When All Hope Seems Lost Gen. 39:21; 40:2-3, 5-15,
20-23 April 20, 2008
Introduction
We certainly see a very positive
attitude in Joseph as he faces one difficult situation after another.
We can
judge that this attitude came from an abiding hope and trust he
possessed in the Lord. How do we act in
difficult situations? Is God still on the throne? In all situations we
need to place our hope in His workings,
ways, and will. It will be good for us to remember the words of Isaiah;
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are
higher than the earth, so are my ways
higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts
(Isa 55:8-9 KJV). His trust made itself known in
several different situations. Many would say Joseph trusted God When
All Hope Seems Lost.
1. When All Hope Seems Lost; Trust God's . . Workings. 39:21
A. Trust God's Workings Through . . Mercy. 39:21a
"But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him."
B. Trust God's Workings Through . . Men. 39:21b
"He granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden."
Joseph's belief no
doubt focused on God and not his circumstances. He sensed the workings
of
God through His mercy. God's mercy moved in Joseph and the men who
witnessed his actions. He worked in an
admirable manner and men noticed this. No doubt the Lord caused the
warden to see in Joseph an unusual
person of character and work ethics. God worked in his life and he
placed his hope in those workings.
2. When All Hope Seems Lost; Trust God's . . Ways. 40:2-3, 5-15
A. Trust God's Ways In . . Confinment. 40:2-3
2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the
chief baker, 3 and put them in
custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where
Joseph was confined.
B. Trust God's Ways In . . Communication. 40:5-7
5 The cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined
in the prison, each had a
dream. Both had a dream on the same night, and each dream had its own
meaning.6 When Joseph came
to them in the morning, he saw that they looked distraught.7 So he
asked Pharaoh's officers who were
in custody with him in his master's house, "Why are your faces sad
today?"
C. Trust God's Ways In The . . Clarification Of
Communication. 40:8-13
8 "We had dreams," they said to him, "but there is no one to interpret
them." Then Joseph said to them,
"Don't interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams." 9 So the
chief cupbearer told his dream to
Joseph: "In my dream there was a vine in front of me.10 On the vine
were three branches. As soon as it
budded, its blossoms came out and its clusters ripened into grapes.11
Pharaoh's cup was in my hand,
and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup, and placed the
cup in Pharaoh's hand."
12
"This is its interpretation," Joseph said to him. "The three branches
are three days.13 In just three days
Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position. You
will put Pharaoh's cup in his
hand
the way you used to when you were his cupbearer.
D. Trust God's Ways In The . . Commendations
Given. 40:14-15
14 But when all goes well for you, remember that I was with you. Please
show kindness to me by
mentioning me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this prison.15 For I was
kidnapped from the land of the
Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing that they should put me in
the dungeon."
Did Joseph deserve
confinement in prison? Absolutely not! Did he look for someone to
communicate to the Pharaoh about his unjust imprisonment? Yes! As a man
of prayer Joseph looked for ways to get a
clarification about his confinement to the Pharaoh in hopes God would
lead him to release him. But in the
midst of all this Joseph worked faithfully as an appointed leader in
the prison. He sought to get a
commendation from his fellow prisoners as he interpreted their dreams.
What would most of us do in this kind
of a situation? If we seek to be a witness for the Lord many more
opportunities come through these kinds of
circumstances than in our normal lifestyles.
3. When All Hope Seems Lost; Trust God's . . Will. 40:20-23
A. Trust God's Will In . . Arranging What He
Communicated. 40:20-21
20 On the third day, which was
Pharaoh's birthday, he gave a feast for all his servants. He lifted up
the
heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker: 21 he restored the
chief cupbearer to his position as
cupbearer, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand;
B. Trust God's Will In . . Achieving What He
Communicated. 40:22-23
22 but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had explained to
them.23 Yet the chief cupbearer did
not remember Joseph; he forgot him. HCSB
Joseph interpreted the dreams of some fellow prisoners,
and expected God to arrange the fulfillment of
these dreams just as he thought He would. But God did not work just
like Joseph thought He Would. Now
there is nothing wrong with expecting God to work, but the will of His
workings may not always agree with our
thoughts. Joseph continued to work and do his best in the prison. If he
had a personal pity party we do not
know about it. In several of these experiences it appears all hope
seemed to be lost but he still trusted God in
these times and this teaches us to trust God When All Hope Seems
Lost! Amen? Amen!