CDD Lesson 3

This week we focused on the story of Joseph (Genesis 37-50). It is important to know that Joseph's father, Jacob, had two wives. The first was Leah and the second was Rachel. His favorite wife however, was Rachel. Rachel had a hard time having kids but Leah seemed to have no problem. Rachel was able to conceive only twice. The first child was Joseph and the second was his younger brother, Benjamin. Therefore, not only did Jacob have a favorite wife, he also had favorite sons.

In this story we are simply told that Jacob favored Joseph over the rest of his sons, so much so that he gave him a coat of many colors which of course caused Joseph's brothers to be jealous. Joseph also seemed to regularly bring Jacob bad reports about his brothers. On top of this, Joseph dreamed that one day his entire family, including his father, would bow down to him. Of course he told his brothers and that made them even angrier.

The anger of Joseph's brothers brought them to the point where they kidnapped Joseph and sold him to some Ishmaelites who then sold Joseph as a slave in Egypt to the Captain of the Pharaoh's Guards, Potiphar.

Joseph was a faithful servant to Potiphar and soon the Captain's entire household was under Joseph's supervision. This is where Joseph's first important choice was made. Potiphar's wife took notice of this handsome, powerful slave and requested that he come to bed with her. Joseph refused based on his desire to serve God (Gen. 39:9). She continued to pester him and finally one day she latched on to his cloak asking him to come to bed with her. Joseph ran, leaving his cloak in her hands. Potiphar's wife then accused Joseph of trying to force himself on her and the young Hebrew was thrown into the king's prison.

In this story, Joseph faced a choice that we face almost every day. The choice of immediate pleasure. There are many things in life that bring immediate pleasure or results. Things like drugs, premarital/extramarital sex, cheating, playing pranks on people, etc. When faced with these things, we are often enticed by the immediate pay-off with little regard to the future. When we are faced with these types of decisions, we must ask ourselves, "What's the big picture?" How will this drug affect my future health? How will cheating affect my overall academic career and my work ethic? How will this premarital affair or extramarital affair affect my future marriage or current marriage in the future? This is all done in the first C which is "Consider the choice." What are some immediate pleasure choices you face each day?

The second big choice made by Joseph is found in the very next story. Joseph stands up for what he knows is right and he gets thrown into prison. (Side note - it just goes to show that our reward for standing up for God is not always apparent on this earth!) In prison he could have very well given up on God. After all, where did following God's standards in his life land him? However, he allows this principle to guide his life. “God is going to provide. He has done so in the past and he is going to in the future.” So in spite of being wrongfully imprisoned, Joseph continues to share his God-given gifts to serve others. He organizes the jail and he interprets dreams for two high ranking servants of Pharaoh while attending to their needs. He spent two years in that jail, never giving up on God and continuing to serve. Joseph chose to wait on God and continue to live according to his standards even when there was no end in sight to his affliction. He didn’t know when his imprisonment would end or even IF it would end. We all have seasons of life like this. We struggle, we hurt, and we give up on God because we can’t see the end of the storm. However, to wait on God and his timing is to experience immense blessing, also in his timing.

Joseph compared his actions and attitudes to God (the second C) and saw that it was important that he continue to be the person that God called him to be whether as a powerful slave in Potiphar’s household or as a prisoner in the king’s prison. So he committed to God’s way (the third C) and paid the price for his stand. And of course, once you have made the stand, all that is left is to count on God’s provision (the fourth C). When is it hardest for you to wait on God?

I will finish out this saga at a later date.