A Contemporary Service Address

Rev. James P. Cooper

Building Healthy Relationships week 4

1. Joseph's life was marked by a series of events that had powerful lessons. Some of the things that happened to him were very good, others were very bad.

   1. Good - dreams and coat-of-many-colours

   2. Bad - brothers jealous, sell him into slavery

   3. Good - rises to authority in Potiphar's house

   4. Bad - falsely accused, sent to prison

   5. Good - rises to authority in prison

   6. Bad - the Butler forgets to mention him to Pharaoh for two years.

2. GEN 41 (Gen 41:1-45) Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river. {2} Suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. {3} Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river. {4} And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke. {5} He slept and dreamed a second time; and suddenly seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, plump and good. {6} Then behold, seven thin heads, blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. {7} And the seven thin heads devoured the seven plump and full heads. So Pharaoh awoke, and indeed, it was a dream. {8} Now it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh.

   1. The Butler remembers his promise, and Joseph is sent for.

3. {15} 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.{16} So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

   1. Notice that Joseph does not claim that he has the power to interpret the dream, only that he will ask God on behalf of Pharaoh and then we'll see what happens.

   2. What happens is that God gives Joseph an answer.

4. {25} Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do: {26} The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years; the dreams are one. {27} 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. {28}This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.

5. {33} Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. {34} 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. {35} 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. {36} 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. {37} So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.

6. Conclusion

   1. Finally, Joseph is where he needs to be. Things are going well for him AND everything he does leads to good things for other people! It's a picture of life in heaven.

      1. Good - he is finally called to Pharaoh to interpret the dream.

      2. Good - he attributes his powers to God.

      3. Good - he becomes a ruler

      4. Good - he saves millions of lives, including his own family.

      5. Good - he is reunited with his family.

      6. Notice how, in the end, the good outweighed the bad?

   2. We cannot avoid hard times in our lives

      1. Natural

         1. Even if we avoid health issues of various diseases like heart disease or cancer, the simple fact is that the physical body will eventually wear out and no longer be able to serve as a vessel for life.

      2. Spiritual

         1. Everyone is inclined to some kinds of evils, and will have to deal with them during the course of their life.

            1. And the problem is that we love our evils, and so it hurts when we do the right thing - at least for a little while.

      3. But we can prepare for them

         1. Do not squander the wealth of the good times.

            1. Grain = food = good.

         2. Do not forget the Lord in the good times, but develop the habit of looking to Him even when it's easy.

         3. Make good choices about the things that you value.

(Mat 6:19-21) Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; {20} but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. {21} For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Amen.