Primary Scripture: Genesis 50:20 (ESV)
Weekly Readings: Genesis 35–37; 38–40; 41–42; 43–45; 46–47; 48–50
Opening (Cover to Cover Plan)
- Cover to Cover Bible Reading Plan is moving along well
- We’ve completed Week 3
- Consistency matters more than intention
- If you’re behind: don’t quit—pick it back up today
- The Bible is not random stories, it’s one unfolding story of God’s plan
1) Opening
- Some are doing the right things and still feel like nothing is happening
- praying, trying, obeying, holding your tongue, staying faithful
- Heaven feels silent
- Real question isn’t “Is God real?”
- Real question is: What is God doing when I can’t see Him doing anything?
- Joseph’s life shows God is working in silence—setting the stage
2) Context: What We Read This Week
Joseph’s story is a slow grind, not a highlight reel
- Genesis 35 — broken family line
- Genesis 37 — Joseph’s calling + rejection
- Genesis 38 — Judah’s mess (God working in the family line too)
- Genesis 39–40 — false accusation + prison + forgotten
- Genesis 41 — sudden elevation
- Genesis 42–45 — famine, reunion, testing, repentance
- Genesis 46–47 — God relocates the family to Egypt
- Genesis 48–49 — Jacob’s blessings + prophetic direction
- Genesis 50 — summary truth: Genesis 50:20
This isn’t just history—God is showing us how He works.
3) Anchor Verse
Genesis 50:20 (ESV)
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”
Key truths:
- Joseph didn’t say it wasn’t evil
- He said it was evil, but not ultimate
- Man had intentions
- God had a plan
4) Main Truth #1 — God’s Plan Doesn’t Prevent Pain (Genesis 37)
- Joseph was chosen, but not protected from hardship
- Dreams were real, but rejection came fast
- Brothers resented him and sold him
Genesis 37:28 (ESV)
“Then Midianite traders passed by… and sold him…”
Pit season feels like: - stuck
- powerless
- misunderstood
- others deciding your life
But the pit wasn’t the end.
5) Main Truth #2 — God Uses Delay to Build the Man (Genesis 39–40)
- Egypt looks like progress
- Joseph is faithful in Potiphar’s house
Genesis 39:2 (ESV)
“The Lord was with Joseph…”
Then: - false accusation
- prison
- punished for doing right
Genesis 39:21 (ESV)
“But the Lord was with Joseph…”
Joseph serves in prison, helps others
Cupbearer forgets him
Genesis 40:23 (ESV)
“…did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.”
Truth: People forgetting you doesn’t mean God forgot you.
6) Main Truth #3 — God Can Change Your Situation Overnight (Genesis 41)
- Prison to palace in one day
Genesis 41:14 (ESV)
“…they quickly brought him out…”
Joseph gives God credit
Genesis 41:16 (ESV)
“It is not in me; God will…”
Delay wasn’t wasted time—it was training time
Joseph came out mature, not bitter
7) Main Truth #4 — God’s Provision Often Comes Through People Who Hurt You (Genesis 42–45)
- Famine hits
- Brothers come for help
- Forgiving family is harder than forgiving strangers
Joseph tests them to see: - have they changed?
- repentance?
- growth?
Judah steps up (God working in him too)
Genesis 45:5 (ESV)
“…God sent me before you to preserve life.”
Joseph doesn’t deny sin
He refuses to let their sin define his story - Bitterness lets the offender write the story
- Forgiveness says: You hurt me, but you don’t define me
8) Main Truth #5 — God’s Sovereignty Doesn’t Excuse Sin, But It Overrules It (Genesis 50)
Genesis 50:20 hits like a hammer:
- You meant evil
- God meant good
Not “God used it”
Not “God worked around it”
God meant it - God’s purpose was operating even inside what they did
- That doesn’t make them innocent
- It makes God unstoppable
9) What Joseph’s Story Teaches Us About God
A) God is present in every season
Not just the palace
- pit
- house
- prison
- promotion
B) God is not rushed
God’s timing is not emotional
- He doesn’t panic
- He doesn’t scramble
C) God is building something bigger than you can see
Joseph thought it was about his dream
It was about:
- preserving a nation
- protecting the covenant line
- positioning Israel in Egypt
- setting up the Exodus
- ultimately the coming of Christ
Setback may be God moving chess pieces 10 moves ahead.
10) Practical Reality Check (Today)
Some are in:
- Pit season: rejected, stuck, betrayed
- Prison season: doing right, suffering anyway
- Waiting season: faithful but forgotten
- Confrontation season: face-to-face with those who hurt you
God says: “I’m working even when you can’t see it.”
11) Truth Statements
- God’s silence is not God’s absence.
- Delay is not denial.
- The pit is not the end.
- Prison doesn’t cancel calling.
- People may forget you, but God never does.
- God doesn’t just redeem the ending—He redeems the middle.
- What others meant to destroy you, God can use to deliver others.
12) Gospel Connection (Joseph Points to Jesus)
Joseph is a shadow of Christ:
- loved by his father → Jesus the beloved Son
- rejected by brothers → rejected by His own
- sold for silver → betrayed for silver
- suffered innocent → Jesus suffered sinless
- raised up to save many → Jesus raised to save the world
- forgave wrongdoers → Jesus: “Father, forgive them”
Joseph saved from famine
Jesus saves from eternal judgment
13) Closing Call
Two options:
- Believe:
- pain was pointless
- delay wasted
- betrayal ruined you
- story is over
- Believe Scripture:
God is working
Even when you can’t see it
Even when you don’t feel it
Even when you’re tired of waiting
Stop asking:
- “Why is this happening?”
Start asking: - “Lord, what are You building in me through this?”
If you belong to Christ, your story isn’t written by your enemies…
It’s written by your God.