Joseph was the 17 year old teenage son of Jacob. He was their father’s favorite. Joseph had been given dreams about his brothers’ sheaves of grain bowing down and the sun, moon & 11 stars bowing to him. For this reason his 10 older brothers got mad even more and conspired to kill him but it was averted and he sold to human traffickers. They told their father that he had been killed by a wild beast. The slave traders took him into Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, one of the Pharaoh’s officers. Joseph gained great favor & became in charge of his master’s household. He was well built & handsome (39:6) and Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph day after day. When she failed, she made up false accusations which resulted in Joseph’s imprisonment. The prison warden trusted him and appointed him in charge of prison where he interpreted dreams of Pharaoh’s cup bearer restored to office & chief baker executed after 3 days.
Because of this reputation, Joseph was called upon to interpret a dream that deeply troubled the Pharaoh. None of the Pharaoh’s wise men had been able to decipher the dream except Joseph. He accurately relayed the symbols in the dream to a future time of 7 years abundance that would be followed by a 7 years great famine. The Pharaoh rewarded Joseph, now 30 years old with overseeing the land of Egypt as governor. In these prosperous times he stored up the abundant harvest toward the tragic times ahead. During the years of famine, Joseph’s brothers came to buy grains to keep their people from starvation. Not recognizing their young Hebrew brother as the elegant prominent Egyptian, he ordered them harshly to return with their younger brother. When the brothers returned with Benjamin, Joseph revealed his identity. The brothers suffered from great remorse of their past actions and Joseph forgave them. It was a joyous reunion between a grieved father and lost son. Joseph’s years of steadfast reliance on God brought about not only reunion but his high position so that he was able to save a nation from starvation.
** Joseph – a victim of human trafficking, at 17 yrs old (37:2), he was thrown into an empty well, then he was sold (20 shekels silver) into slavery by his brothers to Midianites who in turn sold him to Egypt ( 37:28) July 13&14,2012 Human Trafficking Confab, Not for Sale Philippines w. P Ef Tendero
** He becomes the head & not the tail wherever he go… head of Potiphar’s household 39:4, 22-23 in charge of prison, 39:22-23 rose up into power 41:40-41 (governor of Egypt 42:6)
** Joseph was pure, honest & holy, impeccable character & integrity .. 39:10- tempted day by day by Potiphar’s wife; he is trustworthy – starts by having a word of honor, keep ur promise,
Generosity is not a money issue but a heart issue. Its giving attention, time, value, gifts , appreciation, concern to other person. (brothers, Potiphar, warden, cup bearer & chief baker). This is a quality of a servant leader. He has outward focus…serving others instead of being selfish, self-absorbed on ur looks, reputation, (handsome -37:& entitlements/rights (because am Jewish, talented, you should invite me, because I think am beautiful u should see my or FBphotos, because I pay tax, uncle Sam provides for my SSI, SRO, etc, because I am in need (homeless) you should feed me, )
Serving others is an outward focus, not selfish, self-absorbed on looks or accomplishments, craving attention, reputation or self entitlement, but giving genuine love, care & attention to needs of others. . ” dts@
To Understand instead of being understood: craving for attention, dying to be noticed as spectacular (lady gaga outfit, loose pants, writings on toilets)
**50:20 You intended to harm me but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being one, the saving of many lives.
Stewardship is not asking people to give but knowing 100 percent what we have giving it to God .
We don’t plan to fail but we fail to plan.
** God was with Joseph (39:2,prosper 3,success,5,21,23-success= 5x) Deuteronomy 8:18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.
** Season of abundance & season of lack/hardship : “save for the rainy day” 41:47-49
41:49 – Joseph stored up huge quantitites of grain, like the sand of the sea: it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.
Proverbs 30:25 Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer –
Proverbs 24:3 Any enterprise is built by wise planning, becomes strong through common sense, and profits wonderfully by keeping abreast of the facts. —
Prov 22:7 The borrower is slave to the lender
Proverbs 21:20 In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has. —
Matthew 6:26 — Look at the birds of the air they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
