Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Joseph - A Man of Great Faith and Hope
Genesis 39:20-21 - Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.
Joseph did nothing wrong yet he was thrown into prison. He did not complain, but instead he adapted to that life and continued to wait upon the Lord. He had trust and faith that there was nothing happening to him outside the sight and hand of God. How would we measure up to this kind of mistreatment?
Genesis 40 - The King’s cupbearer and baker enrage the king and they end up in the prison where Joseph is serving time. While in prison they have dreams that need to be interpreted. God gives the interpretation to Joseph who in turn tells the cupbearer and baker the meaning of the dreams they had. Joseph told them that God provided dream and interpretation. The news to the cupbearer was that in three days he was going to be restored to the king’s service. The baker did not receive the same interpretation but instead he was told he would die by execution in three days.
The lesson for me today was what Joseph did and said during the interpretation to the cupbearer. Genesis 40:12 - “This is what it means,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days. Within three days, Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. For I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.
Joseph enlisted the help of another man to help him in his plight. The cupbearer said he would help but forgot to do so for 2 years. Joseph did not complain or try to escape, but instead he remained faithful and hopeful. Joseph no doubt knew that God would provide for him in due time.
God provided a dream to Pharaoh and no one could interpret the dream. The cup bearer remembers Joseph and mentions the possibility for the king to call upon him to interpret the dream. Joseph is called from prison and after being cleaned up arrives before the king. The king tells Joseph that he heard Joseph could interpret dreams. Genesis 41:16 - “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”
This is a great story of how faith and hope can carry us through times that seem to be unfair and unjust. Living with morality and total faith in God can carry us a long way over rough times. The lesson to me was how Joseph enlisted the help of another human. That human was placed in prison with Joseph and he recognized the potential of this person helping him out of the situation he found himself in. Joseph was moving toward a positive direction in finding a solution. When it appeared to fail he maintained faith and eventually God gave the dream that concluded in Joseph being called for interpretation. We likewise need to be willing to share the load of life with people that surround us. There is no reason to whine or insist. We need to be aware of the potential in others and allow God to work out the details of what he has in store for us. Things might seem confused and unanswered but we need to hold the faith and hope in God for He is the answer to all life and eternity.
Genesis 39:20-21 - Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.
Joseph did nothing wrong yet he was thrown into prison. He did not complain, but instead he adapted to that life and continued to wait upon the Lord. He had trust and faith that there was nothing happening to him outside the sight and hand of God. How would we measure up to this kind of mistreatment?
Genesis 40 - The King’s cupbearer and baker enrage the king and they end up in the prison where Joseph is serving time. While in prison they have dreams that need to be interpreted. God gives the interpretation to Joseph who in turn tells the cupbearer and baker the meaning of the dreams they had. Joseph told them that God provided dream and interpretation. The news to the cupbearer was that in three days he was going to be restored to the king’s service. The baker did not receive the same interpretation but instead he was told he would die by execution in three days.
The lesson for me today was what Joseph did and said during the interpretation to the cupbearer. Genesis 40:12 - “This is what it means,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days. Within three days, Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. For I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.
Joseph enlisted the help of another man to help him in his plight. The cupbearer said he would help but forgot to do so for 2 years. Joseph did not complain or try to escape, but instead he remained faithful and hopeful. Joseph no doubt knew that God would provide for him in due time.
God provided a dream to Pharaoh and no one could interpret the dream. The cup bearer remembers Joseph and mentions the possibility for the king to call upon him to interpret the dream. Joseph is called from prison and after being cleaned up arrives before the king. The king tells Joseph that he heard Joseph could interpret dreams. Genesis 41:16 - “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”
This is a great story of how faith and hope can carry us through times that seem to be unfair and unjust. Living with morality and total faith in God can carry us a long way over rough times. The lesson to me was how Joseph enlisted the help of another human. That human was placed in prison with Joseph and he recognized the potential of this person helping him out of the situation he found himself in. Joseph was moving toward a positive direction in finding a solution. When it appeared to fail he maintained faith and eventually God gave the dream that concluded in Joseph being called for interpretation. We likewise need to be willing to share the load of life with people that surround us. There is no reason to whine or insist. We need to be aware of the potential in others and allow God to work out the details of what he has in store for us. Things might seem confused and unanswered but we need to hold the faith and hope in God for He is the answer to all life and eternity.
Labels: complaining, Faith, Help, Hope, Sharing, Wait
posted by Todd # 9:54 PM 
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