Last week we discussed how brave
Joseph was. He was summoned out of prison to come and interpret
Pharaoh's dream. This was his chance to be free and to make a good
impression. Pharaoh had the power to send him back to prison or to
even execute him if he didn't please him. So Joseph was put on the
spot. And even though he knew that the Egyptians worshipped a lot
of gods, his first words to Pharaoh gave glory to Elohim, the
Creator God:
"It is not in me; Elohim will
give Pharaoh an answer of peace." Genesis 41:16.
Pharaoh could easily have been
offended by Joseph giving honor to Elohim, the true Creator God. He
could have had Joseph removed from his sight. But because Joseph
was faithful to God, God gave him favor with Pharaoh.
Now just one other interesting
thing to note is that Joseph didn't say to Pharaoh: "I will ask God
and hear what He says about your dream." Or "Hopefully God will
help me to interpret the dream." No, he was confident that God
would show him. He knew God's heart and he knew that He would help
him. And another thing that he knew about God is that God would
give Pharaoh a good answer. He knew God is a good God and gives
dreams to help.
Joseph was so confident he told
Pharaoh not only will God tell him what his dream meant, it will
also be an answer of peace. Peace here is the Hebrew word 'Shalom'.
Shalom has many meanings. Other than peace, it also means safety,
soundness, welfare, health, prosperity and contentment. The New
American Standard Bible translates it as:
"It is not in me; God will give
Pharaoh a favorable answer."
A favorable answer. In other words
Joseph was in fact telling Pharaoh: "Don't worry, my God will
interpret your dream and it will be favorable to you."
This is just wow to me, as it shows
Joseph's absolute trust in God. Despite being innocently in jail
for years on end, this shows that he wasn't angry with God and that
he still trusted Him to help him and to give Pharaoh a favorable
answer. It also shows that he had such a close relationship with
God that he could say with confidence what God wanted to reveal to
Pharaoh. At this stage Holy Spirit hasn't been poured out on all
flesh, so it is astounding to me how Joseph simply knew what God
wanted to say to Pharaoh. He must have been truly close to God.
May we all live a relationship with
God like that. May we walk so close to Him, spend so much time with
Him, that when someone asks us advice, then we can confidently say
what God wants to do in their lives. We and God must be so close,
that our voices will be as one. That we only speak His will over
people's lives. We shouldn't even hesitate but be confident that we
are walking the walk with Him.
Also we should learn from Joseph
and not become bitter with God. One can easily become bitter.
Joseph spent several years in jail for something he didn't do. He
could have been so angry with God, especially for leaving him so
long in jail. And yet, the first thing he did when he came out was
to glorify God. We should also be like that and trust God's timing.
We shouldn't become bitter towards Him and blame Him for certain
situations in our lives. It is so easy to do. But we must realize
that God will never allow anything in our lives that is not
necessary for our growth. He will always assist us and help us and
exalt us at exactly the right time. All glory to Him!
Father we give You glory and honor!
You are our God and King. We want to walk this earthly life close
with You. Speak clearly to us so that we can help others and lead
them closer to You. Amen