May the mumbling commence!
A life walking with Christ is about learning humility. A great example of that is Joseph and his interaction with his dreams and the dreams of others. Read from Genesis chapter forty-one:
The next morning, as he thought about it, Pharaoh became very concerned as to what the dreams might mean. So he called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt and told them about his dreams, but not one of them could suggest what they meant. Then the king's cup-bearer spoke up. "Today I have been reminded of my failure," he said. "Some time ago, you were angry with the chief baker and me, and you imprisoned us in the palace of the captain of the guard. One night the chief baker and I each had a dream, and each dream had a meaning. We told the dreams to a young Hebrew man who was a servant of the captain of the guard. He told us what each of our dreams meant, and everything happened just as he said it would. I was restored to my position as cup-bearer, and the chief baker was executed and impaled on a pole."
Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was brought hastily from the dungeon. After a quick shave and change of clothes, he went in and stood in Pharaoh's presence. "I had a dream last night," Pharaoh told him, "and none of these men can tell me what it means. But I have heard that you can interpret dreams, and that is why I have called for you."
"It is beyond my power to do this," Joseph replied. "But God will tell you what it means and will set you at ease."
So Pharaoh told him the dream. "I was standing on the bank of the Nile River," he said. "Suddenly, seven fat, healthy-looking cows came up out of the river and began grazing along its bank. But then seven other cows came up from the river. They were very thin and gaunt – in fact, I've never seen such ugly animals in all the land of Egypt. These thin, ugly cows ate up the seven fat ones that had come out of the river first, but afterward they were still as ugly and gaunt as before! Then I woke up.
A little later I had another dream. This time there were seven heads of grain on one stalk, and all seven heads were plump and full. Then out of the same stalk came seven withered heads, shriveled by the east wind. And the withered heads swallowed up the plump ones! I told these dreams to my magicians, but not one of them could tell me what they mean."
"Both dreams mean the same thing," Joseph told Pharaoh. "God was telling you what he is about to do. The seven fat cows and the seven plump heads of grain both represent seven years of prosperity. The seven thin, ugly cows and the seven withered heads of grain represent seven years of famine. This will happen just as I have described it, for God has shown you what he is about to do. The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout the land of Egypt. But afterward there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten and wiped out. Famine will destroy the land. This famine will be so terrible that even the memory of the good years will be erased. As for having the dream twice, it means that the matter has been decreed by God and that he will make these events happen soon.
My suggestion is that you find the wisest man in Egypt and put him in charge of a nationwide program. Let Pharaoh appoint officials over the land, and let them collect one-fifth of all the crops during the seven good years. Have them gather all the food and grain of these good years into the royal storehouses, and store it away so there will be food in the cities. That way there will be enough to eat when the seven years of famine come. Otherwise disaster will surely strike the land, and all the people will die."
Wow! Is this the same Joseph who crowed to his family about his dreams?!? Pharaoh calls Joseph as a dream interpreter only to hear from the mouth of Joseph, “I have no power to do this.” Joseph again defers to God in an emphatic way.
And, after God interprets the dream through Joseph, Joseph gives his suggestion as to how to deal with the coming dilemma. Though he spells out the wisest of actions, he does not put himself forward to lead in this action. Again he leaves the power with God… and God gives the humble Joseph the power back through Pharaoh.
O God, help us to learn humility like Joseph… Let us not get too full of ourselves and misinterpret like the impulsive Peter. Read from Matthew chapter sixteen:
Then he asked them, "Who do you say I am?"
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
Jesus replied, "You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you lock on earth will be locked in heaven, and whatever you open on earth will be opened in heaven." Then he sternly warned them not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that he had to go to Jerusalem, and he told them what would happen to him there. He would suffer at the hands of the leaders and the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, and he would be raised on the third day.
But Peter took him aside and corrected him. "Heaven forbid, Lord," he said. "This will never happen to you!"
Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, and not from God's." (Verses 15-23)
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
No comments:
Post a Comment