Lessons From Joseph Page 1 JOSEPH S SUCCESS SUCCESS, THE GREATEST TEMPTATION Lesson 4 Genesis 41

Lessons From Joseph Page 1 JOSEPH S SUCCESS SUCCESS, THE GREATEST TEMPTATION Lesson 4 Genesis 41 INTRODUCTION: Gen. 40:1-4. Pharaoh s chief cup-bearer and chief baker offended their royal master. Pharaoh became angry with these two officials, and he put them in the prison where Joseph was, in the palace of the captain of the guard. They remained in prison for quite some time, and the captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, who looked after them. o Joseph was their servant, served them, ministered to them or looked after them. The HCSB, he became their personal attendant. o How easy it is to overlook the suffering of others, especially if you are suffering. Gen. 40:6-7 When Joseph saw them the next morning, he noticed that they both looked upset. Why do you look so worried today? he asked them. NLT Under Joseph the prisoner s mood was usually happy. This morning it had turned around. 40:8-23 o The Butler and the Baker had both had troubling dreams. o The Interpretation o Request made by Joseph to the butler, remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. o Fulfillment TWO YEARS LATER, Genesis 41:1-13 Pharaoh had two dreams His wise men could not interpret The Butler remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh that Joseph had interpret his dreams. Genesis 41:14-16 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it. So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace. o How easy it would have been for Joseph to reply, Yes, I am very successful in interpreting dreams.

Lessons From Joseph Page 2 o When you are most successful, most blessed, that is when you are most vulnerable. But when you are strongest, you are the weakest Look what I ve done. o When you are weakest, you call on the Lord and you are strongest Lord, I need Your help. The Apostle Paul said, That s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Cor. 12:10 NLT PHARAOH S DREAM Pharaoh tells his dreams to Joseph. o Genesis 41:17-24 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: Behold, in my dream I stood on the bank of the river. Suddenly seven cows came up out of the river, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such ugliness as I have never seen in all the land of Egypt. And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat cows. When they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were just as ugly as at the beginning. So I awoke. Also I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven heads came up on one stalk, full and good. Then behold, seven heads, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. And the thin heads devoured the seven good heads. So I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me. THE INTERPRETATION God gives Joseph interpretation of the dreams. o Vs. 25-32 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do: The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years; the dreams are one. And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land. So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe. And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

Lessons From Joseph Page 3 This is the third incident of God giving him the meaning of dreams. Joseph depended on God giving him direction. Joseph gives advice/wisdom/solution. o Vs. 33-36 Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine. Joseph now goes beyond the interpretation of these dreams to recommend a solution to the problem. Here we can see Joseph s God-given administrative gifts in action. Pharaoh discerns that Joseph and Joseph s God is a winning combination. o Vs. 37-38 So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God? o It's absolutely amazing what a person can accomplish when God is brought into the equation so never underestimate what God can do in your life. o Joseph didn t hand out his business card with the advice. I don t think Joseph ever imagined he would be chosen for such a task. Once again, Joseph was simply trying to serve. PROMOTION Joseph Promoted o Vs. 39-45 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, Bow the knee! So he set him over all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh also said to Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh called Joseph s name Zaphnath-Paaneah. [the Margin of the New King James Bible states here: "Probably Egyptian for 'God Speaks and He Lives.'"]. And he gave him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah

Lessons From Joseph Page 4 priest of On. So Joseph went out over (Or Joseph gained authority over) all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh makes Joseph more acceptable to the Egyptians Pharaoh by giving Joseph an Egyptian name and marrying him into a prominent Egyptian family. Joseph gave his own sons Hebrew names, however, a practice that suggests he maintained his own identity Everybody else is bowing the knee to Joseph, but not his family! Not yet! In one hours time Joseph went from being a prisoner to being vice president of Egypt and all its holding. This is comparable to our President calling a prisoner out of prison and promoting him to Vice President. You or I may never be second in command to a throne but we are all children of God and if we trust Him, we can also see the work He can do through us. We are sometimes so caught up in trying to do it ourselves that we wait until we feel total defeat and then we finally ask God to help us. Joseph had been faithful to God and God had been faithful to him! God can turn your situation around in a heartbeat. Andrew Wommack became a Christian in 1967. In 1968 The Lord showed him he would be on radio and on TV. He heard a song on the radio and told others, that was the song he was going to use on his radio program. It wasn t until 1976 (8 yrs. later) that he started a radio program. For almost 10 yrs. He and his wife were on the brink of starving. He started his TV ministry in 2000 (32 yrs. later). Do you think you are at your ropes end? At least you are not in prison for attempting to rape the Secretary of Defense s wife! Whatever your trouble you are not alone. o 1 Cor. 10:13 No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he ll always be there to help you come through it. TMSG Joseph was faithful to perform as God had directed. o Genesis 41:46-49 Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. Now in the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth abundantly. So he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; he laid up in every city the food of the fields which surrounded them. Joseph gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable. JOSEPH HAS HIS OWN FAMILY NOW Joseph was now blessed with his own family. o Vs. 50-52 And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. Joseph

Lessons From Joseph Page 5 called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father s house. And the name of the second he called Ephraim: For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. Joseph named his oldest son Manasseh, which means, making to forget. God had caused Joseph to forget all his sufferings at the hand of his brothers (verse 51). The younger son Joseph named Ephraim, which means fruitfulness. God had caused Joseph to be fruitful in the land of his affliction. o The Antwone Fisher Story (on last page) Joseph s faithfulness through rejection from his brothers and being sold as a slave, his being a servant to Potiphar, his refusing Mrs. P s advances, his being in prison for 2 years, his hearing from God and not taking credit, all this brought Joseph to the top. For 7 years of plenty and 2 years of famine, Joseph s dream had still not yet come to pass and he faithfully held on. o Vs. 53-57 Then the seven years of plenty which were in the land of Egypt ended, and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do. The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt. So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands. STAY FAITHFUL TO GOD ON THE MOUNTAIN AND IN THE VALLEY If you have trouble remaining faithful to God in hardship, you will never make it in prosperity. o When do you pray the most? When you are in trouble or when you are blessed? o When you are blessed and everything is going good, that is the greatest test of your faithfulness and your relationship with God. o Joseph could have taken the entire Egyptian army, gone back to his home, surrounded his family and forced them to bow down. He could have forced the vision to come to pass, yet, Joseph did not do a single thing in the natural to make the dream happen. For 13 years of being a slave and being in prison he stayed faithful to God. Now after 9 years of prosperity he still remained faithful. o It is one thing to serve God through hardship, but what happens when everything works? How many ministers have fallen when their TV ministry prospered?

Lessons From Joseph Page 6 THE STORY OF ANTWONE FISHER Antwone Fisher was placed in foster homes weeks after he was born and through most of his childhood. After living with a foster family for two years, Fisher was taken away from them. He was then placed into another foster home with a family named Pickett. He spent 14 years of his childhood with the Picketts and was abused physically, verbally and sexually. He was then removed from the Pickett home after having a fight with his foster mother. Antwone was sent to a male institution called George Junior Republic School from which he graduated prior to joining the U. S. Navy. Fisher joined the U.S. Navy to escape homelessness. Fisher spent 11 years in the Navy. Here, he met Commander Williams, a psychiatrist who helped him work through his emotional traumas. After the discharge from the Navy, Fisher joined the Federal Bureau of Prisons as a federal correctional officer, and after three years with the bureau, he began work as a security guard for Sony Pictures. It was then when Fisher decided to find his true family members. He contacted Annette Elkins, who turned out to be his aunt. Within months of this contact, Fisher met all of his family, including his mother, Eva Mae. He learned that she had given birth to four other children who were all taken away as wards of the state. Fisher said after their meeting: "In the place inside me where the hurt of abandonment had been, now only compassion lived." Fisher is currently married to his wife, Lynette. They have two children, Indigo and Azure. Fisher is still working as an author, poet, movie producer and writer. (Fisher, like Joseph, had his own personal family, plus, he was united with his genealogical family.)