Monthly Archives: February 2024

JOSEPH, GOD’S MAN FOR THE HOUR – 4

Bible Study, ,

Dreams! Dreams! From Joseph, an unknown teenager, to Pharaoh, top brass in a world empire, they kept dreaming. Dreams can mean nothing or they can mean everything to the dreamer. In contact with the Author of dreams, Joseph had become quite an interpreter of dreams.

So, it happened that Pharaoh also had a dream, two dreams in one night, two dreams linked together to provide a warning about Egypt’s imminent catastrophe, but who would interpret his dreams?

None of Pharaoh’s so called “magicians and wise men” could enlighten him, but there was one small link, his cup bearer, to the man who could.

‭Genesis‬ ‭41:8‭-‬9‬ ‭NLT‬
[8] The next morning Pharaoh was very disturbed by the dreams. So he called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. When Pharaoh told them his dreams, not one of them could tell him what they meant. [9] Finally, the king’s chief cup-bearer spoke up. “Today I have been reminded of my failure,” he told Pharaoh….
[13] And everything happened just as he had predicted. I was restored to my position as cup-bearer, and the chief baker was executed and impaled on a pole.”

Enter Joseph, the dreamer turned interpreter! All the events of the past thirteen years are now centred on this critical moment.

“God will not answer your prayers until He has put all the structures in place to maintain that answer.”

How true is this statement I heard many years ago!

The final structure on place, Pharaoh summonses Joseph to the palace.

‭Genesis‬ ‭41:14‬ ‭NLT‬
[14]”Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was quickly brought from the prison. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he went in and stood before Pharaoh.”

What thoughts raced through Joseph’s mind as he prepared to meet Pharaoh? Did he have any idea that his own dreams were about to come true? Did he imagine for one moment, that he would not only be released from prison but also be promoted to prime minister of Egypt?

Strange dreams indeed! Seven fat cows eaten by seven emaciated cows? Seven full ears of grain decimated by seven diseased ears! Joseph quickly understands their connection and their meanings. Seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine.

Unafraid to tell this pagan king the source of his understanding, the God of all gods, Joseph gives him the interpretation and the solution to this massive challenge.

So, in a flash, Joseph finds himself second ruler in Egypt! Pharaoh recognised in him a man not only capable of interpreting dreams but also wise enough to run the entire enterprise. Once again, Joseph finds favour with the man in charge.

There is a little recurring phrase in Joseph’s story upon which hangs the entire process of this drama.

‭Genesis‬ ‭39:2‬ ‭NLT‬
[2] ‘The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. “

‭Genesis‬ ‭39:21‬ ‭NLT‬
[21]”But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden.”

‭Genesis‬ ‭41:39‭-‬40‬ ‭NLT‬
[39] “Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. [40] You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours.”

The statement, “God was with Joseph…” means so much more than God’s passive presence. When God is “with” us, He comes with all His divine attributes and all His resources to sustain and support His chosen man or woman for His hour.

Th same was written of David, God’s model king and forerunner of the Messiah, Son of David.

‭1 Samuel‬ ‭18:14‬ ‭NLT‬
[14] “David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him.”

There is a category of God’s people in the New Covenant who can share in this privileged position in God if they fulfill the condition.

‭Philippians‬ ‭4:6‭-‬9‬ ‭NLT‬
[6] “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. [7] Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. [8] And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. [9] Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

A mind free of worry and filled with gratitude and God’s truth, believing and living it out in everyday life activates God’s favour in all they do.

David prayed..

‭Psalms‬ ‭86:11‬ ‭NLT‬
[11]”Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.”

And David experienced…

‭Psalms‬ ‭5:12‬ ‭NIV‬
[12] “Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”

To be continued…

Why Libertarianism is Impractical, but Biblical

Christian Life

Libertarianism is a political and social philosophy that upholds liberty as its core value. In practice, this may look something like “leave me alone to do what I want… I make my own choices”. It’s a wonderful idea if you want to put up solar panels without endless miles of bureaucratic red tape. It’s probably not a wonderful idea if you want raise cattle in your townhouse complex or purchase a battle tank for recreational use.

Murray Rothbard coined the term ‘non-aggression principle’ (NAP) to describe the natural limits of libertarianism. The NAP states that “no man or group of men may aggress against the person or property of anyone else”. In other words, my liberty should not aggress your liberty. Thus, libertarianism only works if you and I accept and respect each other’s liberty. Though I may be free to steal your piano accordion, that would be an aggression against your property.

When God put Adam in charge of the Garden of Eden, He told Adam that he was free to eat any fruit from any tree, except from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 2:15-17 (NIV)
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

The consequence of eating from the forbidden tree? Death. Adam certainly had the freedom to eat from that tree (we know the story…), but the consequence was spiritual death. True freedom, then, is not necessarily ‘free-without-limits’. Human scholars admit this too, as we have seen in the example of the NAP. Rather, true freedom must occur in a particular framework that can sustain it. Freedom left unchecked has every potential to lead to destruction. Add to that a sinful nature and you have a recipe for disaster.

It is important to differentiate between ‘freedom’ and ‘liberty’. Freedom refers to an individual’s ability to act without restraints. In other words, to do what you like, when you like, and how you like, without impediment. Liberty improves this notion by adding certain limits, such as the NAP. Therefore, in the strictest sense, liberty is freedom with appropriate societal limits. Liberty is ‘good’ freedom. Theologically speaking, the most important limit to freedom is God and the most important framework for liberty, or ‘good’ freedom, is God’s moral code. Creation cannot aggress the Creator.

Think of the 10 Commandments: the first half concerns our relationship with God and the second half concerns our relationship with men. Jesus summarizes these in Matthew 22:37-40:

37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (ESV)

The greatest framework for true liberty, true ‘good’ freedom, is love. But not just any kind of love. The specific agape love for which God has set the precedent. He loved first and showed us how to love. Without His love, we cannot ever know how to love properly.

1 John 4:7-11 (ESV)
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Nothing good can come from our flesh, our sinful nature. We could aspire to live with liberty as our most fundamental right, but on what grounds do we establish limitations in order for everyone to enjoy liberty? Without God’s moral code, summarized in love, we have nothing sustainable. Who then can say that I am wrong to play loud music at 1 o’clock in the morning? Why should I care about my neighbour? In reality, the world does not know God or His love. The world does not have a framework in which to truly espouse liberty. Libertarianism is impractical for the simple reason that man is governed by his sinful nature and true liberty is not possible without the framework of agape love.

However, as Paul says in Galatians 5:1, Christ has set us free for freedom. The covenant of grace established by our Heavenly King and the law of the Spirit, which now governs our hearts, frees us from requiring justification by works. In Christ, we are no longer bound to our sinful nature and we experience the truest freedom of all: eternal life in the presence of and fellowship with God Almighty. This is true libertarianism: living perfectly free in the confines of God’s magnificent love without any interference from sin, dysfunctional governments, or cantankerous neighbours!

JOSEPH, GOD’S MAN FOR THE HOUR – 3

Bible Study, ,

God’s “buts” always turn trouble into triumph! As Paul discovered in his many crises,

‭Romans‬ ‭8:28‬ ‭NLT‬
[28]… ‘God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.’

Joseph stood in line for God’s favour in his new situation as prisoner in Pharaoh’s prison because of his looks and integrity….and God’s purposes. The charge against him merited his execution but…

‭Genesis‬ ‭39:21‭-‬23‬ ‭NLT‬
[21] “The Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. [22] Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. [23] The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed.”

Once again, Joseph stood out among the other prisoners and was soon promoted to head prisoner. Imagine that! Head prisoner! What an honour!

His new position gave him access to all the other prisoners which was exactly what Joseph needed for the next phase of his journey from prison to palace.

What did Joseph think of his dreams at this point? Did the memory of his dreams guide him and keep his hope alive when all his experiences in Egypt pointed in the opposite direction? Did his faith in God grow or diminish during these years of testing?

‭Psalms‬ ‭105:16‭-‬19‬ ‭NLT‬
[16] “He (God) called for a famine on the land of Canaan, cutting off its food supply. [17] Then he sent someone to Egypt ahead of them— Joseph, who was sold as a slave. [18] They bruised his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar. [19] Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character.”

You can be sure that God is always up to something when He is dealing with His own people. From our perspective, our situation may look messy, impossible, beyond hope, and yet…when we dare to trust God and believe that He is working for our good, the present situation couldn’t be better!

So, Joseph works with all the prisoners, gets to know them, shares his stories with them, wins their trust until…

A crisis arises in the lives of two of Pharaoh’s employees.

‭Genesis‬ ‭40:1‭-‬4‬ ‭NLT‬
[1] “Some time later, Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer and chief baker offended their royal master. [2] Pharaoh became angry with these two officials, [3] and he put them in the prison where Joseph was, in the palace of the captain of the guard. [4] They remained in prison for quite some time, and the captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, who looked after them.”

They are both sent to prison and land up under Joseph’s care, right in line with God’s plan! Don’t you love it when a plan comes together? Eleven years have passed since Joseph’s ordeal began, eleven years of testing, waiting, hoping, but nothing seems to be happening… Yet, God is moving all the pieces into place for the perfect moment.

Dreams again, not his this time, but the dreams of Pharaoh’s officials.

‭Genesis‬ ‭40:5‭-‬8‬ ‭NLT‬
[5] While they were in prison, Pharaoh’s cup-bearer and baker each had a dream one night, and each dream had its own meaning. [6] When Joseph saw them the next morning, he noticed that they both looked upset. [7] “Why do you look so worried today?” he asked them. [8] And they replied, “We both had dreams last night, but no one can tell us what they mean.” “Interpreting dreams is God’s business,” Joseph replied. “Go ahead and tell me your dreams.”

Joseph’s divinely appointed moment!
He interprets their dreams and both, in turn, receive the fulfilment of their dreams, the butler reinstated and the baker executed.

‭Genesis‬ ‭40:13‭-‬15‬ ‭NLT‬
[13] “Within three days Pharaoh will lift you up and restore you to your position as his chief cup-bearer. [14] And please remember me and do me a favor when things go well for you. Mention me to Pharaoh, so he might let me out of this place. [15] For I was kidnapped from my homeland, the land of the Hebrews, and now I’m here in prison, but I did nothing to deserve it.”

‭Genesis‬ ‭40:20‭-‬21‬ ‭NLT‬
[20] Pharaoh’s birthday came three days later, and he prepared a banquet for all his officials and staff. He summoned his chief cup-bearer and chief baker to join the other officials. [21] He then restored the chief cup-bearer to his former position, so he could again hand Pharaoh his cup….
[23] Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer, however, forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought.

In the flurry of his restoration, Joseph’s plea to be remembered is forgotten. Joseph must wait another two long years to complete his training before promotion comes… Another two years go by, bringing Joseph to the age of thirty…

Although God uses people of all ages to fulfil His will, significant people in the Bible began their ministry at age thirty; priests (Numbers 4:3), King Saul (1 Samuel 13:1), King David (2 Samuel 5:4), Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:1), and even our Lord Jesus Himself (Luke 3:23).

To be continued..

JOSEPH – GOD’S MAN FOR THE HOUR – 2

Bible Study, ,

Meanwhile, back home, the brothers’ blatant lie that Joseph had probably been killed by a wild beast, had plunged Jacob, the old father whose life was bound up in the life of his son, into inconsolable mourning. Without conscience, Jacob’s sons saw his grief but felt nothing.

Joseph’s first break came when he was sold to Potiphar,

‭Genesis‬ ‭37:36‬ ‭NLT‬
[36] “Meanwhile, the Midianite traders arrived in Egypt, where they sold Joseph to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potiphar was captain of the palace guard.”

Potiphar was no racist, it seems. Joseph was a Hebrew but Potiphar recognised the value in this young man. In tandem with God’s plans, Joseph’s resolves, fashioned by his father’s teaching and honed by suffering, soon set him up for promotion.

‭Genesis‬ ‭39:3‭-‬6‬ ‭NLT‬
[3] “Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. [4] This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. [5] From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. [6] So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat!”

However, promotion is often accompanied by testing and can be dangerous without proof. The story of King Saul reveals what happens when an untested vessel faces temptation.

Joseph’s youthful physique and looks proved too much for Potiphar’s wife. She thought he would be an easy target but, in the fire of temptation, Joseph’s moral fibre held firm.

‭Genesis‬ ‭39:8‭-‬9‬ ‭NLT‬
[8] “But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. [9] No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.”

As so often happens, “a woman scorned” hit back with false accusations. Her trump card was Joseph’s cloak!

‭Genesis‬ ‭39:11‭-‬12‬ ‭NLT‬
[11] “One day, however, no one else was around when he went in to do his work. [12] She came and grabbed him by his cloak, demanding, “Come on, sleep with me!” Joseph tore himself away, but he left his cloak in her hand as he ran from the house.”

‭Genesis‬ ‭39:16‭-‬18‬ ‭NLT‬
[16] She kept the cloak with her until her husband came home. [17] Then she told him her story. “That Hebrew slave you’ve brought into our house tried to come in and fool around with me,” she said. [18] “But when I screamed, he ran outside, leaving his cloak with me!”

Unfortunately for Joseph, Potiphar’s loyalty to his wife, her word against Joseph’s (if a slave had the right to defend himself) prevailed, and Joseph found himself summarily demoted to prisoner in the king’s prison despite his excellent track record.

‭Genesis‬ ‭39:19‭-‬20‬ ‭NLT‬
[19] “Potiphar was furious when he heard his wife’s story about how Joseph had treated her. [20] So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king’s prisoners were held, and there he remained.”

So, Joseph the pampered, Joseph who prospered became Joseph the prisoner. Could he go any lower?

But…

To be continued…

JOSEPH, GOD’S MAN FOR THE HOUR

Bible Study, ,

Now we come to Joseph. Joseph! So revered by many! An outstanding man in the story of God’s people, yet his early years are the tale of a pampered, arrogant teenager who lorded it over his older brothers and paid dearly for his pompous attitude.

Joseph seen as a type of Jesus Christ in the sense that what happened to him and how he reacted was mirrored in many ways in Jesus’ life. For example, he was deeply loved by his father, he went into Egypt, he was hated by his brothers, he was unjustly treated, he served his people, he was exalted to a high position, to name a few similarities.

Let’s begin with Joseph, the teenager. Favourite of his father, Jacob, he took advantage of his privileges firstly by being a telltale to his dad about his brothers’ misdemeanours.

‭Genesis‬ ‭37:2‬ ‭NLT‬
[2] “This is the account of Jacob and his family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father’s flocks. He worked for his half brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing.”

Not only did Joseph tell tales on his half brothers but he also paraded the fancy coat his father had given him.

‭Genesis‬ ‭37:3‭-‬4‬ ‭NLT‬
[3]” Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe. [4] But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him.”

I’m sure that Joseph ofter swaggered in front of them in his “beautiful robe” just to tantalise them and anger them even more. It’s no wonder they looked for an opportunity to get even with him.

Joseph’s dreams, which were probably meant for him alone, but which he told them and his father, incensed them even more. It galled them to think that he might one day rule over them. The best way to put his dreams to sleep forever was to kill him.

The opportunity came inadvertantly through his own father, Jacob, when he was sent to check on his brothers who were away tending the sheep. The brothers’ plan was sparked into action when they recognised his figure in the distance, dressed of course in his grand cloak.

‭Genesis‬ ‭37:18‭-‬20‬ ‭NLT‬
[18] When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him. [19] “Here comes the dreamer!” they said. [20] “Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!”

Reuben, firstborn in the family, and responsible for all his siblings, scotched that plan by suggesting they throw him into an empty cistern to die. Then they would not be guilty of murder. He planned to rescue him when he had a chance.

‭Genesis‬ ‭37:21‭-‬22‬ ‭NLT‬
[21] “But when Reuben heard of their scheme, he came to Joseph’s rescue. “Let’s not kill him,” he said. [22] “Why should we shed any blood? Let’s just throw him into this empty cistern here in the wilderness. Then he’ll die without our laying a hand on him.” Reuben was secretly planning to rescue Joseph and return him to his father.”

Unfortunately for Reuben, his plan went awry when his brothers sold Joseph, in his absence, to passing Midianite traders on their way to Egypt.

So, Joseph descends, from beloved son of a wealthy nomad in Canaan to lonely Hebrew slave in Egypt. With his humiliation, to Joseph’s credit, came a new and sobering attitude to life. At seventeen, dad’s instructions had yet to become cemented into his life’s value system, but Joseph had time, as he stumbled behind the Midianite caravan of camels, to contemplate his situation and decide on a plan of action.

To be continued…