Thursday, March 3, 2016

Thursday - Genesis 37 - A Tale of a Teenage Dreamer

At 17 years old Joseph was already living a stressful life. His father loved him, his mother was deceased and his 10 older brothers hated him more and more every day. And hey, that was before God got involved. God sent Joseph 2 dreams about his future... wonderful right? Well, those revelations REALLY got Joseph into some hot water initially.
So, in his own home, Joseph was known as a cocky dreamer? Sounds like an unpleasant start for a young man in a very rough family (remember Simeon and Levi and what they did to Shechem’s city?).  To say the least, he had a long row to hoe!
Now, one day his dad sent him out to check on his brothers and their work. Unbeknownst to him, his 10 brothers' hatred for him had reached a boiling point and so while he was approaching their camp, they conspired to kill him. Had it not been for Reuben and God, Joseph would have died in his teens.  God had other plans.
Joseph's coat made it home to his father, Israel, while Joseph himself made his way (involuntarily) into Egypt with a caravan of his Ishmaelite cousins.  Now, while Reuben was clearly not a part of the deal that cost Joseph his spot in the family, Reuben did join in when it came time to cover the crime.
I can't help pointing out that God's mercy was present right in the middle of Joseph's pain (Genesis 50:20). God blessed Joseph with dreams of his future prosperity, God spared Joseph's life when his brothers had it in for him, and God placed him in a prominent household in Egypt so that He could begin preparing him for the grandiose career which was yet to come for him.
God makes no mistakes. Even when we don't understand, when we don't see His plan, when we can't trace His hand... we can trust His heart - Babbie Mason.

My friend, God is good, all of the time! Even if you and I were to find ourselves hated by our own family, exiled from our own country and enslaved by Godless heathen... God would still be good.  When Joseph's biography is completely told there will be no question that the early hardships were worth bearing in order for him to arrive at his ultimate destination as savior and ruler of the known world.

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