Genesis 41:1 ‘Two full years later…’
Has God given you a fresh perspective lately? I’m not
talking a new outlook or a new determination… I am talking – perspective.
I have been studying Joseph in Genesis – and God has me
right in between Chapters 40 and 41. That may not seem like much… but it’s the
two years that span between the time Joseph interprets the dream for the chief
cup-bearer and the dreams for Pharaoh. So much changed in that time, but not
much happened…
‘What do you mean?’ you ask… Let me tell you.
Joseph is in prison for a crime he did not commit…Before
that he was sold into slavery and right before that, Joseph’s brothers had
betrayed him, thrown him into a well and told his father he was dead.
Poor, poor Joseph (that’s from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor
Dream Coat – for all you musical theater buffs…)
But that really was a long line of tough situations. Have
you been there? Walking roads that just don’t seem to end?
Well – as I said – Joseph had been in prison. He had been
there a while when he got the opportunity to interpret a dream for the Chief Cup-Bearer
and Chief Baker (who were also in prison). Joseph used the opportunity to ask
the cup-bearer to remember him when he left the prison. I often wonder if this
was a desperate action of a man who had lost hope, and was seeing if man could
help him, since God hadn't gotten him out of the situation yet. I’ve been
trying to look at this from Joseph’s perspective. He had two dreams at age 17
about his brothers, and parents bowing down to him. Joseph had been waiting a
while to see this dream come true… but how in the world could it when he is in
prison for a crime he didn't commit? I would say he felt at the end of his
rope. He’s using his talents and gifts for God, and he’s succeeding, but he’s
still in a prison.
So after his attempt to get the cup-bearer to remember him,
it failed. The word tells us that he forgot all about Joseph. So Joseph is back
to waiting. Waiting for hope, waiting for change, waiting.
What does God do in the waiting? Sometimes I wonder if He is
waiting for us. Waiting for us to realize who is really in control. Waiting for
us to let go of the reigns. Waiting for us to realize the best way to the next
chapter of life is to let God have ultimate control. Let Him shape, let him
lead. See – I have been in that two years. I believe God gave me a moment of an
open door, and I didn't like the instructions of how to walk through that door.
He gave me clear directions – run and jump on (that moving train I talked about
in the last blog.) However, I wanted another way to get onto that train. I tried
several options instead of running alongside and jumping. Well – I never got
on. And here we are… two full years later – with the same instructions.
What’s difference between now, and two full years ago? My
perspective. Why would there be any better way than God’s way?
I needed a little humbling. I needed the last few inches of
my stubborn will to finally give and say – Ok Lord… You are God. I am sorry for
doing things my way, and just pouting about it. What do you want me to do?
Well – he used a friend to bring back the exact same
instructions I received before – a quick
kick in the pants and now- I’m running to jump on the train.
So back to Genesis Chapter 40 - Joseph is in the waiting…
Completely forgotten by the cup-bearer.
But that next chapter, chapter 41, it happens.
He gets a call to come interpret a dream. But not just for a
cup-bearer. (Don’t we think too small?)
This dream was for Pharaoh himself. God was opening that
door.
What changed? You got it. Perspective. We now have a fully compliant,
obedient Joseph. The kind of man that is needed to be second in command under Pharaoh.
The Joseph from two full years earlier wasn't ready.
This Joseph is.
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