Gtcotr/ws072512
Turn
with me to Genesis 37 and while we turn, allow me to share our key scripture
for tonight:
Key
Scripture: Psalms 19:14 Let the words
of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD,
my strength and my Redeemer.
I
first memorized this verse in 1980 after hearing a man singing a song using the
verses in Psalm 19. That was the first time I remember realizing that the Words
of God made the best songs. If I get real brave or muster up the courage, I may
sing it later in the service.
Note:
Why would it take real bravery or real courage? Because I am probably the only
one here who knows the song and I would have to sing it by myself … - Those
things we do, even when we have to do them by ourselves, are true examples of
real courage or bravery. (Group activities do not exemplify bravery) –
Courage is an individual choice
More
about that later …
In
Genesis 37 we pick up with the continuing life of Joseph. In the first part of
our series on the life of Joseph we talked about Joseph being a man with a
dream. Some might imagine that it was his dreams that got him into trouble,
that would be a wrong assumption but even if that were true one would have to
conclude that it was dreams that got him out of trouble as well. At any rate,
let’s use a couple of the accounts of Joseph’s life to help us determine our
proper motivation from all of the motivations which often come our way.
Genesis 37
4 But when his brothers saw
that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and
could not speak peaceably to him.
5 Now Joseph had a dream, and
he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more.
One
of the first and most formidable motivations we find in the Bible is that of
hatred.
Hate is a motivation
…
Machiavelli,
who wrote “The Prince”, a treatise on how to be a Prince, observed that it was
better to be feared by your soldiers than to be hated by them … people who are
motivated by hate are unpredictable and capable of blind assault without
consideration of consequence. (My personal summation of Chapter 17 which addresses cruelty,
fear, love and mercy)
Suffice
it to say that hatred is a motivation which does no good for the one who hates
or the one who is hated.
Joseph’s
brothers, motivated by hatred, plotted, assaulted, captured, confined and sold
him for money. Hatred is a cruel master and so is money! More about that later
as well … but for now, back to motivations –
Genesis 37:11 And his
brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
Envy is a motivation
…
Genesis 37
17 And the man said,
"They have departed from here, for I heard them say, ’Let us go to
Dothan.’" So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan.
18 Now when they saw him afar
off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him.
19 Then they said to one
another, "Look, this dreamer is coming!
20 "Come therefore, let
us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ’Some wild beast
has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!"
Conspiracy
is a motivation. What is conspiracy? Conspiracy is often nothing more than:
·
Mob
Madness
·
Group
Courage
·
Deluded
Truth
You
have heard of people who get their courage from a bottle – well some get their
bravery from group support. Real courage however, is not that which is gained
by finding others who will agree with or support your cause … the brave do what
has to be done even if they have to do it all by themselves. Those like David,
when all the men in his army wanted to stone him, he encouraged himself to get
on his horse and set out by himself to get back his family. When David faced
Goliath, the army of Israel were all afraid to come out to help him until he
killed the giant all by himself – that’s when group courage came into play …
Joseph’s
brothers stirred the pot of contention and resentment. Stirring the pot of
bitterness only makes matters even more bitter. A person can always find
support for any cause however, support does not make it right!
Group support is a
motivation …
Genesis 37
26 So Judah said to his
brothers, "What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal
his blood?
27 "Come and let us sell
him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our
brother and our flesh." And his brothers listened.
Money is a
motivation …
Even
one of the trusted disciples was motivated by money to betray Jesus. The bible
says that the love of money is the root of all evil and if a person is the type
of person who is continually in pursuit of money, they are apt to do anything
to try and get it. Money, Jesus said, is deceitful and it wants to be your God,
dictate what you think and do, and then leave you empty handed.
Out
of all of the motivations, perhaps money is the cruelest because it can never
be satisfied. Yet, as Ecclesiastes says, money is the answer to all things.
Although we may need money, we cannot allow money to wrongfully or inordinately
motivate us or be the voice of our God.
If
money speaks to you … beware … don’t let it deceive you or lead you to violate a
principle of God’s word. The Word of God guarantees that needs will be met for
the person who will put the Kingdom of God and what is right in God’s eyes as
first place in their lives … all these other things you need will be added to
you!
So
far we have seen examples of people being motivated by:
·
Hatred
·
Envy
·
Group Support
·
Money
Let’s
pick up this continuing survey of motivations from the life of Joseph in
Genesis 39 –
Joseph’s
brothers drew him out of that pit in Dothan and sold him into slavery to a
group of Ishmaelites who were headed to Egypt.
(Production Note: - Show video of the pit in Dothan where we
filmed one of our TV programs)
Genesis 39
2 The LORD was with
Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of
his master the Egyptian.
3 And his master saw that
the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper
in his hand.
4 So Joseph found favor
in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he
had he put under his authority.
5 So it was, from the
time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had,
that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and
the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in
the house and in the field.
6 Thus he left all that
he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread
which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.
7 ¶ And it came to pass
after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and
she said, "Lie with me."
8 But he
refused and said to his master’s wife, "Look, my master does not
know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has
to my hand.
Wow
… talk about drama … you can see what’s motivating here … it’s lust
Lust motivates …
10 So it was, as she spoke
to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with
her.
Some
motivations just keep on trying to motivate … speaking day after day
But
when she did not get what she wanted, she felt jilted and resented Joseph.
Beware of those things which make you entertain resentment –
Resentment motivates
…
You
can read the story but for the sake of time this evening suffice it to say that
even though she had been chasing and chasing after Joseph and he never told a
soul, never made an accusation, never attempted to benefit from the situation –
although he covered her … nonetheless – in her resentment of him, she waited
until an opportune time and accused him of the very thing she was doing … And
when she told her circle of servants and then proceeded to tell Joseph’s master
- - -
Genesis 39
19 ¶ So it was, when his
master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, "Your servant
did to me after this manner," that his anger was aroused.
20 Then Joseph’s master took
him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were
confined. And he was there in the prison.
21 But the LORD was with
Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper
of the prison.
Anger motivates …
We
could go on and on and on but we will conclude this survey of motivations by
discovering what it was that motivated Joseph in the midst of all of these
things …
We know that some
people are wrongfully motivated by:
·
Hatred
·
Envy
·
Support
·
Money
·
Lust
·
Anger
But
what motivated Joseph?
Simple
… He just wanted to do what was right without regard as to the wrong that was
done him.
The
life of Joseph teaches us to:
Do what is
right even when you are done wrong …
Psalms
19 – Song
7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the
simple;
8 The statutes of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening
the eyes;
9 The fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and
righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation
of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.
