NO PROGRESS? SEEM TRAPPED? SLIDING DOWNHILL?
At times we have the promises of God. We have dreams, visions and prophecies. Our hope is built on the Rock, Jesus Christ. Except for this our life seems jammed and immovable.
Nothing is in favor to us. There is NIL development. Life is filled with contradictions. Everyone around is hostile and every situation is against us. Everything effortlessly seems to go downhill. At times we feel thunder struck when people and things turn against us. At some other times we sense as if we are caught in a mouse trap. No glimpse of an answer from God, not even a palm-sized cloud, not an inch of progress.
This was the case with Jacob’s son Joseph and let us learn from him.
i) LOVE & FAVOR ATTRACTS HATRED
Joseph was a young man of seventeen, tending flocks with his brothers. He would bring the report of the ill-conducts of his brothers to his father. He should have done this not as a tale-bearer but because he was good by nature and because he wanted his brothers to be amended. His father Jacob loved him more because he was born in his old age. He made Joseph a robe of many colors. Because his father loved Joseph more, all his ten elder brothers hated him and never spoke a kind word to him. Joseph did nothing wrong. The love and favor of his father attracted the aversion of his own brothers. Those elder brothers who actually had to care and love him now disliked him for no reason (Genesis 37:1-4).
Is this the situation we are facing today? Just the love and favor of God or some men can easily magnetize the hatred of our dear siblings, friends, relatives, why even our parents.
The whole-hearted sacrifice of Abel drew God’s favor but his elder brother Cain got very angry that he killed his brother (Genesis 4:1-15). Abel did no evil to his brother to gain such an enmity.
David carried food stuff to his brothers in the army. He went to do good to them. But, when David’s elder brother Eliab found him speaking with the soldiers in the army, Eliab burned with anger for no reason at all (1 Samuel 17:28). Eliab knew that David was anointed and favored by God.
One clear lesson we learn when we are unreasonably hated by our loved ones is that we are favored by God.
ii) DREAMS INVITE JEALOUSY & HATRED
Joseph had a dream in which he together with his brothers was binding sheaves of grain out in the field, when suddenly his sheaf rose and stood upright, while their sheaves gathered around his and bowed down to it. Listening to this dream they hated him even more. They admonished him saying that he intended to rule and have authority over them. He never had the slightest of such an intention.
Joseph then had a second dream where he saw the sun, the moon and eleven stars bowing down to him. When this dream was shared, even his father rebuked him and his brothers were filled with jealousy (Genesis 37:5-11).
The Scripture records that Jesus is the soon coming Judge of the world and the King of all kings and that every knee shall bow before Him and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord (Revelation 19:16; John 5:22; Philippians 2:10). But what actually happened to Him was that a whole lot of people were gathered and He was stripped in front of them, worn a scarlet robe, capped with a crown of thorns, given a reed in His right hand and the soldiers knelt in front of Him and mocked Him saying, “Hail King of Jews” (Matthew 27:27-29).
So, every God-given promise, dream, vision and prophesy will for sure welcome jealousy, hatred and ridicules into our lives. Let us not give up but wait for His appointed time.
iii) OPPONENTS UNITE TO HURT
Joseph went to see his brothers who were far off rearing sheep, upon his father’s instructions to see if everything was well with them. He lost his track and wandered in the fields. After much effort he finally found them. But we see that on seeing him at a distance, they unitedly plotted to kill him. Their plan was well-designed. They plotted to kill, throw him in a cistern and tell their father that a ferocious animal had devoured him (Genesis 37:12-20).
Even David had been to king Saul’s army to defeat the Philistine Goliath and he was in Saul’s court to help him get him delivered from the evil spirit by playing his harp, whenever it disturbed him. But Saul went together with his 3000 chosen men pursuing David like hunting a dog trying to kill him for no cause (1 Samuel 13:2; 1 Samuel 24:2; 1 Samuel 26:2). But even when David twice got the opportunities to harm Saul, he never did him any.
Maybe, we are going through such difficult times. All our kith and kin unitedly gathering and talking against us for no harm that we did to them. But I want to say that let’s stay assured that we are in the process towards our destiny that God has in store for us. Let’s not panic but wait patiently on God.
iv) SILENT WATCHERS OF INJUSTICE
Joseph’s eldest brother Reuben wanted to rescue him from his brothers and told them not to shed blood but to throw him into a pit. See, one of his brothers pitied him but did not have the guts to strongly defend him. So, the brothers stripped Joseph off his multi-colored robe and threw him into a waterless cistern. They were ruthless enough to cast their brother into a pit and enjoy their meal (Genesis 37:21-25).
It was like Pilate who wanted to save Jesus from the cross but also wanted to please the people and walked away washing his hands from the guilt (Matthew 27:24).
This can possibly be the position we are in today. Though people around us know that we are being dealt with injustice, they dare not to speak for us. They are silent watchers and clever escapists. They are enjoying their lives together with no bit of concern about our hurts and sufferings. But let us never forget that we are in God’s hands even when we are in the pit. Let us humble ourselves in His mighty hands until He lifts us up in due time (1 Peter 5:6).
v) UNSATISFIED WITH THE MALTREATMENTS
As Joseph’s brothers were relishing their food, they saw the Ishmaelites coming afar and decided to get lost of Joseph permanently. They were not satisfied with the harm of putting Joseph into a cistern, but they wanted to get him completely removed from their lives. The promised generation of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob decided to sell their own brother to the generation of flesh through the slave woman Hagar (Galatians 4:23-25). Now Judah seeks benefit out of harming his brother. He suggested that they would gain nothing by killing him but can be profited by selling him as a slave to the Midianites. His brothers unitedly agreed to his proposal. So, they sold him for 20 shekels of silver and the Midianite traders took Joseph as a slave to Egypt (Genesis 37:25-28).
Our present scenario may well fit in this, dear children of God. Those who brought damage to us may be enjoying their lives without any disturbance. They may even further try to get rid of us totally. As their supplement they would even try to gain profit out of our pain. Being our blood-relatives, they may even dare to trade us to the pagans. They can be our believer bosses but gambling to merchandise us with unbelievers. Can we still like Jesus pray, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do”? (Luke 23:34). Yes, dear children of God, this is not the end of the scene. His promise will come to pass. Let us just stay on track. The Scripture clearly records that it was God who sent Joseph to Egypt (Psalm 105:17). Even though things around seem evil, when we are in His track, we can rest assured that He is in control and He will turn out every evil for good.
vi) FLEEING THE BAIT BUT ENDING UP IN PRISON
Being sold as a slave in Egypt, Joseph was bought by Pharaoh’s official Potiphar who discovered that God was with Joseph and everything he did was a success. Potiphar entrusted the whole household in Joseph’s charge. Now, Potiphar’s wife lusted Joseph and called him to bed, which Joseph abruptly refused and literally fled away from her leaving his cloak with her. He refused to yield saying that he cannot sin against God. Then Joseph was falsely accused of physical abuse with a made-up but strong circumstantial evidence against him (his cloak) and was confined to prison (Genesis 39:1-20).
Even after going far off from his family and hometown who maliciously and wickedly did all evil to him, his agony did not come to an end. His godly behavior and pleasant attitude detained him in a prison even in a faraway foreign country. Had he yielded to his mistress’ desires, Joseph could have had a stronger and longer hold in his master’s place. But he truly would not have become what God held for him. This is an evil snare, Satan’s bait, which we should run away from. The Scripture robustly documents that it was in God’s design to hold him in prison and to prove him until his time came and he was refined (Psalm 105:18-19).
When Jesus miraculously fed the 5000, the Jews were about to make Jesus king by force. But Jesus withdrew and went away from them (John 6:14-15). Jesus did not want to receive the power, honor or fame in any short-cut ways, and those that were not from the Father. Let us beware. Satan not only tests us with agonies but also through such baits.
vii) UNGRATEFUL & FORGETFUL FRIENDS
While Joseph was in prison, he had the king’s cup bearer and baker with him there and they both had dreams on the same night. Joseph interpreted their dreams and it was absolutely right and it came to pass. All through Joseph’s history, we see him asking favor with just one man, the cup bearer to show him favor by mentioning about him to the king and bring him out of prison. But the cup bearer who was helped by Joseph totally forgot about Joseph when everything was well with him (Genesis 40:1-23).
Is our status quo very appropriately fitting into this category of ungratefulness and forgetfulness by those to whom we have shown favor? Let us not fret. Even Job went through such a state of forgetfulness that his kinsfolk failed him and his familiar friends forget him (Job 19:14). David cries out saying that he was forgotten by all men as they would forget a dead man (Psalm 31:12). Though our father and mother abandon us, God will hold us close (Psalm 27:10). God assures that even if a breast-feeding mother forgets her babe, He will not forget us (Isaiah 49:15).
DREAM FULFILLED IN A HASTE
When the time of the Lord to fulfill his dream came, Pharaoh sent word and called Joseph. He was hurriedly brought out of the prison, shaved thoroughly, changed his clothes and stood before the king. And that very same day Joseph was placed on the throne having been given all honor and authority that God had planned for him (Genesis 41:14-57). The king instantly released him and made him master of his household and ruler over all his possessions (Psalm 105:20-21).
All of God’s promises, visions, dreams and prophecies will be fulfilled spontaneously in God’s time. Daniel was a slave in Babylon. But a day came when Arioch, the commander of the king’s guards took Daniel hastily before the king and Daniel’s position was suddenly lifted up (Daniel 2:14-49).
Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in the night and urged them to leave the land urgently and in haste (Exodus 12:31-33).
King Jehoiachin who was in Babylonian prison was called straightaway out of prison one day by the Babylonian king Evil-merodach, who set his throne above other Babylonian kings. He changed his prison clothes and dined with the king for the rest of his life (Jeremiah 52:31-34).
The Lord God will accomplish things quickly in its appointed time (Isaiah 60:22). We have no other option but to wait on Him. But let us know that it is worth waiting upon His Words because not one of it will fall to the ground without being fulfilled (1 Samuel 3:19; Joshua 21:45). God bless you!
