JOSEPH’S PIT TEST!

Genesis 37:12-23

INTRODUCTION: Every Christian person has a God given dream and every Christian has a God given destiny. The sad fact is that most Christians live with their God given dream but never attain their God given destiny. We said last week that Joseph failed the pride test so his next test would be the pit test. When you fail the pride test God gives you special tutoring to prepare you to retake the pride test until you pass it.

I. THE PIT TEST!

So today, the special tutoring that Joseph gets to take is The Pit Test! Genesis 37:12-24. Joseph’s brothers by another mother took him and sold him to some Mediante traders for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph down to Egypt and sold Joseph as a slave. Genesis 37:25-36. Why did Joseph take the pit test and what will lead you and I to take the pit test? We will find that most of the time when we fall into the pit test it is a pit we dug ourselves.

II. WHAT CAUSES US TO GO INTO THE PIT TEST?

When it is our time in the pit, we should at least have the good common sense to ask the Lord if we dug this pit ourselves. Joseph caused his pit test by the way he treated his older brothers. One of the benefits of our pit tests is that they always give us time to reflect. Genesis 37:18. How did they know when Joseph was way off in the distance that it was him? No doubt about it, Joseph proudly wore his coat of many colors to visit his brothers. Joseph loved that coat of many colors and he knew his brothers hated it. Do you want to know what will get you thrown into a pit? Just keep showing off your gift, don’t use the gift to bless others but just let them know you have the gift! Because Joseph showed off his gift instead of blessings others with it he lost the blessing of his gift. The good news is that with our heavenly Father there is always restoration with our Father and the restoration is even better than that first gift. Later Joseph will be given another “coat of many colors” but he will not use that second coat of many colors to brag on. He will use it to bless the entire known world of his time.

III. THE LIE OF THE PIT TEST!

The first things that happens in our pit test is that Satan will lie to us and tell us our God given dream is over. In your pit test Satan will also try to tell you your pit test is not your fault. In your pit test Satan will also lead others to lie others also about what happened to you: Genesis 37:31-33. Now why is Jacob in his own pit test? He had given more love to Joseph than any of his other sons. Now the root of all our sin is pride. And what does the Bible say always follows our displays of pride? Proverbs 16:18.

IV. THE PURPOSE OF OUR PIT TEST!
The purpose of our pit test is always to humble us and turn our eyes back to our heavenly Father. Lamentations 3:52-58; Jonah 2:1-6. It is not all bad to be in a pit even of your own making if in the pit you come to your senses and turn back in faith to God and humble yourself under His mighty hand. Remember, everyone, maybe not because of their own pride, but everyone undergoes the pit test. Even our Lord Jesus had His own pit tests. Hebrews 4:15-16; Matthew 4:1-11; Matthew 26:39. When it comes time for your pit test don’t run from God but run to Him. Genesis 37:18-22. Jesus came to this earth to deliver us from Satan’s pit. Colossians 1:12-14; 1 Peter 5:5-7; Romans 12:1-2.