Sermon Tone Analysis

*“A Place for You”*

Genesis 46:26 - 47:12

August 31st, 2008

 

Paul Van Maaren

Senior Pastor

Faith Reformed Church, Lynden, Washington

 

Today we put the final touches on our study of the life of Joseph.

Our scripture text is Genesis 46:26 – 47:12.

Tuesday night I picked up the September newsletter from the Voice of the Martyrs.

I read a story about a young man name, who for the sake of his security, was given the name Bobby.

Elements of his story, the rejection by his family and the welcome of the Christians set the stage for what God is teaching us and calling us to do this morning.

And so I thought I’d share it with you.

Bobby lives in Indonesia.

The most populous Muslim country in the world.

His family was a Muslim as was Bobby himself.

In 2004, he was a junior in high school when he had three dreams about Jesus and heaven.

Coming from a Muslim family he was eager to understand the meaning of these dreams.

But he had no one to ask, because as Muslim he cannot question the Koran or investigate any religious books.

Soon, Bobby secretly purchased 3 spiritual books.

A Bible.

The Hindu book.

And the Buddist book.

Pursuing a quest to understand the meaning of his dreams.

He also read in secrecy by locking the door to his room and hiding the books when he was done.

One day, while he was reading, his mother came in the door.

In eagerness to read, Bobby forgot to lock it.

His mother became enraged.

Soon the rest of his family, all 10 of them, were in his room shouting at him a rebuking him for reading other spiritual books.

His dad told him, “You are a sinner.”

His parents called a security guard who came and with plastic bag wrapped hands brought the books outside.

Touching a Bible “polluted” a Muslim and was as bad as touching anything unclean like a pig.

Bobby was locked in his room while the rest of his family went outside with the security officer to burn the books.

Bobby escaped out his window and ran towards the fire.

Picked up one book that was doused with gasoline but not burning and ran.

His family chased him.

He got a ride on a truck to another part of town and continued to run.

Exhausted he fell asleep next to a wall for the night.

Bobby woke up in the morning dirty and with messy hair but to a stream of people entering the building that he was reclined against.

He said, “They were carrying a little book like mine.”

And he went in with them.

It was a church.

The book he had pulled from the fire was a Bible.

After church he went back outside but unsure of what to do.

A woman from the church spotted him and began to ask Bobby how she could help.

He went home with the woman and her family.

Her family fed him and began to teach him the Bible for several weeks.

With new encouragement, Bobby went back to his own family for a reunion.

But it wasn’t the warm welcome he had hoped for.

Instead it was plates of food thrown at him and a beating.

He was in the hospital unconscious for two days.

The third day he escaped through a bathroom window.

He continued in the study of Bible and took a ferry boat to another island to lead other Muslims to Jesus Christ.

They found out he had formerly been a Muslim and a mob beat him again.

But that has not stopped this young man from bringing the Gospel to his Muslim people.

Notice the huge contrast between the rejection of his family and the welcome of the Christian family?

This sets the stage for what God is teaching us and how he is calling us into action this morning.

As we turn our hearts and ears and minds to the scriptures, will you please pray with me?

 

Father, may your Word be our rule;

You Spirit our teacher;

And the glory of Jesus our single concern.

In whose name we pray.

Amen

 

Listen to these words from the book that we love.

/ /

/All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons' wives—numbered sixty-six persons.

With the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family, which went to Egypt, were seventy in all./

/Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen.

When they arrived in the region of Goshen, Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel.

As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time./

/Israel said to Joseph, "Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive."/

/Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, "I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, 'My brothers and my father's household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me.

The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.'

When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, 'What is your occupation?' you should answer, 'Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.' Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians."

/

/Joseph went and told Pharaoh, "My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen."

He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh.

/

/Pharaoh asked the brothers, "What is your occupation?"/

/      "Your servants are shepherds," they replied to Pharaoh, "just as our fathers were."

They also said to him, "We have come to live here awhile, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants' flocks have no pasture.

So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen."

/

/Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothers have come to you, and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land.

Let them live in Goshen.

And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock."

/

/Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh.

After Jacob blessed Pharaoh, Pharaoh asked him, "How old are you?"

/

/And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty.

My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers."

Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence.

/

/So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed.

Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their children./

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.  Amen

 

Joseph is doing something God would do.

And something that as believers in Jesus Christ God is calling us to do.

We’ve seen the love of Jacob for Joseph.

The hatred of his brothers, who want to kill him but opt for making a quick buck.

Joseph is brought into Potiphar’s house and by God powerful hand is put in charge of the house.

Potiphar’s wife falsely accuses him.

Joseph goes to jail and by God’s powerful hand is put in charge of the jail even as a prisoner himself.

He interprets dreams for the cupbearer who will be restored to his position and for the baker who will be killed.

The cupbearer forgets Joseph until Pharoah has a dream.

Joseph is called up from the prison into the throne room.