Morning Moments

JOESPH: Patient in Prison Genesis 41
I. The Paroah's Dreams 41:1-7
II. The Pagan Deceivers 41:8
III. The Prisoner's Deliverance 41:9-13
IV. The Potential Destruction 41:14-36

The baker had been executed for his crime, the butler had been forgive and was now putting his head back on the chopping block. What if Daniel's God only chose to reveal the previous dreams and would not do it now? After all wouldn't that be God's prerogative? But Josepha had taken no glory and would continue to take none for the gift of interpretation God had given him. What if Pharoah would not receive the interpretation given to Joseph by God? There was the Potential Destruction either way. Pharoah was stumpted and Joseph's God had the solution. The phonies had failed Pharoah, hopefully the Jew would be justified.

A. Part I The Mystery - 41:14-24

It is a smart thing that when you don't understand how something works to ask the manufacturer. The mind is a mysterious thing and science and psychology are still in the lab about it. There is much speculation and there has been much progress in both fields of understanding, but The Manufacturer knows exactly how it works and what it thinks and what the thoughts that it thinks really mean. The Pharoah's men might have been in touch with the store, but Joseph was in touch with the manufacturer.

1. The Preparation 41:14 - He cleaned up

Now here is a lesson for today's casual, careless, sloppy society. There is a time to DRESS UP! We have really become a casual thinking and casual living society and I for one would like to see us tighten up a bit. I have no problem with facial hair, but this shabby day or two old stuff doesn't cut it with me. NOW LET ME BE CLEAR - that's just my opinion. But there is something spirtual I think about this whole thing. It appears to me that we are casual about sin, self, Satan, salvation, theology, and truth in general and that's NOT just my opinion. Let's CLEAN UP!

2. The Posture 41:15 - He stood up

By the way, remember these are not necessarily exegetical thoughts, but devotional ones, so I do have a bit of liberty here. It is time we STAND UP - against such a low spiritual standard and for righteous and true holiness. It's time we stand against tradition when it is wrong and trend when it is wrong and they are both wrong when they are not TRUTH! God doesn't give a rip about the color of your skirt, but you can be sure he wants it modest. God doesn't give a rip about a man's choice of a mate so long as the guy DOESN'T SAY I LOVE YOU SO LET'S SLEEP TOGETHER. That is rubbish! AND IT IS NOT GOD:S KIND OF LOVE. His kind is FIRST PURE! So, be a real man and stand up for what is right and true! That's why Joseph was in jail.

3. The Perception 41:16 - He spoke up

Another thing about Joe was that he wanted it to be perfectly clear that it was not he who could do this interpretation, but HIS GOD who could give him the insight. What a lesson that is for us to learn! Jesus said, "I can of mine own self do NOTHING!" WHAT? W H A T? NOTHING? Nothing that would please God or count for eternity, and you and I are in the same boat. Without the living dynamic faith of the Son of God that comes from grace that teaches us to be pure and purposeful we can neither say nor do anything that pleases God.

4. The Presentation 41:17-24 - He listened up

There is a time to speak up and a time to shut up and few of us know the difference. Joseph was not there to impress Pharoah, but to listen to him first and foremost. Many of us are so busy trying to think of a come back, a reply, a smart tort, or a pat answer that we do not even hear the question. I find myself doing that sometimes when the question I am answering is not even the question being asked. I missed the question while I was thinkin about an anticipated answer. What is the question today? I don't think it's about going to heaven one day for people who think they have a lifetimes before them. I don't think it is healing for those who know they are dying. We have to trust God to help us listen better to the questions being asked that are not even spoken.

When I thought I might die from cancer, I was not concerned about where I was going when I died. I was concerned about my wife. I knew my children were fine and established in life, but my thoughts were for my wife. I am five years older than she and with the average, I will go first. We never know that, but stats tell us that men don't live as long as women, so even now, cancer free, I think about her.

Of course I trust God with myself and with her, but let's face it, none of us knows what a day will bring and we all who are older think about leaving those we love.

But that was not Pharoah's question, and it is not the question of the average young married male anymore, where both work and struggle to survive and mom and dad often end up the kids of irresponsible or "incompatable" parents. We care and we cope, but wer are NOT addressing these questions. We are not properly interpreting this "American Dream" syndrome.

THINK ABOUT IT! We will continue with the meaning and maybe find some answers.

B. Part II The Meaning - 41:25-36

BLESSINGS!