Easter Devotional - Day 04
“So the king said to them, ‘No one could possibly handle this better than Joseph, since the Spirit of God is with him.’ Then the king told Joseph, ‘God is the one who has shown you these things. No one else is as wise as you are or knows as much as you do.’” Genesis 41:38-39
This has got to be the strangest part of Joseph’s story. Joseph was a foreigner. Joseph had come to Egypt as a slave. Joseph had been imprisoned under accusation of improper dealings with Potiphar’s wife. Joseph was still a prisoner. Foreigners with criminal records were the last to be considered for a position of power, much less when they were slaves. Now all this was being set aside and he was given the position of second in command of the largest world power of the day!
This was a novel step, indeed. Sure, Pharaoh liked the idea of taxing all agricultural produce at a twenty-percent rate. Any excuse for that would help the coffers of Egypt immensely, even if Joseph’s interpretation were completely invalid. It was not so unexpected for Pharaoh to take Joseph’s word as one on which to act. It was in his best interest, regardless of what the future might really hold. The dream and its interpretation could be shared at least as a great excuse to levy more taxes than before. The startling part of the story is that Pharaoh picked Joseph to administer the program.
Likely, Pharaoh had heard of Joseph’s career as steward for Potiphar and the jailer by now. While Joseph was being shaved, bathed, and dressed to present himself before Pharaoh, Pharaoh had taken the time for a briefing on Joseph’s story and credentials. He doubtless would know something about him before Joseph was dragged into the throne room to offer an interpretation for Pharaoh’s dreams. Perhaps that was enough to give Pharaoh cause to place him as steward of agriculture in the years leading up to the drought that Joseph was forecasting. Surely, however, Pharaoh had many other capable hands already in the court who would do an adequate job and whose allegiance was already determined.
Why take a foreigner, an outsider, and place him in such an exalted position? Joseph didn't even serve the gods of Egypt, the most powerful nation in the world. Everyone considered the power of a nation the result of the power of their gods. So what, that Joseph served some other god? There was little reason for Pharaoh to consider such a deity of any importance in contrast to the deities of Egypt.
Maybe Pharaoh took Joseph as a symbol figure to help with the change of taxation. Perhaps he was to be the poster child for the idea. If anything went wrong with collecting the 1/5 tax, it would be easy to blame the foreigner and absolve Pharaoh’s complicity. Maybe, then, it was some slick political maneuvering—“It’s that foreigner who is responsible for the taxing of your agricultural produce! He’s the one who said it was necessary!” Joseph would make an easy scapegoat if things turned sour. After all, there was no one in Egypt to care for his plight or take his side in a power play.
God took the least likely candidate and placed him in a position of immense power. Interpreting the dream would have been sufficient to save the lives endangered by the coming famine. God took Joseph to the height of power in Egypt, however, to display his character above the gods of Egypt.
Determine how God would use you to point to Him from your circles of influence.
"Lord, help me serve you as faithfully as Joseph, pointing one and all to Your presence."
—©Copyright 2009 Christopher B. Harbin
http://www.sermonsearch.com/contributors/104427/
This has got to be the strangest part of Joseph’s story. Joseph was a foreigner. Joseph had come to Egypt as a slave. Joseph had been imprisoned under accusation of improper dealings with Potiphar’s wife. Joseph was still a prisoner. Foreigners with criminal records were the last to be considered for a position of power, much less when they were slaves. Now all this was being set aside and he was given the position of second in command of the largest world power of the day!
This was a novel step, indeed. Sure, Pharaoh liked the idea of taxing all agricultural produce at a twenty-percent rate. Any excuse for that would help the coffers of Egypt immensely, even if Joseph’s interpretation were completely invalid. It was not so unexpected for Pharaoh to take Joseph’s word as one on which to act. It was in his best interest, regardless of what the future might really hold. The dream and its interpretation could be shared at least as a great excuse to levy more taxes than before. The startling part of the story is that Pharaoh picked Joseph to administer the program.
Likely, Pharaoh had heard of Joseph’s career as steward for Potiphar and the jailer by now. While Joseph was being shaved, bathed, and dressed to present himself before Pharaoh, Pharaoh had taken the time for a briefing on Joseph’s story and credentials. He doubtless would know something about him before Joseph was dragged into the throne room to offer an interpretation for Pharaoh’s dreams. Perhaps that was enough to give Pharaoh cause to place him as steward of agriculture in the years leading up to the drought that Joseph was forecasting. Surely, however, Pharaoh had many other capable hands already in the court who would do an adequate job and whose allegiance was already determined.
Why take a foreigner, an outsider, and place him in such an exalted position? Joseph didn't even serve the gods of Egypt, the most powerful nation in the world. Everyone considered the power of a nation the result of the power of their gods. So what, that Joseph served some other god? There was little reason for Pharaoh to consider such a deity of any importance in contrast to the deities of Egypt.
Maybe Pharaoh took Joseph as a symbol figure to help with the change of taxation. Perhaps he was to be the poster child for the idea. If anything went wrong with collecting the 1/5 tax, it would be easy to blame the foreigner and absolve Pharaoh’s complicity. Maybe, then, it was some slick political maneuvering—“It’s that foreigner who is responsible for the taxing of your agricultural produce! He’s the one who said it was necessary!” Joseph would make an easy scapegoat if things turned sour. After all, there was no one in Egypt to care for his plight or take his side in a power play.
God took the least likely candidate and placed him in a position of immense power. Interpreting the dream would have been sufficient to save the lives endangered by the coming famine. God took Joseph to the height of power in Egypt, however, to display his character above the gods of Egypt.
Determine how God would use you to point to Him from your circles of influence.
"Lord, help me serve you as faithfully as Joseph, pointing one and all to Your presence."
—©Copyright 2009 Christopher B. Harbin
http://www.sermonsearch.com/contributors/104427/
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