Pharaoh insists that Joseph settle his family in the best of
the land. Jacob then comes before
Pharaoh and blesses this foreign king.
People, particularly immigrants, didn’t offer blessing to rulers but
Jacob had something to offer that the king didn’t, true blessing from the
living God. That blessing became
fabulous wealth for Pharaoh and a permanent income stream. Because Joseph was right in his interpretation
of Pharaoh’s dream and wise in knowing how to react to the situation, Pharaoh
prospered greatly. Ultimately Pharaoh
owned all the livestock and the land and the people were his servants, paying
him 20% of all they earned and were grateful for all they had. Even after they had sold everything to Joseph
and sold themselves as servants, they praised him for saving them. Is that our attitude towards the grace we
have received? Would we willingly give
20% to the Lord seeing that all we have comes from Him? I am not encouraging such a thing, only
wondering how grateful I am for all He has done.
There are two strange things in this story about Jesus
walking on water and neither of these things has to do with miracles. He was walking on the water in the middle of
the night and was going to pass them by.
Why was Jesus going to pass them instead of getting in the boat with
them to help them? Also, we are told
that they disciples hadn’t understood about the loaves and fishes, that their
hearts were hardened. How were their
hearts hardened? Were they like that
other Pharaoh, the one from the Exodus?
Sometimes we can take things for granted and overlook what God is doing
because we lose our capacity for amazement in the everyday. One of the things I am trying to commit to is
thankfulness in all things. In the
Lord’s Prayer we are taught to ask for our daily bread so I am trying to be
thankful for His miraculous provision each day in my meals. That is just one small thing I tend to take
for granted or take credit for and I am trying to remember that all things
truly come from His hand and to give thanks and be amazed more often. Sometimes what He does is spectacular and
sometimes more ordinary but thankfulness in all things keeps our hearts from
being hardened.
While the Corinthians may undervalue Paul’s preaching
because it costs them nothing, Paul says he does so because his reward is
greater this way, he shares in the blessings of the Gospel by being in the
fight with them. In complete
identification with the people with whom he shares the Gospel Paul finds great
rewards and a great harvest. There is a
danger is being paid in that we can become no longer a part of the people to
whom we preach. We are sent to a people
with a message and if we fail to identify with the people to whom we are sent
then we have no idea how to preach the Gospel into their lives. Jesus, in the incarnation, came among us as
one of us and that great condescension shows the Gospel is relevant to this
life, its application doesn’t await the final judgment. Let us apply the Gospel to today in all
aspects of our lives so that we may enjoy its blessings this day.
All people that on
earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with
cheerful voice.
Him serve with fear,
His praise forth tell;
Come ye before Him and
rejoice.
The Lord, ye know, is
God indeed;
Without our aid He did
us make;
We are His folk, He
doth us feed,
And for His sheep He
doth us take.
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