Sunday School at 9 am | worship at 10 am

When Hopes Are Dashed

A man went out to his car one morning only to discover that it wouldn’t start.  He figured maybe the battery was dead.  Checking under the hood he was surprised to discover that his battery was not dead, but was missing.  In the vacant spot for the battery he discovered a note which said something to this effect: “I’m sorry I had to take your battery, but it was an emergency and I had to get to the hospital. I will return your battery as soon as I can.” A little later the battery was returned with another note: “Thank you so much for the use of your battery. To express our appreciation and to make up for the inconvenience we have caused you, here are two tickets to the Dallas Cowboys game this Sunday.”

Well, the couple was ecstatic. They were big Cowboys fans and were thrilled at the opportunity to go to the game. What a wonderful turn of events this had been. But when they returned home from the game they discovered, to their dismay that their apartment had been cleaned out. The football tickets had simply been a ruse to get them out of the house.

Joseph’s life, too, had several curious turns of events. Just at the time when things seemed to be going his way circumstances would rapidly change, and hope was seemingly lost. At 17 he was appointed by his father as the leader of his brothers, but that only got him thrown into a pit. Due to the band of Ishmaelite traders who “happened by” and at the suggestion of Judah, they sold him instead of leaving him there to die. As Joseph’s abilities became evident to Potiphar, the Egyptian official who had purchased Joseph as his slave, he found himself rising to a position second only to that of his master. Joseph’s refusal to have an affair with Potiphar’s wife resulted in false charges and his incarceration in Potiphar’ prison.

This Sunday we continue Joseph’s story in Genesis 40.  When it looks as though the butler will be able to make an appeal to Pharaoh on Joseph’s behalf, Joseph’s hopes seem to be dashed on the rocks of reality.

How Joseph handles the “pits” of his life provides us with a key to his ability to live in undeserved and unpleasant circumstances with faith, hope, and love.   That’s what we need—this same ability Joseph had to endure a difficult situation.  The Bible does not prescribe a formula or particular prayer that you can pray that will enable you to avoid the difficulties of life.  There is no assurance that if you can just muster up enough faith you will be immune from suffering of every sort. The watchword for Christians in the midst of suffering is not escape, but endurance.  And we see that illustrated in the life of Joseph.  It was hard, but he hung in there.  And God rewarded him for his faithful endurance.

Joseph could persevere through the hard times because of the assurance he had that God could and would deliver him from his suffering in His good time and in His own way.  This was true for Joseph, and it’s also true for us.