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[2409.58 --> 2416.34] the passing of Linda's mom. We thank you for Bill and Miriam De Winter, who are celebrating 45 years |
[2416.34 --> 2421.74] of marriage. We thank Paul and Leslie Kuhl, who just celebrated 40 years. We thank you for the |
[2421.74 --> 2427.66] institution of marriage and family. We pray for many happy years to come. We pray for Ashley, |
[2428.04 --> 2433.62] Mark and Dietrich Klengelting's sister-in-law, who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. As she begins |
[2433.62 --> 2438.62] the difficult journey of chemotherapy, we pray that you will be with her, her husband, and the four |
[2438.62 --> 2444.40] children. And look, we look forward to her healing. Father, we pray for students in this congregation, |
[2444.70 --> 2452.12] both those who are here or studying elsewhere. We help them in their studies and that they will be, |
[2452.20 --> 2458.16] still be able to contribute to Christian community. We pray for shut-ins and those who cannot be here. |
[2458.62 --> 2463.62] We pray that they will still have opportunities for them to experience the love of family, |
[2463.62 --> 2469.18] the strength of Christian community, and the presence in their lives. Father, we think about |
[2469.18 --> 2474.02] the heavy rain and the flooding this weekend. We know the value of rain and the life that it brings, |
[2474.22 --> 2480.30] but we can see the damage that it can cause. For all those who are experiencing damage or flooding or |
[2480.30 --> 2489.08] need to clean up, we pray that as community, they and we will be able to do that. Father, |
[2489.08 --> 2494.38] we continue to pray for troubled war zones in the world. We think about the violence that takes place |
[2494.38 --> 2500.58] in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, and potentially in Iran, and we do fear an even greater escalation of that |
[2500.58 --> 2506.34] conflict. We think of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and we do not see an end in sight. |
[2507.04 --> 2511.18] We think about so many other regions that are experiencing conflict that we don't often think |
[2511.18 --> 2516.50] about. Father, we pray that you will work in the hearts of various leaders, that they could see a way |
[2516.50 --> 2522.34] to resolve their conflicts and begin to live next to each other in peace. Father, we ask that you be |
[2522.34 --> 2528.48] at Pastor Chris as he leads us in your word and tells us more of the story of Joseph. It is just one |
[2528.48 --> 2536.76] of many reminders of your sovereignty in the midst of human suffering. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with us all. Amen. |
[2546.50 --> 2570.70] We are going to open up the Bible and read and reflect on the story of Joseph near the beginning of the story of Joseph. |
[2570.70 --> 2578.84] We are going to read from Genesis 37, starting at verse 12. I am going to read through the end of the chapter |
[2578.84 --> 2584.88] in this part of the story, but I am going to encourage you to keep your Bibles open, keep them in front of you |
[2584.88 --> 2590.78] as we come back to it. For the first time through, like we said, it should be on the screen behind us. |
[2591.22 --> 2593.88] There are Bibles available at the back for you too. |
[2593.88 --> 2597.26] This is what we read. |
[2623.88 --> 2635.64] When Joseph arrived at Shechem, a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, |
[2636.00 --> 2640.04] What are you looking for? And he replied, I am looking for my brothers. |
[2640.42 --> 2643.06] Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks? |
[2644.10 --> 2646.56] They have moved on from here, the man answered. |
[2646.56 --> 2650.78] I heard them say, let's go to Dothan. |
[2652.04 --> 2655.62] So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. |
[2656.46 --> 2662.12] But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. |
[2663.38 --> 2666.44] Here comes that dreamer, they said to each other. |
[2667.18 --> 2672.92] Come now, let's kill him and throw him into these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. |
[2672.92 --> 2675.48] Then we'll see what comes of his dreams. |
[2677.32 --> 2681.72] When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. |
[2682.26 --> 2683.96] Let's not take his life, he said. |
[2684.20 --> 2685.48] Don't shed any blood. |
[2685.98 --> 2690.76] Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don't lay a hand on him. |
[2691.74 --> 2696.64] Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. |
[2696.64 --> 2704.16] So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the ornate robe that he was wearing, |
[2704.34 --> 2707.02] and they took him and threw him into the cistern. |
[2707.54 --> 2710.96] The cistern was empty, and there was no water in it. |
[2712.10 --> 2718.88] As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up, and they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. |
[2718.98 --> 2725.38] Their camels were loaded with spices, balm, and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt. |
[2725.38 --> 2728.20] Judah said to his brothers, |
[2728.60 --> 2732.06] What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? |
[2732.88 --> 2738.10] Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him. |
[2738.42 --> 2741.64] After all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood. |
[2742.52 --> 2743.52] His brothers agreed. |
[2743.52 --> 2750.78] So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern |
[2750.78 --> 2756.68] and sold him for 20 shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt. |
[2758.24 --> 2763.96] When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. |
[2764.64 --> 2766.24] He went back to his brothers and said, |
[2766.30 --> 2767.42] The boy isn't there. |
[2767.60 --> 2769.08] Where can I turn now? |
[2769.08 --> 2775.50] Then they got Joseph's robe, slaughtered a goat, and dipped the robe in the blood. |
[2776.36 --> 2779.44] They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, |
[2779.78 --> 2780.86] We found this. |
[2781.64 --> 2784.36] Examine it to see whether it's your son's robe. |
[2785.98 --> 2787.82] He recognized it and said, |
[2788.14 --> 2789.90] It is my son's robe. |
[2790.46 --> 2792.72] Some ferocious animal has devoured him. |
[2793.80 --> 2796.44] Joseph has surely been torn to pieces. |
[2796.44 --> 2803.58] And then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned his son for many days. |
[2804.42 --> 2810.22] All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. |
[2811.10 --> 2812.34] No, he said. |
[2812.88 --> 2816.86] I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave. |
[2818.04 --> 2820.64] So his father wept for him. |
[2820.64 --> 2832.54] Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard. |
[2833.50 --> 2834.76] This is the word of the Lord. |
[2841.54 --> 2844.72] So, spoiler alert, right at the beginning. |
[2845.94 --> 2846.78] Spoiler alert. |
[2848.10 --> 2849.56] God wins. |
[2849.56 --> 2850.72] God wins. |
[2852.00 --> 2852.84] God wins. |
[2853.58 --> 2854.90] That's the hope of the Bible. |
[2855.06 --> 2856.20] That's the message of the cross. |
[2856.32 --> 2858.26] That's the truth of God's sovereignty. |
[2859.48 --> 2860.38] God wins. |
[2862.06 --> 2864.10] I'm going to keep saying that until one of you says amen. |
[2864.38 --> 2864.94] God wins. |
[2865.56 --> 2866.32] Thank you. |
[2868.06 --> 2874.88] This is the reality that we enter into these particular stories with. |
[2874.88 --> 2875.72] But I want you to... |
[2875.72 --> 2877.40] Did you notice? |
[2877.40 --> 2887.82] As we read the story, this is one of the really few times that the author here of Genesis provides abundant narrative details. |
[2887.82 --> 2891.38] Like it takes a long time to read this story. |
[2891.38 --> 2896.82] There's details that we don't normally get in the telling of stories from the Bible. |
[2896.96 --> 2902.44] And the idea is to provide so much information that you can picture it and live it. |
[2902.44 --> 2911.32] But then what I want to suggest to you is that in doing so, we miss what might be happening elsewhere. |
[2911.32 --> 2913.66] Because there's so much in front of us. |
[2914.08 --> 2915.10] It's overwhelming. |
[2915.10 --> 2929.54] In the book Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card, he has this exchange. |
[2930.26 --> 2933.52] One of the officials, the captains, says, |
[2933.86 --> 2936.18] Do you know why Satan is so angry all the time? |
[2936.18 --> 2945.44] It's because whenever he works a particularly clever bit of mischief, God uses it to serve his own righteous purposes. |
[2947.24 --> 2954.66] He goes on that God uses his own freedom to create goodness out of that evil, for that's what God chooses to do. |
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