Sunday 3 January, 2016

41 When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream. In his dream, he was standing by the Nile River. 2 Seven cows came up out of the river. They looked healthy and fat. They were eating some of the tall grass growing along the river. 3 After them, seven other cows came up out of the Nile. They looked ugly and skinny. They were standing beside the other cows on the riverbank. 4 The ugly, skinny cows ate up the seven cows that looked healthy and fat. Then Pharaoh woke up. 5 He fell asleep again and had a second dream. In that dream, seven heads of grain were growing on one stem. They were healthy and good. 6 After them, seven other heads of grain came up. They were thin and dried up by the east wind. 7 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up. It had been a dream. 8 In the morning he was worried. So he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams. But no one could tell him what they meant. 9 Then the chief wine taster spoke up. He said to Pharaoh, “Now I remember that I’ve done something wrong. 10 Pharaoh was once angry with his servants. He put me and the chief baker in prison. We were in the house of the captain of the palace guard. 11 Each of us had a dream the same night. Each dream had its own meaning. 12 A young Hebrew servant was there with us. He was a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams. And he explained them to us. He told each of us the meaning of our dreams. 13 Things turned out exactly as he said they would. I was given back my job. The other man had a pole stuck through his body.”

One day Pharaoh had a dream. It was a dream about what would happen to Egypt for the next 14 years, 7 years of plenty and 7 years of famine. No one could give to Pharaoh the interpretation of the dream until the cupbearer remembered about Joseph, and how he had interpreted accurately a dream that he had.

The key phrase to this whole passage is in the first few words, “Two full years later,..”

They might not seem significant except to Joseph who had interpreted the dreams of Pharaohs cupbearer and baker. When Joseph interpreted the cupbearers dream he asks him to remember him, and ask Pharaoh to let him out of prison. Nothing happens, silence, for two full years.

TWO FULL YEARS!

Even though to Joseph it seems like nothing is happening, God is sticking to his plan, and at just the right time, God causes the cupbearer to remember Joseph, and over the next few days we will read about what happened to Joseph next.

This passage highlights to me that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purposes.

What we may see as God’s delay is nothing less than God working things out for us according to his timetable not ours.

Our job is to trust God and his timing.

Father, thank you that you are working for me, and working things out for me according to your plans and your love for me. Help me to learn to trust you, trust your timing, and relax. Thank you for your love for me means you only do what’s best for me.

Written by Andrew Martin