Loving Others with Perfect Love

"If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, it always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears." (1 Corinthians 13:3-10)

Just as God loves us perfectly, we are now called to love others perfectly (or with completed love.)

When we love others in the way that God loved us, there will be no fear felt by them in our presence; just as we will know no fear in God's presence being so assured of His love for us.

But when I look around me, I see many lives still entwined with fear.

Husbands and wives who say they love God and each other, but live in fear of each other in some way or another.

Wives who fear what their husbands will do or say next, indicating that the love their husbands have for them has not been completed. They expect some form of hurt (usually in the form of criticism) to come from their husbands, rather than love that "always protects". If the marriage includes a "blended family", the tension is even greater, as the wife (born to be a nurturer) has to grow in "trust" that her new husband will "love" her children as she does.

Husbands fear things from their wives as well. They fear their wives will not regard the responsibility for the finances in the same manner that husbands do who have been called to be the bread-winners. Husbands wait in fearful expectation of the next completely unexpected outburst from wives who are often angry and over-emotional; for the wife has not perfected love for her husband either.

Being guided by emotions rather than by the Spirit of God is one of the biggest issues women have; often women arrive at this place of being out of control with emotions because they have not been given a "voice" by their spouses. Anger rises up swiftly when husbands diminish the concerns of the wife, don't allow them to voice their concerns, or don't give any consideration to their concerns.

Pride is the biggest one for men; many times pride grows more fierce in husbands whose wives refuse to trust them, not realizing that wives are showing their trust in God when they submit themselves to their husbands, whether husbands are right or wrong; just as Sarah did with Abraham, no matter what position Abraham's incorrect thinking got her into. His thinking was not often incorrect, but on the couple of occasions when it was wrong, Sarah still submitted to his decisions and choices, even when it could have harmed Sarah; for her trust was so much in God that she had no fear of Abraham. And God saved her every time.

What could have happened instead between Sarah and Abraham, is she could have put her foot down and said, "Absolutely not am I going to tell them that I am your sister! Don't you know how that could affect me? Aren't you concerned about me? You are so selfish, thinking only about your own skin! You could care less about me! I am so hurt!" But scripture doesn't record any response from Sarah, except quiet submission. Many times, women feel the need to fight some battle with men, when the battle belongs to the Lord, and all they are called to do is trust God that whatever happens, and to whomever it happens to (even when it happens to the children of a blended family), that God WILL take care of it all, and that nothing will be lost that cannot be restored by God.

Then there is the love between parents and children; which has it varying seasons as the child grows into adulthood, and the parents grows into old age, sometimes gracefully and sometimes not. The need for approval from the parent can be a life-long challenge to some children; for they had parents who were not perfected in love.

And when the child is an adult with a family of his own, patient love is often required in order to assist elderly parents who can be needy at times, and downright demanding at others.

Between believers, there is to be brotherly love or loving one another as though brothers one to another in a spiritual sense. Many times this brotherly love becomes agitated by differences in opinion about what scripture says. But it is most often "pride" that is at issue in these things, when brothers believe it is more important to be considered "right" than to be considered "submissive" one to another.

We all have relationships such as these; opportunities for our love to be "perfected." We can remove ourselves from such relationships and save ourselves a lot of hard work and avoid painful growing experiences. We can continue to find fault with everyone else in their lack of perfected love while never seeing that we are lacking in it ourselves.

OR we can continue to meditate upon scriptures such as those above and in the last few postings, memorizing them and guarding them in our hearts, praying for that day to arrive soon in which God will complete in us what He has begun; and that He will keep us humble and moldable in the meantime.

We will study the scripture above in detail over the next few postings; taking a long look at each of the attributes of the love we are to have for one another.

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as HE is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." (I John 4:16-18)

The word "perfect" in the scripture above is defined by Strong's as:

1. Brought to its end, finished;
   
2. Wanting nothing necessary to completeness;
   
3. Perfect
   
4. That which is perfect
   
   1. Consummate human integrity and virtue
      
   2. Of men
      
      1. Full grown, adult, of full age, mature
         

In the scripture listed above is a verse that says "we have known and believed the love that God hath to us." This is key.

The first thing that happens in an un-believer's life is the revelation of God's love in such a way that it can be tasted and felt. It is experienced on such a level that it is difficult to explain, but valid in every sense for the un-believer. This is love that catapults the un-believer out of the world of the lost and unbelieving, into the world of the saved and believing. It is only because we experienced that love on some level that we can believe it. Without the experience of it, there is only head knowledge that it exists. It is because God first loved us that we can now love Him. John says "we have known." The word "known" here is the same word used in Jewish idom to describe sexual intercourse between a man and a woman; it indicates great intimacy.

Where there is no "believing" of God's love, there is fear and doubt, otherwise known as "torment." "Does God REALLY love me? Can I REALLY be saved? Am I REALLY worthy of God's love?"

Legalism is born out of this fear; legalism does not comprehend God's mercy and grace. And it cannot extend mercy and grace towards others.

This is why God tells us that "without faith it is impossible to please [God]; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6)

Faith says that God loved us. Faith does not doubt God's love. If we walk in doubt instead of faith, we will begin to fashion God out of our own wicked imaginations into a hard taskmaster and judge only rather than a loving God. And we lead others to believe the same. None who walk in such fear and doubt can enter into the kingdom of heaven.

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8)

We, however, believe. Therefore we have no fear of that scripture in Revelation pertaining to us. In place of fear and torment, we can have peace. It is all a matter of remembering God's love for us, and trusting in it always; and never giving way to the enemy who wants us to believe otherwise.

"Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you." (2 Corinthians 13:11)

So now we have:

1. Love that has first been received by us from God (and has brought us to our knees in repentance);
   
2. Dying to our flesh;
   
3. Living to God (aka obedience)
   
4. Living in peace versus fear (having "faith" or "believing").
   

Next posting, we will begin to discuss what perfect love looks like in our relationships with one another.

Choosing To Die In Order To Live

"But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; in that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: that thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him: for He is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them." (Deuteronomy 30:14-20)

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's the same shall save it." (Mark 8:35)

The two scriptures above seem at first glance to be in contradiction to one another. The one tells us to "choose life" and the other tells us to "lose our life" in order to save it. But rather than being a contradiction, it is more of an oxymoron, perhaps, i.e.: dying to live.

We are still in the season of Perfect Love and so this posting will continue to consider that most blessed of things: God's Perfect Love for us in the form of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and our LORD.

But we who are called of God, called to be "light" to the world, as Jesus came to be OUR "light", are on a mission of love, the same kind of love that Jesus demonstrated towards us, and to accomplish that love towards others, we have to consider all aspects of that love.

One aspect of that Perfect Love was willingness to die.

Jesus died that we might live:

"And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again.." (2 Corinthians 5:15)

In other words, He showed us that to love others, we would have to die in the sense that we no longer live for our own wants and desires, but we live only for Him….for what He desires. In fact, this is exactly what Jesus did. He set aside His own flesh's desire to live and breathe, in order to be obedient to the Father, who loved Him.

"As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in His love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:9-13)

Thus, even though our bodies are still breathing and moving about and still, in fact, alive; we must yet consider ourselves to be dead to ourselves (otherwise known as "the flesh" in which sin, or our own sinful desires, flourish) and alive only in the sense of fulfilling the LORD's desires and purpose for our lives (being obedient to Him) rather than living to fulfill our own desires and purposes.

"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin….Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord." (Romans 6:6-11))

This "dying" is to be done on a daily basis:

"And He said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily, and follow me." (Luke 9:23)

It is therefore a constant choice, a daily choice, and often a choice made several times throughout each day, to deny our own desires, to consider ourselves to be dead to our flesh, in order to be alive for God's purpose alone, in order to serve and live in obedience to the Word of God (Jesus) as Jesus Himself was obedient to the Father.

This is a tremendously important aspect of Perfect Love that we must not neglect: dying to ourselves daily in order to live for God and, in obedience to Him, love others.

Thus, Perfect Love contains:

1. Love that has first been received by us from God;
   
2. Dying to our flesh;
   
3. Living to God (aka obedience).
   

We will discuss more aspects of Perfect Love in the next posting.

Meanwhile, choose life…by choosing death and the cross.

Accomplishing Love

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love Him, because He first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also." (1 John 4:11-21)

The Greek word that is translated as "perfect" in the King James is "teleioo" which, according to Strong's Concordance, is defined as follows:

1. To make perfect, complete
   
   1. To carry through completely, to accomplish, finish, bring to an end
      
2. To complete (perfect)
   
   1. Add what is yet wanting in order to render a thing full
      
   2. To be found perfect
      
3. To bring to the end (goal) proposed
   
4. To accomplish
   
   1. Bring to a close or fulfillment by event
      
      1. Of the prophecies of the scriptures
         

The Greek word for "brother" is "adelphos" and is defined as:

1. A brother, whether born of the same two parents of only of the same father or mother
   
2. Having the same national ancestor, belonging to the same people, or countryman
   
3. Any fellow or man
   
4. A fellow believer, united to another by the bond of affection
   
5. An associate in employment or office
   
6. Brethren in Christ
   
   1. His brothers by blood
      
   2. All men
      
   3. Apostles
      
   4. Christians, as those who are exalted to the same heavenly place
      

It is easy for Christians to read 1 John and "feel good" about how much God loves them and how much they love God; and it is easy to sort of glide right over that part about loving or hating a brother without applying it to situations that exist in their own lives. But the scripture here is telling us that our love needs to be perfected or completed; it needs to accomplish that which it is meant to accomplish.

The scripture is telling us that we CANNOT hate our brother and say that we love God because our actions of hate (and unforgiveness?) are contrary to the love that God shows us and we are then revealed to be liars.
How is it that Christians manage to glide right over that without taking it into account in their own lives? We convince ourselves that we do not hate those people, we just hate their actions. We love them, we just have nothing whatsoever to do with them anymore. We avoid even mentioning their names.

It behooves each of us to squarely face that one person in our lives that is not receiving love from us and to accomplish our love towards them. It does not change what wrong they have done, whether to us or to others we care about. But what it does do is allow God to be their judge instead of us.

The problem is that we want justice NOW (better translated as vengeance). We are not willing to wait on God for justice LATER. He has not called us to judge our brother (or sister). He has called us to show His love to them by how WE love them. It is only the Lord who is perfect in His justice, it is not us, no matter what we think.

Look at God's love for a moment. Does He wait for us to come to Him before He pours His love out over us? Of course not! We hide out in the shame of our sin. We don't run to Him when we have sinned. Instead, He comes to us. He pours His love out on us, and we melt under that love and are repentant.

"WE LOVE HIM BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US." Says that right up above in the scripture reference in 1 John.

Perhaps our brothers and sisters would repent as well, if we would but love them as He does us. Not because they deserve to be loved, but because we recognize that we ourselves don't deserve to be loved either…yet He loves us still.

But aside from what loving them does for them, what does it do for us?

"HE THAT DWELLETH IN LOVE, DWELLETH IN GOD, AND GOD IN HIM." Says that up there too!

The reward for "completing" or "accomplishing" love towards others, especially those who are unloveable, is GOD IN US.

Do you have enough of God? I don't!

Make a choice today. Love those whom you have neglected to love this past year or for many years. Make a choice to have more of God in you, by loving them. Sometimes to love someone else, judgment falls on us because we are not going the way of the world. The world demands justice NOW. Then our choice is whether to please God or man.

It is the Season of God's Perfect Love. Let His love be seen in you, by those who are alone because of their sin. Show them what God has already shown you…Perfected Love.

It might just change their life!

The Season of God’s Perfect Love

Back-to-back travel has prevented me from working on my blog this past month, which, quite honestly, is not a good thing for me. The things I write in this blog cause me to dig deep into the Word of God; not writing means I am not spending as much time in the Word as I am accustomed to doing. And not spending much time in the Word is a recipe for danger – spiritual danger.

The Word guards our heart. Without the Word in our lives daily, the enemy can sneak in and wreak havoc…in our lives, and through us, in the lives of others. That's just how it works.

Demons of fear, anxiety, stress, anger, pride, arrogance, jealousy, strife, division….all of these lurk around us at all times, seeking a way in…IF we let our guard down. And once they pounce on us, it gets more and more difficult to reach for the Word at all. The demonic whirlwind that we inadvertently invited in, swirls around us keeping us from seeing clearly, until the dust eventually settles and we can see once more.

That's when our eyes are opened and we see how naked we are. That's when we see clearly how the devil was able to use us, diverting us from our course, preventing us from accomplishing something great for the kingdom….perhaps preventing us from bringing some ONE into the kingdom, perhaps even a lost loved one.

That's when the cock crows for us three times, just like it did for Peter. And that's when we raise our voices in wails of shame and remorse for what was lost and for what can never be undone; a lost opportunity that can never be regained. Certainly, there will be other opportunities, but not THAT one. Never that one again.

We allowed busy-ness to take center stage, displacing Jesus Christ…for just one very important moment.

Well, the cock has crowed for me this time. And as I look back, I can see just exactly how it happened. And it all began when I stopped sitting down to focus on the WORD.

So, here I am, finally, blogging again; writing about God's Perfect Love shown to us through the precious gift of His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who willingly gave His own life to save us from the punishment of our sins; sins of commission and sins of omission (such as neglecting to be a witness of God's love to others when the demons of busy-ness invade.)

For it is Perfect Love that draws me back to Him, time and time again, when I seem to lose my way for just a moment. And when I am saddened by my own actions, it is Perfect Love that reminds me that He loved me (and still does love me) enough to have died for me. And when I cry out in repentance asking for forgiveness for stumbling yet again, it is Perfect Love that forgives me much more than seven times or even seventy times seven.

It is Perfect Love that renews me and gives me strength to carry on in the midst of a world that is abounding in iniquity as the time grows shorter before His soon return.

A lost and dying world cannot comprehend this Perfect Love. And so we are sent to exhibit this Perfect Love to those who are blind and naked, as we once were.

It is the one I just experienced, that loves me even when I am at my worst, that forgives me when I don't deserve to be forgiven for I have done that same thing time and time again; yet Perfect Love continues to love me and Perfect Love continues to hope all things for me. Perfect Love causes me to hope.

That is how we show Perfect Love to the world…by loving and hoping…even when it seems impossible to continue to do so…still we do. First we learn to love ourselves, because He first loved us and showed us how to love ourselves properly rather than selfishly, and then we love others as ourselves. Oddly, it is not a self-centered thing; for when we see what we are worth in His eyes, we see others as worth that much as well. Thus, they, and we, are worth loving and worth hoping for, not because of anything we have done or could ever do, but because He loves us. It is all about Him: Perfect Love.

And it is Perfect Love that this holiday season is all about: Jesus Christ – God's Perfect Love towards us.

Thank you, Father, for the gift of all gifts. Help us to set aside worldly gifts for the privilege of sharing YOUR Gift to the world this Christmas. Help us to grow in Perfect Love.

AMEN.

 

 

Jacob’s Seventy

"And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; and take your father and your household, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land. Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours." (Genesis 45:17-20)

"And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the god of his father Isaac. And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I. And He said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes. And Jacob rose up from Beersheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him: his sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt." (Genesis 46:1-7)

"All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were threescore and six; and the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten." (Genesis 46:27)

Jacob has determined to go see Joseph, but he must obviously be having some serious qualms about being in or perhaps moving to Egypt. We know this because the Lord speaks to him but calls him by the name of Jacob, always indicative of the fleshly man, versus calling him by the name of Israel, indicative of the man of faith.

Nevertheless, Jacob does go down to Egypt (for God has promised He will bring him home again) and he takes with him every single member of his family, minus Joseph and his sons who are already there. But his entire lineage alive at that time amounted to seventy persons. In the King James version of the Bible, the word "seventy" is often stated as "threescore and ten." This passage tells us that Jacob had seventy souls that came out of his loins, in other words, direct descendants of Jacob.

That is an amazing number of descendants from only two generationsand it is also amazing that Jacob was blessed enough by the Lord to be able to see all of these seventy descendants for himself.

But I want to look at the biblical number 70 for a moment (both when it is stated as "70" and also as "threescore and ten") for this specific number seems to have some significance. And so let's see if we can determine what that significance is.

After the flood the world was repopulated by the descendants of Noah who numbered: 70. (Genesis 10)

There were "seventy men of the elders of Israel" chosen by God and given the Spirit with which Moses himself was endued, in order to help Moses administer justice while they were in the wilderness. (Numbers 11:16)

In Exodus 15:27, we see the Israelites coming to Elim "where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees.." This is interesting seeing as how there are twelve tribes of Israel and they have 70 elders.

In the Book of Judges, we are told of "threescore and ten kings having their thumbs and their great toes cut off" by Adonibezek; and the same is done to him. (Judges 1:7)

Also in the Book of Judges, Abimelech
used "threescore and ten pieces of silver" to hire men to kill "his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons." (Judges 9:4)

When Hezekiah reopened the doors of the temple, "the number of the burnt offerings, which the congregation brought, was threescore and ten bullocks…" (2 Chronicles 29:32)

The Lord allowed Israel to be held captive in Babylon as a result of having neglected the Sabbath for 70 years; their captivity continued "until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years." (2 Chronicles 36:21) Did you know that this is the specific reason that Israel went into Babylonian captivity: not honoring the Sabbath?

Jesus "appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come." (Luke 10:1)

Jesus advocated that we forgive our brothers not seven times but "seventy times seven" times. (Matthew 18:22)

The number 70 then appears to be a number that indicates God's administration, not in heaven, but specifically here on earth, concerning mankind. In fact, Psalm 90:10 says that under normal circumstances "The days of our years are threescore years and ten…" Seventy becomes the number of years in a generation. Man himself is under God's administration.

Just an interesting side note.

Here's one more interesting side note:

During the listing in Genesis 46 of the descendants of Jacob we find this short line: "And the sons of Dan; Hushim." (Genesis 46:23)

Hushim was not the name of Dan's son. Hushim literally means "who makes haste" but is in this passage referring to all the sons of Dan who are not listed here at all; it is as though what is being said is "them" It is a slighting; a sign of disrespect that we are just starting to see, but that will continue throughout scripture giving Dan a very bad reputation; perhaps prophetically with good reason for they will be the ones later on who introduce idolatry into the Promised Land.

Have a happy and grateful Thanksgiving! Back on Monday.

 

 

 

 

 

Divine Orchestration

"Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard…and Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So not it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt." (Genesis 45:1-8)

"But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." (Genesis 50:20)

While I don't intend to skip all the chapters between 45 and 50, I thought it important to keep these two verses together for the purpose of better understanding just what it is God had done through Joseph….or perhaps we should say what He has done through the brothers of Joseph and their murderous envy of him.

If you will focus on the underlined portions of scripture above, and really meditate on them for a few moments, you will be amazed at what the scripture is telling us has happened.

How many years before was it when Joseph dreamed his double dreams? Therefore, how many years before was it when God began to plan for the years of famine in the land of Egypt…and for what purpose? "To preserve life," "to preserve you a posterity in the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance," "to save much people alive."

All of that is what God had in mind for Jacob and his family, and for the chosen people of God, and for nations that did not yet even acknowledge God, but might someday. God was busy orchestrating, at least 20 to 25 years earlier, the events that would be unveiled during Joseph's adult life. That many years in advance!

Which leads me to ask this question: "What is God orchestrating right now, regarding ME? And how far down the line will the results of that orchestration be seen?"

We must all ask ourselves this question; and then think about it seriously and at great length.

What if you are currently undergoing some trouble or tragedy in your life? How many years past was it that God knew these events would be happening in your life? What did He do to ascertain that you would be blessed in spite of those current events, even if there is some hardship to be faced now, such as Joseph had while in prison? How long might it be before His handiwork in the events of your life will be revealed to you? And if you could see those events unfolding sometime in the future, how would it impact your thinking during these hard times? How would it change your communication with God? Would you still question and complain about the things happening right now? Or would you begin thanking Him, even while in the midst of the hardship, for what He is about to do?

You see, I think Joseph was a man of great faith in God. We aren't told that God came down and visited him and told him all that would happen to him, other than in those first original dreams; and we know that Joseph couldn't understand those dreams at first, in fact, not at all until they began to be revealed to him at the end of all those years. We never see God visiting him and saying, "Don't be afraid."

What we do see is that scripture says "The Lord was with him" in Genesis 39:2. The word for LORD used in that passage is "Jehovah" which means "the existing One." That says a lot about why the Lord WAS with Joseph. I think it can only be because Joseph acknowledged Him (that He was "the existing One") at all times during his life. At ALL times…he never forgot God and therefore God never forgot Joseph. Joseph was never alone and he knew it.

And he knew that "the existing One" was good and merciful. He knew that "Jehovah" was sovereign over anything that happened on this earth. Therefore, he trusted that the LORD knew what He was doing to allow these circumstances to happen. True, in the shock of the moment when he was first thrown into the pit by his brothers, and then almost immediately sold into slavery, he cried out for them not to do this evil. But beyond those first moments, we don't see him complaining to God, and we don't see God having to comfort him specifically; we just see that where Joseph was, so was the LORD; and to such an extent that even unbelievers like Potiphar recognized it. It was Joseph's own acknowledgement of the Lord in all of this that provided him with the comfort he needed….God's presence felt in the midst of it all.

Do unbelievers that are in your life recognize that the LORD is with you? Do YOU even recognize His presence? And does it show to others that you do? If not, I ask again:

If you knew that God was busy orchestrating all the events in your life, how would that change your thinking, your attitude, and especially your response to God? What would change in your life today, this moment, with that knowledge? What would change in your relationship and communication with the LORD?

If you give these scriptures some deep and prayerful meditation, it could change your life!

And I pray that it does just that!

The Surety of Judah

"And he [Joseph] commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth. And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest and his corn money…..and when they were gone out of the city and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the man; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?" (Genesis 44:1-4)

"And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words. And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing: Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold? With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen. And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless….and he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city. And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground." (Genesis 44:6-14)

"Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life; it shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever. Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? Lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father." (Genesis 44:30-34)

Yet again we find another shadow picture of Christ in the Old Testament scriptures. One of the names of Jesus in the Bible is "Lion of Judah." And here we see Judah, son of Jacob, exhibiting on behalf of his own father, a proto-type behavior of Jesus in relation to His own Father.

Judah cannot bear to see the grief that will fall upon his father Jacob if Benjamin does not return to him. Thus, Judah pledged himself to be a "surety" (guarantee) in the place of Benjamin.

Earlier, we saw that Reuben had volunteered to exchange his own two sons for Benjamin if Benjamin did not return with them. But Jacob would not receive that offering and refused to let Benjamin go.

The second offering was made by Judah and that offering was of himself…his own life….in exchange for the safety of Benjamin. And Jacob relented and allowed Benjamin to go.

So Jesus became surety for each of us, His Father's children. And the grief of our Father in heaven would be no less than Jacob's for those who did not return to Him….in fact, His grief would be greater for His love is greater still.

We were all lost to the Father. Sin took us away from Him; from His holy presence. And the wages of sin are death; not just a physical death, but an everlasting one:

"For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." (Mark 9:41-44)

Except that Jesus, the lion of Judah, who loved the Father and pleased the Father in all that He did, willingly laid down His own life in exchange for ours. He became surety for us. His offering, of Himself, was acceptable to the Father…and it is by His offering that we are saved, delivered from the certainty of hell, and restored to the Father in life everlasting.

"But now the righteousness of God has been revealed….namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). And it is meant for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives…He Himself is righteous and He justifies and accepts as righteous him who has true faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:21-26 Amplified Version)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever would believe in Him would not perish but would have life everlasting." (John 3:16)

I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for the surety that He became for ME!

 

More Faith Please

Jacob wrestled with the angel of the Lord (the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ) all night long saying: "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." That is FAITH will not let go until the one wrestling with God (same as wrestling in prayer) gets what he came for.

Job, covered in boils all over his body (AFTER having lost all of his children in a tornado), said: "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." That is FAITH that will not stop trusting no matter how bad things look. God didn't do those things to Job, Satan did. God allowed Satan to do it because He KNEW Job would never turn his back on God no matter how tough the going got. He knew Job would glorify Him for Job was His faithful servant. And when the test was over HE restored to Job twice over what he had lost.

Then there is the woman who went to the unjust judge and bothered and annoyed him until he finally gave her what she asked for. Which caused Jesus to say to His disciples: "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off?" That is FAITH that perseveres. That asks over and over and over again. If you give up asking, why would you get upset that God doesn't quickly give you what you say you want, when you can't really want it all THAT bad if you aren't persevering in prayer to get it from Him?

Then there is this promise regarding the goodness of God towards YOU: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son asks bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks a fish, will he give him a serpent? If YE then, being EVIL, know how to give GOOD gifts unto YOUR children, HOW MUCH MORE shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?" (Matthew 7:7-11) That is FAITH that believes God is GOOD! He is a much better parent than we could EVER be; so why won't we trust Him to be that to us?

Abraham had no son (no children at all); he asked God for a son...God gave him a son.

Isaac's wife Rebekah was barren; he asked God to give her children. God did.

Jacob's wife Rachel was barren also; he asked God to give her children. God did.

Hannah was barren; she asked God to give her a child. God did.

Jacob wrestled all night with the Angel of the Lord and asked for a blessing. God blessed him.

Hezekiah was going to die. He reminded God that he had been pretty faithful to God, even though he wasn't one of God's best. He asked God for more years. God gave him 15 more. Not because Hezekiah deserved it, but because God is good.

Samson had failed God in so many ways it's hard to list them all; but when he went to God for one final request, God graciously gave it to him.

Anna asked to live long enough to see the "Promise." She did.

All the new saints in Jerusalem asked for Peter's release from prison. God released him miraculously.

Whatever it is you want, as long as God considers it to be a godly and good thing; you just have to ask. And then you have to get out of His way and stop trying to make it happen. And stop trying to second guess about whether the newest thing is the answer from God or not. He will not allow YOU to miss what HE is bringing to you. He will make a way. He will make it clear. Stop trying so hard…and REST IN HIM!

And in the meantime, rejoice and be glad for no matter what you DON'T yet have, you have the most important thing EVER: SALVATION! That free gift from God. That gift that you didn't do anything to earn. And one that you can't do anything to keep either, because then it wouldn't be a free gift from the Lord, would it? Then you could say you earned it, earned the "keeping" of it, by your goodness. Rather than that He gave it because of His goodness; and was able to "keep" you in it because He is faithful, not because you are faithful. Thank God He IS faithful to us who are not or we would NONE be saved!

Be encouraged. Be faithful to ask…and keep on asking. HE WILL NOT DISAPPOINT!

Just had to say all that!

"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Obeisance to Joseph

"And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon. And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house. And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses. And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house, and said, O sire, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food: and it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand. And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks. And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out unto them. And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender. And they made ready the present against Joseph came at noon; for they heard that they should eat bread there. And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house and bowed themselves to him to the earth. And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake? Is he yet alive? And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance. And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he said, God be gracious unto thee, my son. And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother; and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there. And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread. And they sat on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians. And they sat before him the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marveled one at another. And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him." (Genesis 43:16-34)

"Hear I pray you this dream which I have dreamed: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf." (Genesis 37:6-7)

"Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me." (Genesis 37:9)

It was God who gave those dreams to Joseph. It was because those dreams exacerbated the envy of Joseph's brothers that Joseph came to be in Egypt. The sheaves in the first dream confirm the provision for which the brothers now find themselves bowing to make obeisance to Joseph; thankful for the provision and thankful that they have not been made bondsmen (slaves due to debt) after all.

And at the moment when the brothers knelt in obeisance to Joseph, how those dreams must have flashed through Joseph's mind! These were the double dreams that indicated God WOULD FULFILL all that the dream indicated. And now He has.

I can't help but wonder what Simeon must be thinking as he is finally released from his prison. Did he realize that Jacob, his father, would not allow Benjamin to be brought down to Egypt, and so he resigned himself to a long life in prison? Or was he hoping that his father loved him as much as Benjamin and would do whatever it took to set him free again?

Clearly, Jacob's love for Benjamin won out, keeping Simeon a prisoner for much longer than was necessary; a thought that must have crossed Judah's mind when he told Jacob that they could have already come and gone again had Jacob not forestalled them because of Benjamin. In the end, it is not love for his son Simeon, but fear for his entire family, that causes Jacob to send the brothers back with Benjamin. You can't help but feel just a bit for Simeon; even though he is suffering justly for his part in selling Joseph off.

Joseph has now seen Benjamin and weeps once more for the great joy of seeing his brother that was so long lost to him. We find Joseph weeping 7 times in all; displaying what a man of compassion he truly is.

And it is interesting that the Egyptians cannot sit at table with the Hebrew brethren; which means that they cannot sit at table with Joseph either. They know he is Hebrew; they knew that from the time he was first brought out of prison. It is apparently alright to eat in the same room and share a meal together; as long as they are not at the same table. Amazing that Joseph can be so elevated as to be second in command only to Pharaoh and yet still be considered an abomination in terms of eating at the same table with him. This is just another indication to us that Joseph had to still feel captive to Egypt in many ways, rather than feeling free. Elevated and still shunned. Amazing.

Jacob Gives up Benjamin

"And the famine was sore in the land. And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food. And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food: But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother? And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? Have ye another brother? And we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down? And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live and not die, both we and thou, and also our little ones. I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: If I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever: For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time. And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present: a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts and almonds: and take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sack, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight: take also your brother, and arise go again unto the man: and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved. And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph." (Genesis 43:1-15)

Salvation for Jacob and his sons lies in Egypt. Had Joseph been a different man, a man of vengeance, Jacob's family would surely have died for the famine was severe and prolonged.

But Joseph had already been set apart by God for this time; his own dreams were a foretelling of this major event in his life of providing not only for Egypt and surrounding nations, but also for his own unfaithful brothers.

Yet the salvation that the brothers tried to buy from Joseph was, in the end, given to them freely. Their money could not buy it; Joseph would not allow their money to purchase it. The one man who should have not only made them buy, but could have withheld it from them altogether, has unfailing compassion and even weeps over their distress. And then freely gives them that which will save them.

Now, the brothers will once more try to purchase more provision; in fact, they are returning to Egypt with not only money to pay for more provision but to try to pay once more for the first provisions. And this time the deal they are making to the lord of Egypt is being sweetened by delicacies that must have been closely guarded and protected during such a famine; and as such might be of special interest to the man they do not yet recognize as being Joseph.

Jacob's fear for his entire family has overridden his fear for his youngest son Benjamin. Now Benjamin must go. And it is interesting that Judah steps forth willingly to protect and restore Benjamin to Jacob or "bear the blame forever." A bit of the "lion" of Judah is starting to show.

But his sincerity will be challenged as we continue.

A Guilty Conscience & Fear

"And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for behold, it was in his sack's mouth. And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and lo, it is even in my sack: and their hearts failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us? And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying, The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies: We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan. And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone. And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land. And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me. And Reuben spake unto his father, saying Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hands, and I will bring him to thee again. And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave." (Genesis 42:27-38)

A guilty conscience is a terrible thing. The brothers, having found all of their money restored to them, yet knowing that they had indeed turned that money over to the governor of Egypt (Joseph), felt instantly that this was God's hand at work; and because their minds were darkened with the guilt of that evil done so long ago, they immediately assumed God was out to have his vengeance on them. They were so fearful of God's impending wrath that their hearts nearly stopped working altogether. They were terrified.

Such are the thoughts of anyone who is living in the darkness of their sin. The darkness causes them to see God as a Judge only. They cannot draw near to God for fear of Him and of His great wrath that they are sure is about to fall on them at any moment. They live their lives in misery, forgetting the goodness of God, because the fear has consumed them….fear brought on by a guilty conscience. This misery and fear colors everything in their lives. They have become the most miserable of creatures.

But this same God whom they fear is the same God who says in Isaiah 1:18-20 "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land…" Here is the same God, talking to sinners no different than Joseph's brethren, wanting them to come to Him; He is calling them to Himself, calling them to repentance. He is calling them to come out of the darkness and deception of sin, into the light of His mercy and grace.

Some folks, such as Joseph's brothers, harden their hearts and hold on to their sins for years and years. And because they remain in darkness (the darkness being the place where their sins remain hidden…or so they believe) their consciences speak to them in their unrepentant state of the wrath of God that WILL fall on those who reject the kindness of the Lord: "But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." (Isaiah 1:20)

Yet God's wrath does not come only because they have sinned, it comes because they have sinned and not repented of that sin. It comes because they will not receive the free gift of God's love and forgiveness. In fact, their rejection of an Almighty God's kindness and mercy is as though they spat upon Him. Thus, when such kindness and mercy is offered only to be venomously rejected, wrath IS all one has to look forward to; and misery descends.

In the case of Joseph's brothers, the years of guiltiness bear down upon them with a great weight. They have never confessed their sin to their father, the one (besides Joseph himself and most likely his younger brother Benjamin) who suffered so greatly because of their sin. And thus the fear of God's impending judgment for their unrepentant sin is so great that "their hearts failed them" at the thought that His wrath was imminent.

I believe this is why Joseph wept. I believe he wept seeing the anguish his own unrepentant brothers were suffering looking for the judgment of God to fall upon them.

Much as Jesus wept over unrepentant Jerusalem: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" (Matthew 23:37)

Joseph could have blamed God for his hardship and affliction, just as most of mankind today wants to blame God and reject Him because of the death and destruction that sin-filled men in a sin-filled world bring to pass; along with the evil help of Satan, of course, who scours the earth seeking whom he can destroy: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8)

But that is not who God is. And Joseph knew that. He knew the goodness of God and he never forgot it through all the 13 years of his captivity, even though his brothers did not know God as well.

Our God is One who loves each of us in this world so much:

"…that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.

He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (John 3:16-21)

There is a quick solution to the misery of a guilty conscience: confess it to God, receive the gift of His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ, and LIVE in the light of peace with God.

Seven Years of Dearth

"And the seven years of death began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands." (Genesis 41: 54-57)

"Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him. And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan." (Genesis 42:1-5)

The word dearth, as used by the King James version, means: famine or hunger. Such an event of famine is normally brought on by prolonged drought, causing a failure of food crops, both for humans and for animals. It appears that the same lack of rainfall being experienced in Egypt, was also causing a lack of food crops in neighboring lands, including Canaan.

Thus, when Jacob hears that there is corn to be purchased in Egypt, he hastens to send his sons to go purchase it for their survival. Surely, the brothers of Joseph were not keen to go into Egypt. Surely, their guilty consciences prodded them severely at even the mention of that name, much less having to now go into the land. In fact, that guilt lies heavy upon them all still as will be seen by the next passage of scripture:

"And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies. And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not. And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies: Hereby ye shall be proved: by the life Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies. And he put them all together into ward three days. And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live, for I fear God: If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses: but bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so. And they said to one another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? Therefore, behold, also his blood is required. And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes." (Genesis 42:6-24)

Something in what the brothers were speaking about to one another, caused Joseph to turn and weep. Was it the remembrance of his distress, the anguish of his soul, when they sold him off into slavery? Was it that this was the first time he realized that at least one brother, Reuben, tried to keep the mob of brethren from harming him? Was it because he could see that the guilt of their wrongdoing had consumed them all these years, and his humble and compassionate heart was unable to bear their suffering? Or was it because he was overwhelmed with the goodness of God towards him and his family to have brought them to this place, just as his dreams had foretold? What we are told is that he harbored no grudge against his brothers, and did only good to them, in spite of holding Simeon ransom for a while; which was done only in order to assure he would see his brother Benjamin.

"Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them. And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence." (Genesis 42:25-26)

Seven Years of Plenty

"And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number. And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him. And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house. And the name of the second called he Ephraim: for God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended." (Genesis 41:39-53)

In an amazing turn of events that only God could have brought about, Joseph, former slave and prisoner of Egypt, at age 30 (13 years after being sold off by his brothers into slavery) is now elevated to a position of political power that is only one place lower than the Pharaoh of Egypt himself. Joseph is given a new name which can be translated to mean either "treasury of the glorious rest" or "salvation or savior of the age;" both meanings acknowledge the God who guides Joseph with such wisdom. How incredible that the Pharaoh entrusts his entire kingdom to Joseph's God by giving it into the hands of Joseph to manage.

Joseph is also given a wife, probably one who had quite a bit of status for she was the daughter of the priest of Heliopolis or On. Her name was Asenath, meaning "belonging to the goddess Neith;" none of which tells us that the Egyptians changed over to believing in the God of Joseph, even though they recognize His power in Joseph; but that instead, Joseph was hooked by marriage to one who worshipped another god, or in this case goddess: Neith, the Egyptian goddess of war and hunting. Or perhaps, she did come around to Joseph's way of thinking concerning his God? We just aren't told.

Now, here is the question: what was Joseph's reaction to all of this? We are not told whether he was in a state of shock, or elated, or horrified or what. At the time of Pharaoh's decision to elevate Joseph we are not shown any of the emotions of Joseph to know what he was thinking. It is not until his children are born that we are given a clue.

Joseph names his firstborn son Manasseh which means "causing to forget." By this we can see that Joseph still mourned for his lost family and homeland. This firstborn child eased that pain somewhat by supplying Joseph once more with a family. This child also caused Joseph to somewhat forget all of his labors, certainly his past labors and possibly his current labors as well which kept him from his true homeland.

Joseph names his second son, Ephraim, which means "double ash-heap or double land: I am doubly fruitful;" and says that it is because "God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction." No matter his exalted position, Joseph does not recognize Egypt as his home; he is the Lord's pilgrim living in a strange land. Thus Egypt will always be the land of his affliction.

My take on all of this is that Joseph is still a slave; he is not really free to leave here and go seek out his family and homeland. When the Pharaoh of Egypt tells you what you will be, having just pulled you out of a prison that you have been in for anywhere from 2-10 years, you don't argue with him and plead to just be set free; what you do is what you are told to do while being grateful for being released from the dungeon and placed in a prison of a different sort even though privileges and comforts abound.

Yet in all of this, Joseph knows that God is sovereign and is in control of his situation; and he is willing to go where the Lord leads, even into the position of second highest ruler in all the land of Egypt. I believe he is grateful to the Lord for putting him into such a position, no matter how much he might long for his home.

And with the wisdom and administration abilities that God had gifted Joseph with, Joseph began to accumulate all the corn and food supplies that were available during the seven years of plenty and to lay them in store for the coming famine; a famine so severe that without the foreknowledge of the double dreams and Joseph's interpretations and management of food supplies, all of Egypt would have been lost, and many neighboring nations as well, including Joseph's own family. Yet all are saved…by God's own hand.

Such an amazing task could only have been accomplished by an amazing God…working through a humble and willing servant who trusted in his God…no matter where the circumstances of his life placed him. Joseph's trust of God throughout these circumstances should be a tremendous encouragement and inspiration to us all.

Pharaoh’s Double Dream, Part 2

"And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river: and, behold, seven other kind came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness: and the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine: and when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke. And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good: and, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them: and the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me. And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what He is about to do. The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do, He sheweth unto Pharaoh. Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: and there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; and the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous. And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine. And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?" (Genesis 41: 17-38)

The significance of the double dream is stated by Joseph in this passage of scripture: it means that a thing has been established by God, it WILL come to pass. So, then if we look back at the dreams Joseph had, we see that his dreams also are established by God, for it was a double dream, and will come to pass as well.

Now in Pharaoh's dreams, a time is given…there will be seven years of plenty and seven years of famine to follow….and Joseph tells him that it is to begin soon. But in Joseph's own dreams, no time line is given. And it has been many, many years now since those dreams occurred. Still, there is no doubt that they will come true. The significance of Joseph's dreams have been established by God.

Joseph's response to the Pharaoh demonstrates several "giftings" from God. He is able to interpret the dreams, although as He says it is not himself that has that ability, but God who is giving him the words to speak. Then there is the gifting of wisdom, as Joseph lays out a plan that God has whispered in his ear. And finally, as has already been displayed by Joseph, both while in Potiphar's home and under Potiphar's guard in prison, is his gifting of administration, in which all that he lays his hand to in the ordering of someone else's affairs is blessed by God.

These giftings are from God for Joseph, but are not limited to the times of Joseph and the patriarchs. We see in the book of Acts that the disciples are given giftings as well, when they are filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2) and begin to speak in other tongues that are identifiable by many who heard them speak. Healing was in their hands (Acts 3). They received power to become bold where before they were weak and afraid (Acts 4:29-31). But these giftings are not limited to the disciples either.

Paul talks about the gifts that are in use by the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians chapter 12). So we know that not only the patriarchs received giftings from God, but also the disciples, and also the early church.

Here is something important for us to understand: Our God does not change from one century to the next (Malachi 3:6 "For I am the Lord, I change not..")…and thus, the gifting that He provides to His chosen ones remain the same as well…whether it is thousands of years ago with Joseph, or centuries later with the disciples and the early church, or right now today, with you and I.

The question is whether or not we will use the gifting that we have been given. There is no doubt that we all have them, although we might not all have the same ones at the same time. Still, what we have, will we use it? Will the world around us be caused to acknowledge God as Pharaoh was caused to acknowledge that the giftings Joseph had were due to God, whose Spirit was being displayed through Joseph?

This can only happen if we use the gifts which we have been given by God. He didn't give them to us so that we can consider ourselves to be special and leave it at that. We ARE special in God's eyes. We ARE His chosen ones. BUT, He gave us those gifts so that the unbelieving world around us would come to believe in HIM. He has not sent us out on a task that He has not equipped us for. But neither does He expect us to sit on these gifts and not use them. There is a world full of lost souls whom God will draw near to Himself through you and I and the gifts He has placed within us.

The time is long past to get out of our comfort zone and go to work serving our Lord and Savior, not in our own strength but in HIS.

Joseph was a man just like us. But he was a man who had a relationship with the Lord, who heard from the Lord because of the intimacy of his relationship with God, and who moved and served in the giftings God provided to him. So can we be if we choose to deepen our relationship with the Lord, and get up and serve Him.

Whether you are young or old, will you choose to fill your remaining years in using your giftings for the glory of God and for the benefit of those who are lost? Or are you too consumed with worldly things to serve the Lord with your whole heart, soul, mind and strength?

Choose well, recognize your gifts and choose to use them, and God will do amazing things through you, just as He did through His servant Joseph.

 

Pharaoh’s Double Dream, Part 1

"And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. And behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow. And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke. And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. And behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them. And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dreams; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh. Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day: Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker: and we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard, and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged. Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying it is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace." (Genesis 41:1-16)

Because the King James version of the bible is used for these passages, it might be best to begin with a definition or two to help our understanding. For example, the term well favoured means "beautiful in appearance" while ill favoured means just the opposite of course; the word rank means "fat," and the word kine means "a young cow or heifer." And the term Pharaoh (according to Strong's Concordance) means "great house" and is the title given to the Egyptian kings. The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary supplies for us the real name of this particular Pharaoh which was "Aphophis, one of the Memphite kings, whose capital was On or Heliopolis, and who is universally acknowledged to have been a patriot king."

We will save the interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams, both occurring in the same night, for the next posting where the interpretations appear in the scriptures, but for now we should note that Pharaoh has had what can be called a "double dream." We have already seen that Joseph himself, in earlier years, was also given a "double dream." [See Genesis 37:1-11] A double dream is one in which two dreams occur, both slightly different from the other but still having the same content or meaning. There is a significance to "double dreams" which will be defined for us in scripture as we continue. Meanwhile, isn't it interesting that it is because of Pharaoh's double dreams that Joseph is called up out of his long confinement in prison, since it was Joseph's own double dreams that caused his brothers to sell him off into slavery in the first place?

Pharaoh dreams that seven fat and handsome cows are feeding in a meadow, a scene of serenity that says "all is as it should be." But then, in his dream, seven other ugly and skinny cows come alongside the fat cows and devour them. All serenity is suddenly gone as something bizarre has occurred in what began as a pleasant dream. Understandably, Pharaoh wakes up, most likely trying to rid himself of the nightmarish feeling of evil that overcomes him; something we have all experienced at one time or another in our own lives.

But he eventually falls back to sleep and dreams a second dream in which he sees a nice green corn stalk filled with fat ears of corn. Again all is well with the world and the scene is pastoral and serene. Until, that is, a second corn stalk appears; the second one being so badly battered by a wind from the east, that the ears it has produced are thin and terrible. And yet, these weak and ill looking ears of corn are able to devour the fat healthy ears of corn. And once more Pharaoh wakes with a start.

In the morning, the dreams are still so real to Pharaoh that he can recall every detail and can still feel the evil that came upon him with the dreams; all of which leaves him troubled enough to call for his magicians and wise men, hoping one of them can make some sense out of his dreams and calm his disquieted spirit. But none of these men trust in God, so any "interpretations" they might have given in the past are either scientific, occultic (from Satan), or of their own imaginations. Why can't they now come up with something to satisfy the Pharaoh? I believe it is because God is orchestrating things, as He is known to do, and has caused them to be completely baffled and at a loss, making way for the introduction of Joseph to the Pharaoh.

The butler, not at all sincere in "remembering" his faults, tries to get in on the good side of Pharaoh by mentioning Joseph, whom he has deliberately forgotten for two long years.

When the Pharaoh calls for Joseph, Joseph changes his clothes and completely shaves his beard and most likely his head as well, as the Egyptians preferred a completely hairless look, and is presented to the Pharaoh wherein he immediately glorifies God by telling the Pharaoh that the interpretations of the butler's and baker's dreams back in prison two years ago did not come from himself, but from God. And Joseph tells Pharaoh that God is willing to give Pharaoh the interpretation that will bring peace to Pharaoh's troubled spirit.

Now, there is a lot being said in Joseph's simple statement to Pharaoh: "It is not in me; God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace."

Joseph has glorified God, rather than himself, indicating that he is still, after all these years of suffering, a humble man.

Joseph is testifying that his God is great and able to give Pharaoh the proper interpretation, and that God cares enough about Pharaoh to want to calm his disquieted spirit.

Joseph is stating that even though he has been held in Pharaoh's own prison for many years, he is not filled with bitterness and resentment towards Pharaoh, showing Joseph's heart to be not only humble but one easily able to forgive wrongs done to him. Joseph himself is willing to help Pharaoh.

And finally, Joseph is speaking in FAITH; trusting that God will do all that Joseph has said He will do. This is confidence that can come only when a man has such a close relationship to God that he can speak on behalf of God and know that God will not forsake him nor deny that which has been promised on God's behalf.

(To be continued tomorrow…)

The Butler and the Baker, Part 2

"When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head: and in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head. And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days: Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee. And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand: but he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him." (Genesis 40:16-23)

That poor baker! We can only wonder at what it was he did that caused him to receive capital punishment for his crime! We hope it was something worthy of death, but we also know that kings, when not under the influence of God, can be capricious at best and heads can roll with very little or nothing to justify it.

Meanwhile, the dream interpretations prove to be true as the baker is taken to his death while the butler is released and restored to his former life as chief butler and wine steward. But the butler does not remember to speak to the king about Joseph….it is apparently not in God's perfect timing for Joseph to obtain his freedom yet. When Joseph is released, God will be the one doing it, and the small world of the Pharaoh will KNOW Joseph's God.

Prophecy about Jesus is found in this passage of scripture, but to help you to see it I need to take a little side trip here in the posting. I happen to be in Texas hill country at the moment, but on Monday I was in Galveston and Kemah visiting those areas with my son and his family, and we stopped in to look at some Thomas Kinkade paintings in a shop there. We were told that the painter puts the letter "N" into his paintings in various places and there is a number by his signature that lets the observer know how many "N"s can be found in the painting. "N" is for his wife Nancy. He also might put in the year they were married or the names of his four daughters, among other details of his life. And, if you have ever seen an Alfred Hitchcock movie, you will know that this famous director also inserted some of himself into each of his movies. You can see him pass right in front of the camera usually somewhere close to the beginning of his movies, even though he never looks directly into the camera….it is called a "cameo" appearance, for you only see his profile briefly as he passes through. Thomas Kinkade is a great painter, maybe not a Michelangelo, but still he has fame. Alfred Hitchcock might not be a Steven Spielberg, but he is world-renown as well.

Well, the LORD our GOD is far above these men and others like them, and is, in fact, the MASTER of Glory; why wouldn't He be as the splendor of all of creation shouts His glory….the mountains, the skies, the oceans, the process of life…all of it shouts about the fame of our God. And as I have already pointed out, the Word of God, being inspired by God, also brings glory to God over and over and over again. The Old Testament is types and shadows (cameos you might say) of Jesus who leaves his heavenly place during New Testament times and is born a human to experience the same sufferings we experience, and the temptations that go along with being human, yet never sins, which qualifies Him to be the perfect blood atonement for our sin. The reason the Bible speaks to us so much of Jesus Christ is because God has chosen to glorify His Son because of His great sacrifice of His own life for our sakes and in obedience to God the Father, until the day arrives in which all of God's enemies have been made his "footstool." (Mark 12:36)

So, where do you see the prophetic "cameos" of Jesus Christ in the passages we just studied above? In the use of "the third day" and in the "wine" and the "bread" indicated by the butler and the baker.

The body of Jesus is symbolized by the bread while the wine symbolizes His blood:

"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." (Matthew 26:26-29)

And after His death on the cross, Jesus rose from the dead (was restored or resurrected back to life never to die again) on the third day:

"Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: and as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words." (Luke 24:1-8)

It was not a coincidence that a butler and a baker ended up in jail with Joseph, nor was it an accident that the butler forgot Joseph when he was released. God orchestrates His entire universe down to the least dot on each letter "i" and the cross of each letter "t." While He is not the author of evil, he DOES make all things work together for our good. In this sin-fallen world, evil (Satan) prowls around seeking to destroy lives, but God is there to restore us and make things even better than before. We will see this divine principle very clearly at work in Joseph's life from beginning to end.

Knowing that God sees everything that happens in this great universe of His and is always one step ahead of it, and that He doesn't leave us alone to face the evil that it contains, should give us the same comfort that Joseph had even while enduring the evils done to him….evils done by man, not God….yet evils that will be turned to good for Joseph very soon by a God who loves him very much. We are not told that we will not suffer; we will all suffer one way or another, but we will never suffer alone: for the One who suffered the greatest, and who deserved to suffer not at all, will always be right there with us taking upon Himself once more the suffering that we suffer. I have seen it in my own life.

He is not a capricious God; HE IS A GOOD GOD! And next we will see what good He has in mind for Joseph!