Ankerberg Show

Dr. John Ankerberg: Welcome. Every one of us will face difficult seasons in life. Some of you have lost someone you loved. Maybe you've received a diagnosis you never expected. Perhaps your marriage is struggling. Finances have been turned upside down, or you've been treated unfairly by friends.

Some of you have been praying to God, waiting for an answer, and you're still waiting. When life hasn't gone the way we planned, we all ask the same questions: "God, where are you? Do you see what I'm going through? Will you help me?" Those are real questions, and the wonderful news is that God gives real answers in His Word.

My guests today are Anne Graham Lotz and her daughter, Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright. They will assert that God will lead you through life’s deepest struggles, and they will prove this by taking us through the remarkable story of Joseph—a man betrayed by his family, sexually tempted, a man who experienced injustice, disappointment, and years in prison waiting to be free, relying on God’s faithfulness every step of the way.

Further, Joseph couldn't see what God was doing, but God knew exactly where Joseph was and He had a plan for his life. God knows exactly where you are today and has a plan for your life. Join us as we begin this edition of the John Ankerberg Show.

Welcome to our program. Let me start with a question today: Do you feel betrayed? Has somebody actually stolen something from you? Do you feel that you're living with injustice? Nobody's apologized to you for something that's happened in the past? Do you have a broken family and you can't put it together?

You say, "I've got a tough life." We're going to talk about a man who had a real tough life. God picked him out, put him in Scripture for a reason, and I want you to hear some of the things that he experienced and how God was the one that rescued him. God can rescue you if you listen.

Today, we have two wonderful guests: Anne Graham Lotz and Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright. They are the authors of this fantastic book, *God Won't Leave You There*. It really grabs you. We're talking about Joseph and how his experiences relate to what you're experiencing. Rachel-Ruth, give us a quick summary of what happened to Joseph from the time he was 17.

Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright: Joseph was a 17-year-old boy going on an errand for his dad to check on his brothers, not realizing that his brothers were so jealous of him that they wanted to kill him. They didn't; instead, they threw him in a pit and sold him into slavery. He heads off to Egypt as a slave and gets bought by a man named Potiphar, who was the captain of the guard of Pharaoh.

He was a slave in Potiphar’s house, and God used that in his life. God prospered everything Joseph did. Then Potiphar’s wife set her eyes on Joseph and accused him of rape, which he didn't do. Injustly, he gets thrown into prison for a long time, probably 12 years. It was there that God again put His favor on Joseph’s life. Year after year, he served God faithfully. He didn't grow bitter or angry. Then it culminates into this incredible moment when God can change his circumstances in a minute.

Dr. John Ankerberg: What did God do for Joseph after he had suffered all of these things? He wasn't done suffering yet, but let me just change it around right now. Before we leave Joseph, let me ask you: Do you feel like you're imprisoned yourself with an injustice that you've been living with for a long time?

Maybe you've been praying for a spouse to come back, but they haven't come back. Maybe you lost a child and you can't get rid of that memory. Maybe you've got friends that slandered you, or people that have sued you and you were in the right, they were in the wrong, and you're living with this day by day. Today, we're going to talk about how God is guiding you to freedom.

This is where the story starts to change for Joseph. Anne, Potiphar put him into prison for at least 12 years because his wife accused him of rape, which he never did. It was a smelly dungeon, and he had 12 years to sit there where nobody knew about him or cared about him. Yet, God started freeing him, beginning with Joseph being sensitive to two people God brought into that prison. Tell me who they were.

Anne Graham Lotz: It was the butler and the baker. One thing I love about Joseph is that he seemed to see his circumstances from God’s point of view. Later, he tells his brothers, who are very afraid when he does confront them, that they should not be afraid because God sent him here ahead of them. He sent him here to prepare the way to save them. So he saw his imprisonment and his enslavement from God’s point of view—that God was directing him.

All the way through this, it says that God was with him. He had an awareness of God’s presence, and maybe he didn't, but he knew by faith that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and his own father Jacob was also his God and would be with him. So he was with him in Potiphar’s house. I would imagine that's where he learned the Egyptian language, how to run a household, and something about agriculture because he ran Potiphar’s fields. While he was enslaved, God was training him.

Then, when he was thrown into prison, it was Pharaoh’s political prison in a dungeon. It was a place that we wouldn't even want to visit, much less stay in. But was it in prison where he learned something about the court, the government, and how Pharaoh ran things? He was learning even while he was imprisoned and enslaved. It's important for us to know that we are not to waste this time.

You can be imprisoned by pain, in a marriage where the love has run out, or if you're the only Christian in your family or at work. There are lots of imprisonments that are not necessarily an injustice, but we just feel bound and don't feel free. While we're bound and limited, open your eyes to see what God would teach you. God is in the details. He doesn't waste a thing. He's in the shadows, watching over Joseph and preparing him for this moment with the butler and the baker.

Dr. John Ankerberg: Rachel-Ruth, God brings in two people that were serving Pharaoh, and this becomes a key to getting Joseph out of this place. Tell me why, what happened to these guys?

Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright: It's God moving those chess pieces in his life. Here come this cupbearer and the baker. They're downcast and sad. Instead of Joseph coming in and being like, "I don't want to hear it. I've been miserable, you wouldn't even know what suffering is," instead, Joseph was asking them why they were downcast. He was so compassionate to them and had no idea these were the guys God was going to use dramatically in his life.

They had these bad dreams, and Joseph says, "I can't interpret the dreams, but God can." He interpreted those dreams correctly. It's good news for the cupbearer; he's going to be restored to his position in Pharaoh’s court. The baker is going to be hung, and the birds are going to eat his head. He dies three days later.

Dr. John Ankerberg: Joseph said, "Please remember me to the cupbearer." He says, "Since I answered your dream, when you get to Pharaoh, say a word for me because I've been down here for a long time." He forgot all about him. But God wasn't done; God was still working. All of a sudden, He gives Pharaoh a dream, actually two dreams. Tell me about the two dreams.

Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright: It's amazing when you read Scripture, don't just read it—think about it and imagine the story of what's happening. Pharaoh goes to sleep and has these two disturbing dreams. In the first one, he sees seven fat cows, and then he sees seven skinny cows that are sickly. Those seven skinny cows eat the fat cows.

He wakes up and is probably like, "What in the world?" He takes a sip of water and goes back to bed, hoping he has a restful sleep. Then he has another dream of seven healthy stalks of grain, and then seven skinny stalks that look like they've been burned up by the sun. Those skinny stalks eat the seven healthy stalks.

He wakes up and wants to know what it means. He calls his magicians and wise men, and they all come running to find favor with Pharaoh. When he explains the dreams to them, they have no idea how to interpret it. They were stuck. This is when God moves this chess piece of all of heaven.

Dr. John Ankerberg: Joseph was called up because the cupbearer remembered him. Out of the dungeon, he brings Joseph. Joseph shaves—I wonder if he had seen his face for 14 years—gets great new clothes on, and he comes before Pharaoh’s whole court. All the wise men are there, and Pharaoh asks him what?

Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright: He wants him to interpret the dreams for him. This is a huge point to make here: God can change your circumstances in a nanosecond. Just like that. As Joseph was walking up, he could have been like, "Where has God been for 14 years? This is my big break. I'm going to cut a deal with Pharaoh. Whatever he asks, I'll say I'll give the answer if you let me go back to Canaan with a bunch of treasure or set me up in a palace." Instead, when Joseph comes before Pharaoh, you see Joseph’s genuine heart for the Lord. He says, "I can't interpret the dreams for Pharaoh, but God can."

Dr. John Ankerberg: Anne, Joseph was in prison when he interpreted the butler and the baker’s dreams, but they went to Pharaoh and the cupbearer was restored, but he forgot Joseph. Joseph spent two more years in prison after having his hope dashed.

It's like having a doctor’s diagnosis and they say a treatment will help you, but you find out it didn't work at all. It's when your hope is built up and then you're dropped even lower. All of a sudden, for Joseph to be in prison and have someone running down saying, "Joseph, Joseph, the Pharaoh is calling you!" He had to shave and had a bath—you wonder all those years if he ever had a real bath. He'd never shaved before, probably had a long beard.

To be dressed in fine linen and royal clothes and be presented to Pharaoh... Pharaoh says, "I've had these two dreams. Can you interpret them?" This is what God has done for 14 years. He has humbled Joseph. Joseph, when he was an arrogant 17-year-old boy bragging about these dreams he had, now you see his humility and he tells Pharaoh, "I can't interpret dreams, but I know God can." What was the answer?

Anne Graham Lotz: Pharaoh tells him the dreams and Joseph says they're one and the same. They're two different dreams but they say the same thing. Then he says something interesting: When God says it to you twice, it's because God has confirmed it. That's a lesson that we've learned—when God speaks to you twice, He's underscoring it like "verily, verily" or "truly, truly."

The dream basically meant that there would be seven years of prosperity in Egypt, followed by seven years of famine that would make you forget all about the seven years of prosperity. Joseph immediately had a plan. He said you have to gather the grain in those seven years, store it in all the different cities, and then you're prepared for the seven years of famine and you can feed your people. He ended up feeding the whole world.

Dr. John Ankerberg: Joseph is brought up from this dungeon or prison and brought into this magnificent palace. If you go to Egypt, you can see some of these places; it's unbelievable what he saw. But he didn't have time to pray or fast to say, "Lord, I need an answer." On the spot, he was asked to give an answer.

Jesus said, "On My account, you'll be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. When they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time, you will be given what to say." God gave Joseph exactly what to say, and it was true. All of a sudden, Pharaoh turns around and says what to Joseph?

Anne Graham Lotz: He said, "Joseph, I can't find another man in all of Egypt who has the spirit of God in him like you." So he appointed Joseph in charge of everything. He said that Joseph would be in charge and only Pharaoh would be higher than Joseph. He gave him his signet ring, dressed him in royal robes, put him in a chariot, and had people running in front of him saying, "This is Joseph."

Everybody would have to bow to Joseph. He gave him charge over the entire land of Egypt. As we know, Egypt was the world power; that was the world empire at that time. Joseph went from Pharaoh’s dungeon to being number two in command of the entire empire. It's really phenomenal, and only God could do that.

Dr. John Ankerberg: Anne, I want a personal story from you. God gave Joseph the answer right on the spot. You were invited to the White House for a breakfast when Clinton was President. You were looking around at the table, looking at the names on the table, and all of a sudden you realized you were sitting two chairs away from Clinton. Tell me what happened.

Anne Graham Lotz: After I got over the shock, we sat for breakfast. He came late to the table. I saw all the pastors and people at the table just talking to him and affirming him. It was a prayer breakfast. I didn't say anything. I spoke to the pastors on either side of me.

Then he threw it open for the whole group—there were maybe 400 people seated there for breakfast—so that anybody could ask him a question. He was in front of a microphone. They started making comments just affirming him in things that were political, basically on immigration.

I was thinking, "This is a prayer breakfast. We're religious leaders. What do we know about immigration?" My heart started to beat like that, but everybody was screaming for his attention, and I wasn't going to do that. I felt like the Lord would have me say something.

The pastor beside me got his attention and he stood up. Then I knew the President was looking at this man, so I just raised my hand like that. I just raised it up like glass high. The President looked at me, and this guy sat down, and then the President called on somebody else. I said, "All right, Lord, thank You. I was willing, but I'm so glad I didn't have to stand up."

After a couple of minutes, the President came back—I hadn't raised my hand again—but the President came back and he pointed at me and he said, "You." I looked at him and I said, "You mean me?" and he said, "Yes." So I stood up. At that moment, God gave me the words.

Actually, before the breakfast, a pastor had come up to me and asked me what I was going to say to the President. I said I had no idea I was going to have that opportunity. Then I told him that verse that you just read. I said, "But I know God has promised when we come before kings or presidents, He would give us the words." I had already stated that and claimed it in my spirit.

When I stood up, basically what I told the President is that as religious leaders, we didn't know anything about immigration and welfare reform and these things they were talking about. What I did know was what was wrong with America, and I called it out. It was sin and rebellion against God. I knew what the solution was, and it was to turn to Jesus and repent of our sin.

I suggested that they had just voted to have the Ten Commandments stripped from that courthouse down in Alabama, and I said one of the things they could do is put that Ten Commandments back so that we would know what God has said. I thanked him for the privilege of sitting at his table. When I sat down, he closed it off pretty quickly after that. When it was over, he made his way through the crowd and came and thanked me for what I said. I felt like the Lord—my heart was beating out of my chest, I can tell you. My brother was there and he was dying. He just knew I'd humiliated myself and him. He told me afterwards he'd timed me and he said, "I only timed you, and you spoke for four minutes to the President."

Dr. John Ankerberg: Here's the thing. There was a lot of suffering for Joseph all through his life. He was sold as a slave, he was put in a house and he rose in the house, then he was accused wrongly of rape, he was put into a prison or dungeon. Then all of a sudden, God brings him out of that and he's second to the Pharaoh in Egypt. Pharaoh puts him over all of this. Maybe God's going to do something like that for you. Next week, we're going to talk about the word "repentance," but Anne, I'd like you to say a word as we close. People out there might have given up that God will actually help them. They're Christians, but they have been sweating these problems for so long. They've felt injustice and they just feel like God’s forgotten them. Encourage them.

Anne Graham Lotz: God has not forgotten you. I know that because He says in His Word that He will never leave you or forsake you. He has your name engraved on the palm of His hand. He has every hair on your head numbered. He knows when a sparrow falls to the ground, and you're much more valuable than a sparrow. So He knows exactly where you are.

He knows the injustice. He knows the pain. He knows the duration; He knows how long you've been there. He's also in control of the butler and the baker and Pharaoh and the dreams. He can change your circumstances in a heartbeat. But if He doesn't, it's because He's still training you and He's still with you. He's going to use this for your good and His glory. So don't give up on God because He'll never give up on you.