Genesis 41
April 10, 2010
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Bible Passage: Genesis 41
Have we arrived at a turning point in life that changed our lives completely?
In this chapter, Joseph arrived at this turning point and it was a turning point that he had been hoping all along. It must have been very tough and disappointing for him being sold away as a slave to a far away land in Egypt.
From a son that is favoured and protected by his father ending up being a slave without his family and without his freedom.
Being falsely accused and thrown into the dungeon for many years.
Furthermore, when he interpreted Pharaoh’s cupbearer’s dream, he had high hopes of being freed but to his despair the cupbearer forgotten about him.
It was only when he was 30 years old did Pharaoh had a dream and the cupbearer remembered about Joseph.
It was only at that moment a way was open for Joseph, a way opened by God for him. For it was God’s Will that through Joseph the descendants of Israel can be saved from the impending famine.
I would think not many of us or perhaps none of us would like to be in Joseph situation. To receive so much sufferings and disappointments in our lives.
However, it was God’s Will that Joseph had to undergo such sufferings. Why was that? Isn’t God a God who blesses us and blesses us abundantly?
To many people of the world and including Christians, blessings is always something positive and never negative. Being a slave is not a blessing.
Being thrown in the dungeon is not a blessing. However, surprisingly it is God’s blessing that Joseph undergo all these.
Being a slave, he had to rely on God and God guided and blessed his work as a slave. Being a prisoner he relied on God for comfort and God opened a way for him to be more than a prisoner but one who looked after the prisoners.
If God did not allow or put Joseph in such circumstances, there will not be the opportunity presented for Joseph to interpret Pharaoh’s dream.
Without this opportunity, there will not be such tremendous change of events that elevated Joseph from a slave and prisoner to the governor!
James 1: 2 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”When I read through this chapter, it brings to remembrance of God’s grace to me and my family this past decade.
Just hitting 30, I feel that these last 10 years have been a real turning point in my life, perhaps not as grand as Joseph, but to me very significant.
All these blessings I received from God would not have happened if these ‘bad events’ or disappointments I deemed in the past did not occur.
When I look back, I really felt it was a blessing in disguise.
For example when I was young and till 21 years old I have/ had many ailments and although discouraging, it gave me strength to face adversities in life and be determined to complete whatever i set out to do; coincidentally by God’s blessing, my main ailment which is asthma almost vanished after I believed and was baptized.
During my PSLE, I did not do well because I slept during the examination and ended in a school that is in the last of my list.
Interestingly, it was in this school that I have made good friends who are still my good friends today and in this school my self esteem turned for the better. More importantly, it was this ‘bad event’ that eventually led me to True Jesus Church.
When I was in army I stayed in the camp that I deemed as real lousy in the past and was in a vocation that I thought I will not be in because of my health conditions.
However, it was because of this vocation that I traveled overseas and was able to marvel at God’s wondrous creation of the universe and stars that made me reflect on the existence of our Creator.
It was because of this event that led me to this astronomy hobby that has brought me satisfaction and reverence to God.
During my A levels, I made a lot of mistakes in my exam and ended up in a university that I did not want to go. I was disappointed but years later I realised that I could study a course that had a subject that is of my interest – optics in which I am involved in my work today.
Interestingly it is because of this university that I did not want to go that today I have the opportunity to go to Israel 7 times and more time in the future.
Perhaps God has a calling for me to preach to the Jews and this is something I will seek to find out.
There are other blessings but I guess I will leave that to another day.
God blessed Joseph and it was according to God’s plan albeit tough to swallow, that through Joseph, the house of Israel could be saved from the drought.
When we read later chapters, we will find that Joseph understood God’s intention and accepted His Will.
This acceptance and understanding came only after 13 years of slavery and imprisonment.
If we are undergoing hardships or trials be it at work or at school or are facing relationship issues, think for a moment that there is God’s Will in there and that it could be a blessing in disguise.
It is up to us to have faith in God and to seek what is the reason for all these negative events.
I have a really unhappy past too – things that happened to me that I have no answers for.
Not just one, but a couple of things in my life since my childhood made me questioned about life and about God.
I have actually drafted a comment about them, but have decided to save these stories for another day. For there are still questions unanswered and I do not completely understand the will of God in all these life events just yet.
Perhaps you can imagine that I am still serving in Potiphar’s house or in the prison.
However, these are stories I would definitely tell one day, when I have more fully comprehend God’s will in all these.
But these things probably made me the person I am today – easily depressed and emotional, but rather resilient.
And I wonder if Joseph had struggled too. For sometimes it is really a struggle trying to see His will in all the things that happened to me. I would question, how can this thing possibly give rise to something beautiful in the eyes of God?
But I also know that in the midst of my struggles, God never once let me go; I know He was holding me by the hand and I am very, very grateful for that.
We need to remember that God has His eyes on us all the time and that everything work together for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28). So hang in there if you are in a really difficult situation right now, remembering that Joseph waited for 2 full years (Genesis 41:1) before the butler remembered him. And it was after 20+ years that he fully comprehended the will of God in his life tragedy.
We must wait to see beautiful things unfold before our eyes – beautiful things that God has in mind for us.
Joseph is also my hero, and I really want to learn from him.
The gentleness and meekness of Joseph was reflected in his submission to the events which God put in his life (of course i m making a big assumption that Joseph had this thought that the events were placed by God) although he did not understand the reason nor the will of God.
Joseph ‘s strength was in his acceptance and perseverance like what sis Sharon highlighted for hymn 403: yield fully, Joseph yielded fully to God in his life, he didn’t ask why nor why not.
Besides interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams, Joseph made suggestions to Pharaoh how the coming famine could be managed (Gen 41:34-36).
The Pharaoh gave Joseph an Egyptian name called Zaphnath-Paaneah. The footnote in the NKJV bible says “Probably Egyptian for God Speaks and He Lives.
Yet the Pharaoh did not believe in this God who speaks and lives.
Was the heart of the Pharaoh like ground by the wayside (Matthew 13:19) ie Pharaoh heard about the God whom Joseph worshipped but he did not understand the word (Joseph’s God) and then the wicked one came and snatched away what was sowed in his heart?
Or was Pharaoh liken to he who received seed among the thorns (Matthew 13:22), ie he heard the word (the true God); and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choked the word, and he became unfruitful?
If by the mercy of Lord Jesus, we are good grounds, it is the word of God which is flourishing, we are merely the ground.
Yes, just dust.
Thank God and thank both biblereader and treasureinerathenvessel’s sharing. It is indeed true that God is in control of ALL things. God sees ALL things that are happening to us and around us.
We have to be still and see God’s wondrous works slowly unfolding before our eyes, for God causes everything to work together for the good to those who love Him.
Knowing the Truth is one important thing, but doing/acting upon the Truth is totally another important thing in our lives as the children of God.
Truth without love is empty, but true Christ-like love cannot be manifested without the knowledge of the Truth.
Very often people get hurt from the very people who know the truth and are fervent in serving God. So we must constantly think and reflect upon our actions in our daily prayers.
Some of us may be hurting someone right now, or some of us may be the “victims”, whatever it may be, we must know that God is watching our every action.
And surely, God has his ways in dealing with us, and His ways are always higher than ours.