My bible study time has taken me through Genesis, and through the last week or so I have been reading about Joseph. Joseph was an interesting dude. He was a tattle tale, which can be noted in Genesis 37:2 -
"This is the genealogy of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father." (NKJV)
Joseph was also very proud and played on his father's favoritism of him. This can be seen through his explanation of his dreams to his family. If you read through Genesis 37:5-11, Joseph discusses two dreams he has with his family, in a very pompous fashion in my opinion, and how they will all bow down to him at some point in their lives. Now God is not a fan of pride, especially when a gift He has blessed you with is used in a very prideful way. Joseph needed to be knocked down a few pegs and this was done through his brothers selling him into slavery in Egypt. In Egypt, God placed Joseph in Potiphar's house, who was an officer for Pharaoh. Joseph learned humility quickly being sold into slavery and serving in Potiphar's house. I believe it was in Potiphar's house that his pride was torn away and it opened up his ability to have a meaningful relationship with God. This can be seen through the favor he found with Potiphar and being made overseer of his house and all that he had. A responsibility I don't believe God would have given him had his pride not been in check. We can also see Joseph's relationship with God in his ability to resist temptation. Potiphar's wife wanted to have sex with Joseph, but Joseph wanted nothing to do with it, he refused.
"8But he refused and said to his master's wife, 'Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. 9There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?'" (Geneses 39:8-9, NKJV)
Her advances persisted and Joseph continued to refuse. He in fact fled from her so fast that he ran out of the coat he was wearing and she was left holding. This caused Joseph to end up in prison because Potiphar's wife was offended and made up a story that he raped her using his coat as evidence. This was obviously an unfortunate occurrence for Joseph, but it shows that when we take stands for God and are committed to obedience in His word it is not without it's fair share of ridicule and persecution.
While in prison, Joseph again ascended the ranks through favor he found and God showing mercy in his life. While having his hand over all the prisoners he came across Pharaoh's chief butler and baker. While they were in prison, he was able to use the gift God gave them and interpret their dreams. I love what he says before he gives the interpretations:
"8And they said to him, 'We each have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.' And Joseph said to them, 'Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me please.'" (Genesis 40:8, NKJV)
He says something similar in front of Pharaoh when having to interpret his dreams:
"So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying 'It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.'" (Genesis 41:16, NKJV)
Why do I love that he said these things? Joseph was not afraid to give credit where credit is due even in the work place. God gave him a gift and he made sure people knew that his success had nothing to do with him, and it was all God.
Joseph was quickly made ruler over all of Egypt. The only greater being Pharaoh. There then ends up being seven years of great abundance followed by seven years of great famine, and God used Joseph to stock pile in those seven years of abundance to ensure there was no death in the seven years of famine. While speaking to his brothers after they have come to buy food from Egypt, Joseph says to them:
"7And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt." (Genesis 45:7-8, NKJV)
God's plan from the beginning of Joseph's life was to use him to keep his family alive during this famine. This was essential considering Joseph and his 11 brothers would be responsible for the reproducing the entire nation of Israel. God's plan will always come through and sometimes it takes some ironing out wrinkles and chiseling off rough edges on our part before that can happen. We see that in Joseph's life as he was fully aware as ruler of Egypt that he had nothing to do with it, and it was God who orchestrated his position there.
Visit The 119 Project!
No comments:
Post a Comment