How God is at Work as We Face Adversity
Series: Studies in Genesis
Category: Exposition
Speaker: Mark D. Atkinson
Tags: adversity, joseph
Detail:
How God is at work as we face Adversity?
Excerpts Genesis 37, 39 & 40
Fairview Evangelical Presbyterian Church
August 28, 2016
Can anything good come out of this?
18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, and [they] sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.
I recall reading a story of a woman missionary from an earlier generation. She served the Lord faithfully through the years till she entered a season best described as a series of hard knocks. Her health took an adverse turn. The other missionaries whom she worked with took exception to some things she said and did. There was conflict in the mission station among both missionaries and the church community they served. Her home was broken into one evening. She felt the truth of the proverb declaring “If it were not for bad luck, she would have no luck at all.” [Yes, I know that we in the camp of Reformed Theology do not believe in luck – good or bad – but lighten up: the meaning of the proverb is simply a clever way of saying that things were really quite dire.] Finally, in frustration one evening, this missionary woman lifted up spontaneous prayer to God: “Lord,” she declared, “if this is the way you treat your friends, it is no wonder that you have so few of them!”
Have you ever felt that way? You look at the circumstances of your life and you wonder, “What is going on?” “How did things get this bad?” You say, “God, can anything good come out of this?” Or, “God, why do you let good people suffer so?” Or, how about this? “God, what’s happening to me isn’t fair!”
I want you to know: I am not-going to offer this morning a Pollyanna answer to realities of life’s hurt, troubles and disappointments. I once heard a sermon preached on the life of Joseph titled “Doing Great Things for God.” The essence of the sermon’s message was: “Joseph stepped out in faith and did these things: you should step out in faith and go and do likewise.” [Full disclosure: I was the spiritual fool who wrote it and preached it. Praise God that in Jesus Christ there is full forgiveness, even for pastoral folly.] Joseph’s life was full of adversity, trouble and difficulty. And we will look at his life in just a moment. But what I understand now is that it is nonsense to turn the story of Joseph into a five step program for achieving success and greatness. Like any fallen person, there are facets of Joseph’s character and life story that can, and probably should be mimicked; just as there are facets of his story that are negative. As a young man, Joseph was spoiled. His father gave to him the famous “coat of many colors.” He knew that he was his father’s favorite son – and that bred animosity among his brothers. Joseph did not earn or deserve all the trials he faced. But neither was he innocent. Still, Joseph did face adversity to an extraordinary degree.
First, he was sold into slavery by his brothers. He was betrayed by those closest to him; those who should have been the most loyal, supportive and encouraging. They were the ones who first turned on him. Later, he was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife. False accusation may be one of the toughest things in life to face: to know that what is being said about you is false and to have to bear up in spite of it. Joseph was thrown into prison because of that false accusation. Take note: Joseph did not simply lose his job because of the false accusation leveled against him. He was imprisoned. It had seemed that Joseph had been making some progress in life: being sold into slavery, to become the head of Potiphar’s household. Now he was in prison. Things were worse than before. In prison he correctly interprets the dream of the chief butler of the pharaoh. But he is quickly forgotten. Have you ever done a kindness for another, only to find that it is ignored, forgotten or dismissed? Joseph had hoped that the interpreted dream might lead to the path of justice: instead, two more years pass.
These were some of the adversities Joseph faced. Joseph, as previously noted, is not perfect. He is a sinner, just like you and me. But Joseph also did some things correctly. For the most part, he responded to the adversity he faced in a manner that was spiritually and morally right. It is in this sense that Joseph can be a role model for us. His life reflects how God can use the adversity we face in our lives. The first illustration is that the adversity we face allows God to be glorified.
Adversity allows God to be glorified
36 The Midianites…sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard. 39:5… the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had, in house and field.
Joseph’s brothers betray him. He is sold as a slave to the Midianites. They in turn sell him to the Egyptian, Potiphar. This is the first, and it may be the most important point this morning: adversity should remind us that the story is not about us. Joseph, at this point, is just a pawn. The story is not about what Joseph is doing. It is about what is being done to Joseph. Through the steps of adversity described, Joseph moves from being the favored son of his father to a household slave in a foreign land. The key truth highlighted in Joseph’s story to this point is this: in spite of the adversity, the Lord is at work in Joseph’s life. The LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake. Potiphar does not know that the reason his household is blessed is because of the presence of Joseph; but we the reader know it. We know that God is at work, intending that his name be glorified in the story of Joseph. Adversity allows God to be glorified.
Every person in the Bible who sees God at work in the unfolding of his life begins with the experience of adversity, trial and trouble. This list would include Abraham, Jacob, Moses, King David, Elisha and Elijah, the prophets Samuel and Jeremiah. In the New Testament we would add John the Baptist, each of the disciples, the Apostle Paul, James and Barnabas. No bible hero ever experienced a life of ease. If you read your Bible, you will not find a great activity of God in our world that did not begin with a problem. The arrival of adversity is often the first indicator that God is at work in our
midst, in our lives. God uses the difficulties his people face in order to demonstrate his power.
This is the first point: adversity enables God to be glorified. The second: adverse problems can lead to greater opportunities.
Adverse problems can lead to greater opportunities
19 As soon as his master heard the words that his wife…his anger was kindled. 20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison…21 But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it.
It is one of my favorite scenes. It happens in the movie Apollo 13. The explosion has happened and the space capsule faces the real possibility of being lost forever in space. The actor, Ed Harris, plays Mission Control, the man in charge of all aspects of the Apollo mission. As the crisis unfolds, he listens to his engineers and others offer their various scenarios of failure and defeat. In response, Mission Control rejects the expectation of failure, telling the men in the control room that he believes that “This will be our finest hour.” Indeed, it was. A satisfying aspect of the story of Apollo 13 is watching the several teams of engineers and astronauts, having divided the task before them into manageable parts, tackle the various challenges before them.
Problems often provide us with greater opportunities. Though unpleasant, a problem can be the doorway to opportunity. God sends Joseph to prison in order to promote him to a position of great leadership and power. I cannot imagine anyone seeking to clarify their “Life Goals” by adding to their list – “Spend time in Prison.” That is not a logical career path. But it may be the path that God gives to us. The prisons of our lives might be our God-given avenue to greatness. Chuck Colson, the founder of Prison Ministries, wrote that his seven months in prison were more valuable to him than his time serving in the White House. God specializes in such surprising transformations. Look carefully at your Bible’s Table of Contents. It is possible that you will see a summary title over Paul’s letters to Ephesus, Colossae, Philippi and Philemon, calling them “The Prison Epistles.” In addition, the Apostle Paul wrote both of his letters to Timothy while in prison. The book of Revelation was given to John while he was exiled to the island of Patmos. One of the greatest literary works of the Christian era, Pilgrim’s Progress, was written while John Bunyan was in prison.
It seems that a key factor is to have the right attitude toward the trials we face. It is important to not blame God. There is an entire book of the Bible dealing with this important theme: The Book of Job. We must accept what God has done. We must accept what God wants to do in our lives. We must learn to see the problems we face as opportunities to grow in grace, to deepen our walk with the Lord.
The challenge is to learn to react positively to the challenges God sends our way. Think of the opening words of the book of James (verse 2) Count it all joy, my brothers,
when you meet trials of various kinds. James is telling us to learn to react positively to the problems we face. God strengthens us in them. Verses 3 – 4 tell us, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. It is not the problem that makes or breaks us, it is our attitude. Problems always present us with God-given opportunities. Problems can make us better. Or they can make us bitter. The choice is ours: a bad experience, with a bad attitude, produces bitterness; a bad experience, with a good attitude, produces growth: a good experience, with a bad attitude, produces failure; a good experience with a good attitude produces confidence.
When we face problems in life, our tendency is to ask the wrong questions. We say, “Why me?” “Why now?” “Why this?” And God looks down from heaven and says to us, “Why not you?” To eliminate our problems would be to eliminate our opportunity to grow spiritually. James 1:4 tells us And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Do you wish to be perfect and complete? Learn from the challenges God sends your way.
Adversity allows God to be glorified in our lives. Adversity leads to greater spiritual opportunities. Thirdly, adversity encourages spiritual maturity.
Adversity encourages spiritual maturity
6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers….“Why are your faces downcast today?” 8 They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”
In Genesis 40:6 we are told When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. Do not miss the significance of this verse. Joseph discerns the worry, concern, and anguish on the face of Pharaoh’s butler and baker. He understands their emotional needfulness that morning. This is significant for it indicates growth in maturity in Joseph. The young Joseph would not have been as sensitive. Joseph had it easy during the first 17 years of his life. He was the favored son of his father, among his eleven brothers – and he knew it! The young Joseph was full of himself – and his brother’s knew it. God looks down from heaven and says, “I cannot use the young Joseph, the immature Joseph.”
You may be thinking, “Pastor Mark, that sounds rather harsh.” Perhaps it is. But it is through adversity that we are given the opportunity to grow spiritually. Adversity promotes spiritual maturity. The Jewish writer, Chaim Potok, is best known for his book “The Chosen.” It tells the story of a rabbi who chooses to raise his eldest son in silence. The rabbi does not speak to his son, except in his official capacity as a rabbi, to teach him the Torah, to instruct him in the Jewish faith. He is a rabbi to his son, but not a father. The question is “Why”? Why would the rabbi raise his son in this manner? Read the book to get the full answer to that question, but the short answer is reflected in Isaiah 30:20: And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. 21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it…”
God gives to his people the “bread of adversity;” adversity that helps us grow spiritually.
Psalm 105 is a psalm retelling parts of Israel’s history. Verses 16 – 22 specifically speaks of the story of Joseph. Listen to it.
16 When he summoned a famine on the land
and broke all supply of bread,
17 he had sent a man ahead of them,
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 His feet were hurt with fetters;
his neck was put in a collar of iron;
19 until what he had said came to pass,
the word of the LORD tested him.
20 The king sent and released him;
the ruler of the peoples set him free;
21 he made him lord of his house
and ruler of all his possessions,
22 to bind his princes at his pleasure
and to teach his elders wisdom.
Note verse 18 in particular: His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron.
How does this verse read literally? It says, “They put iron into his soul.” The modern proverb is “Whatever does not kill you makes you stronger.” I am not sure that is entirely correct. I would amend it to say that it makes your stronger “if you learn the lesson God is seeking to teach you in it.” A little girl was eating a large cone of cotton candy. Her father teased her saying, “That cotton candy is bigger than you are, young lady.” His daughter replied, “Daddy, I’m bigger on the inside than I am on the outside.” That is a good application of the concept of character. How big are you on the inside? How solid are the unseen things in your life? Joseph has clearly grown in maturity and spiritual vision. I believe that the message to us is that Joseph’s spiritual maturity is a consequence, a by-product, of his successful navigation of the trials he has faced since being sold by his brothers into slavery.
Let me make one more point about adversity before we move on. Many modern folk, like the young Joseph, are too full of themselves, too sure of their own opinion, believing that right motive, sincerity, is all that matters. On May 9, a father and son visiting Yellowstone National Park saw a baby bison and decided that it “looked cold” and needed to be rescued. It was in the forty degree range that day. They lifted the bison calf into the back of their Toyota and took it to a ranger station. Subsequently, the park rangers could not return the calf to its mother and to its herd. It was rejected by the animals. Ultimately, the rangers euthanized it.
We must remember that there is purpose in adversity. The great naturalist, Alfred Russell Wallace, learned this truth one day as he watched an Emperor Moth struggling
to break free of its chrysalis. The Emperor Moth is a handsome creature of beauty and proportion. As he watched, Wallace attempted to help. He split the cocoon, releasing the moth from further struggle. However, that moth never developed; its wings never expanded; the colors and tints never appeared. It soon died, undeveloped, ruined. What Russell Wallace learned was that through the severe struggle with the cocoon was nature’s method of developing the moth’s splendid wings. Saved from that struggle, the moth was ruined in its development.
Adversity allows God to be glorified in our lives. Adversity leads to greater spiritual opportunities. Adversity encourages spiritual maturity. Fourthly, adversity proves integrity.
Adversity proves integrity
15 For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.”
Perhaps I should rephrase this point to say that adversity reveals whether integrity is present or lacking. Adversity shows what is on the inside. Circumstances do not make us who we are, they reveal who we are. Problems do not cause us to act in negative ways. They reveal what is already inside. To quote Brook Foss Westcott: “Great occasions do not make heroes or cowards, they simply unveil them to the eyes of men. Silently, imperceptibly, as we wake or sleep, we grow strong or weak; and at last some crisis shows what we have become.” A case can be made that Joseph was a spoiled young man. But by the time he was appointed over the affairs of Potiphar’s household, his character had begun to grow. It was essential that Joseph did not give into Potiphar’s wife’s entreaties. His refusal is a reflection of his integrity. The adversity proved his integrity. Later he could say honestly to the butler: 15 For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.” Joseph’s integrity honors God. The fact that he could say, “I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit” is one way in which Joseph honors God.
Consider the story of Jesus and the woman with the alabaster box of perfume. We are told (Mark 14:3) And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. It wasn’t until the box is broken that the smell of the sweet perfume fills the room. Sometimes, it is not until the brokenness comes to our lives that the light shines out and the perfume that honors God is released. It is not the brokenness that makes the perfume. It was there on the inside. But it is the brokenness that releases it, that reveals it to be what it is.
Adversity allows God to be glorified in our lives. Adversity leads to greater spiritual opportunities. Adversity encourages spiritual maturity. Adversity proves integrity. Finally, adversity prepares us for further ministry.
Adversity prepares us for further ministry
8 So in the morning his spirit was troubled…. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh. 9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my offenses today….12 A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us….14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”
Initially, as a young man, Joseph had not been sensitive to the feelings and emotions of those around him. He was not aware of his brother’s jealousy. He was not aware of his own haughtiness. His insensitivity led him to the point where he was vulnerable to his brothers’ schemes. He was betrayed and sold into slavery.
But Joseph begins to learn. He grows. By the time he is held in prison, he has developed some empathy. He is more in tune with those around him. He is no longer thick headed and emotionally out of touch. He offers spiritual service to both the butler and the baker. Having gone through difficult times, Joseph is sensitized to the needs of others. In this way, problems prepare our heart for ministry. Now, Joseph is a man who God can, and does, use for his purposes.
Certainly one of my favorite passages of scripture is 1 Corinthians 1:3 – 4: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. God comforts us, that we might comfort others. This Joseph learns. The problems he has faced have prepared him for this moment. Problems prepare our hearts for ministry. Joseph is summoned before the pharaoh and asked to interpret pharaoh’s dream. Joseph testifies to God’s authority, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” Joseph is prepared to play his role in God’s unfolding purposes in the lives of his father, his brothers, and all those who will descend from them: the Jewish People.
Adversity allows God to be glorified in our lives. Adversity leads to greater spiritual opportunities. Adversity encourages spiritual maturity. Adversity proves integrity. Adversity prepares us for further ministry. Finally, one key overarching observation. Throughout Joseph’s story, we are told of one key blessing he possessed: what Joseph had.
What Joseph had - Gen. 39:2, 39:3; 39:21, 23
2 The LORD was with Joseph;…3 His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD caused all that he did to succeed in his hands….21 But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love…. because the LORD was with him. And whatever he did, the LORD made it succeed.
Joseph possessed one great blessing. This is what made all the difference in his life, in his story. What is that blessing? “The Lord was with him.” We are told in Genesis 39:2, “and the Lord was with Joseph.” The message is repeated in Genesis 39:3 “Now his master saw that the Lord was with him.” Joseph begins his time as a slave in Egypt. Nonetheless, it is clear that the Lord is with him. That makes all the difference.
In the midst of our problems, as we face the adversity of our lives, I believe that God is with us in a special way. This the greatest test any Christian will face. How do we conduct ourselves in the midst of trial, trouble, or problems? Will we trust in the Lord, depending upon him? And do so in a manner that the people around us will know that God is with us and see that we are depending upon him?
Joseph moves from one bad thing to another. Sold into slavery. He is falsely accused. He is thrown into jail. But, Genesis tells us, even in jail, (Genesis 39:21) “The Lord was with Joseph.” Later we are told “The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph’s charge because the Lord was with him.”
The greatest blessing we can ever know is to know the Lord is with us. Sometimes, we do not discover that fact until trouble and adversity comes our way.
Close:
Permit me to close with one more story of how God works in our lives through adversity. H. “Howie” Rutledge was shot down over North Vietnam on November 27, 1965. His experience of being shot down, and its consequences, had a profound spiritual impact upon Rutledge. He wrote: “As I was drifting down in my parachute, I [realized that I] was a drop out from church. During my imprisonment, I promised God that on the first Sunday I was free, I would take my family to church. [And,] at the close of the service, I would walk to the front, and confess my faith in Jesus Christ, and take a responsible place of ministry with my family. In prison I learned what it means to be isolated spiritually. And [because of that isolation] I resolved to become part of the community of believers again. In prison, God taught me how to pray. On my first New Year’s Day in prison, I [also] resolved never to be without the Word of God again. I [also] remembered how, [feeling guilty] for not spending time with my family, I [would take] them to El Paso and to buy them presents. [One time], my son, John, wanted an amateur sketch of Jesus in an ugly frame. [Regretfully], I discouraged him. In prison, I realized that I had ignored the signals of the spiritual life God was developing in my family. I resolved that if I were ever free again, I would listen, I would understand, I’d try to be the spiritual leader in my house [as God intended me to be].”
Howie Rutledge spent seven and a half years in the “Hanoi Hilton.” If you asked him, “Was it worth it?” He would reply, “It changed my life.”
Are you facing adversity in your life this day? You got problems? All God’s children got problems. As we close, let me ask you the one key question. It is not “What problems are your facing?” It is not “How severe are the challenges before you.” It is, “Is
God walking with you?” “Are you walking with God as you face the adversity of your life?
In the adversity you face, God is seeking to reveal himself to you, just as he was at work in Joseph’s life. Adversity allows God to be glorified in our lives. Adversity leads to greater spiritual opportunities. Adversity encourages spiritual maturity. Adversity proves integrity. Adversity prepares us for further ministry.
Say “Amen!” Somebody!
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, we quiet our hearts before you: asking that you would allow the experiences in our lives: negative, difficult, hurtful, adverse, problems, troubles, trials, and suffering to draw us to yourself. Help us not to run from adversity but to see your hand, to learn from it and to embrace it. Use the adversity we face to make us better husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, sons or daughters. Through Christ we pray. Amen.