Page 59 - Living Light 90

Wednesday November 5 - Bowing down!
His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” Genesis 50:18
At the beginning of Joseph’s story, he recounts his vivid dreams to his family. They don’t take long to see what his night visions insinuate, and they don’t like it one bit. The two dreams suggest that one day his parents and brothers will bow down to him. His brothers are beside themselves with fury; ‘“Are you indeed to rule over us?” So, they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words’ (Genesis 37:8). No one likes being eclipsed by an inferior! But of course, Joseph’s predictions come true! We see his family’s dependence on him throughout the famine as they come to purchase life-saving grain. And here in Genesis 50, after the death of their father, and again in fear for their lives, ‘his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold we are your servants.”’
There is never any suggestion in the fulfilling of these ‘prophecies’ that Joseph is anything other than kind toward his family. He weeps over his brothers at the mere thought that they should be afraid of him. Modelled for us here is ‘One greater than Joseph’ – Jesus. The One who graciously provides for all our needs, and the only One who deserves our praise and loving obedience. ‘Come let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our God our Maker’ (Psalm 95:6).
Father, in worship I bow my heart to you. Grant that I may always see you as my sovereign Lord and King. Amen.
Thursday November 6 - 50:20 vision!
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive...” Genesis 50:20
We have arrived at what is perhaps the most important and beautiful verse in Genesis 50, even in the whole of Joseph’s story. I say this, not only because of what it says about Joseph, but supremely what it reveals about God: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”
Here we see an example of the outworking of God’s sovereignty, his purpose and control over all things, for his glory and for our good. God’s providence puts his plans into action and guides all things toward their ultimate goal in the fulfilling of his will. God is in charge of all the events surrounding Joseph’s life. And the great thing is, Joseph knew this. This is why he was able to remain relatively calm and confident, joyfully resigned to the fact that God knew what he was doing in his life.
How about you? As a Christian, you can be sure that there is not one thing in your life that is outside God’s fatherly supervision and his care about your ultimate good. Joseph’s tortuous experiences resulted in the saving of many people. There was another who later walked this route for us, and who, as a result of the evil intended against him, provides eternal good for us.
Father God, I rejoice in the fact that my life is not out of control but very much under your sovereign charge! Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
PRAYER FOR TODAY
57