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The Life of Joseph: From the Pit to the Prison to the Palace

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 The Life of Joseph – From the Pit to the Prison to the Palace

 Join us for an inspiring episode as we explore the incredible journey of Joseph, a story of faith, resilience, and divine purpose straight from the Book of Genesis. Joseph's life takes him from a dark pit to a dismal prison, and finally, to the heights of power in Pharaoh's palace. Discover how Joseph's trials teach us vital lessons about trusting God in our darkest moments and maintaining integrity amidst temptation. 

As we unpack Joseph's experiences, you’ll be encouraged to see how God can transform your challenges into stepping stones for greatness. This episode is a powerful reminder that even when others may mean harm, God is always working for your good. Tune in to learn how to embrace your own journey, find hope in difficult times, and understand that your struggles are not in vain. 

Scripture mentioned:

  •  Genesis 50:20 “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” 
  • Deuteronomy 31:8  "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you"
  • Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” 

Related Episode: "There's a Purpose for Your Pain" https://www.buzzsprout.com/1113380/episodes/4816958

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Speaker 1:

Welcome and thanks for tuning in to Real People, real Talk relevant conversations that take you from surviving to thriving. This is the podcast that goes there. My name is Paul Calco and I'm your host. Now let's talk. Hello, thriver, and welcome to Real People, real Talk, the podcast ministry that equips you to thrive in your walk with the Lord, to thrive in your relationships and to thrive in your mental health. And today's episode is all about thriving in your walk with the Lord, as I'm bringing you a sermon today, a sermonic episode, if you will, about the life of Joseph. I'm calling this one the life of Joseph, from the pit to the prison to the palace. Now, joseph's journey from the pit to the prison to the palace is not just this story of hardship, but rather it's a profound narrative of faith, resilience and God's redemptive power. I feel like preaching already. Allow me to set the scene.

Speaker 1:

Let's go back to the first book of the Bible, the first book of the law, genesis. Joseph was born to a family full of dysfunction. He was the favorite son of his father, jacob, and his mother, rachel, as he was born to his father at an older age, and Jacob showed that favoritism to Joseph in a very tangible and public way and, as you can imagine, it caused some problems. He even gave him a coat of many colors, thus setting Joseph apart from his brothers. Can you imagine the dynamics of that household? The jealousy, the animosity, just turmoil. Genesis 37, 4 tells us. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all of his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. In addition to that, joseph's life was further complicated by his dreams. Now let's go to God's word. Y'all know how I feel about God's word. That's the most important part of any sermon. That's the most important part of any episode. So I want to read for you Genesis, chapter 37, verses five through 11.

Speaker 1:

And Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them listen to this dream that I had. We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it. His brother said to him do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us? And that hated him all the more because of his dream and what he has said. Then he had another dream and he told it to his brothers and said listen, I had another dream, and this time the sun and the moon and 11 stars were bound down to me. When he told this to his father, as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said what is this dream that you have? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you? His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind. The dreams that Joseph had produced more jealousy.

Speaker 1:

And here's our first lesson for today Dreams can provoke jealousy and strife. When God has given you a dream and when God gives you a vision for your life, it may not be understood and appreciated by everybody else. You have to be mindful. You have to be careful of who you tell your dreams to, because if you tell it to the wrong people, they can speak negatively and plant seeds of doubt in your heart and over your dream. It would behoove you to walk in wisdom and discernment and be very careful who you share your dreams with.

Speaker 1:

Next, we see that Joseph finds himself in a pit. Joseph 11 brothers. They plotted against him and one day they seized him, stripped him of his coat and tossed him into the pit. Imagine the feeling of betrayal your very own blood brothers. They capture you and throw you into a pit. I can only imagine the fear that he felt in such a dark and cold place and the pit represents not just a physical location but also a spiritual and emotional state Could be a place of confusion, a place of abandonment, a place of despair. Have you been there? Have you encountered a pit of your own? I believe you may have, because in our lives we all encounter pits and pits come in various forms. Your pit could be a loss of a job, a betrayal of a friend, an illness or a broken relationship. These moments can feel hopeless and isolating. But the life of joseph teaches us that god can use our pits for his purpose. While joseph was in the pit, he didn't see the bigger picture, but psalms 40 and 2 reassures us by saying he also brought me out of a horrible pit, out of of the mire of clay, and set my feet upon a rock. So God doesn't abandon us in our pits. Instead, he can use those pits as a time to build our character and to strengthen our faith. Now, after being pulled out of the pits, joseph was sold into slavery to the Israelites and then taken to Egypt. Could you imagine the roller coaster of emotions that one may have felt? Fear, anger, confusion. Once again betrayal. First his brothers, they throw him into a pit and then they sell him into slavery. Now, moving forward into Egypt, joseph was purchased by a man named Potiphar who was an officer of the Pharaoh. Genesis 39 and 2 tells us the Lord was with Joseph and he was a successful man, and he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.

Speaker 1:

No matter where you may find yourself in life, it could be a pit, it could be bondage. Whatever the problem or season or situation may be, god has a way of showing up and showing out in your life. God's favor has no bounds. His favor and his hand and his blessings have no limits. God has the power to make you succeed in any season. God has the power to make you succeed in any situation, no matter how dire, no matter what the naysayers may say, the doubters may say, the haters may say. God is in control. He has all power in his hand. You just have to hold on to your faith.

Speaker 1:

Now, joseph. He worked hard and he earned Potiphar's trust. He was even promoted to oversee Potiphar's house. It seems like everywhere that Joseph went and we want to see this thing later on everywhere he went, god promoted him to a place of authority, promoted him to the top. But in this instant Joseph's rise was met with temptation. Potiphar's wife attempted to seduce him and when he refused her advances, she falsely accused him.

Speaker 1:

When God is blessing you and when God is elevating you, when God is promoting you, you must always be on guard against the enemy. You must always be on guard against sin and against temptation. But I love Joseph's response to temptation. That's found in Genesis, chapter 39, verse 9. He says no one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you're his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God? And that's the same attitude that we should have. When temptation knocks on our door, we should respond, not by giving in, but we should respond by saying how can I do such a wicked thing and sin against my God? He's been too good for me to do that. And let me say this about sin Sin can be defined in one word, and that disobedience.

Speaker 1:

Either we do what god tells us not to do or we don't do what god has told us to do. And sin, no matter how good it may look on the outside, it's nothing to play with Sin will take you further than you want to go. Sin will keep you longer than you want to be kept, and sin will cost you more than what you want to pay. Sin is detrimental to us. So. So I encourage you, my brother, and I encourage you, my sister, to resist temptation and flee from sin. My friend, and this leads us to our second lesson Integrity in the face of temptation is crucial. So I want to exhort you to pursue purity. I want to exhort you today to walk in holiness, and I also want to exhort you to walk in obedience.

Speaker 1:

Joseph, he chose to honor God and to honor his master. Despite the consequences, in the face of adversity, he maintained his integrity. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 11, 3,. The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the pervers in prison, yet again faced with hardship and betrayal. Now check this out.

Speaker 1:

In Genesis, chapter 39, verses 21, 22 and 23, says but the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison, and the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners. Who was in the prison? Whatever was done there, he was the one that did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph's charge, because the Lord was with him, and whatever he did, the Lord made it to succeed. Let me say that one more time the Lord was with Joseph in his bondage, in his dire situation in the prison. The Lord was with him and whatever Joseph did, the Lord made it succeed. Hand was with Joseph. Even with the handcuffs, god's presence was with Joseph. We are reminded once again that no matter where we find ourselves in life, we are never outside of God's reach.

Speaker 1:

Joseph continued to serve others and remain faithful to God. He was faithful to God and God was faithful to him. During his time in prison, joseph interpreted the dreams of the Pharaoh's cupbearer as well as the Pharaoh's baker, utilizing the gift that God gave him. I want you to lean in right here. Please don't allow the pits of life and don't allow the prisons of life, and don't allow the tough seasons of life to keep you from using the gifts that God has given you. So, once again. Joseph interpreted the dream of the cupbearer and told the cupbearer to remember him. But when the cupbearer was restored and he was released from prison and he was restored to his rightful position, he forgot about Joseph for about two years.

Speaker 1:

And here's a quick note here People may forget about you, but God will never forget about you. I love what it says in Psalm chapter 136. He remembered us in our lowest state. His love endures forever and freed us from our enemies, for his love endures forever. I want to encourage you today. I want to encourage you today. I want to encourage you on this evening.

Speaker 1:

I want to encourage you, at whatever time you are listening, that God has not forgotten about you. People may have, but God has not. His word tells us in Deuteronomy 31 and 8,. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you. He will never leave you. He will never forsake you. So be encouraged, my friend. God has not forgotten about you and god is with you. And when god is with you, blessings going to be with you. When god is with you, success is going to be with you. When god is with you. His protection and his favor and so much success is going to be with you when God is with you, his protection and his favor, and so much more is going to be with you as well. So keep hope alive and keep your faith in a faithful God.

Speaker 1:

Now here's our third lesson. God can use the prisons of our lives, and God can use the pits of our lives to prepare us for our purpose. Joseph's time in prison was not wasted. As a matter of fact, it was a time of preparation and it was a time of growth, and God was behind the scenes working things out on his behalf. James, chapter 1, tells us my brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience, but let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. So, from the pit to prison and now to the palace, as we see God's sovereignty, we see God's power, we see God's faithfulness on display.

Speaker 1:

Joseph's time in prison came to an end when the Pharaoh had some troubling dreams of his own and no one could interpret it. The cupbearer was like oh, you know what? I finally remember Joseph, and he recommended Joseph to Pharaoh. What if Joseph got bitter while he was in prison? What if he refused to use his gift. He said you know what? I'm not where I want to be, I'm not with my family, I don't have the promotion, I'm in prison right now. I'm not going to use this gift and if he didn't, he wouldn't have had that interaction with the cupbearer and that wouldn't have led to him being recommended to the Pharaoh. Thus he would have never made it out of prison. So I want to encourage and give you a real quick lesson there Keep walking in obedience, no matter what season you may be in. You may not be where you want to be or how far you want to be right now in life, and that's okay. But keep walking in obedience, keep being faithful to God, keep serving him and keep serving others. Keep answering God's calling your life, no matter the season. Use all the gifts that God has graciously blessed you with. Now, joseph, he used this gift and he interpreted the dream of the Pharaoh predicting seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine.

Speaker 1:

I read the book of Genesis back in January and I plan on finishing the entire Bible this year, and I would encourage you to try this. If you haven't read the Bible from cover to cover, then I highly recommend that you get that done this year. That could be a real great New Year's resolution or a goal, or whatever you want to call it. But I would encourage you to read God's word systematically. Get on the reading plan. One year, 365 days, whatever time you're listening. You can start right now, start in Genesis and go all the way to the end. You can Google Bible reading plan or get on the Bible app and find a reading plan to read the Bible cover to cover. You will not be disappointed.

Speaker 1:

Now back to the show. Now, pharaoh was so impressed that he appointed Joseph to be second in command over all of Egypt. That's huge. Joseph literally started from the bottom, but God hand of redemption elevated him all the way to the top. The life of Joseph reminds us that God can elevate us and bless us beyond our circumstances. Let me say that one more time. The life of Joseph reminds us, and it should encourage us, that God can elevate us beyond our circumstances. So, no matter how dire the situation may be, how dire the situation may be, god has the power to turn things around. God has the power to turn things around. As a matter of fact, the Bible tells us in Psalm 75, verses 6 and 7, for exaltation comes neither from the east or from the west, or from the south, but God is a judge. He puts down one and he exalts another. Now, joseph's rise was not a personal victory. It was actually a part of God's greater plan to save many lives during this famine.

Speaker 1:

And now we arrive at the climax of Joseph's story. After the famine struck Joseph's brothers the one that threw him in the pit, the one that was hating on him. They came to Egypt looking for food. And guess who was in charge in Egypt? It was their dear old brother, joseph. And of course, they were fearful, you know, upon realizing that their brother, the one that they betrayed he, was now their savior. Oh, how the tables have turned. But Joseph, he was in a position where he could have got revenge, but he chose forgiveness over revenge. He chose to be better instead of being bitter.

Speaker 1:

And listen to these words in Genesis, chapter 50, verse 21, of my favorite verses of the Bible but as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about it as it is this day, so to save many people alive. God is so good that he can turn other people's attempt to hurt you. It can turn other people's attempt to harm you into a way to help you, into a way to elevate you, into a way to favor you and to bring you into a better position. This verse captures the heart of Joseph's story. It captures the faithfulness and the sovereignty of our great God. I got to read this scripture for you one more time Genesis, chapter 50, verse 20. But, as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for my good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Joseph acknowledges the evil intentions of his brothers, but recognizes that God was working through those intentions for a greater good. Look at God. He made Joseph's dreams come true and his family did have to bow down to him after all.

Speaker 1:

So how do we apply this powerful truth from Joseph's life in our own lives? Good question, and I got to answer, and I want to give you a few key takeaways. Number one I want you to trust God in the pits. When you find yourself in a pit, remember that God is right, there with you. He would never leave you, he would never forsake you. He sees your struggles and has a plan to bring you out. Trust God in your darkest moments, because light is on the way. Psalms 34 18 reassures us says the Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and save such to have a contrite spirit. Trust God in the pits.

Speaker 1:

Secondly, I want to encourage you to be faithful in the prison and the times of waiting and the times of uncertainty. Continue to serve God and remain faithful. God may be preparing you for something greater, just as he did with Joseph. You just got to trust him, trust his plan and trust his timing. Galatians 6, 9 encourages by saying let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Be faithful in the prison.

Speaker 1:

Thirdly, I want to encourage you to embrace God's elevation. When God lifts you up from your circumstances, don't forget to honor him. Joseph was quick to say you meant to fight evil, but I want you guys to look at God and see what he did. So use your position to serve others and to fulfill God's purposes. First, peter 14 reminds us as each one has received a gift, minister it to one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. So when God brings you out and lifts you up. Be sure to give God all of his glory, because he will share his glory with no one.

Speaker 1:

And finally, I want to encourage you to forgive and to move forward. There may be a hard pill to swallow, but that's the best pill you can take right now Forgive and move forward. Just as Joseph forgave his brothers, we too must let go of the past and let go of those past hurts. Holding on to bitterness is only going to weigh us down. So, as I said before, I said again don't be bitter, but choose to be bitter, choose to forgive, understanding that God can turn your pain into purpose. Ephesians 4.32 says to be kind to one another, tender heart, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Speaker 1:

So the life of Joseph, from the pit to the prison to the palace, and Joseph's journey, is a testament of God's faithfulness. It's a testament of God's sovereignty and the testament of God's redemptive power. May we trust that, even when others mean evil against us, god can turn those circumstances around for our good and also for his glory. So remember your struggles. They are not in vain. God is always working. Whether you see it or not, whether you feel it or not, god is always working and he has a purpose for you, my friend. So here's my prayer for you Right now I pray that you would trust god in your pits. I pray that you would remain faithful in your prisons, and I pray that you would embrace the elevation that god provides for you, and I pray that you will forgive and move forward. In Jesus name, amen.