Dr. Goodluck Ofoegbu Prof. Oby Ofoegbu Banking Blessings Ministry San Antonio, Texas USA
What We Will Learn Example on God messaging a child In normal parental interaction Based on testimony from life of Joseph Father sent him on errand To check on senior brothers in the field Led him to relocate family to Egypt Where they prospered and multiplied Genesis 37 through 47 Selections
Messaging Child via Normal Parental Interaction Parent passes information to child Instruction Advice Request Other parent-child interaction Not known to parent or child That the information is message from God Example from life of Joseph
Israel Sends Joseph on Errand Joseph was about 17 years old Lived with family in Valley of Hebron Senior brothers tending flock in Shechem Father (Israel) sent Joseph To go and check on his brothers Joseph accepted task Performed task with diligence Genesis 37:12 17
Genesis 37 (NKJV) 12 Then his brothers went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them. So he said to him, Here I am.
Genesis 37 (NKJV) 14 Then he said to him, Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me. So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem. 15 Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, What are you seeking?
Genesis 37 (NKJV) 16 So he said, I am seeking my brothers. Please tell me where they are feeding their flocks. 17 And the man said, They have departed from here, for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan. Joseph stayed on mission Until he accomplished the objective
Joseph Sold to Slavery Brothers conspired to kill Joseph But held him in a dry well Sold him to merchants travelling to Egypt God protected him through the experience Reuben convinced them to hold him They chose a dry well Judah convinced them to sell him Genesis 37:18 28
Genesis 37 (NIV) 18 But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. 19 Here comes that dreamer! they said to each other. 20 Come now, let s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we ll see what comes of his dreams.
Genesis 37 (NIV) 21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. Let s not take his life, he said. 22 Don t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don t lay a hand on him. Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.
Genesis 37 (NIV) 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe the ornate robe he was wearing 24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.
Genesis 37 (NIV) 25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt. 26 Judah said to his brothers, What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?
Genesis 37 (NIV) 27 Come, let s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood. His brothers agreed. 28 So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
Slave in Charge At Potiphar s house as slave Joseph distinguished himself His interactions radiated Godliness Potiphar placed him in charge But wife framed him for illicit attention Imprisoned without trial Genesis 39:1 20 [1 7 and 17 20 read in session]
Genesis 39 (NKJV) 1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. Getting to Potiphar s house Act of God Except for Joseph s earlier contribution In finding his brothers at Dothan
Genesis 39 (NKJV) 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. Radiated Godliness through interactions Attentive, engaged, and obedient Successful
Genesis 39 (NKJV) 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. Joseph s Godliness Endeared him to Potiphar Servant and Household Charge d Affaires
Genesis 39 (NKJV) 5 So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field.
Genesis 39 (NKJV) 6 Thus he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. 7 And it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, Lie with me.
Genesis 39 (NKJV) Potiphar s wife framed Joseph For illicit attention 17 Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; 18 so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.
Genesis 39 (NKJV) 19 So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, Your servant did to me after this manner, that his anger was aroused. 20 Then Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.
Dream Interpreter Joseph placed in charge of all prisoners He interpreted dream for Pharaoh s staff And for Pharaoh two years later Appointed to 2 nd highest office in Egypt To run famine survival program for Egypt Grain collection, storage, and distribution Genesis 39(19 23), 40, & 41 [Not read in session]
Joseph and Brothers Meet Again Severe famine In Egypt and neighboring lands Brought Joseph s brothers to Egypt He recognized them but they didn t First verified their repentance Revealed himself in forgiving them God sent me to prepare a place for you Genesis 41 45 [45:4 8 read in session]
Genesis 45 (NKJV) 4 And Joseph said to his brothers, Please come near to me. So they came near. Then he said: I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.
Genesis 45 (NKJV) 6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God sent me to Egypt ahead of you To prepare for you A refuge from this great famine
Genesis 45 (NKJV) 7 And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
What We Learned By asking Joseph to go and check on his brothers grazing the flock in Shechem Israel delivered to him a message from God To set out on a mission to Egypt To prepare a refuge from the great famine Where the budding family of the Messiah Will prosper and multiply Joseph accepted and fulfilled the mission