From God's Hand

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

FROM GOD'S HAND

Gen 40:9-23

9 So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, "In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, 10 and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup and put the cup in his hand." 12 "This is what it means," Joseph said to him. "The three branches are three days. 13 Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh's cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. 14 But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. 15 For I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon." 16 When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to Joseph, "I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets of bread.   17 In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head." 18 "This is what it means," Joseph said. "The three baskets are three days. 19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat away your flesh." 20 Now the third day was Pharaoh's birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh's hand, 22 but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation. 23 The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.

NIV

Two different dreams with different outcomes: one restored, the other hanged. Those dreams came from the LORD to inspire Joseph to give the correct interpretation, which would eventually lead to his position and allow him to save his father's household. However, that was only the beginning of God's much larger plan. But our story is about the cupbearer and his restoration to serve Pharaoh. Joseph had asked him to remember him when he was restored to his position, but he did not. In his own good fortune, he thought only of himself. We will see that after two years, he remembers his shortcomings, which is from God's hand. But that is the truth we need to focus on: the cupbearer forgetting all about Joseph because he was lifted up. First, we must remember that Joseph's interpretations were not his natural abilities, but were inspired by the mind of God. The baker's misfortune also came from God's hand, and the cupbearer's restoration came not from Pharaoh's hand, but from God's. We are reminded that Jesus told us, "Apart from me, you can do nothing." When we are either lifted up, blessed abundantly by the Lord, and restored to our position as one of His own, we should not forget, but always remember, that our lives are in God's hands. The cupbearer forgot, but we cannot ever forget to give all the credit for everything in our lives to God Almighty. God might use someone to bring good things into our lives, perform a miracle, inspire us to make the right choice, or lead us to follow the precise path He has laid out for us. Whatever comes into our lives, it is always by His hand. That could also mean that if we experience hardship, illness, infirmity, or misfortune, it is also by God's hand. Joseph belonged to God; having been rejected by his brothers, thrown into a cistern, sold into slavery, hauled off to a foreign place, and evidently ended up in prison, all of it was due to the plan of God. He did not get discouraged or turn away from God; he served where he was and did the best he could. That is our story. No matter where God leads us, whether He blesses us with good fortune or gives us something else, we will never forget that everything is always from God's hand. 

God's Interpretation

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

GOD'S INTERPRETATION

 

Gen 40:1-8

40:1 Some time later, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. 2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, 3 and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. 4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them. After they had been in custody for some time, 5 each of the two men — the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison — had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. 6 When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. 7 So he asked Pharaoh's officials who were in custody with him in his master's house, "Why are your faces so sad today?" 8 "We both had dreams," they answered, "but there is no one to interpret them." Then Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams."

NIV

Before we get into the dreams and their meanings, we should consider a few truths in this part of Joseph's story. We are not told what the cupbearer and baker did to offend Pharaoh, but it shows how those who do not know the LORD react to being offended, compared with how a believer thinks about offenses. They offended the king of Egypt, and he threw them in jail, without ever considering forgiveness.  First, why do believers think they have been offended? Could the reason be that we think more highly of ourselves than we should? In Essence, we are saying, "How dare you do or say something that I do not like; I take offense at that." Then, once we take that position, we could turn toward anger. It's not about our unforgiveness or forgiveness because they are in the wrong and need to change. Let's think soberly about ourselves and make every effort to live in peace and harmony with each other out of love. Second, the other truth is what Joseph said about interpretations belonging to God. Although he was referring to the dreams of the cupbearer and baker, we have to come to grips with the fact that all interpretations come from God. As we read and ponder His Word, we need to listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. He always leads or guides us into all truth. He does not speak on his own, but he speaks into our spirit only what he hears, and he takes from the Lord what is His and makes it known to us. So many think or believe they have the right interpretation of the Word of God, and maybe they are hearing from the Spirit, or maybe they are just reciting traditional beliefs. Some are speaking words of deception, claiming they know the truth. The fact is that all interpretation belongs to God. We only need to be quiet enough to hear the Spirit's voice as he reveals God's truth. We see that truth in Joseph's life, but we should also see it in our lives. As we listen to God's interpretation. 

Resisting Temptation

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

RESISTING TEMPTATION

Gen 39:6-23

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!" 8 But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" 10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. 11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. 13 When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14 she called her household servants. "Look," she said to them, "this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. 15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house." 16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him this story: "That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18 But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house." 19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, "This is how your slave treated me," he burned with anger. 20 Joseph's master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

NIV

This is one of those memorable stories of the temptation of the flesh. It was not Joseph who was tempted, but Potiphar's wife who was tempted and pursued Joseph. Of course, her desire for Joseph would turn into a hateful act of lies, deceit, and revenge because he refused her advances. Although we know that Joseph was not a perfect man, he had the strength to resist her because he did not want to offend the LORD. However, this was part of how he became second in command in Egypt, as he ended up in jail, where he found favor with the warden. But our story is about spiritual warfare. But this story is about spiritual warfare that deals with the flesh. Temptations can come from the world or the society we live among, and we must contend with all its wares. Temptations can come from the evil one or one of his demons, creating illusions to draw us away from serving the Lord. In Potiphar's wife's case, her temptation came from her own flesh. Her desire for a handsome young man drove her to pursue him and tempt Joseph. This is where we must fight the good fight against the devil's schemes, the world's wares, and our own fleshly desires. We are more than aware of our imperfections. We know that when we are weak, we are strong. Understanding our weaknesses gives us the strength to resist the devil's schemes, the world's tug, and those fleshly desires. Those desires of the flesh may or may not be immoral in nature, as Potiphar's wife's was, but we can be tempted in the flesh to become jealous, envious, prideful, boastful, rude, impatient, unforgiving, or judgmental. Joseph did not want to sin against the LORD, and his refusal to submit to her desires cost him his position in Potiphar's house and led to his imprisonment. Let us make every effort to resist those temptations that can so easily entangle us, whether from the world, the devil, or ourselves. We know if we resist the devil, he will flee from us, but we cannot flee from the world or ourselves, so we need the strength of the Lord. Apart from him, we can do nothing, including resisting temptations. 

The Lord is With Us

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE LORD IS WITH US

Gen 39:1-6

39:1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. 2 The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. 5 From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. 6 So he left in Joseph's care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

 

One major truth at the beginning of Joseph's life in Egypt is that the LORD was with him and he prospered. One interesting fact is that Potiphar saw that the LORD was with Joseph. Potiphar was an Egyptian who would have been polytheistic, worshipping over a thousand different gods and goddesses, so noticing that the LORD was with Joseph was not that Potiphar knew the LORD whom the Israelites served, but that Joseph reflected the LORD's power. He was a visual representation of the LORD because the LORD was with him and prospered him, giving success in everything he did. Although Joseph was a purchased slave in human affairs, because the LORD was with him, Potiphar put him in charge of his household and entrusted everything he owned to his care. This major truth is that Joseph reflected the LORD's power in his life, and Potiphar could see it. This should give us something to both ponder and embrace in our lives. We know the Lord is with us, for he has sent us the Holy Spirit to empower us with his gifts and influence us with his fruit. The Lord has also given us all His armor, in which every part represents Jesus, so we can take our stand against all the forces of evil. This should create in us not just an image, but a character that others would see as the Lord is with us and has given us success in whatever he has led us to do. This means a believer would not be a failure in life. That does not mean we cannot experience failures, but it also does not mean the Lord is not with us. We will see that Joseph experienced a failure, so to speak; he ended up in jail, but the LORD was always with him. As born-again, spirit-filled followers of Jesus, we know, without a shadow of doubt, that the Lord is with us, so we live as representatives of the Living God. Others should see that the Lord is with us. 

Put to Death

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

PUT TO DEATH

Gen 38:1-11

38:1 At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah. 2 There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and lay with her; 3 she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er. 4 She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan. 5 She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him. 6 Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the LORD's sight; so the LORD put him to death. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, "Lie with your brother's wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother." 9 But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he lay with his brother's wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from producing offspring for his brother. 10 What he did was wicked in the LORD's sight; so he put him to death also. 11 Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Live as a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up." For he thought, "He may die too, just like his brothers." So Tamar went to live in her father's house.

NIV

In just a few verses, Judah takes a Canaanite wife who bore three sons, two of whom were old enough to take wives. Judah gave Tamar to his firstborn, Er. Tamar is where the whole story is about, for she will be in the lineage of Jesus; however, not from her husband. This portion of Tamar's story reveals the two sons who were wicked in the LORD's sight. Being wicked in the LORD's sight never bodes well for anyone. Because Er was wicked in the LORD's sight, the LORD put him to death. Onan, the next oldest son, also was wicked in the LORD's sight, and the LORD put him to death. It is good that God's grace is at work, for without Jesus, we would have no chance but to be considered wicked in the LORD's sight. Still, that is our choice to repent and come to the saving knowledge of Jesus. There are those who do not want to know Jesus, or refuse him as Savior, and are therefore wicked in the eyes of the Lord; one day they will be put to death, which is called the second death. Er could have lived if he had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but that was not to be, as we know that Tamar will give birth to twins, and it was from neither Er nor Onan. Yet the truth here is about either being wicked or righteous in the Lord's sight. Which one of us could claim any righteousness? There is none righteous, no, not one. In reality, we all have done wickedness in the sight of God, but because of Jesus, we can be seen as holy and righteous in God's sight. How could we not spend our lives praising him with a grateful heart? How could we not have a heart filled with thanksgiving? How could we not run the race to the finish line, so that we would be the overcomer who will not be hurt by the second death? Thanks be to God! He has given us victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ, for through Him we will not be put to death. 

He is Alive

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

HE IS ALIVE

Gen 37:29-36

29 When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. 30 He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy isn't there! Where can I turn now?" 31 Then they got Joseph's robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 They took the ornamented robe back to their father and said, "We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son's robe." 33 He recognized it and said, "It is my son's robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces." 34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. "No," he said, "in mourning will I go down to the grave to my son." So his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard.

NIV

Whether it is called deception or a lie, it caused Jacob to tear his clothes and mourn over what he thought was the death of his beloved son. He had no idea Joseph was alive and had been taken to Egypt. His sons had devised a plan, thinking they had rid themselves of him and would never see him again. To them, he was dead, and they forced that pain upon their father. However, we know what happened to Joseph, as we are told his whole story. Yet, this deception by his brothers, with their lies that caused Jacob to think Joseph was dead, brings us to another plan or plot to rid themselves of a favorite Son, whom they hated with as much passion as the brothers of Joseph hated him. The Pharisees, chief priests, and the teachers of the law were so filled with hatred toward Jesus because he threatened their position among the people. Joseph must have threatened his older brothers' position in the family because he was treated better than they were. What can we say about the Son of God that we haven't already said? He is far more special than any other, for He is God. He was in the beginning, and all that was created was so done by Him. John makes it as clear as it can be told. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. However, He came in the form of a man as a Jew to the Jews. There were some who believed, but there were those who plotted to kill him through deceptions and lies, and thought their plot succeeded, just as the plot of the sons of Jacob thought their plot was successful. But Joseph was not dead, and although Jesus went to the cross, died, and was buried, he did not stay in the grave. We will see that Joseph saved his family, showing us again that Jesus saved his family, his creation, those who are his brothers and sisters, who are the children of God. Yes, some rejected him, as the ten sons of Jacob rejected Joseph. In some sense, we should mourn the way Jesus was treated, but just as the Father had a plan for Joseph to save his family, God had a plan for Jesus to save His family, his creation, His people, us. We cannot mourn as Jacob did; rather, we rejoice as Jacob will when he learns he is alive. 

The Plan

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE PLAN

Gen 37:19-28

19 "Here comes that dreamer!" they said to each other. 20 "Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams." 21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. "Let's not take his life," he said. 22 "Don't shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but don't lay a hand on him." Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe — the richly ornamented robe he was wearing —  24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it. 25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt. 26 Judah said to his brothers, "What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood." His brothers agreed. 28 So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.

NIV

The brothers were filled with so much hatred they thought that killing Joseph would fulfill their hatred. We know that revenge never solves anything; if not, it would make their lives worse, as they would see their father so filled with grief and pain that it would hurt them as well. Interestingly, Reuben, the oldest, was wise enough to recognize that what his brothers were plotting was wrong and devised another plan to rescue Joseph. But Judah came up with the plan to sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. This could be seen as prophetic because Jesus came through the line of Judah and was betrayed for thirty pieces of silver. However, the story is how God used Joseph's brothers' hatred to accomplish his plan, not just for Joseph, but for them as well. Joseph had to go to Egypt and become who he did so his father and brothers would survive the great famine, and so Judah would survive, and his descendant would be known as the Lion of Judah. It was not coincidental that Judah saved Joseph from death, as the Lion of Judah, Jesus, saved us from death. God always has a plan, and his plan never fails, but always comes to pass. We should always be aware of God's plan so that we can move accordingly. When we try to make our own plans, we may experience failure or even disaster. Our plans can never come close to God's plan for us. Why insist on following our own plan? The brothers had a plan; Reuben tried to change it, and Judah must have been inspired by God, so His plan would be accomplished in the lives of the tribes of Israel. Before we devise a plan, let us check with God to learn His plan.