Genesis 40
April 9, 2010
1 Comment
Bible Passage: Genesis 40
The very first time I read about Joseph’s plight, I really pitied him, and in my mind I was rather angry with his elder brothers. But when I read about his obedience to his father, his dealings in Egypt, and later how he treated his brothers, I was and am very touched by his attitude; because in all aspects, he was a 100% Christian.
Biblereadingcompanion said yesterday that Joseph is his hero, he is also my hero and I simply love him!
Today we shall read a small portion of his life in Egypt, how he glorified God through his godliness and divine wisdom.
Poor Joseph, in a foreign land, was being framed by the wife of Potiphar and was being thrown into the dungeon.
Was Joseph alone? Not at all. He was far away from his family, especially a father who loved him dearly, but the Heavenly Father was always very near him, in fact He had not for a single second left him, for the phrase “The Lord was with Joseph” can be seen repeatedly in the recorded life of Joseph.
On Joseph’s part, he did not forsake God or grumbled for what he had been going through. He was obedient to his earthly father, but it is more praiseworthy that he was more obedient and clinging to the Heavenly Father Whom he could not see.
So far, we have not read that God came to speak to Joseph face to face or in a dream, but his steadfast faith in God must have come from his father Jacob. Again we can deduce that he had a good foundational religious education from his father.
Let us reflect on this point, we have not seen Jesus at anytime in our lives since the day we were baptized into His Name. But I hope that all of us can say with conviction that we have experienced Him in our lives.
For God is love and He is alive, even dwelling in our hearts! And His Word, the Holy Bible, is the living Word of God! Further more, Paul assures us in his epistle to the Romans,
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5: 5
Joseph did not have a compact little Bible stuffed in his pocket when he was being sold to Egypt, not to mention he knew anything about the abidance of the Holy Spirit.
Joseph was of like nature as all of us, I believe he could sense the presence of the Lord whenever he kept his dignity in the Lord in all that he did, and when he found favor in those whom he served.
As I have mentioned that Joseph displayed a 100% Christian trait, let us also ask ourselves, “Are we like Joseph? Are we Christians that bear the image of Christ like how Joseph had shown to the people around him?”
There are several other things that we can learn from Joseph’s Christ-like nature, and they are:
1) Attentive to the feelings and needs of others.
And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad.
So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in the custody of his lord’s house, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?”
Gen. 40:6 – 7
Joseph was being unjustly thrown into the dungeon; and he must be feeling terrible and could have thought, “Why should I be such a busy body to bother about the matters of others, after all we are all on the same boat.”
No, he did not think in this way.
Joseph was observant and when he detected the sad expressions of the butler and the baker, he showed concern immediately.
2) He brings God to the attention of others.
So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.”
Gen. 40: 8b
Joseph did not only display the righteousness of God through his actions, but he also tells people of the Almightiness and Sovereignty of the God of Heaven.
In our daily lives, we must have our helmet of salvation on our heads, but do we proclaim with our mouths to the people we meet of this salvation grace that they can freely received from our Lord Jesus?
It is truly amazing to see Joseph displaying such qualities of Christ. So, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us learn from Joseph who did not know Christ, to glorify God and to bring benefits to man.
Never be like the butler who totally forgot about Joseph, the only person who could interpret his dreams, but to always remember and to reciprocate the love that others had shown us.
For this is basic human moral even the heathens could understand and do, so should we as Christians be lacking in this aspect?
Just share my overly active imagination again:
May be Joseph realized that the LORD was with him bec he could communicate well with the Egyptians, be it in Potiphar’s house, in prison or in the palace.
Besides personality, language is a major hinderance in communication and interaction.
May be Joseph was a die-hard extrovert who was positive even in extremely difficult circumstances. However God helped Joseph to be able to speak the Egyptian language so that he was an useful vessel wherever he was.
(May be he already spoke the Egyptian language before he was sold to Egypt. The important point is he could.)
Language is one of the first and difficult hundles both in D2D or overseas pioneering areas.
God also gave Joseph the “Dream Language” too.
On a serious note, Joseph had a gentleness which i admire very much. Joseph was gentle and meek, serving and loving, even in extreme circumstances which one could be disappointed and gave up.
Joseph in his gentleness, patiently waited for the will of the LORD to come to pass.
(i wonder how did Joseph interpret hs two dreams from the LORD. They might have been his pillars of strength through the valley of the shadow of death.)
Sigh, may Lord Jesus have mercy and patience to guide me to learn to be gentle and meek.