Our Lord: the Master Multitasker - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 42:1-2,

"When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, 'Why do you just keep looking at each other?' He continued, 'I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die.'"

There was a severe famine that took place during the days of Jacob. We learn it was a famine that lasted seven years and afflicted all of Egypt, Canaan and other parts of the world. The famine was prophesied through two dreams God gave Pharaoh which were interpreted by Joseph (as God gave him the interpretation.) As Joseph interpreted the dreams for Pharaoh, he told him that God would cause the famine and that it was certain to happen, "The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon." Genesis 41:32.

As we see the famine take place and the events leading up to it, we see God doing a number of things. The first is that the famine was the vehicle God used to move Jacob and his family from Canaan to Egypt. This was an important move for the family, to facilitate the growth of the family into the great nation God promised Abraham.

We also see the famine became the context in which God would bring about a remorse from Joseph's brothers for having sold him to slave traders, "They [Joseph's brothers] said to one another, 'Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this distress has come on us.' Reuben replied, 'Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn't listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood.'" Genesis 42:21-22.

Additionally, the famine was also the cause of some events that brought some much needed clarity to Jacob who had played favorites with his sons, "Their [Joseph's brothers] father Jacob said to them, 'You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!'" Genesis 42:36. Jacob cried this out as he struggled in frustration to learn an appreciation for all his sons. (I might be reading a little bit into this, but it is clear the context of the famine had its impact on Jacob regarding his sons).

Only God knows all he was accomplishing through the famine he brought during the days of Jacob. Clearly multiple objectives were achieved by God through his actions in bringing this famine. Objectives that took place in various ways and at various levels. Some larger in scope and smaller in others.

It is hard to tell what all God accomplishes in the stroke of a brush. When he makes a move it might affect one of us (and directly to us as seen/felt from our own personal perspective), and yet possibly a number of us all at one time in varying and different ways for different purposes.

In any event, I am reminded that when God moves, all kinds of objectives may be accomplished in one of his actions.

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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Our Lord Is Beyond Scrutiny! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 41:1a,

"When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream…"

Here in this chapter we see a very dramatic culmination of events the Lord has brought about. Joseph is sold to an official in Egypt. He is falsely accused and thrown in prison where two fellow prisoners have dreams. One, Pharaoh's cupbearer, is released after Joseph interprets his dream. After forgetting Joseph for two years, the Lord gives Pharaoh two dreams that so concern him he looks for an interpretation of them. Joseph is remembered by the cupbearer and is released and tells Pharaoh the interpretation of the dreams. Joseph is placed in charge of the land as one whom Pharaoh recognizes has wisdom from God. As I say, this is a very dramatic story and one in which God demonstrates his ability to craft precision events in a way to bring about exactly what he desires.

One thing that does not escape my notice, however, is that Joseph is left in prison for two years after interpreting the dreams of the cupbearer and baker (who was hanged). So, here we read of two years of dead time for Joseph in prison. Why didn't the Lord construct the events in such a way that moved Joseph through the prison quickly without losing two years of his life there?

The Scripture does not provide a purpose for Joseph's two years in prison. Possibly there were some things the Lord wanted Joseph to learn in the school of hard knocks while in prison; maybe some character growth or maturity? Were there other considerations we are unaware of, that are not provided for in the account that required this two year stint of Joseph in prison? We just don't know. Certainly we can surmise.

Here is one thing we do know: our Lord is transcendent in all he does. What the Lord does is always marked with a precision and perfection that strains our grasp. Joseph was never forgotten by the Lord in prison, he was there by design. We are not told the why of the timing but we certainly know what the timing was.

As I think of the challenges we face in life, why things shake out the way they do, I need look no further than this account of Joseph to realize that I may never know why the Lord's timing is what it is, but I certainly know that his timing is precision and that our Lord crafts the details of events to bring about a perfection that reflects the perfections of his own character and nature.

When we say our Lord is transcendent, we recognize that our Lord is quite simply beyond scrutiny!

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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

God Has Spoken To Us! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 40:6-8,

"When Joseph came to them [the cupbearer and the baker] the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. So he asked Pharaoh's officials who were in custody with him in his master's house, 'Why are your faces so sad today?' 'We both had dreams,' they answered, 'but there is no one to interpret them.' Then Joseph said to them, 'Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.'"

God, who gave the men these dreams, will provide the meaning of them to Joseph. It will be good news for the cupbearer and bad news for the baker. Here we see the Lord setting the stage for a series of events he will bring about in Joseph's and his family's lives that will change the course of events for the entire nation of Israel in the centuries to come.

The fact that God steps into his creation and communicates to us, as in these dreams and the interpretation of them, is to me just an awesome thing. Mankind has sinned and rebelled against God, has earned God's condemnation and judgment, has proven himself to be entirely unworthy of any relationship to his Creator, and yet, here we see our Creator stepping into his creation to bring about the tremendous story of the redemption of all mankind. A piece of that story will be the history of Israel's redemption from slavery in Egypt as a foreshadowing of what he will do to bring about the redemption of mankind. Joseph's involvement in Egypt begins a series of events that will provide what will become the canvas upon which this foreshadowing, as a teaching aid for us, will be drawn.

That God uses dreams and the interpretation of them reminds me of the comment the writer of Hebrews makes, "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways…", Hebrews 1:1. The story of the redemption of mankind is certainly a fascinating one and the various means employed by God to bring it about is just astonishing!

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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Joseph: Standing Up Against Sin (Not Fleeing It) - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 39:6-10,

"Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, 'Come to bed with me!' But he refused. 'With me in charge,' he told her, 'my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?' And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her."

After Joseph was sold to slave traders by his brothers, he was taken to Egypt. One of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard, bought him. The official, Potiphar, saw that the Lord gave Joseph success in all he did and eventually put Joseph in charge of everything in his household.

We read that Joseph was "well-built and handsome", verse 6, and so caught the eye of Potiphar's wife. I assume, since Potiphar was an important official in Egypt, he had "the pick of the litter" so I'm going to guess she was quite attractive herself. She approached Joseph for a tryst (and approached him "day after day"), and when Joseph refused, she physically grabbed him one day. The story goes on to say he fled out of the house, leaving his cloak in her hands, which provided Potiphar's wife evidence to falsely accuse Joseph in her revenge against him for refusing her. With my assumption that she was probably an attractive woman, she was likewise probably not accustomed to being refused.

Just like you, I have heard all the sermons about how Joseph shows us the way: we need to flee sin! References are made to passages like 2 Timothy 2:22, "Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

While I heartily endorse Paul's admonition to "Flee the evil desires of youth..." (I heartily endorse anything Paul has to say), this account of Joseph isn't that at all. Such a connection of fleeing sin with this account of Joseph distorts this account and is very unfair to Joseph.

Joseph did not flee the temptations of sin here! He stood up against sin "day after day"! What he fled was a woman grabbing him. He was breaking and fleeing her grasp. In this account, what Joseph shows us is how to stand up against sin.

There is a difference between standing up against sin and just merely fleeing it. The one implies mastering our own emancipation over sin that Paul discusses in Romans 6. We flee what we cannot overcome. However, I will say, if I am struggling as a slave to sin, it may be best to flee!

Joseph was a man of integrity who stood his ground against sin and that gets lost in mischaracterizing his actions in Genesis 39. Let's give Joseph his due!

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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Our God Is A Consuming Fire! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 38:7,

"But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the Lord's sight; so the Lord put him to death."

In this surprising chapter of the history in Genesis we read a story of deceit, trickery, revenge and vindication. It is a fascinating story, and one in which we learn a few things. One very important truth we learn is that the Lord has put to death some who have been caught up in sin.

We know that not all who engage in a sinful lifestyle suffer for it right away. In fact some of the psalms bemoan the fact that the sinful seem to live a life free from the hardships of others who attempt to live a life pleasing to God.

In psalm 73 Asaph says, "I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills." Psalm 73:3-5. However, Asaph later develops another perspective after he has spent some time with the Lord. In verses 17-19 we read, "till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!"

Sin has its consequences. All of us struggle with sin. Those of us who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith are forgiven all of our sin but that does not mean we do not face certain consequences for entertaining sin in our lives.

Paul tells his Corinthian readers, "That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep." 1 Corinthians 11:30.

I am reminded yet again of what the writer of Hebrews has to say to us believers, "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.'"  Hebrews 12:28-29.

Just like Er and his brother, Onan, our Lord can take us out in a heartbeat if he so decides.

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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

One Family's Chaotic Dysfunction - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 37:1-2,

"Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. This is the account of Jacob's family line. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them."

I don't know what the "bad report" was that Joseph took to his father about his brothers, but it certainly led to bad blood between Joseph and his brothers. As I read this chapter I am struck with how we might consider this family a dysfunctional one. Keep in mind, these sons of this family comprise the heads of the various tribes of Israel.

In addition to Joseph "squealing" on his brothers (and, who knows? it may have been a very legitimate concern - which would speak badly of the brothers), we read of these other points as well:

Jacob played "favorites" with Joseph over his brothers (not the best of parental approaches to good family life), verse 3-4. The remainder of the chapter might have been filled with much less drama without this driving factor.

Joseph decided to "share" dreams with his brothers and father that God had given him, dreams that pictured them all (including his mother and father) being subordinated to him, furthering the hostility of his brothers against him, verses 5-11.

Joseph's brothers plotted to kill him, verse 18 - 19. The plot included lying to their father about it. They threw him into a cistern as a part of the plot, verse 24.

Human trafficking - Joseph's brothers forcefully sold him to traveling merchants as a slave, verse 28.

Joseph's brothers plotted an artful deception to cover Joseph's disappearance and lied to their father about what had happened, verses 31-32.

Joseph's brothers allowed their father to live in a marked bereavement over the alleged death of Joseph for years, verses 34-35.

The heroes we meet in Scripture are not heroes because they comported themselves in what we might consider a "saintly manner", but because they were people of faith, see Hebrews 11.

And, another point: obviously, if these accounts were simply made up stories, these patriarchs would be presented to us in an entirely different way, a lofty way.

What we discover is that God's people can be as dysfunctional as any… and yet, look at how God used them!

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!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.