Bible Study Series - 2 Corinthians 2:12
2 Corinthians 2:12 - Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, a door was open to me by the Lord
This verse is an account by Paul of how God opened doors (created opportunities) for him to continue preaching the Gospel in Troas (modern-day Turkey). God has a plan and purpose for each one of us and equips us with the necessary talents and skills to achieve that purpose. He also places us into positions and situations where we can showcase God’s glory in our lives and fulfill His purpose. There are many examples of how God has opened doors for believers to complete His mission for them.
This series concludes with Joseph. His story can be found in Genesis 37, 39-47.
JOSEPH - PRINCE OF DREAMS & RULER OF EGYPT
God’s plans have always included protecting His chosen people, the Israelites. Joseph had to be taken away from his home and molded into a leader to fulfill his purpose in God’s plan. We’ll look in detail at how Joseph was planted in the right place at the right time to achieve God’s plan for His people.
In Joseph’s early life, he was treated very well. He was the clear favorite son of his house. He was the child born to Jacob in his old age of his beloved wife Rachel. Although he was the youngest child at the time, Jacob loved him more than the rest of his brothers. Jacob gifted Joseph a coat of many colors. This may seem like just a piece of cloth to us now, but it had more significance for the time. During that time, all the men wore cloaks as an outer garment that could provide warmth. In general, these items are considered very practical, functional, and plain. In contrast, Joseph received a coat that was beautiful and colorful. These kinds of clothing were more symbolic of royalty than the lowly station of shepherding that Jacob’s family was. In addition, since the coat was so beautiful, it may have been an indication that Joseph was not required by his father to go into the fields and work. Such a beautiful coat would be destroyed in the process. These ideas combined with the clear favoritism shown by Jacob made Joseph stand out from his brothers and lead to them hating him (Genesis 37:4). Joseph also had dreams, which disturbed his family. Though we know that they eventually came true, these dreams began to draw a wedge between father and son (Genesis 37:10).
Joseph had to be brought low for God to begin using him. The first stage of this was his brothers’ betrayal. After Jacob sent him to check on the welfare of his brothers, Joseph’s brothers plotted against him. They were planning to kill him and cast him into a pit, that’s how tremendous their hatred had become. Eventually, they decided against that idea. Joseph was stripped of his colorful coat which started this whole string of jealousy, tossed into an empty well, and then sold to a band of Ishmaelites for 20 pieces of silver. Joseph had to be broken first to realize that his prized position in his family did not make him great and his family would not be his deliverers. He would have to trust solely on God to save him.
The next stage came while Joseph was working at Potipher’s house. At this point, Joseph had to learn to work hard. While living with his father, he was treated like royalty. Here in Egypt, he was little more than a servant. But God was with him and caused him to be prosperous which caught the attention of Potipher, who realized that God was with him. Joseph received grace in his sight and was set to be the overseer of all of Potipher’s house (Genesis 39:2-4). Just as Joseph got comfortable in his new favored position, a new betrayal sprung up. Potipher’s wife accused Joseph of an assault that he did not do and he was promptly thrown into jail. Here Joseph had to learn that his own works and merits would not garner him a higher position in life. His only reliance was God.
The next stage of his molding took place while he was in prison. Because God showed him mercy, Joseph received favor with the prison keeper and was made overseer there as well (Genesis 39:21-23). While being incarcerated, he correctly interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker. Joseph asked the cupbearer to remember him and speak kindly of him to Pharaoh when he was released because he interpreted the dream correctly. But, the cupbearer completely forgot about him after being restored to his place in the palace. God was again teaching Joseph that no avenue would deliver him from his plight without divine intervention.
The next stage of Joseph’s molding takes place two years later when Pharoah dreams a dream that none of the magicians and wise men of Egypt can interpret. Only then does the cupbearer remember Joseph and how he interpreted his dream while in jail. Joseph is brought before Pharaoh and boldly says that the interpretations of the dreams do not come from himself, but only from God. He takes no credit and insists that God receives the glory. And after hearing the dream, God provides Joseph with the interpretation as well as a solution to the predicted famine. Pharoah recognized Joseph as someone who had the spirit of God within him and therefore made him the ruler of Egypt, second only to himself (Genesis 41: 37-45). And thus Joseph ruled for many years in the land. God taught Joseph that He always takes care of His children and restores them when they exhibit obedience and faith.
Now, what does all this mean? Joseph went from being the favored son of a shepherd to the ruler of Egypt, the superpower of that ancient world. Joseph learned hard work while working for Potipher and learned leadership there and in prison. Joseph was reminded time and again that he could be betrayed at any time by anyone close to him and that his own works would not raise him to the level that God would. As the leader of Egypt, he was in a position to take care of his family, Egypt, and the majority of the world through a terrible famine. People came from far and wide to buy food from Egypt and Joseph made the country immensely wealthy. Because he was in a position of power, he was able to get his whole family to live in the land of Goshen in Egypt, as well as give them the best of the land (Genesis 47:11,12).
God used Joseph’s life to ensure that the people of Israel would not suffer during hard times. Human imagination could not have understood how God could use the years of suffering of one young boy to save a whole nation. But God in his omniscience knew that Joseph needed to be in Egypt and He created the opportunities to get him there to fulfill His purpose. Did Joseph struggle and was he wrongfully accused? Yes, he was. But in the end, it all was for the glory of God.
Please read the full story of Joseph in Genesis 37, 39-47.
