After reading Genesis 41, I have
a few deeper thoughts to ponder about Joseph.
I’m not sure what I already wrote, so sorry if it’s redundant. But, my heart read this part of the story in
more detail this morning.
First of all, I notice God’s
timing in all of these events. In
Genesis 40, we see Joseph in charge of the prison interpreting the dreams of
Pharaoh’s servants. God gives him the
interpretations, and each of the dreams came true. However, when the cupbearer is restored to
his position in the palace, he forgets about Joseph for the next two
years. Joseph asked him to remember him
and try to get him out of prison. He was
in prison unjustly, for not sleeping with his boss’s wife. She totally set him up for that… making sure
there were no helpers in the house… trying to lure him into bed… I’m sure she
was beautiful, she was the wife of an Egyptian stud leader, I’m sure he had his
pick of beautiful women. But Joseph is
resolute, he will not defile his master in such a way. Then she conveniently grabs his robe when he
runs and has her story all ready to land him in prison. She is used to having her way, and taking
down anyone standing in that way. Her
husband believes her and is angry at Joseph.
I always wonder if he is simply blinded to reality by his wife’s beauty,
or what. But he throws Joseph in the
can.
P.S. Joseph’s coats keep getting
him into trouble! He needs to watch what
he’s wearing.
So all that to say, Joseph’s
stuck in prison because he has integrity.
That sucks. Then there’s this
glimmer of hope of getting out when he interprets this dream of the cupbearer
correctly. Finally things will turn
around for him! And then, he’s just
forgotten. For another 2 years. In prison.
Now, prison back in those days was not as nice as it is now. So, his fate is even worse than what it would
translate into in modern times. But, it’s
not until Pharaoh has disturbing dreams that Joseph is remembered at all. And here’s the thing. If Joseph had left prison two years earlier,
who knows if the Pharaoh could have tracked him down. But as it is, Pharaoh gives Joseph a chance
out of chains, and God delivers Joseph from the prison he had been in. God helps Joseph interpret the dreams and
gives him the meaning. Pharaoh is so
impressed that he puts Joseph in charge, makes him second in command over the
whole country, and Joseph is able to save many lives in Egypt during the times
of extreme famine. God knew what He was
doing, keeping Joseph in chains a few years longer. I bet Joseph didn’t know at that time what
the purpose was.
I say this because God calls me
to trust his perfect timing in my life.
Maybe I have not been ready to go overseas until now, but God has
prepared me. Maybe I have not had a full
time job, but God has had other things in store for me. I just know that the
temptation to not trust God’s timing is always there, and having faith is
moment by moment, not a one time decision.
The hard thing is not knowing the plan and how everything will turn
out. And the tricky thing is, sometimes
we don’t see God’s blessings in our circumstances. Paul was praising God in prison, when he was
beaten, when he was stoned… his joy carries him through crappy
circumstances. He is thankful for his
salvation and ability to endure even in, and especially in, weakness. Circumstances are not what we should rely on
for blessings, the presence of God is our blessing.
Next, I noticed the names of
Joseph’s kids, and the reasons he chooses their names. His firstborn son’s name symbolizes that God
made Joseph forget all his hardship and all his father’s house, and his second
son’s name means that God has made Joseph fruitful in the land of his
affliction. So… this give me a better
picture of where Joseph’s heart has been.
Being accused of a crime he was innocent for and forgotten about in
prison for years did take a toll on him, I can’t imagine the scarring that was
left. And his brothers wanting to murder
him and selling him into slavery? Talk
about pain and hurt. His brothers hated
and rejected him. He could not help that
he was his dad’s favorite, and apparently parents in that time just showed
blatant favoritism towards their children and didn’t care that it would hurt
the other kids… still. My spirits would
have been so low, even though God’s hand of blessing seemed to follow Joseph,
there was a lot of pain. But God
restored Joseph, and there was healing in his heart towards all the injustices
he had been through. He could see now
there was a reason. He no longer held
onto any bitterness and frustration his heart had battled. His hardships were forgotten… maybe not the
hardship of circumstances, but the hardships of his heart.
Then, God has made me fruitful in
the land of my affliction. Not only has
Joseph forgotten the bitterness and pain of all these horrible injustices that
he endured, God has turned everything around and heaped blessings and blessings
upon him. He is fruitful. Blessings in abundance. Meaning, purpose, vision, hope, salvation, so
many blessings. And, I think God wants
us to experience his blessings the same way.
He wants our lives to be fruitful.
He is looking for us to cling to Him for our blessings.
There is only one God who can
allow us to go through life in all different circumstances and allow us to
experience His Joy when life is hard and heartbreaking instead of bitterness and resentment. There is only one way of salvation that
brings us hope and restoration to God’s kingdom, and his name is Jesus
Christ. HE IS OUR BLESSING. Our lives will be fruitful in the light of
His glory and grace, because He does indeed restore our purpose, to bring Him
glory by enjoying him forever. What an
amazing God and King!
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