to do anything else. I was a teacher, a coach, an advertising exec in LA. I even tried to become an LAPD officer.
After I was disqualified from the LAPD, I went home to my wife dejected and said, “Alright, I’m giving in to God.” Two weeks later, I was accepted to seminary. Two weeks after that, I started. The road to today is paved in promises God has fulfilled and doors He has unlocked. When I see how God brought me here, I’m filled with awe. I wonder why I ever struggled to trust.
The Greatest Promise Fulfilled
How many of us struggle to believe that the promises of God will be fulfilled? I don’t know your trials intimately, but I know this: If you have been given grace through Jesus, God has already fulfilled His greatest promise to you.
Romans 5:8 (NASB)
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
We can trust God for our future because we recognize His faithfulness in our past. But to trust His promises, we have to know them. My worry is that many people today don’t actually know what God has promised.
Exodus 14:14 (NASB)
‘The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.’
Matthew 6:33 (NASB)
’But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
There are roughly 5,467 promises of God in the Bible. Here is one more for you:
1 John 1:9 (NASB)
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If you haven’t realized the fulfillment of this promise yet, it is on the table tonight. If you confess your sins, He is faithful to forgive and cleanse you. If you put your faith in Jesus—the Messiah promised all those years ago—He is faithful to give you eternity with Him.
Joseph was an incredible man of faith because he had faith in the unseen based on what he had seen. I wonder how strong our faith would be if we all had the perspective to look back at our lives and attribute our progress to the faithfulness of God? We would be a church that never lacks trust. We would be a church that embodies Hebrews 11:1.
Let that be our anthem as we go about the rest of our week. Let’s pray.
Father, we are so grateful that You are a faithful God. It is in Your very nature. You never change, You never fail, and You come through on Your promises 100% of the time. As You have been faithful in our past, help us to trust You for our future. There is no one else worth trusting. In Jesus’ name, amen.
A Time of Remembrance
We’re going to respond now by receiving Communion. Communion is an act of remembrance. It’s interesting that we planned this for a night where we talked about Joseph remembering what God had done. Tonight, we remember what God did by sending His Son to the cross.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (NASB)
For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same way [He took] the cup also after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink [it], in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
In a minute, we’ll put instructions on the screens. If you’re a follower of Christ, we invite you to partake. If you aren’t able to physically come to the front, just raise your hand as the band plays, and Eric will bring the elements to you. We are excited to remember the faithfulness of God through Jesus on the cross.
Father, thank You for Your Son. I pray that You would search our hearts. May we cast our sins before You and take Communion with pure hearts, knowing that Christ died so that we could be forgiven. Thank You for the free gift of eternal life. Amen.