THE FINAL LEG OF THE JOURNEY

 Note:  Just realized this entry didn't  publish last Wednesday.  (Sorry.)

From the Prison to the Palace

Genesis 42:6  “Now Joseph was the governor over the land; and it was he who sold to all the people of the land.  And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the earth.”

After two years, the chief butler’s memory of Joseph was jarred when Pharaoh had a dream that no one could interpret.  That is when he told the king about a “young Hebrew man”, Joseph, who was able to correctly interpret their dreams in prison.  Pharaoh called for Joseph to come to the palace and he was able to interpret the king’s dream.     God was warning the king that a 7 year famine was coming which would “deplete the land”, but would be preceded by 7 years of plenty.  The interpretation included instructions to Pharaoh on how he should proceed in order to prepare.

At the age of 30, Pharaoh recognized the hand, spirit, and favor of God in Joseph’s life which opened the door to Joseph’s rise to power and authority in the palace.  The king gave Joseph his signet ring, dressed him in royal attire, with him riding in the chariot right behind him, requiring all Egyptians to bow to both of them.  Joseph is finally beginning to experience the manifestation of what God had shown him in dreams as a kid.  

After the 7 years of plenty, as predicted by Joseph, all the earth was experiencing the famine. When it began to affect the Egyptians, they, as well as, all other countries, had to come to Joseph, not the King, to buy food. (Genesis 40:54-57)  Jacob (Joseph's father), sent Joseph’s brothers (except Benjamin) to Egypt  to buy food so that the family would not starve during the famine.

Things have a way of coming full circle.  The brothers who despised him and wanted to kill him, had to come  to him for the food needed for their families to live. If you need a reminder, just revisit the dreams/visions that God gave to Joseph as a youngster (Genesis 37:3-10).  Joseph’s journey to the palace was full of detours and bends in the road, but they were finally coming to fruition.  The brothers indeed had to submit to Joseph’s authority and had to bow to him (Genesis 42:6).  

When his bothers came to buy food, Joseph recognized them but they did not recognize him.  He did not respond with vengeance and eventually allowed them to buy the food they needed.   Put simply, He forgave his brothers for their treatment (or MIStreatment) of him throughout his life. Then he took care of them, their father, Jacob, and their extended families, for the rest of their lives.  To see those details regarding how this unfolded, please read chapters 42 & 43 in Genesis. 

What are some our our possible takeaways:

• Be careful how you treat people.

• IN THE MIDST OF A FAMINE - God will still bless and provide for His own.

• When God gives us a vision or a promise, we must  keep our faith strong and our eyes on Him.

• We must be careful to not  let circumstances distract our attention away from staying on that path that God has called us to walk.

Perhaps Habakkuk 2:3 says it best, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.  Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come.  It will not tarry.”

Faithful is He Who promised!  (Hebrews 10:23)

Blessings.

~CWP~