To really understand the boldness of this situation, I need to back up a bit and give you a little more information. Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt, raised to a high position because the Pharaoh recognized God was with him, then thrown in prison because Pharaoh's wife accused him wrongly, and that's where he is now. The Pharaoh needs a dream interpreted so he sends for Joseph.
Picking up in Genesis 41:15 - Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it."
"I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires."
Joseph goes on to interpret Pharaoh's dream and because he did, Pharaoh restored him to an even higher position than he was in before he was sent to prison.
Genesis 41:39-40 - Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you."
Did you see that? Pharaoh's response was "Since God has made all this known to you..." Because Joseph humbled himself and gave credit to God right from the start, Pharaoh had to also give God credit for the interpretation of the dream!
How many times have I been in a situation where I should have given God the glory, but took the credit for my own? Too many.
What a great lesson Joseph teaches us here. "I cannot do it...but God will."
James 4:10 "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."
4 comments:
I think the VBS story is on Joseph this year, so I'm excited to start going through the story in Melody's Bible with her. It is amazing how the Lord works, but yes we do have to remember to give Him the glory. Even though VBS is for the kids I think I end up getting just as much from it as they do. I can't wait!
Thank you for this post. I have to humble myself many times and remember that "I can't, but God can." I'm a control freak and I have to remember to give all of the glory to God.
I was just reading the story of Joseph in my One Year Bible. There's so many great lessons for us in there.
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Hubby and I just watched the movie Fame last night. I was humming along with the song until it got to the part:
I'm gonna live forever... I'm going to heaven.
That stopped me dead in my rhythm! And I thought, "that's the problem with fame isn't it.
Being saved means I already will live forever and I will go to heaven. But our humanity makes us want fame. Yet God will never share His glory, esp not with us...
Then that verse about Jesus humbling Himself taking the very nature of man came to me. He who is forever glorified came to earth and fame was the last thing he sought. So why should we seek it at all... I was so humbled by that.
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