Forge Church

Joseph is rushed into the presence of Pharoah, who recounts 2 disturbing dreams that none of his court Seers and Magicians can interpret. Joseph, giving all credit to God first, interprets, and then suggests ways for the nation to survive the coming famine. Having humbly submitted himself to God in his sojourn in Egypt, NOW the Covenant God of Israel exalts Joseph, in due time.

Joseph is set over all the prisoners to care for them because The Lord is with him. Pharoah is mightily angry with two of his servants, his cupbearer and the head baker, and remands them into the custody of Potiphar, who places them under Joseph's care. Joseph offers to interpret their two disturbing dreams, and the interpretations from God are authenticated 3 days later.

Joseph is been up and down in his life since he was introduced. Now he is in charge of the prison into which Pharoah has remanded his cup-bearer and the head baker, who Potiphar puts under Josephs care. These two who have greatly offended Pharoah have individual dreams one night, and are greatly downcast for there is no "Book Of Dreams" and spiritual practitioner to interpret those dreams. Joseph points to God for interpretation, delivers it, and see the authentication of the interpretations lived out in three days.

In this episode, Joseph rises from being a Hebrew slave, to being the steward over all of the estate of Potiphar, Pharoah's captain of the body guard. As he rises, he is solicited by Potiphar's wife, who will not take "NO" for an answer. The lessons of Joseph's purity are stark against the land of Egypt and its idolatrous immorality. Cast into the prison in Potiphar's house, Joseph has avoided the death penalty, but is now incarcerated with Pharoah's prisoners. Circumstances have changed; the LORD has not.

In Genesis 38, we have some of the most explicit sexual content in all of Scripture, but the compiler-by-the-Holy-Spirit of Genesis set this dark account in the Scriptures to (1) contrast with God's care/Joseph's response in the next chapters, and (2) set the stage for the departure from Canaan to Egypt that is about 25 years away. The Lord is also after Judah's heart, the seed-carrier, and uses His Providence to assure progeny from this wayward son of Jacob.

In this introduction to Joseph's Story, there is a review of the previous series entitled Jacob's Story. Then, at the pinnacle of Jacob's relationship with God, we are slammed by the surrounding deaths and circumstances that would unhorse the man and his destiny. Use your zoom out "tool" to get a God's Eye view of what He is doing to set up the Joseph Story, and what He is doing in your life.

Apostle Peter wraps up his teaching by starting with the same theme: humility. When we put our worries and anxiety on deposit with Him, he sets us up to resist our Adversary, while guaranteeing the outcome. He has overcome so that we overcome, stand firm, and are made complete.

Apostle Peter turns his preaching to the elders of the house churches that are scattered up the center of Asia Minor. His urging the to be Shepherds and Pastors like Jesus was to his Disciples. And then he turns to the younger set and urges them to submit to those godly elders, and to all of the rest (us included) the "tie-on" humility....and to let it show.

Apostle Peter uses the furnace metaphor for the fiery suffering that is and will be falling on the Christians in Asia Minor. Then he urges them to rejoice that they are so qualified to be those who will suffer along with Jesus. Inserted in his preaching is a promise that those who suffer in Jesus' Name can expect the Spirit of God and Power to rest on them. There is cause for rejoicing.

Apostle Peter knows that suffering and persecution are coming to the churches of Asia Minor. He gives direct instructions for how believers are to live in the midst of pagan neighbors and when believers have to face Imperial persecution from Rome.