Perspective: WK4 - THU
Providence
Genesis 41:28-32
“It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.”
I wonder who was allowed to hear Joseph’s interpretation of these dreams. Was it just Pharaoh? Was the court filled with onlookers straining to catch every word? Were the king’s magicians and wise men watching and thinking, “Yeah, that makes sense.” Was the cupbearer there, quietly smiling, thinking, “That’s my boy.”
Led by the Holy Spirit, Joseph methodically explains the two dreams, point by point. Seven years and seven years, plenty will be followed by famine. Then Joseph’s final sentences provide the exclamation point. The events of the next fourteen trips around the sun are not up for discussion. They are decided and set. God has sent you, oh Pharaoh, these dreams because He wants you to do something about them. Sure, you have been warned. But more importantly, you have been chosen as an agent of God’s power.
Across time, God has repeatedly chosen to use feeble, imperfect people as instruments of salvation. Whenever something good comes of the partnership between God and one of us, it begins with awareness. This is just such a moment.
Maybe the court was filled with onlookers that day. If so, did they see the lowly prisoner speaking with the most elevated person on the planet and realize they were equals? Were they impressed by the awareness that Yahweh cared enough about the lives of the Egyptians, the Hebrews, and all the surrounding nations to create a way through the famine? Maybe their eyes were opened, and they caught a glimpse of the providence of the God who has loved them since eternity past.
Genesis 41:28-32
“It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.”
I wonder who was allowed to hear Joseph’s interpretation of these dreams. Was it just Pharaoh? Was the court filled with onlookers straining to catch every word? Were the king’s magicians and wise men watching and thinking, “Yeah, that makes sense.” Was the cupbearer there, quietly smiling, thinking, “That’s my boy.”
Led by the Holy Spirit, Joseph methodically explains the two dreams, point by point. Seven years and seven years, plenty will be followed by famine. Then Joseph’s final sentences provide the exclamation point. The events of the next fourteen trips around the sun are not up for discussion. They are decided and set. God has sent you, oh Pharaoh, these dreams because He wants you to do something about them. Sure, you have been warned. But more importantly, you have been chosen as an agent of God’s power.
Across time, God has repeatedly chosen to use feeble, imperfect people as instruments of salvation. Whenever something good comes of the partnership between God and one of us, it begins with awareness. This is just such a moment.
Maybe the court was filled with onlookers that day. If so, did they see the lowly prisoner speaking with the most elevated person on the planet and realize they were equals? Were they impressed by the awareness that Yahweh cared enough about the lives of the Egyptians, the Hebrews, and all the surrounding nations to create a way through the famine? Maybe their eyes were opened, and they caught a glimpse of the providence of the God who has loved them since eternity past.
- Who are two or three people you turn to when sorting through a problem? What about them gives you confidence?
- What current problem or challenge in your life is weighing on your mind? Which element(s) concern you most? How could God bring blessing from this situation?
- What is happening in your life that shows evidence of God’s love for you? What would you like to say to Him about it?
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