Sunday Sermon – Baggage – Born Into Dysfunction – Genesis 37-50

What a story…

This story – The Joseph Story – in Genesis 37 through 50 – sets up the framework for the story of God’s people.  This story precedes THE Great story – the Exodus.  It explains how in the world God’s people got to Egypt.And, the truth is, this story replay’s itself over and over and over throughout the history of Israel.Actually, it is the story of humanity.  It is the story of humankind.  It is really your story and my story.  

Joseph is the beloved son of a Father who has chosen him as his own and clothed him with this blessing.  In the story, Joseph is given a robe at a time and point in his life where he is underserving of such a gift, it only represents how the Father feels about the son.  It does not represent anything the Son has done.

(I think in the abstract, this represents us, God’s heart is for us, he desires to have us, to clothe us with a robe that fully expresses how he feels about us.)

But, Joseph exists in a reality that is dysfunctional – he is unable to fully live into the blessing.  This chosenness of Jacob.  (In the abstract, this represents the fallenness of mankind – no matter what – we are born into brokenness.  Some of us experience this at different degrees or in different ways than others, but we all, no matter how good we have it experience it.  This is true of Joseph.  He had it great, and his brothers sold him down the river).

And, actually, Joseph’s own brokenness, his own inability to live in humility gets him in trouble.  Although he gains an awareness of his chosenness.  The blessing of his father upon him, he is unable to live in it, because he himself is dysfunctional.  He is broken.(This is ultimately true of us too – we choose sin and brokenness.  We all are guilty, scripture says.  It affects us, no matter what, and even though Joseph gets the raw end of the deal, when you read or hear the story, you realize he was a little punk.  “Guess what guys?  You’re all going to bow down to me!”)

Now, everything about Joseph’s reality is broken.  His relationship with his brothers is broken.  His work is broken.  He does not know how to work and earn respect and authority properly – he wants it given to him based on something dysfunctional.  A dream.  He is sent out with his brothers and probably not able to keep up or do his share of the work, wearing this stupid robe and reminding them all the time that his is dad’s favorite and telling them of these dreams.   Don’t miss it, this story is an expression of the dysfunction that ensues after the fall.

So, Joseph is taken out.  There is an enemy brought on by the dysfunction that creates enough turmoil that Joseph is literally taken out and he loses the relationship that expresses this covenantal love of Father to Son.  He loses the safety and security of that loving relationship.  

The story is meant to rip your heart out!  Can you imagine!  Can you imagine the gall of those brothers coming home with that Rotten Stinky rob and pulling off that Hoax on their dad?  I mean, that took some serious will power, right?  No, Dad, he’s in the belly of the lion, or the bear?  It ripped him to shreds, all that’s left is this stupid robe you put over his scrawny shoulders and look at it.  It’s soaked in dried up, stinky, nasty blood.  Jacob’s heart was destroyed!  I can tell you, my heart would be destroyed if you took my boys away from me!  

That is how God’s heart feels about the brokenness of this world!  That is how he feels about sin.  That is how he feels about what happened in the Garden and that is how he feels about it when each and every one of us has to choose to succumb to the dysfunction of the fallen world we are born into.  That is how he feels about His enemy taking you and I out. 

So, Joseph is carried off to Egypt. Egypt, in the Story of Israel represents more than a geographical location.  You can find Egypt on a map!  Yes.But, Egypt, to the People of God – represents Exile.  Exile means WE ARE NOT WHERE WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE! 

We are not at Home with Our Dad!  

Joseph is not at home with Dad.  Egypt is that!  Exile is that. This is the story of humanity.Sin and death – brokenness – dysfunction – the reality of the kingdom of this world – is Egypt.  It is not HOME.  It is not where Dad is!  Dad, is God the Father.Jesus called him Abba when he taught the disciples how to pray.  Which means Daddy.So, Joseph finds himself in the far off place, which is not home.  It certainly could not have felt like that dream he had as a boy.  It certainly could not have felt like things were going to go his way.  It was humbling.  It was crushing!  So, now put yourself in Joseph’s shoes.  Months go by and you are saying to yourself, “Okay, wait a minute.  What were those dreams about?”  And, it is sinking in that you are alone.  You know your brothers have schemed.  Everyone is against you.  Everything is against.  It seems as if even the fabric of the world, this dysfunctional world, the brokenness of the world are against you.  And now, you are in Egypt.But, here’s something about this story that is incredible.  Although Egypt represents exile, and the removal from “home.”  

Egypt does not represent the absence of God for Joseph.We see throughout the story of Joseph that he chooses over and over to be transformed by his experience and to believe, think, experience God with him in this place.  In this place that appears to represent “not home”  “away from Dad”  Joseph experiences “favor of God”  “God with me”  “God having my back”  “God showing up”So, here are a few things we can see from Joseph’s experience:[Slide 16]God is with Joseph, where he is, Joseph does not have to be where God is.That is true for us. Even in God forsaken Egypt.Are you in Egypt?  God is with you.God come from Home to Egypt to rescue Israel.Eventually, God comes from where he is to get Israel!He sends Moses to deliver his people, and says, “I am with you!”In the Jesus version of this story, because this is the story of mankind.God’s plan is even to save Egypt.  God comes for everyone.The key to Joseph’s story is his Journey of Transformation:HumilityResponsibilityJoseph has to humble himself and take responsibility.  The young punk in the coat is not the man who reconciles with his brothers in the end of the story.

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