Joseph Part 8

"Joseph gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable.'   v49                                                     Genesis 41:46-57   NKJV 

The 30 year old Joseph had stood before Pharaoh and given him the meaning of his dreams. Now he stood in front of the whole of Egypt as Prime Minister, second in charge to Pharaoh himself. What a change and what a transformation. Where he once had no power, he now had it all. He could do with it what he felt necessary.

However, Joseph never forgot his roots. He belonged to God and although he had been through so much, he knew that God had been with him and honoured him; and it was not over yet! From his marriage to Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherath priest of On, he had two sons. He honoured God by giving them the names, Manasseh, which means, He causes me to forget, and Ephraim which means, Fruitful land - God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction. God had not forgotten Joseph and Joseph had not forgotten God. This is why he gave them Theocentric names - God-centred.

Joseph became an industrious and creative manager and created a thriving business. He gathered so much grain and stored it carefully, that it was immeasurable. As the famine struck, people who went to Pharaoh for help, were directed back to Joseph with the words, 'Go to Joseph; whatever, he says to you, do.' This reminds us of Mary at the wedding in Cana, where she told the servants, 'Whatever He says to you, do it.' John 2:5. 

This should be uppermost. in our minds, whatever He tells us to do, we need to carry it out and quickly. At times we are so busy or full of pity party feelings, that we fail to carry out God's directions. We need to change this and quickly because the word has the power to get us out of the situation. To dilly-dally, means we may muss out. This is why we need to spend more time with Him. To fail to do so, is a recipe for a dry spiritual life.

Joseph had prophesied to his brothers, and later to his father, that they would come and bow down before him. Genesis 37:10-11. They had been very angry with him. But don't forget, Jacob had kept the matter in mind. v11. Joseph's word was about to come true; they were about to bow the knee to their brother.

You know, God will always have His way no matter how much we may struggle or refuse Him. He'll wait until we're ready. But while we are waiting, time is going on. God has all the time in the world, we don't. We need to make the most of it while we can. Is there something you need to do? If it is Godly directed, then do it.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

 

Joseph Part 7

"Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?" v38   

                                                                                                          Genesis 41    NKJV 

It was now two years since the chief butler had been released and returned to work for Pharaoh, and Joseph had heard nothing. We all have to wait for things and it can be very difficult, but in Joseph's situation, it would have been devastating. He had entered the prison when he was 17; and he is now 30 years old and he has no future to look forward to.

And then, Pharaoh had a couple of dreams and no one could interpret them for him. The professionals tried - Pharaoh's magicians, and failed and Pharaoh was far from pleased. All of a sudden, the chief butler remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh how he had interpreted his dream. Joseph was sent for straightaway. You know, God waits for the appropriate time. When we're waiting, it can feel like God has forgotten us. Not so, He waits for the right time and then moves. This may be where you are at this time. be confident, God will work for you at the most perfect time.

Now we all talk about wearing our 'Sunday best.' Well in a way, this is what Joseph did. He shaved and put on some different clothing. It would have to do because this was all he had. He stood before Pharaoh and he explained the dreams that he had had, expecting Joseph to work some magic. Joseph was quick to reply, 'It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.' Joseph said this to show Pharaoh that it was God, not him that could do such a thing. 

Joseph explained the dream and told him that there would be 7 years of plenty and 7 years of famine. Pharaoh knew at once that he needed a man who would be wise and intelligent enough to work through these two time slots. He promoted Joseph right there and then. He was given Pharaoh's signet ring - a symbol of power and authority; a wardrobe of beautiful clothes and his very own chariot. Joseph had become a somebody. In fact, he had been transformed from an unwanted sibling sold into slavery, an attempted rapist, a prisoner and now the Prime Minister of Egypt.

When God is setting something up, He won't let human wisdom come up with the answer. He is God and only He, has the answers.

You may not end up as the Prime Minister but, God can transform you in the blink of an eye. He can turn you from a nobody into a somebody. Get ready, a blessing is coming your way!

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Joseph Part 6

"But remember me when it is well with you and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house." v14                                      

                                                                                                      Genesis 40:1-23     NKJV 

Have you ever been falsely accused? If you have, then you will know the anguish and frustration it causes to both yourself and those around you. Joseph was totally innocent. He had been rejected by his brothers and sold into slavery. After getting a good position in Potiphar's house, he is falsely accused of attempted rape by Potiphar's wife and then placed inside prison. Sometimes it can seem that everyone is against you. These false accusations can ruin our reputations and follow people around all their lives. People hear about it and most, believe it to be true. 

Fortunately for Joseph, God was with him and raised him up in the prison to be in charge, under the prison keeper. The keeper would have been only too pleased to take a back seat and let Joseph take the responsibility. It is possible, but not recorded, that Potiphar, who placed Jospeh in prison, had given a good word about him to the keeper, thus giving him an elevated position. This would have proved that he mistrusted his wife.

Joseph got on with his prison work and one day, two new people turned up, the chief butler and the chief baker, again by the captain of the guard, which could well have been Potiphar. They had angered Pharaoh and were now paying the penalty for this.

After a while, Joseph noticed that they looked very sad and they said that they had both had dreams, but no one could give them the meaning of them. Joseph, who was a dreamer and had the gift of interpreting them, gave them both the meanings. Joseph told the chief butler that he would be freed in 3 days and reinstated to his position. However, in 3 days time, the chief baker would be hanged. Joseph pleaded with the chief butler to mention Him to Pharaoh, but he forgot. v23.

It must have been agony for Joseph, waiting to see if the chief butler had spoken of him to Pharaoh. He could well have been having mind games, thinking he would soon be freed and allowed to go back to his home. Agony after agony, but it didn't come at that time.

When we are mistreated, falsely accused and generally treated very unfairly, we often wait for the perpetuators to be punished. Revenge can be rife if we allow it. The thing is though, God cannot work on our behalf when our attitudes are like this. We need to trust in verses such as, 'Casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you' 1 Peter 5:7. If you don't hang on to these life verses, then you are sunk. God's word to you today, is to hang in there. He is setting things in place for your release from this bad time. He has not forgotten you. You are very much on His mind.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Joseph Part 5

"Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance"  v6                

                                                                                                      Genesis 39:6-23     NKJV 

Scripture tells us that Joseph was a handsome young man; probably bronzed and full of muscles. This was a great attraction to Potiphar's wife, who probably didn't have a lot to do around the place. When she saw Joseph she wanted to sleep with him and told him openly. Now this gives me the impression this may not have been the first time she had done such a thing to a man working in the house. She was definitely full of confidence and out for a good time.

Joseph flatly refused the temptation. 'How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God,' he told her v9. At this time, his resistance was quite high and he would have recognised the trap that she was trying to bring him in to. She did this several times until one day, there was no one in the house except her and Joseph. 'Lie with me,' she said, catching him by his garment. The seduction was so strong that Joseph ran. Why was this? My guess is that, her charm was so irresistible that if he had stayed a moment longer, adultery would have taken place and he would have been hooked and drawn into her daily power.

We should always run from sin; in fact, if we can, don't even go near it. God gives us wisdom and at times we don't have to be rocket scientists to know that it would be unwise to go to a certain place or be with someone who could be a temptation. Sometimes, sin is subtle, and this is why Joseph ran. The problem is, she still had his garment in her hand and because she  had been spurned, she was on the attack. She falsely accused him of attempted rape.

She told Potiphar, who was furious that this had happened. Now, he was a captain in Pharaoh's guards. He had the power to have Joseph executed but, he didn't. In stead, he had him thrown into prison. This may well be because, he knew about his wife's flirtations; it may have happened before. Therefore, he had Joseph imprisoned.

The great thing about this, is that, no matter what happened, no one can change God's plan. He had brought Joseph favour at the house, He would now bring him favour and success in prison. This is why, we should always trust God with our lives. He knows best and when we are in His will, no matter what happens to us, God will always bring glory out of it. Joseph was thrown into prison, but the prison keeper was so impressed with him, that he placed him in charge of the whole place.

Isn't it great when God is at work? You see, whatever someone may try to do to you, or say about you, if you leave it with God, you will always be on the winning side.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Joseph Part 4

"And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand. 4 So Joseph found favour in his sight and served him." v3                                                                                    

                                                                                                        Genesis 39:1-6    NKJV 

Let us not forget that Joseph was only a young man. Here he was in a strange land, a language he didn't understand and a slave in an Egyptian army officer's house. It must have been very scary. Yet, the Lord was there with him. He was not alone. Before long, God showed Potiphar Joseph's faithfulness and hard work and how he made him successful and prosperous in his work, in all he did, God gave him favour.

in a short time, Potiphar was so pleased with Joseph's service and the fact that, he too, was blessed, that he promoted Joseph. He made him overseer of the whole house. All Potiphar had he placed into the care of Joseph and more and more favour came upon them all. Joseph was a slave and yet he carried the blessing and favour of God.

Potiphar trusted Joseph so much, that he didn't know what he had except for his daily food. Joseph was trusted to do all in the house. Potiphar was impressed and saw that God was with him. Perhaps Joseph may have told him about God; we don't know. I like what someone once said, Joseph was like a sponge that was full of water. When the sponge was squeezed, all the water came out. As Christians, we are full of the Holy Spirit; so, when we are squeezed the love of God should come out and be seen. 

Joseph sets an example for all to see. When we work, especially in a non-Christian environment, we should be displaying God all around. We should be that sponge that oozes Jesus out. We should be punctual, productive, trustworthy and we should stand out, dramatically.

Joseph did all of this and he was blessed and favoured by God. When we are like this, we are not the only one who is blessed, the people we work for are as well. We bring blessing to them. Fellowship with the Lord means freedom from fear and loneliness.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Joseph Part 3

"We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son's tunic or not?     

                                                                                                        Genesis 37:32     NKJV

Where had Reuben been? We see in Genesis 37:21 that Reuben's plan had been to go back to the pit, pull Joseph out and take him back to his father. Now, he returns and Joseph has gone. He becomes distressed and in his panic, he displays his heartache. He tore his clothes and went to see his brothers, screaming, 'Where shall I go?' Basically, he was saying, 'What shall we do?'

Reuben had returned from possibly, feeding the flocks further up the country and he knew nothing about Joseph being sold into slavery. The scheming Judah and his brothers had come up with this money-making idea and by doing so, had shown their hypocrisy. Judah said, 'Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh'. Hatred, deceit, hypocrisy, disloyalty and lack of respect were all wrapped up in this action. 

Reuben was dragged into this plot as they killed a young goat and soaked Joseph's coat in its blood. It is so easy to become involved in things you know you shouldn't. We have to watch our every move because the devil is only too willing to win us over. Their next shameful act was to go back to their father with the coat. 'We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son's tunic or not?' They had no respect for their own father and were risking his health by lying to him and giving him this shocking bad news. Note how they said, 'your son's', and not 'our brother's'. They had no feeling for Jacob or Joseph, they were hard-hearted and selfish. It was one big cover up. They misled and lied to their father, who was totally in grief. They even had the audacity to try and comfort him. Genesis 37:35. There appeared no love or sincerity within them, at all.

Meanwhile, the Ishmaelites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer in Pharaoh's army. It's hard to realise it, but God was in total control. He had a plan and getting Joseph to Egypt was the start of it. 

At times in our lives, we struggle with things that happen to us. There is a lot of crookedness in our world; a lot of people who seem intent on hurting and double-crossing people for their own gain. Jealousy, envy, greed, hypocrisy, lies and deceit are only a part of what comes against us. Probably you are on the receiving end of this at the moment. You may feel that there doesn't seem a way out, but there is. God has a plan. He always has and His plan involves you. Stand firm, trusting in Him and watch how He will work things out for you. Joseph's life was going to change dramatically. Do you realise that yours may, as well?

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Joseph. Part 2

"Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, 'What are you seeking?"                          Genesis 37:12-36    NKJV 

Jacob sent Joseph out one day to find his brothers who were feeding the flocks in the fields of Shechem. Now this is some distance from where Joseph set out and it must have taken him a considerable time. We don't know if he walked or went by horse or donkey. However, he set off and eventually met up with a 'certain man' who asked him what he was seeking. He did this because Joseph was wandering around in the field, apparently lost.

Joseph told him that he was seeking his brothers. The man told him they had gone to Dothan, which was between 12 - 15 miles further on. He told Joseph that he had heard them discussing this. Now, who was this man? Joseph met him in the middle of nowhere and he knew all about his brothers. Did the man know his brothers? Was it someone who knew the family or was it an angel? It was an anomaly, one of the strange things that appear Impossible to work out. It may well have been the angel of the Lord - a theophany, which is an appearance of God or a god to a human being. In other words, a divine manifestation. This would have been similar to what happened to Moses with the burning bush, (Exodus 3). I favour this explanation as there doesn't appear to be any other explanation that is feasible. 

Joseph went on his additional journey to Dothan and as he approached, the brothers saw him coming. 'Here comes the dreamer'. Now ordinarily within family, one would welcome another member happily. Not so here; they plotted to kill him and throw him in a pit. There was no limit to the evil that was in their hearts. They were scheming. Now, there is only one who plots evil and schemes and that is Satan. We're beginning to see who was pulling their strings.

Reuben stood in the gap, attempting to protect his brother. He suggested that Joseph not be harmed, but thrown into a pit instead. It was in his mind to come back and rescue him later. His brothers, at first thought it was a good idea as he could then be left to die there. After this was completed, they sat down and ate a meal. How could they do this? They appeared hard-hearted and full of hatred. The thought of it is beyond belief.

Just then, Judah had a thought, 'let's sell him, we can make money this way.' This was prompted by some travellers who happened to be passing by. They all agreed and Joseph was hoisted out of the pit and sold into slavery for 20 shekels of silver, which is roughly about £4.36 GBP today. This day, Joseph became a slave, sold by his own brothers. It is not unlike Judas betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, which was about £6.55 today. there are some similarities in their deeds. Both were acts of betrayal and a total disregard for a human life.

The only touch of love that was shown here, was from Reuben. He planned to rescue him and take him back home. We need to be aware of hard-heartedness. It can creep up on us so easily; especially when we have been hurt, wronged, feel left out and jealous of someone else's success and generally mistreated. Ensure that you keep your eyes on Jesus every moment of every day.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE