IT Was God who led Pharaoh to call Joseph (Gen. 41:14-36)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 01-04-2008

 

My Worship Time                                                   Focus:  God led Pharaoh to call Joesph

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                    Reference:  Genesis 41:14-36

 

            Message of the verses:  “4  Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh.  15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it."  16 Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."

17  So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, "In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile; 18  and behold, seven cows, fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass. 19  "Lo, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such as I had never seen for ugliness in all the land of Egypt; 20  and the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows.  21 “Yet when they had devoured them, it could not be detected that they had devoured them, for they were just as ugly as before. Then I awoke. 22  "I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears, full and good, came up on a single stalk; 23  and lo, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them; 24  and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. Then I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me."

25 Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, "Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same; God has told to Pharaoh what He is about to do.  26 “The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one and the same.  27  "The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine.  28 “It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do.  29 "Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; 30 and after them seven years of famine will come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will ravage the land.  31 “So the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very severe. 32 “Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about.

33 "Now let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.  34  "Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers in charge of the land, and let him exact a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance. 35  "Then let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh’s authority, and let them guard it. 36 “Let the food become as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish during the famine.’”

 

Now after the cupbearer told Pharaoh about Joseph God prompted him to call Joseph, for Pharaoh seemed to be frightened about his dream, and with good reason.  When Pharaoh spoke to Joseph about the dream and said that he was told that he could interpret dreams Joseph quickly said just as he had told the cupbearer and the chief baker before, that it was God who interpreted dreams and He would do it through Joseph.  Joseph gave the glory to the Lord.  Joseph then tells Pharaoh that God would give him a favorable answer to his dream.

 

Pharaoh now tells Joseph the dreams and Joseph interrupts the dreams for Pharaoh very quickly after hearing them.  Joseph continues to give the glory to God, by saying that God has told Pharaoh through his dreams exactly what He was about to do.

 

Joseph now takes this a step further, and I believe that God lead Joseph to do so, and that is Joseph suggests to Pharaoh to find someone to be put in charge of all the grain that would come in the first seven years, the years of abundance, and that he should collect 20% of this grain so that there would be enough in the seven years of famine.  It is interesting that 20% of this grain would not only be enough for Egypt, but also that people from other nations would be able to buy from them too.

 

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Just as Joseph did not forget to give glory to God for the things He was doing, neither should I forget to give glory to God for the things He is doing in my life, even though my life at this time is not the way I would have planned it to be.  God has a plan for my life and I need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as He leads me and guides me each day.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to trust the Lord to lead me and guide me each day, and not forget to praise Him each day for all that he is doing in my life.