Interesting that Moses (who I believe to be the author of
the Pentateuch) chose to use the metaphor he did with respect to the grain
stored up by Joseph in verse 49 – “like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to
measure it, for it could not be measured.”
The same metaphor God used in speaking of Abraham’s descendants. Again, God is blessing Joseph and, because he
blessed Joseph, Pharaoh. Joseph’s first
sons are born during this time of plenty and their names mark forgetfulness of
affliction in the past and thanksgiving for blessing in the present. We are told that “all the earth came to Egypt
to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.” Sounds like Noah and the flood type of
language doesn’t it? It also sounds like
John 12 when Jesus comes into Jerusalem for the final time and the Pharisees
remark that the whole world has gone after Jesus. Shortly thereafter some Greeks come to Philip
seeking to see Jesus and it is then that He remarks that the time has finally
come. The time is soon coming for Joseph
to see the fulfillment of his dream, getting glory in the eyes of his brothers.
A great crowd from all over the region is now following
Jesus because of what they heard about what He was doing. There was a Messianic fervor growing around
Jesus and He continued to heal and deal with unclean spirits. He told them not to make Him known each time
He took authority over them. Why did He
not want them to make Him known? He had
no need of their testimony, His authority spoke for itself, or should have
done. Given the enormous crowds
following Him, what must it have been like for the twelve to be chosen by Him
to be His intimates and surrogates? They
would have been hard pressed to keep perspective on their chosenness. How could they not believe that they were
somehow special rather than blessed in being chosen. It seems that they were chosen more for
ordinariness than not, one of the chosen was even the betrayer. Well, one if you don’t include Peter’s
betrayals.
Apparently the Corinthian Christians are being led by those
who have set themselves and their message over and above those who first
brought them the Good News. Paul reminds
them right at the outset of the letter and throughout the letter that worldly
wisdom is nothing and that the wisdom of God appears to be foolishness to
man. They are exalting their new
teachers and themselves in this knowledge which has puffed them up instead of
humbling them. The wisdom of the cross
and the knowledge of grace extended to us is meant to make us humble, our hope
rests not in ourselves but completely in the reality that God has shown us
mercy, a mercy we needed. In all things
it seems Joseph was able to keep some perspective. The naming of his children according to what
God had done for him shows us much about the man. Paul knew how great the grace and mercy he
received had been and never lost sight of these gifts. Today is a good day to be thankful for grace
and mercy, otherwise we are lost in our own “wisdom.”
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