Genesis 42

Sometimes when it looks dark, God is just starting to work wonders!

God had blessed Jacob with many herds. With the famine in the land, the family was running out of food and so were all of those cattle and sheep. Jacob had heard that there was food in Egypt, so he gathered his sons and cautiously sent them down after food. He was leery, because he had lost his favored wife and his eldest son from that marriage and he didn't want to loose anyone else. 

He sent the men with gifts and money to pay for everything they might purchase. They were in hard times, but God had provided mightily for them. Here shows an example for our lives when we are in fear of the unknown or of perceived troubles. God had already prepared a way for all of them before hand they just weren't aware of it. So it is in our lives, when we are in fear of change, many times God has already worked it out ahead of time for us. Sometimes, when we sin things down work out right, but the wages or sin our death, so we can expect sin to foul things up. Joseph sees his brothers and decides to try them out and test their intentions. Genesis doesn't record this, but it is almost as if he is see if their hard hearts have softened over the years. He calls them spies and wants proof they are who they say they are. He tells them not to come back unless they bring their youngest brother with them. 

Joseph has witness that his brother's hearts have changed, and he sells them food and returns their money. He keeps Simeon and knows all of their plan because he understood everything that they said but spoke to them through and interpreter. After they return to Jacob, they tell him all that has happened and he is greatly distressed and says he'll never let Benjamin go to Egypt. Little do they all know that God is going to not only deliver them, but have a great reunion as well. 

Genesis 41

Pharaoh's Dream and God's interpretation!

If we wait and remain faith, God will use us again and again for his purpose. Pharaoh was troubled by dreams and no one could interpret the dreams for him and no one could calm him down. The butler finally remembers that he forgot all about Joseph, the one who told him his dream and what it would mean. He confesses to Pharaoh, and Joseph is sent for. 

As always Joseph makes it clear that he will not interpret the dream, but the God of Heaven will reveal all that is hidden. So it will be with us on the day of judgment, nothing will be hid. Joseph reveals that the seven goodly kine and the seven ill kine stand for seven years to come, some of feast and seven more of famine. Joseph by the hand and revealing power of God is able to reveal what all the magicians and soothsayers could not. It will again be the same for us, by God's hand we can accomplish much for the spread of the Gospel, but the accomplishments of this world will all fade. 

Pharaoh now sees the wisdom and power in Joseph by the hand of God and makes him the ruler over all of Egypt and puts him in charge of the seven years of gathering for the seven years of famine. Joseph becomes what he was for his father, for Potipher and also for the jailer. Joseph becomes the man in charge by the hand of God. God not only blesses Joseph, but blesses Egypt because of Joseph. Joseph marries and has Manasseh and Ephraim while living as a ruler in Egypt. God is about to make his hand known to all of his brethren, and to the entire world. 

Genesis 40

As hard as the wait is, God is always on time!

In these first few years that Joseph is sold into slavery, things go well, then poorly. He was the ruler of Potipher's house, but wrongly accused and sent to jail. Now in jail he makes the acquaintance of the chief baker and butler of Pharaoh. They are in jail for upsetting Pharaoh and are having nightmares. Joseph, as seems to always be the case, is willing to help and is looking after the welfare of the people in jail. How Joseph shows compassion on others when it looks like he is the one who needs compassion is an example of Christ's love for us. 

These dreams are similar in parts but different totally in outcome. Isn't this the way of Salvation? We have two paths, one leads to life and light and the other to damnation and death. He interprets these dreams giving all credit to God and taking none for himself, as it should be. The butler has a promising future with Pharaoh, but the baker does not. The baker's dream is interpreted and fulfilled, the baker soon dies at the hand of Pharaoh. As it is with these two servants of Pharaoh, so it is with us that like is short and we will soon be on our way to the end of life's journey.

Joseph asks the butler to remember him and his situation when he returns a position of honor before Pharaoh. The butler unfortunately forgets this request and it seems that once again Joseph draws the short straw and is sent to suffer unjustly. We find out though, that is far from the truth and God has a plan to not only deliver him, but all of his family and future generations of the Hebrews as well. 

Genesis 39

Bad things do happen to good people, but according to God's purpose.

Joseph does what he always does, and that is do the best job he can. If Joseph grumbled and complained about his misfortune, the Bible doesn't record it. He is put as a slave in Potiphar's house and becomes not only a servant, but the overseer of all that Potiphar owns. God is not limited, we only limit ourselves by not believing fully in him. 

Unfortunately for Joseph Potiphar's wife has a straying eye and it is looking toward Joseph. He spurns her advances for a long time, but finally he is caught alone in the house with no one else around and after he runs off from her, in her jealously she makes a story about the cloak he left behind in his haste. Potiphar comes home and his wife tells him all about the story that didn't happen. She even has the gall to blame it on Potiphar because he purchased Joseph. I believe the fact that Potiphar spares Joseph's life and puts him in prison shows God's hand and his own distrust of his wife. 

Again, we don't hear any grumbling or complaining from Joseph, and before long God blesses and he is running the prison like he ran Potiphar's house. We know that through all of this God was putting Joseph in the right place at the right time. If he had cursed God and given up, he never would have delivered his brothers and all of Israel during the famine. The same is in our lives, no matter how bad it might get, serve God with all your heart and God will be faithful in the end.