Weekly Sunday Sermon - God Blesses Joseph's Family

 Hello!

The theme today is about the rest of the story of Joseph in Genesis chapters 41 to 50. While Genesis 37,38,39 and 40 are about Joseph's struggles with many twists and turns, Genesis 41 until 50 covers Joseph's eventual success and reunion with his family.

2 years after Joseph interpreted the dreams of the Cupbearer and Baker, we  read the Pharaoh has a particularly troubling dream that made him distressed. The cupbearer was reminded of Joseph and told of him to the Pharaoh, whom he was serving. Joseph was freed from prison and advised Pharaoh after interpreting his dream. Joseph also was humble - he knew his ability to interpret dreams was not his own but God's. Pharaoh could recognize God was with Joseph and he was a wise man.

Therefore, Joseph was promoted to second in command and a very important leader in the Egyptian government. During the famine that was predicted by Joseph, Egypt had surplus food and everyone went there to buy grain from Egypt. Everyone relied on Egypt for their food, Egypt relied on Joseph, and Joseph relied on God. Even his brothers would and they came.

His brothers would not receive the grain without test. Since Joseph was in command and recognized their faces, he put them through a test to bring their youngest brother, Benjamin. The brothers passed the first test and carefully brought their youngest brother Benjamin that their father loved deeply. However, Joseph put them through another test by inserting a silver goblet into Benjamin's sack.

However, when the brothers of Joseph saw Benjamin about to be taken, Judah offered himself to be taken into prison instead of Benjamin. Judah was the person who offered to sell Joseph as a slave instead of killing him. Joseph saw his brothers had been shaped and had repented truly, so he exposed his identity  as Joseph and forgave them. But Jacob went to Egypt with his sons and lived in Goshen. After Jacob's death and burial, Joseph reassured his still uncertain brothers that he had completely forgiven them.

The main point of today is that God can turn something bad to something good. When Jacob's sons all sold their brother Joseph, God made it possible through Joseph's situation to save many people from starvation, including Jacob. He was the same God who turned an unfair punishment against Jesus to salvation.

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