Promotion

Over the last two weeks we have viewed sin and victory as seen through the Cross of Christ.

While we look at promotion, keep those studies close to your heart.

The worldly view of promotion is based on performance.

Set goals and meet those goals and you are a proven performer.

You have heard the labels.

Overachiever

Underachiever

You know the implications.

But what does God say about promotion?

I would like to look at the first classic example that I can think of in the Bible.

Joseph, Jacob’s firstborn by Rachael, his first love.

Because the story of Joseph is rich in the foreshadowings of Jesus Christ, I would like to keep only to the pertinent scriptures as they relate to promotion.

Genesis 39

2 And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous 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 that he did to prosper in his hand.
4 And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.: Joseph prospered because the Lord was with him.
Joseph didn’t ask for promotion.

It fell on him as a result of his relationship with God.: Prosperity gains the attention of the worldly.; To the worldly, gain is everything.

Genesis 39
7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.: Satan hates it when God’s children prosper.

Genesis 39
8 But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;
9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?: In spite of great temptation, Joseph remained faithful to his master.
: Do you see how Joseph refers to sin, he says how can he sin against God?

Ephesians 6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

Joseph knew the principle, for he knew God.
Then she lied about Joseph in Genesis 39:14 That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:: The enemy isn’t above lying about you.
But Joseph held his tongue and did not offer any defense.

Genesis 39
20 And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
21 But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.
23 The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.: In spite of Joseph’s circumstances, the Lord shows mercy.
: Not once do you see Joseph whine or complain about his situation.
: He never once mentions that he has been treated unjustly.
: He never murmurs nor blames his brothers.

Genesis 41

14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.
15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.
16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.: This is a key point here.

Joesph doesn’t take credit for what God is doing.
In Genesis 41 Joesph explains the dreams.
37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.: So Joseph’s success, his promotion was based solely on his service to God no matter the circumstance, his status, or his worldly master.
: God fought for Joseph, working in the hearts and minds of even the unbelieving.

But Joseph did not have the Word of the Lord as delivered to the prophets to stand on.

If he had, he might have fared better against the temptations of Egypt.

Genesis 48

13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him.
14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.
15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,
16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.
18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.
19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.
20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

From Hitchcock’s Dictionary;

Ephraim: fruitful; increasing

Manasseh: forgetfulness; he that is forgotten

Here we see the upside-down principle of the kingdom of God at work.

The wisdom and desire of man is to exact order and logic.

But in God’s kingdom . . .

1 Corinthians 1

25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

But oh how the flesh loves to glory.

Genesis 49

1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.
2 Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.
3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.
How can we see this instability in Reuben, and in ourselves?

Genesis 35:22 And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it.

Reuben thought himself worthy to take possession of that which belonged to his father.

Pride is the evil root of covetousness.

We deem ourselves worthy of more than we have.

In both James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5 it says "for God resisteth the proud,. . .giveth grace to the humble."

As we all know, Israel became slaves to Egypt and were in bondage for 400 years.

Why?

Genesis 46

31 And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father's house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me;
32 And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.
33 And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?
34 That ye shall say, Thy servants' trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

I believe that the answer to why Israel fell into slavery lay in these verses.

In verse 31 Joseph says I will go up.

Relying on his own name, title, and authority.

In verse 34 it is obvious that he believes that he can dwell in Egypt and carve out his own little kingdom, separate from the Egyptians.

Joseph lost focus on God's promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

God had promised in Genesis 17:8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

He was blinded by the wealth of Egypt.

He lost sight of the promises of God.

1 John 2

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Don't loose sight of our promise.

Hebrews 6

Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:

That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Hebrews 10

21. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

22. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Seek first, last and always the kingdom of God.

We follow the One who has been promoted above all.

Because He humbled Himself and was obedient unto death.

He took first place because He served us all.

Hebrews 12

1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

He is the firstborn,

Our example.

Humility

2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.

The Lord promotes mature hearts.

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