POWER GAMES – GENESIS 41:41 – 42:38

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The abuse of power

 

ROLE

INFLUENCE

“When you are talking to him, you feel like he doesn’t care about anything or anybody else around but you. He makes you feel like the most important person in the room… ” (Of Bill Clinton)

EXPERTISE

 

Catching up on Joseph’s story

“I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.”.” (Genesis 41:41)

“the seven years of famine began,  just as Joseph had said (Gen.41:54)

 

1) I am given power to make the world a better place

• Perks?

“Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent.” (Exodus 23:8)

• Mr No-No

Ask yourself – what can I do this week to make the world a better place?

“When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at each other?”  (Genesis 42:1)

“Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. Then he remembered his dreams about them” (Genesis 42:8-9)

“Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. 9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” (Genesis 37:5-10)

“Your servants were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more.” (Genesis 42:13)

“Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” (Genesis 42:16)

• Three days pass

“Do this and you will live, for I fear God: If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die.” (Genesis 42:18-20)

2) All people make mistakes. Great people use their power to fix them.

• The cover up
• Blame someone else

 Our biggest problem is our sin, which cuts us off from God.

It takes a relationship with Jesus Christ to really solve this problem.

 

3) Use power to bless people.

“Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man’s silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. After this was done for them, 26 they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left. 27 At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack. 28 “My silver has been returned,” he said to his brothers. “Here it is in my sack.” Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, “What is this that God has done to us?” (Genesis 42:25-28)

The power of grace

“it is by grace you have been saved, through faith…not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

 

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I want to know more:

• What is Christianity? 321 The Story of God, the World and You: https://youtu.be/tKyZjvK-d2M
• More on this story:
  From the Pit to the Palace: Bob Deffinaugh, https://bible.org/seriespage/41-pit-palace-genesis-411-57
  The Proper Use of Power: Bob Deffinaugh, https://bible.org/seriespage/42-proper-use-power-genesis-421-38
  Book: What’s so amazing about grace? (Philip Yancey)
• The Ford Pinto Story, www.motherjones.com/politics/1977/09/pinto-madness