Events Linked in a Chain - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 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.'"

This was the outcome of Joseph interpreting Pharaoh's dreams. Pharaoh had two dreams one night and when his magicians and wise men could not interpret them he sent for Joseph. Pharaoh's chief cupbearer remembered an earlier incident when Joseph interpreted dreams the cupbearer and chief baker had when they were all in prison together. It is not difficult to see that the purpose of Joseph interpreting the dreams of the cupbearer and baker was God busy at work to bring about Pharaoh's selection of Joseph to manage Egypt's economy in preparation of and during a famine that hit a number of nations.

In following the account of Joseph in Genesis, we see a number of events that are linked and strung together by God in order to bring about a singular purpose: to bring the family of Jacob into Egypt. Egypt, acting as a womb for Israel to develop into a thriving and massive nation, also provided for the context that resulted in Israel's exodus which provides us a picture of God's redemption of mankind through Jesus Christ, our "Passover".

It begins all the way back to Genesis 37 where we read that Jacob loved Joseph more than his other sons (he was born in his old age). He made Joseph a special coat that represented this and caused animosity directed toward Joseph by his brothers. This was further exacerbated by dreams God gave Joseph that indicated he would rule over his brothers. As Joseph shared these dreams, the resentment became so great that his brothers sold him to slave traders that took Joseph down to Egypt.

Once in Egypt Joseph was bought by an official of Pharaoh, whose wife falsely accused him of attempted rape. This resulted in Joseph being imprisoned where he met the cupbearer and baker of Pharaoh. These two had dreams that Joseph provided the interpretation for and eventually resulted in Joseph interpreting Pharaoh's two dreams and his appointment as the second only to Pharaoh in all the land of Egypt.

Further things take place following this that eventuate into Jacob moving to Egypt where Joseph was instrumental in providing food for relief from the great famine that also affected Jacob and his family.

My point is that none of these things that God orchestrated were events unto themselves alone. It is fascinating to see how one event leads into the next with the purpose of that event leading to still another event. All purposeful and achieved by God as he "rolled out" this fascinating series of events to bring his covenant people to where he wanted them.

Just fascinating, isn't it? It causes me to wonder about events today. What might be a string of events in the world today, or even in any one of our lives that God is busy accomplishing? And, further, might it be short sighted to assume any one event we might observe really stands alone? Might it not be a part of a chain of events that brings about something much bigger, or more far reaching, as it did with Joseph and the events he was caught up in?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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