It Happened Quickly
March 13-14
It Happened Quickly
We may throw the dice, but the LORD determines how they fall. Proverbs 16:33
From slavery to prison to second in command in Egypt, God was always with Joseph. Genesis 41:8 tells us Pharaoh had a dream and he awoke with a startled heart knowing there is something strange about it. The dream was distressing to the Pharaoh because it was twice experienced in varying forms, interrupted by his being awakened. The meaning was a puzzle, for the seven lean cows remained lean and gaunt, even after consuming the fat cattle. The same was true with the grain. It was not normal for cows to eat cows or grain to consume grain, but surely the lean things should have been fattened by what they ate. Something had to be wrong, but what was it? Only the man of God, Joseph had the answer.
Earlier in Genesis Joseph told them interpretation belonged to God and God was not giving that information to the magicians and the astrologers and the counselors of Egypt. In Genesis 41:9-14, “Then the chief Butler spoke to Pharaoh saying I remember my faults this day when Pharaoh was angry with the servants and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard both me and the chief Baker we each had a dream in one night he and I each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream now there was a young Hebrew man with us there a servant of the captain of the guard and we told him and he interpreted our dreams for us to each man he interpreted according to his own dream and it came to pass just as he interpreted for us……...”
Do you see that picture in verse 9? The situation begins to change, the dice is rolling and God is now setting Joseph up to reveal the true meaning of his childhood dream. Verse 14 holds this all together here “Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh.” (Emphasis added).
Often we feel in our life as well as we walk with God change happens slowly. Yet we see when God is ready to unfold His plans there is no delay. We say ‘Lord what are you doing what why don’t you answer this prayer what’s happening it seems to be this long period?’ Yet when God is ready to move there is no delay. In the moment it may seem as if God has forgotten you, Joseph probably thought the same as he was being sold into slavery, yet at the end of his life Joseph knew the truth. Genesis 50:20 “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” Joseph understood in the end the words written in Romans 8:28 although it was written after his time. There are surely difficulties for the child of God during his life. There are also times of indecision and times when we wonder if God is working. However, through Joseph we see the hand of God written all over it. Only God can weave a pattern from the threads of our lives – including the suffering, heartaches and even our mistakes and make something beautiful.