To such as these belong the Kingdom…

By Norma Wegner
Christian Community Church

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not do you harm, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Hebrews defines faith as the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Last month we looked at faith from Isaac’s viewpoint.  This month we encounter Joseph.

God had blessed Joseph with the ability to dream and to interpret dreams. Joseph told his family his dreams.

His first dream was about his brother’s sheaves of wheat that bowed to the one that Joseph bound. The brothers could not speak peaceably to Joseph.

Later he angered his father when he told them the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed to Joseph. He realized Joseph meant both he and Rachel would join his brothers in bowing before him. But Joseph had been taught to love the God of his fathers and had faith in Him. We will see later that Joseph’s faithfulness will be rewarded.

While checking on his brothers for Jacob, they saw him coming, decided to kill him, and return his bloody coat to Jacob. Reuben talked them into just throwing Joseph in the pit with the idea of returning to rescue him later.

When Joseph got to their camp, he was stripped of his coat and thrown into the pit. A caravan passed by and they decided to sell Joseph to them. The Bible makes no note of Joseph’s struggling to get out of the pit. Joseph trusted the dreams God had given him. They had not yet come true but He knew God had a plan.

Joseph was seventeen when he was sold to Potiphar, captain of the Pharaoh's guard. God prospered Joseph. Potiphar made Joseph his overseer. Potiphar’s wife wanted Joseph for her lover. Joseph refused because Potiphar trusted him completely.

One day Potiphar’s wife approached Joseph who refused her again. He ran, but Potiphar’s wife grabbed his cloak, screamed and told Potiphar he had attacked her. Joseph was thrown into prison.

Again, Joseph did so well the prisonkeeper put him in charge . Joseph was content to await the plan God had for him.

Pharaoh’s baker and butler approached Joseph with their dreams. The butler saw a vine with three grape-laden branches. He made wine and gave it to Pharaoh. Joseph told the butler in three days he would be restored to his position. He asked the butler to remember him when he was set free.

The baker’s dream was of three white baskets he carried on his head. The top basket contained baked goods for the Pharaoh. Birds ate everything in the top basket. Joseph told him he would be hanged in three days. Three days passed, the butler regained his position, and the baker was hanged. During this time Joseph grew stronger and wiser.

Two years later, Pharaoh had a dream about seven fat cattle that came out of the Nile and grazed in a meadow. Seven sickly cattle came out of the Nile and ate the fat cattle. Pharaoh dreamed about seven fat ears of corn which were devoured by seven thin ears of corn. Pharaoh wanted to know what his dreams meant.

The butler remembered Joseph, who was summoned and told Pharaoh the dreams meant there would be seven years of prosperity followed by seven years of famine. He told Pharaoh God had given him the dream’s meaning. Pharaoh made Joseph his top governor. Joseph gathered and stored food during the good years and doled out shares during the famine. There was enough food it could be sold to surrounding countries.

Joseph’s faith enabled him to save Egypt and his family and to show the Pharaoh God was in control, not the gods of Egypt. Joseph settled his family in Goshen where they lived for 400 years just as God told Abraham. What a mighty God Who has a plan for you!