Copyright 2015 by David Ramos. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, please contact the author through the Contact Form on his website: RamosAuthor.com All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.
Table of Contents Introduction This Is Only The Beginning Undeserving and Unlikely Brother s Betrayal Presence And Blessing A Safe And Painful Place The Waiting Game When God Steps In Enjoyment And Service The Power Of Forgiveness The Painter Grander Plans Invitation To Greatness More Books by Author Connect Endnotes
Introduction I didn t like the story of Joseph for a long time. He was spoiled, entitled and when he finally had to go through difficult times, God blessed him tremendously. In my mind, it wasn t fair. Joseph didn t earn the right to dream big dreams. His father, Jacob, and grandfather, Abraham, had worked and sacrificed to get to their positions in life. Joseph seemed to be handed his. It wasn t until recently that I sat down with his story again and started to see something different. Yes, Joseph was spoiled and his story had a very different path than others in Scripture. But the theme that pours out of every page in Joseph s journey is grace. God was continually watching out for him. Time and time again, when it seems as if Joseph has finally met his end, God steps in and unleashes a waterfall of grace; completely transforming the situation into Joseph s favor. And all along the way, Joseph submitted to God s guidance. Joseph s story used to frustrate me because it made so little of man s contribution. But that s the point! God is the One bringing us into His story, not the other way around. God loves to get the glory, that is why He calls the unqualified and unfit to great things. Joseph had no training interpreting dreams or running a country, but when he was put in those situations he leaned heavily on God. Joseph needed God every step of the way. The question is, do we? Are we living the kind of stories which require us to lean on God? Or are we playing it safe, sticking to the choices we know we can handle and never having to fully rely on God? Joseph s best life was the one he had the least control over. His story now lives on not because of his effort, but because of God s grace. I want that, a life more characterized by God s grace than my own effort. We can live a life we don t deserve because we belong to a God who doesn t play by the rules. And He is inviting you to live a greater story. If you re ready, now we can begin to dream with Joseph
This Is Only The Beginning Day 1 Genesis 37:2-4 Joseph is not the character most people think he is. Our first introduction to the young man is anything but positive. Right away, we see him tattle-telling on his brothers. Whether or not the stories he tells about them are actually true is a point of contention. i On top of that, Joseph is clearly Jacob s favorite. The family history of favoritism seems to have stood the test of time (Isaac loved Esau more, Jacob loved Rachel more). Joseph is not a good boy. He is not an example we should follow. At first, he is nothing more than a spoiled kid with a habit for making up stories. As we will see, this is the person who God gives great dreams; who God uses to save a nation; and who becomes a shining ancient example of the Savior to come. God doesn t care where your story starts. He didn t pass over Joseph because he lied or because he was spoiled. God didn t pay attention to what was and instead focused on what could be. Joseph would go on to become a great man, a patriarch in his own right. Everyone has to start somewhere and Joseph started here. But as we will see, that is not where God kept him. Takeaway: Where you start has no bearing on how far God can take you. Prayer: Lord, thank You that the beginning of my story does not have to keep me from living an extraordinary story. Give me the faith and hope to dream big dreams.
Undeserving And Unlikely Day 2 Genesis 37:5-11 The second scene we see with Joseph is one that has gone on to define his story. Joseph has two dreams; one takes place on earth and the other in the heavens. In both cases, the grains and the stars, which represent Joseph s family, bow down to him. However, if you look at the context of the story, the focus is not on the interpretation of Joseph s dreams but instead, on the family s reaction to them. Multiple times the verses say that the brothers hated Joseph and were jealous of him. On top of that, even the father Jacob, who calls Joseph his favorite son, has said he has gone too far. Furthermore, there is no interpretation of the dreams, only questions: Will you rule over us Will we actually bow down to you? So what is the purpose of giving these dreams so early on in Joseph s story? There are two reasons. The first reason has to do with what we just saw in the previous verses. Joseph does not deserve to receive prophetic dreams from God. To put it simply, he s a spoiled brat. What is God thinking by sending him such grand ideas about his future? But you see, that s exactly how God works. He chooses the overlooked, the unlikely. He loves to use the people we least expect to accomplish the unthinkable. In choosing Joseph, God is laying the foundation for His own glory. If such extraordinary things are going to happen, they will happen by His hand alone. The second reason for the dreams is to show how our callings from God are affected by the people in our lives. Everyone in Joseph s family tried to shut him down immediately. That can t happen You re crazy You really think you can do that? When God calls us to do great things you can bet others will do their best to deter us. They will remind us of our failures, our inadequacies and our sins. They will do everything they can to keep us in our box of small faith. As we will see, Joseph s dreams sustained him even in the worst circumstances. Joseph impressed the promises on his heart and never let go because he believed God always fulfills his promises. You are as much a child of God and a child of promise as Joseph was. You may be undeserving of the life God has called you to and maybe you have already received some pushback from those close to you. Don t lose hope. The very circumstances which were meant to break Joseph s faith in the promises were actually the events setting up their fulfillment.
Takeaway: No matter how undeserving we are, or unlikely it seems, God always keeps His promises to us. Prayer: Father, You have planned great things for me. Help me to trust You, even when others try to sabotage that trust. I am wholly Yours.
Brothers Betrayal Day 3 Genesis 37:12-36 The favorite and hopeful Joseph is about to have his world completely stripped away. Although Joseph seems to be unsuspecting as he travels out to check on his brothers, the reader is not. We have read over and over again how intense their hate is for Joseph. Now they will be alone with their younger brother miles away from home. Joseph has some trouble finding his brothers at first, but quickly gets on the right path and spots them in the distance. They also spot him from far away, mostly due to his brightly-colored cloak. A glaring reminder of their father s favoritism. Now is their chance. The brothers come together and form a plan. At first they want to kill him, but the eldest talks them out of it. They decide to teach him a lesson by throwing him into an empty well in the middle of nowhere. But then a third and better option presents itself they decide to sell him to traders. That way they not only get rid of their brother, but they also cash in. Once they are back home the brothers deceive their father into believing Joseph was eaten by a wild animal. They have all of their bases covered and for them, this is the end of Joseph s dreams. We are given a drop of hope, though, in the very last verse of the chapter. Joseph is purchased by an Egyptian official. As it turns out, the end of Joseph s old life is really the start of his destiny. Betrayal is a devastating blow to endure. Whether it was from a family member, a spouse, a friend. When someone betrays you its as if they literally rip out a piece of you. Joseph was betrayed by every one of his brothers. It was as if each one reached inside and ripped him apart. But the author doesn t record any of his cries for help or mercy. Throughout the entire scene Joseph is completely silent. I don t know why they decided to tell the story this way. Maybe it was to foreshadow how Jesus endured his own betrayal. Or maybe it s because Joseph s pain was so intense, the author couldn t bring himself to write down his cries. But what I do know is that even when others are done with us, God is not. Joseph s brothers had given up on him; they wanted nothing to with him. But God had other plans.
Even when it seems as if the whole world is turning against you, remember this scene. Remember that we serve a God who sees and who cares, who doesn t turn his back on us and will never stop writing our story. Takeaway: Even if the whole world gives up on us, God never will. Prayer: Almighty God, it blows my mind that You would pay attention to me that You know my story and my troubles and my hopes. Thank You for not giving up on me.
Presence And Blessing Day 4 Genesis 39:1-6 Joseph s story finally takes a positive turn, but only for a short while. The young man arrived in Egypt and was put to work. He does so well during his time there the Bible describes him as prospering. This is definitely an odd word to use for someone bound in slavery. But God was with Joseph, so his experience was nothing short of extraordinary. He was quickly promoted from a simple outdoor slave to the head of Potiphar s household. This would have been a prestigious role, usually reserved for the absolute best slaves who had served under the master for decades. Joseph was placed there in a fraction of that time. During this time, everything placed under Joseph s care prospered. He was basically a living good luck charm. However, another betrayal was right around the corner and Joseph s world would again be stripped away. One powerful lesson found here is the reason for Joseph s success. Towards the beginning of this chapter we read The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered. It s not coincidence that the sentence was worded this way. There s a relationship at work here, one that Bible commentator Gordon Wenham brings to life, God s presence and blessing belong together. ii The presence of God and the blessing of God are two sides to the same coin. Just like God is light and around him there can be no darkness, so God s presence brings blessing. Like an aura of good, when God is near something or someone that thing cannot help but become more than it was before. How often do you pray for blessings? And how often do you pray for God s presence? I know personally, I ask for the first much more often. I ask God to bless my opportunities, my decisions, my trials, and my relationships. But what if that s incomplete? What if instead of asking for blessing, we asked for God to show up in our opportunities, choices, and pains? What if the reason we are not experiencing blessing is because we have a habit of not inviting the Blesser? Takeaway: The presence of God brings the blessings of God.
Prayer: Thank you Lord that You are willing to be with us and that You have promised to never leave us. Help me to not just seek good things but to seek the One who brings them.
A Safe And Painful Place Day 5 Genesis 39:7-20 Trouble rears its ugly head once again in Joseph s story. As he was walking in the presence of God, fulfilling his duties, the temptation of lust tried to veer him off course. Potiphar s wife was attracted to Joseph and readers get the sense that she was a woman who always got what she wanted. But Joseph stayed firm. He wanted to honor both his earthly master and God by not falling into sin with her. Yet she was persistent. It says day after day she came to Joseph tempting him, but still he refused. Eventually, her patience ran out. Potiphar s wife grabbed Joseph one day and was adamant that she would get what she wanted. Joseph was equally determined not to give it to her so he ran away, leaving his cloak in her hands. In response, she wove a story about Joseph trying to take advantage of her, and the cloak was all the evidence they needed. Innocent and silent once again, Joseph s life is apparently destroyed as he is thrown into prison. This story presents us with an uncomfortable truth. Bad things can still happen to us even when we are obeying the will of God. Joseph was directly where God wanted him to be, doing exactly what he was supposed to be doing. He was obedient, honorable and regularly defeating temptation. Yet despite all of that, something terrible came into his life. Yesterday we saw that the presence of God also brings the blessings of God. But its also important to understand that God s presence does not mean we will be free of suffering. From Abraham to Jesus, the bible teaches us over and over again that sometimes the most painful place to be is in the will of God. So what should we do? Follow God anyways. No matter how painful the situation may be, when we are in God s will and presence we can have hope that He will see us through. As in Joseph s story, even the most unfortunate circumstances can be turned into good. Takeaway: The safest and most dangerous place we can be is in the presence of God.
Prayer: God, I want to be close to You and to obey Your word but I am scared of the consequences. Please give me courage to follow You both when it is good and when it is difficult.
The Waiting Game Day 6 Genesis 40:1-23 Now in prison, Joseph is once again placed into a position of authority. He is given responsibility over the prisoners and God blesses his time there. Joseph serves well even as he looks for any way to get out. Eventually an opportunity arises. Two of the Pharaoh s officials are sent to prison and put under Joseph s care. During their time there they each have a dream. The two men are terrified by their situation, and the dreams only act to make them more curious and cautious about their future. Joseph offers his help. To our knowledge, he has never interpreted a dream before. But one thing is clear he has stayed faithful to God. All the trials so far have worked to make him an obedient servant of God, one who trusts Him fully even when his entire world is falling apart. So by faith, Joseph offers his insight to the two men. The cupbearer s dream showed that he would be restored to his previous position while the baker would be killed. After the interpretation, Joseph begs them to remember him and help him get out of prison. Three days pass and Joseph s words turn out to be true. The cupbearer returns to his work while the baker is put to death. The chapter ends on a gray note. In all the joy of being set free and restored, the cupbearer forgot about Joseph. And so for two more years, Joseph is confined to prison where he must wait and pray and wonder what God is up to. If you were to search for what theme is more prevalent in the Old Testament than any other, I would cast my vote on the theme of waiting. Abraham waited for children. Job waited for an answer. Israel waited for a home. Over and over again, we see God make extraordinary promises to His people, and then make them wait years and years before they come true. I wonder how many nights Joseph fell asleep remembering the dreams he had as a boy all those years ago. Waiting has a way of causing us to doubt the promises of God. Joseph probably began to ask himself some hard questions. Did those dreams even happen? Maybe I misunderstood them? Maybe those dreams weren t meant for me? Waiting is one of the most difficult parts of the Christian life. But it can also be one of the most rewarding because it is in the wait that our faith is truly exercised. Every day that passed with Joseph still in prison worked towards building his faith in God. And our waiting can do the same for us if we let it.
I can t tell you why God may be making you wait, but I can say, in faith, that He has your best interest in mind. God knows what He is doing with your story. Trust Him. Takeaway: Waiting on God is a necessary part of growing our faith. Prayer: Father, I am not good at waiting on You. Waiting makes me worry, it makes me scared, and it makes me doubt your goodness. Help me wait build my faith and trust in You, and give me the endurance to know that Your timing is perfect.
When God Steps In Day 7 Genesis 41:1-40 In an instant, Joseph s world is changed again. The Pharaoh had a dream that nobody in his royal court could interpret. Thankfully, the cupbearer who failed to remember Joseph all those years ago, finally does and brings him before the Pharaoh. With humility, Joseph interprets Pharaoh s dreams and prophecies that two periods are on their way: one of plenty and one of famine. It s likely that everyone in the room was terrified by what they heard, so Joseph goes a little further. He offers his own wisdom on how to handle the situation: save a portion of the plenty to sustain the nation through the time of famine. Pharaoh received his answer and was clearly impressed by the young man. In one swift decree he elevates Joseph, the prisoner, to the position of vizier, the second most powerful person in the land. Every time I read this chapter I remember how perfectly it displays the awesomeness of God. God literally took Joseph while he was in the lowest place in his life (imprisoned, alone, forgotten) and raised him into a position where his dreams could now come true. God is glorified in our unlikely circumstances. When there seems to be no logical way to get from here to there - that is when God steps in. He waits until there can be no other answer than the hand of God so that there will be no one else to praise but Him! Your dark times are opportunities for God to shine. He has not placed you in your current troubles to forget about you or to imprison you. He is building your story and His glory. God loved Joseph, but He also loved every person who would be affected by the famine. And so God allowed Joseph to wait in pain until just the right time. Your waiting is not in vain. God is at work. The One who gave you your dreams will be the One to help them come true. Takeaway: Sometimes God makes us wait on purpose, so that He will be glorified by the good that comes. Prayer: Holy God, Your ways are not my ways and Your thoughts are not my thoughts. Help me wait on You because You always have my best in mind.
Enjoyment And Service Day 8 Genesis 41:41-57 The interpretations Joseph gave to Pharaoh came true and the first seven years of plenty arrived in full force. During this time, Joseph experienced his own personal blessing as well. Joseph married an Egyptian woman named Asenath and had two sons with her: Manasseh and Ephraim. In the Old Testament, names were never picked lightly. They always carried a deeper meaning, whether related to the situation at hand or to a prophecy placed over the child. Joseph names his first son Manasseh because God has made me forget all my trouble and all of my father s household. The name literally means to make forget. iii The name was typically used as a name for a second child after the first had passed away. But here, Joseph is using it symbolically. He literally has a new life and is a new person in Egypt. God has seen him through all his trials and now life is so good that it has caused him to forget all the pain it took to get here. The second son, Ephraim, is named for the following reason, God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering. The name literally means fertile land. iv Joseph is fully invested in the place God has brought him to. Joseph has made this place his home and is enjoying the good things that have come his way. Naming his second son Ephraim is a way of celebrating and of saying thanks to what God has done. I honestly believe that our best days are ahead of us. And not just in Heaven, but on this earth as well. I believe much of Scripture supports this point. You see, this world is where we can make an impact for God. It s in this human land that Joseph was able to save thousands, if not millions of lives, through his wisdom. And it is in this land that we will have our greatest impact for God. God has not called us to live small lives. Instead, He has called us to make the most of this life while we have it and to make the most of Him every step of the way. Joseph embraced his calling as well as his situation. He was able to live well as well as serving God wholly. I believe we are called to do the same. Your best life will always come at the intersection of surrender to God s will and deep gratitude. Takeaway: Enjoying our life and serving God whole-heartedly work best when done together.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for this life. I know You have called me to do great things as well as to enjoy this beautiful life You ve given to me. Help me to honor You in both my mission and in my choices.
The Power of Forgiveness Day 9 Genesis 42 43 At this point in the story Joseph has spent over twenty years in Egypt. He is a different man, completely changed from the boy who was originally brought here as a slave. Joseph has built a new life upon the promises and opportunities that God has given him, but now a reminder of his past arrives. As Joseph was going about his duties he spots a group of men. They bow before him and when they raise their heads, Joseph realizes who they are. His brothers had come to buy food. Completely unsuspecting, Joseph had just lived the dream he had as a boy all those years ago. If Joseph wanted to take revenge, now was his chance. He was in a position of power, and his brothers didn t even recognize him. He could have taken advantage of the situation any which way he pleased. But instead, he forgave them (although, not without giving them a very hard time first). We can go into the remorse the brother s felt, or examine all the various hoops Joseph made them jump through. But in the end, the simplest study of this scene will do. Forgiveness is not weak. Forgiveness is not what scared or helpless people do. Forgiveness always comes from a position of power. Joseph was able to forgive his brothers because he knew that God had turned their evil around and used it for good. v Joseph was stable, strong, filled with faith and compassion and it was out of these strengths that he was able to forgive his brothers. The hardest and most powerful choices you make in this life will be the choices to forgive those who hurt you. Forgiveness will not only set you free, but it will also set you up for what God wants to do next in your life. If Joseph had not forgiven his brothers; if he had taken the opportunity to fulfill his anger and seek revenge, then all of Israel s future would have been at stake. But because Joseph chose the right path, he secured a legacy that is alive to this day. Takeaway: When we forgive others, we invite God to do great things in our lives. Prayer: Father, You know how difficult it is for us to forgive those who hurt us. And yet You are the perfect example of what forgiveness looks like. Give me the strength
to forgive those who caused me pain so that I can experience everything You have for me.
The Painter Day 10 Genesis 45 Joseph cannot take it any longer. He concealed his identity through multiple scenes but now the time has come to tell the truth. Joseph calls all of the attendants out of the room and says the words we ve been waiting for since the brother s arrived in Egypt, I am Joseph! His brother s are stunned. Here is the boy they wronged all those years ago, now a man and a ruler. If I were them, I d be scared for my life. But listen to what Joseph says. He sees what they did to him as all a part of God s bigger plan. If they had not sold him to Egypt, he would have never become a slave, and then a prisoner, and finally a ruler. All of this happened so that countless lives could be saved. Joseph ends his explanation with one of the most powerful lines in Genesis, So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. While studying the book of Job I had to study whether or not it was God who caused evil. What I learned there applies to the story of Joseph and his brothers. God does not cause evil. He does, in a sense, allow it, but even that does not really capture His relationship to the bad things that happen in our lives. Instead, I use the analogy of painting. Normally a painter is given a white canvas and tray of colors and paints whatever it is he sees in his mind. However, our lives are anything but white canvases. Instead, they come blotched with all sorts of colors. These blotches are the evil that comes into our lives and the poor decisions we make. They try to mess up God s picture. Yet God s paint is thicker than these blotches. Instead of ignoring them, or completely painting over them, God finds a way to incorporate them into our picture. He uses them to make the final picture even more beautiful. I don t believe what the brothers did to Joseph was the only way he could have achieved his purpose. Rather, I believe that God always had the end goal in mind and worked to make Joseph s story beautiful no matter what blotches got in the way. Your story may be blotchy. It may have imperfections from what life has thrown your way. But don t for a minute believe that your story won t be any less extraordinary because of those things. God loves messes. He loves working in the midst of hopeless
and complicated situations because it is within those dark corners that His glory can shine brightest. Takeaway: Your story belongs to God and His stories always come out beautiful. Prayer: Father, thank You for your patience with me. You make beautiful things and I am Yours. Keep my eyes on You and these truths.
Grander Plans Day 11 Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30 After years of believing his son was dead, Jacob hears the words he never dreamed of hearing again, Joseph is alive. Although Jacob is old and weak, he will do everything in his power to see his favorite son one last time. To do this would require Jacob to leave his home. He would have to take a long journey to foreign land and likely breathe his last breath there. God enters the scene at this time and sends a vision to his servant Jacob. God encourages him to go and tells him that all of this is part of His grander plan. So Jacob goes to Egypt and in an incredibly heartening scene throws his arms around Joseph and they weep together. The two patriarchs are reunited at last. In the midst of their reunion, God reveals another snippet of His ultimate plan. Jacob was sent to Egypt for more than just interpreting dreams or managing the plague or even saving his family. God sent Jacob ahead in order to start the next chapter of Israel s history. In Egypt is where the Israelite people will explode from a small tribe into a nation of millions. God used Jacob not only to accomplish something astonishing in his own lifetime, but also to lay the groundwork for what was to come hundreds of years down the road. God s plans are always bigger than we see. You may think you understand why He placed you somewhere, or gave you a certain task or skill. But usually the real reason is a thousand times grander. When God calls you to do something, there is no small reason for it. There is only the big reason you may one day see, and then the bigger reason you may never know you were destined to be a part of. Take every opportunity God gives you seriously because you never know where it may lead, and who, in the grand scheme of things, it may ultimately impact. Takeaway: God s plans are always bigger than we see. Prayer: Almighty God, You do big things. Thank You for including me in Your plans and letting me play a part in Your huge story.
Invitation To Greatness Day 12 Genesis 50:20-26 Joseph s family is at last secure in the land of Egypt. They will be taken care of for many generations to come. Jacob has been buried back in the land of his fathers. At the end of Joseph s story, the world has reached a calm, albeit temporary, peace. Joseph s last words are two promises. First, that he will make sure to take care of his family for the rest of his life. He assures his brothers that he has forgiven them and reminds them that all of his was God s plan. The second promise Joseph makes is that God will continue to watch over the Israelites. The promises given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob have not been completely fulfilled and so the audience is left with anticipation. What will come next for the people of God? There are so many rich lessons in the story of Joseph. Lessons about God s providence, man s hope, patience, destiny and much more. However, the one lesson I will end this short book with is best worded by a fellow commentator, the key idea that informs the whole Joseph story, that through sinful people God works out his saving purposes. vi No one is beyond God s grace. No person is beyond His love. And no human being is incapable of being used for great things by God. Joseph was a nobody at the beginning of our story. He was just a young spoiled boy who had a habit of telling lies. But God took that boy on an incredible journey and through unbelievable suffering in order to make him a man that history would never forget. God wants to do the same with you. No matter where you are, or what you ve done, as long as you still have breath in your body, God wants to use you. He is calling you to do great things for Him, things you wouldn t even believe if He told you. It all starts with opening ourselves to God and letting Him develop the dreams He has placed inside of us. We have a God who is doing amazing things and He is holding out His hands, waiting for us to join Him. Takeaway: God has given us dreams just like Joseph and He will make them happen if we follow Him.
Prayer: Thank You God that You want to do great things with my life. I place my dreams in Your hands. Make my life count.
More Books by David Ramos Climbing with Abraham: 30 Devotionals to Help You Grow Your Faith, Build Your Life, and Discover God s Calling Escaping with Jacob: 30 Devotionals to Help You Find Your Identity, Forgive Your Past, and Walk In Your Purpose The God with a Plan For the full updated list please visit: http://www.ramosauthor.com/books/ Or visit my Amazon Author page: amazon.com/author/davidramos
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Endnotes i Gordon Wenham, Genesis 16-50, vol. 2 of Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word Books, 1994), 350. ii Ibid., 374. iii Ibid., 397. iv Ibid., 398. v Genesis 50:20 vi Wenham, 490.