Title Acts 07:8-16 Trials and Glory
Contents Main text: Acts 7:8-16 / Trials and Glory
God, who controls history through faithful people, reveals God's will through the lives of his servants. Even in the face of martyrdom in front of his eyes, the Holy Spirit-filled deacon, Stephen, boldly testifies that Jesus is the Messiah through the history of Israel, on the cross and resurrection, and clearly points out the sins of the Israeli religious leaders who killed the Savior Jesus. is evidence of the patriarch Joseph. Deacon Stephen explains the meaning of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection through Joseph's trials, tribulations, and glory as God's promise of salvation is being fulfilled precisely. He preaches a profound sermon that connects with the cross and resurrection of Jesus, testifying to the suffering and glory of Joseph that an innocent and righteous man inevitably must suffer like a sinner for the salvation of sinful people.
“The many fathers were jealous of Joseph and sold him to Egypt” (9).
Joseph was the eleventh of Jacob's 12 sons and the first son of Jacob's most beloved wife, Rachel. Father Jacob's favoritism, Joseph's taunts, and dreams caused him to be hated by the ten half-brothers, and the brothers agreed to kill his younger brother Joseph out of jealousy. They sell 17-year-old Joseph as a slave for 20 pieces of silver (Genesis 37). At that time, slaves were treated like livestock, and the brothers who knew that they would die in a miserable life were usually less than 30 pieces of silver. When we look at the sinful image of heartless people in selling to the church and see that envy and jealousy are the causes, we realize that envy and jealousy must be uprooted from the life of the saints.
Joseph, who became a slave to Potiphar's house, the leader of the Egyptian guard, gained great trust from Potiphar with his faith and faithfulness. He is accused of "harassment and cowardice" for his wife's evil plot and is imprisoned. Fifteen years later, Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, had a strange dream, but no one could interpret it, so Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dream through the introduction of the cupbearer. When Pharaoh knew that God was with Joseph, he appointed Joseph, a 30-year-old young man, as the prime minister of Egypt (Genesis 39-41).
Appointed Prime Minister from Slave and Prisoner (10)
The great famine and the glory of Joseph (11-15)
In verse 11, famine and great tribulation throughout Egypt and Canaan came through Joseph's interpretation of the dream. . Thus, the power of the Prime Minister Joseph becomes so that no one can stop it. All of this is God's guidance, so we must be humble and proceed with the prophecy of the Jacob family's migration to Egypt. In Genesis 15:13, "The LORD said to Abraham, "Know it for sure. They have to go down to Egypt, but there is no reason to go to Egypt in a normal life, so He guides them so mysteriously through the famine. Therefore, it is difficult for those who are going through the trials and glory of Joseph's sale, his presidency, and the great famine to realize God's prophecy, God's fulfillment for the salvation of mankind. Therefore, there is great joy, courage, and thanksgiving when we know that everything we experience is God's plan of salvation and understand its meaning through the Bible.
Joseph's forgiveness and love (12-15)
Joseph, who recognized his brothers who had come to seek food, had no way to control his emotions due to his cross-sensitivity, so he went to another room and cried and came out and talked over and over again. At this time, there is moving comfort and forgiveness based on Joseph's faith. Genesis 45:5 says, “Do not be troubled, and do not be grieved, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to save life.” Genesis 50:20 says, “You tried to harm me, but God You have changed it into good so that the lives of all people can be saved as it is today.” So he forgives and invites 75 relatives to Egypt to settle down. The saints, wherever they are, were sent by God, not sold. That is why we have a mission God has given us. The most important of those missions is the mission of an evangelist who bears witness to the gospel with all of me. This is God's command, and Jesus' earnest request and will. Humans, who were tempted by Satan by the saints, do evil in various ways, but God turns evil into good and accomplishes God's will.
Saints! Joseph is a typical Old Testament shadow, type, and type of Jesus. Loved by the Father, sold without guilt. Searching for suffering, resisting temptation, infinite forgiveness, love, and glory as Prime Minister are very similar to the life of Jesus. Stephen's sermon, which boldly testifies of the cross and resurrection of Jesus through the life of Joseph, continues today. You should also practice like this. Amen