Good afternoon, everyone!
I hope you all had a wonderful morning.
We had a Messianic Rabbi come speak at our church today. It was amazing to hear God's Word along with the original Hebrew words and historical & cultural Jewish context.
It was just amazing.
I wish I could add more historical and cultural context to what I'm reading. I think I'll look for a book on that, and perhaps a Hebrew-English dictionary as well.
If I do, I'll include some of what I research with my posts.
So, today I read Genesis 41-42.
It starts with Pharaoh, who has two dreams. And he calls in all the magicians in the land of Egypt, but no one can explain the dream.
Until the cupbearer remembers Joseph.
When Joseph comes before Pharaoh, freshly washed and shaven, Pharaoh tells him the dreams, and asks if Joseph can interpret them.
Joseph once again points the glory back to God.
Genesis 41:15-16 - And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it." Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."
So Joseph interprets the dreams, which were a warning from God.
7 years of plenty, followed by 7 years of famine in Egypt. Everywhere, actually.
But because of Joseph, whom Pharaoh then places in charge of everything except his own throne, food is stored away during the 7 years of plenty.
God had Joseph right where he needed to be the entire time.
Not a moment of Joseph's life in Egypt was wasted.
From running Potiphar's household, he had experience for running Pharaoh's affairs.
From his time in prison, he had a witness to his interpretation of dreams, a witness who could bring Joseph to the attention of Pharaoh, for whom Joseph would then interpret dreams sent from God.
God knew exactly where Joseph was, and where he needed to be.
So, now, the famine has come upon the land, not just in Egypt, but everywhere.
And Joseph's brothers hear about Egypt's plenty, and come for grain.
When Joseph sees them, he recognizes them, but they don't recognize him.
All of his brothers except Benjamin have traveled to Egypt.
And what happens next is Joseph's plan to get all of his brothers in one place.
After reading it, I also think it was a bit of a practical joke, which brothers sometimes play on one another.
He accuses them of being spies, and since he's such a high-ranking official, they can't dispute it.
Then, he throws them in jail for three days.
Hey, I said a bit of a practical joke.
After the three days, he agrees to send all but one back to their father so they can bring the other brother, the youngest, the actual baby of the family - Benjamin, Joseph's brother by his own mother, Rachel - to Egypt.
So the brothers return, all except for Simeon, who stays in the dungeon.
But Jacob, or Israel, refuses, declaring that if this son is lost to him too, he will die.
Reuben tries to convince his father by offering up his own sons' lives if he fails to protect Benjamin, but Jacob isn't going for it.
At first.
But that's more for next time.
So, in today's reading, we learned that God places us right where we need to be, and if we are faithful and obedient to Him, He will prosper us.
God placed Joseph in an elevated position, over his own brothers, so that Joseph could save the entire land of Egypt, but also his kinsmen.
That's powerful.
Sometimes God places us in a position over other people, sometimes even above our own families. Instead of using it against them, we need to use it to be able to help other people.
But remember that God always places us where we need to be, if only we obey His promptings.
Until next time, when I'll be reading Genesis 43-45.
No comments:
Post a Comment