Grace Invasion

Invading Grace

Genesis 37:1-11

Introduction:

Over the past two years, the story of Joseph has been on my mind. Mainly because of what I have been experiencing in my personal life.  During this two year period, I have of often wondered what God was doing.  I have many disappointments and hurts that have plagued me, and discouragement and depression have been my companions.  How does the story of Joseph fit into my experience?

Joseph’s story reveals the power and providence of God, not by grand miracles, or extraordinary divine interventions, but by the sovereign work of God in everyday details of life.  Sin and suffering characterize the narrative of Joseph, but in the midst it all, God’s grace is evident. 

When looking at the story of Joseph, it is alluring to use it as a means of living a godly life.  It’s full of principles for living the good life, or shall I say the God life.  Joseph’s life reveals how to overcome envy, face adversity, resist sexual temptations, forgive those who wrong, and many other lessons.  Though Joseph is the impetus of the story, his father, Jacob is still the dominant character. 

The chapter begins as such, “Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.  These are the generations of Jacob” (Genesis 37:1-2).  The subsequent verses and chapters are prominent with Joseph, but still include the rest of Jacob’s sons as well. 

Ultimately, however, the story of Joseph and the rest of Jacob’s sons is about God working grace out in the lives of those he has chosen.   The Joseph story is about  God’s grace transforming Jacob’s sons into worthy covenant partners.  The story begins with hatred and jealousy between brothers and ends with them loving one another, a tremendous work of Grace, unparalleled grace. 

Grace is at work in all of our lives, believers, and unbelievers, whether we recognize it, or not.  For the unbeliever, there is common grace, but for the believer, grace moves beyond the common to something special, effectual, and unconditional; a grace that is unparalleled in human history.  What’s incredible about God’s unparalleled grace is how it invades the messiness of life. 

1.       Grace invades the messiness of life

Within these first eleven verses you will find the hidden depths of sin, but as the story unfolds, the sin comes to the surface.  It safe to say that Jacob’s family is dysfunctional, as is every family that is under the bondage of sin.   The messiness of Jacob’s family reveals three things.

First, we find the messiness spiritual pride or self-righteousness.  Verse 2, “These are the generations of Jacob.  Joseph being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father.”  Because there is no overt criticism of Joseph’s sin, many scholars have portrayed Joseph almost without sin.  However, that is a failure of understanding what kind of report he brought back to his father.  

The Hebrew word for “bad” can also translate “evil.”  In almost every other context you find the word used it has the meaning of “evil,” or “untrue.”  Now, the report that Joseph gave his father was probably true to some degree but filled with exaggerations and half truths.   Consumed with spiritual pride, you become blind to your sin and only see the sin in others.  Believe it or not, Joseph is on an evil path.  He’s becoming arrogant, and possibly even a mean and cruel person.  Joseph is becoming a “good-boy sinner.” 

Second, we find the messiness ungodly favoritism.  Notice verse 3, “Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors.”   Sadly, Jacob loved Joseph more than his other sons.  Of all people, you would think that Jacob would not show that type of favoritism as a father.  For he, himself, grew up desperately deprived of his Father’s love.  Isaac overtly loved Esau more than he loved Jacob.  The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. 

Jacob gave Joseph a robe of many colors.  The robe symbolized love lavished on Joseph, a love kept from the other sons.  Some how, Joseph became an idol in Jacob’s life.  Joseph became the central source of joy and love in Jacob’s life, and as a result, it poisoned the whole family. 

Third, we find the messiness of hate and jealousy.  Notice who the brothers responded to Joseph.  In verse 4, “they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.” Verse 8, “So they hated him even more for his dreams and his words.” Verse 11, “And his brothers were jealous of him.”  Yep, one big mess of sin.  But let’s face it, all of us are one big mess of sin. 

Good news! It is in the messiness of sin where grace becomes unparalleled.  Most preachers want to moralize the stories of the Bible as a way for us to live godly lives.  You know, five steps to having your best life now, or three keys to a great marriage.  However, the purpose of the stories throughout the Bible is, primarily, to show how God’s grace invades our sinfulness and brokenness,  which we can't overcome otherwise.  That’s the good news! That’s the gospel! 

One look at the passage and you might say, “Where is God in all of this mess?” or “Where is Grace?”  God is at work behind the scenes, so to speak, working out his great plan.  For the dreams that Joseph had were from God, grace invasions, assuring God’s people the destiny for their lives.  Grace assures destiny for life. 

2.       Grace assures the destiny for life

Joseph has two dreams, “Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” But when he told it to his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

The dreams reveal God’s grace invasion.  God is at work.  God is calling a sinful man to become a leader for his people.  If you look closely, you find no mention of God.  God never speaks, but he is working, grace is working.  The two dreams, in essence, predict the end of the story, and one that ends well.  The reason for two dreams is important.  Two dreams reveal that what is going to happen is firmly decided by God, and God will do it.  In other words, God is assuring the destiny of his people, the advancement of his kingdom.    Furthermore, the dreams reveal the destiny of the whole family.  God will fulfill that which he has promised.  You can take it to the bank. 

Not only is God assuring the destiny of his people, but he reveals he will radically fulfill it.  You have to put these two dreams in historical context to realize the radical nature of God’s plan.  In both of the dreams, the older brothers, and the parents are all bowing down to Joseph.  This bowing down goes against the basic social structure of the day. 

The society of Jacob and Joseph was extremely hierarchical and patriarchal.  The younger always bow to the parents, and to the older, especially the oldest.  The oldest son was the one who got the inheritance, and therefore, the younger bow to the oldest. But these dreams turn this social structure upside down.  These dreams are radically socially subversive. 

What God is saying in these dreams is that he is going to fulfill his plan by doing what society says is impossible.  He is going to bring transformation to his people is the way that goes against social norms.  In other words, God’s destiny will be carried out in a way that is counter to what society says is possible. 

Grace assures God’s people of their future glory.  Everything may be screaming impossible, but God says he will do it. He works out his destiny and plans even when it seems that all his hopeless.  Grace invades our messy lives, and assures us, in our mess, that God’s destiny and dream for his people will come to pass.  And assurance is what God’s people need because grace attracts opposition to life. 

3.       Grace attracts opposition to life

Grace and sin are at work in these verses and the subsequent verses.  Grace is the backdrop of the tangled web of sin that we see in these verses.  Pride from the ideal son, hatred, bitterness, and jealousy from the bad-boy sons, and misplaced favoritism from dad are at the forefront on the canvas of God’s unparalleled grace.  The grace invasion given through divine dreams assures God’s plan, but it’s not without opposition. 

The morass of human sin opposes the work of Grace.  First, we have the pride of Joseph, that, if unchecked, would keep the great plan of God from moving forward.  Somehow, in his sovereignty, God uses his sin to bring about his plan, for his pride would set the scene for rejection.  Second, we have the bitterness of the brothers that hate Joseph with a passion. Again, God will use their bitterness to fulfill his destiny for his children. 

In our own lives, as God fulfills his destiny for our lives, we will face opposition from sin.  If you are like me, most of the complications I have come from my sin. I constantly have to battle pride and self-righteousness.  Many times, I am like Joseph’s brothers, and I reject the plan that God has for me simply because it goes against the norm, or it’s not done the way I want it done.  

Good news! In spite of the opposition to grace, God sustains us through it all in Christ.  Following Christ and allowing grace to work in your life does not mean that life will get easier.  It assures you a complicated life, but a life that is abundant and fulfilled in Christ Jesus.