Genesis 41:52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.
Yes Friends, that’s the Lord’s way: Stay faithful during times of trial, and He shall reward you beyond your wildest dreams, as He did with Joseph, who interpreted Pharaoh’s dream as being 7 plentiful years and then 7 of famine. He also advised him on how to handle the situation; ‘look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt,’ (vs.3) to collect a fifth of the food in the good years, and store it against the time of the famine. Pharaoh liked the advice, and after some rumination on a suitable person for the job, said to Joseph, ‘Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art. Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.’ (vs.39-40) So Pharaoh dressed Joseph in fine clothes, gave him his personal ring, placed a gold chain around his neck, had him ride in the second chariot, ‘And they cried before him, Bow the knee.’ (vs.43) ‘And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.’ (vs.46) Pharaoh also gave him the priest’s daughter, Asenath for his wife, who bore him two sons, Manasseh, ‘For God hath made me forget all my toil, and my father’s house. And the name of the second called he Ephraim, For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.’ (vs.51-52) And all God’s people said, WOW! Yes Friends,what an ascension! From a lowly Hebrew slave and a prisoner to being Pharaoh’s right hand man. Only our God can do that. All those years Joseph spent being subservient, was God’s way of training him for leadership, cause Friends, a good leader must also know how to be a good follower. It was a harsh testing, but Joseph withstood it with dignity, displayed integrity, belly and backbone all the the way through, and God justly rewarded him. Oh people, Joseph’s life is such a wonderful example for all us believers to emulate, for we all go through unfortunate circumstances which we don’t understand, but if we stay in faith, like Joseph, God will eventually work it out in our favour. And God’s machinations in Joseph’s favour, don’t even end there. The 7 prosperous years were closely followed by such widespread famine, that even in Canaan, Joseph’s homeland, it was severely felt. Jacob, his father, hearing there was corn in Egypt, sent ten of his sons down there to buy food for the family. He sent them all, except Joseph’s youngest brother, Benjamin, fearing some misfortune might befall him like Joseph. ‘And Joseph’s brethren came and bowed themselves before him, with their faces to the earth.’ (Gen.42:6) It was some twenty years later, but Joseph knew them. They however did not recognize him in his Egyptian finery, speaking the language, he used an interpreter. ‘And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them.’ (Gen.42:9) ‘We were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright: and behold your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.’ (Gen.37:7) Oh Friends, what a masterful strategist is our God. Twenty odd years after the dream, his brothers did pay obeisance to him. Wow! If I could only concoct stories half as good as those, infused with the attendant drama, then I’d be a most excellent writer. And the moral of the story? It doesn’t pay to ridicule the dreams of others, cause oftimes, like the stone the builder refuses, they become the head cornerstone. Much LOVE!…with God…dreams can come true…only believe…
Yes Friends, that’s the Lord’s way: Stay faithful during times of trial, and He shall reward you beyond your wildest dreams, as He did with Joseph, who interpreted Pharaoh’s dream as being 7 plentiful years and then 7 of famine. He also advised him on how to handle the situation; ‘look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt,’ (vs.3) to collect a fifth of the food in the good years, and store it against the time of the famine. Pharaoh liked the advice, and after some rumination on a suitable person for the job, said to Joseph, ‘Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art. Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.’ (vs.39-40) So Pharaoh dressed Joseph in fine clothes, gave him his personal ring, placed a gold chain around his neck, had him ride in the second chariot, ‘And they cried before him, Bow the knee.’ (vs.43) ‘And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.’ (vs.46) Pharaoh also gave him the priest’s daughter, Asenath for his wife, who bore him two sons, Manasseh, ‘For God hath made me forget all my toil, and my father’s house. And the name of the second called he Ephraim, For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.’ (vs.51-52) And all God’s people said, WOW! Yes Friends,what an ascension! From a lowly Hebrew slave and a prisoner to being Pharaoh’s right hand man. Only our God can do that. All those years Joseph spent being subservient, was God’s way of training him for leadership, cause Friends, a good leader must also know how to be a good follower. It was a harsh testing, but Joseph withstood it with dignity, displayed integrity, belly and backbone all the the way through, and God justly rewarded him. Oh people, Joseph’s life is such a wonderful example for all us believers to emulate, for we all go through unfortunate circumstances which we don’t understand, but if we stay in faith, like Joseph, God will eventually work it out in our favour. And God’s machinations in Joseph’s favour, don’t even end there. The 7 prosperous years were closely followed by such widespread famine, that even in Canaan, Joseph’s homeland, it was severely felt. Jacob, his father, hearing there was corn in Egypt, sent ten of his sons down there to buy food for the family. He sent them all, except Joseph’s youngest brother, Benjamin, fearing some misfortune might befall him like Joseph. ‘And Joseph’s brethren came and bowed themselves before him, with their faces to the earth.’ (Gen.42:6) It was some twenty years later, but Joseph knew them. They however did not recognize him in his Egyptian finery, speaking the language, he used an interpreter. ‘And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them.’ (Gen.42:9) ‘We were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright: and behold your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.’ (Gen.37:7) Oh Friends, what a masterful strategist is our God. Twenty odd years after the dream, his brothers did pay obeisance to him. Wow! If I could only concoct stories half as good as those, infused with the attendant drama, then I’d be a most excellent writer. And the moral of the story? It doesn’t pay to ridicule the dreams of others, cause oftimes, like the stone the builder refuses, they become the head cornerstone. Much LOVE!…with God…dreams can come true…only believe…
SCRIP-BITS 