Today's Passage: Genesis 41-42
What patience Joseph has shown throughout his journey. He has been up and down and up and down again. He finally has a chance to speak to Pharaoh after being in prison two years after the cupbearer leaves. I think it would be easy to focus on Joseph in this passage and his gifts and faith. However, I want to look at a different side of the story that I think gets overlooked. Pharaoh shows a real faith and trust in God.
At the beginning of this chapter Pharaoh is seeking his advice from magicians and wise men. He looks to everyone besides God. Then, God provides someone to bring His message to Pharaoh. Joseph took the long way around the mountain to get to Pharaoh’s court. He had been through more than most of us will in a lifetime. When Pharaoh asks Joseph to interpret the dream, Joseph very quickly says that he cannot tell him what it means, but God can. God uses Joseph to tell Pharaoh that bad things are coming. It is at this point that Pharaoh has some choices to make. He can ignore the interpretation and go about his business or he can listen to God’s message and get ready. When I have read this passage before, I do not think that I have ever really focused on Pharaoh. I have always looked at Joseph and his courage to tell Pharaoh the truth of his dream.
Pharaoh chooses to believe Joseph and to prepare for the famine. What he does next is amazing and is an example for us. Pharaoh, a non-believer, is an example to us! He knows that bad times are coming and things are going to get rough and he can trust in his own strength and wisdom, or he can surround himself with Godly men and trust in God’s words. Remember, Joseph was very quick to say that it was not his power, but God’s that interpreted the dream, so it would seem clear that it was not his wisdom, but God’s that came up with the plan to prepare for the famine.
When we know that rough times are coming, we have two options: try and fight them out alone, or surround ourselves with Godly people and seek God’s wisdom with them. God’s wisdom trumps ours every time. When we are seeking God’s wisdom and have Godly people around us we stand a better chance of getting through the times of “famine.” I encourage you today to find some Godly people to surround yourself with and seek God’s counsel together. I know that you may not be experiencing a time of “famine” right now, but a pastor once told me that everyone is, either in a time of trouble, just coming out of a time of trouble, or preparing to go in to a time of trouble. This probably seems like a shameless plug for accountability, and it is, but if we are going to make it in this world we cannot do this alone.
How accurate that statement is about trouble ... I've just never really thought of it that way. Trouble and hard times are just a part of life and we must be prepared to deal with them and this means we must have the tools to handle it at all times. Tools for me are God's Word and being surrounded by Godly people who are willing to hold me accouontable.
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