Friday, Ordinary 20/Proper 15-- Aug 15
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Meditation
Friday, Ordinary 20, Proper 15, continued the saga of Joseph’s rise to power. The recommendation of Joseph to Pharaoh that he choose a governor to oversee the crop production over the next 14 years—the first seven for saving to supplement the next seven lean years resulted in Pharaoh appointing Joseph to that task.
Pharaoh bestowed on Joseph favors that a royal son would have, including arranging a marriage to a well-connected priest/family. Some see Joseph’s marriage as violating the law of God, but the Ten Commandments had not been given yet. That law to not have other gods before God, actually doesn’t say don’t acknowledge other gods, just don’t put them above the one true God. In addition, we don’t know precisely what his father-in-law was a priest of—a pagan god? Or a priest like Jethro, who worshipped the true God, whose daughter was the woman Moses married.
We don’t know and the writer didn’t speculate or make a judgment of his behavior as being wrong. The troubles of Manasseh and Ephraim following other gods in the generations to come may have derived from some pagan roots. But we don’t know. With the hundreds of years between the rise of Joseph and the establishment of the worship of pagan gods, is a bit of a stretch. I can barely influence my children. I would question the ability to influence the generations several hundred years in the future.
Besides, Joseph stayed true to God throughout all his tribulations. He was blessed by God through his divining what the dreams met. Would God give this gift to a person, who so easily would be given over to false gods? I don’t think so. His exemplary behavior was the focus because we should emulate him. I can’t see him turning his back on God, just because things went well for him. I can’t think that he would be blessed with two fine sons, if he was heading down a false road. Joseph is the archetype for Jesus. I doubt God would use Joseph as an archetype if he were to turn his heart to idols.
Why would knowing whether he was involved with idols or the true priest of God be important? Perhaps God was dropping hints that more than just Jews would become a part of the family of God. God blessed Joseph and all the Jews in Egypt. They grew and multiplied; they returned to the Promise Land. Their influence touched all the nations around them.
The New Testament lesson compared the old-traditional Jews who protested Paul’s work in preaching the Gospel looking for ways to stop him, whereas Paul and Barnabas took the Good News to the non-Jews and many were added to the numbers.
God had a plan for Jews and non-Jews alike to become members of the family of God. Some were far back in time, some during Jesus’s life and many have been since Christ resurrection. The bottom line is that we are all given the responsibility to make a decision for ourselves. God revealed the Commandments to the Jews, but many nations were blessed because of the Hebrew people. The priest of Melchizedek came to meet Abraham, well before the law, but he was considered a true follower. Non-Jews demonstrated ability to follow God.
Regardless of birth heritage, everyone has an opportunity to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Thanks be to God.¬¬
All Scriptures printed below are in King James Version for copyright purposes. However, clicking on the verse locations will take you to Biblegateway.com where the text is linked to more contemporary versions.
Prayer: Almighty God, Open my eyes that I might see. Open my mind that I might understand. Open my heart that I might make your words a part of me. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Amen
Ordinary 20, Proper 15Bible Readings
http://legacy.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm 28;Genesis 40:1-23;Matthew 8:23-27&version=KJV;ERV;GNT;NCV;CEV (multiple versions)
Friday, Ordinary 20, Proper 15
Psalm 133
Genesis 41:37-57
Acts 14:19-28
Daily Bible Verses to Memorize for Meditating
Psalm 133:1
King James Version (KJV)
133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
Single Bible Study chapter to study
Genesis 41:37-57
King James Version (KJV)
37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;
43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.
44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
47 And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.
48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.
49 And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.
50 And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.
51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.
52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.
53 And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.
54 And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.
57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.
OBSERVE:
Take a moment and write three observations of the verses. What strikes you? An observation is an observable fact from the Word.
1.
2.
3.
INTERPRETATION:
What do you interpret these verses to mean for you today?
APPLY:
Today, I learned _____________________________________and apply it to my life.
Prayer of Encouragement
Almighty God, thank you for the stories of Joseph which have such happy endings after the seemingly endless troubles that he endured. Help our faith to grow strong that when we have bad times, there will be a happy ending for us too. In Jesus’ name, Amen
Conclusion
Friday, Ordinary 20, Proper 15 dealt with the transformation of Joseph into the key to Egyptian survival through the drought times. Joseph’s exemplary life was the example for us to follow. He was the beacon of the glorious way that life could turn around for the better. God at work in a person’s life—whether Jew or non-Jew—to make things come together for good.
We must each own our part in the process. God offers. We must accept. Each has a choice. Each can become a family member. We are united in Christ.
Go out and be ready for God to do mighty things in your life—for the glory of God.*
Thank you for visiting ChapLynne’s Daily Encouragement and Bible Study. God bless you.
*If you do not know the Lord as your personal Savior and you are seeking, please contact me. A genuine and simple prayer, asking God into your heart for the forgiveness of your sins will also do.
Friday, Ordinary 20, Proper 15, continued the saga of Joseph’s rise to power. The recommendation of Joseph to Pharaoh that he choose a governor to oversee the crop production over the next 14 years—the first seven for saving to supplement the next seven lean years resulted in Pharaoh appointing Joseph to that task.
Pharaoh bestowed on Joseph favors that a royal son would have, including arranging a marriage to a well-connected priest/family. Some see Joseph’s marriage as violating the law of God, but the Ten Commandments had not been given yet. That law to not have other gods before God, actually doesn’t say don’t acknowledge other gods, just don’t put them above the one true God. In addition, we don’t know precisely what his father-in-law was a priest of—a pagan god? Or a priest like Jethro, who worshipped the true God, whose daughter was the woman Moses married.
We don’t know and the writer didn’t speculate or make a judgment of his behavior as being wrong. The troubles of Manasseh and Ephraim following other gods in the generations to come may have derived from some pagan roots. But we don’t know. With the hundreds of years between the rise of Joseph and the establishment of the worship of pagan gods, is a bit of a stretch. I can barely influence my children. I would question the ability to influence the generations several hundred years in the future.
Besides, Joseph stayed true to God throughout all his tribulations. He was blessed by God through his divining what the dreams met. Would God give this gift to a person, who so easily would be given over to false gods? I don’t think so. His exemplary behavior was the focus because we should emulate him. I can’t see him turning his back on God, just because things went well for him. I can’t think that he would be blessed with two fine sons, if he was heading down a false road. Joseph is the archetype for Jesus. I doubt God would use Joseph as an archetype if he were to turn his heart to idols.
Why would knowing whether he was involved with idols or the true priest of God be important? Perhaps God was dropping hints that more than just Jews would become a part of the family of God. God blessed Joseph and all the Jews in Egypt. They grew and multiplied; they returned to the Promise Land. Their influence touched all the nations around them.
The New Testament lesson compared the old-traditional Jews who protested Paul’s work in preaching the Gospel looking for ways to stop him, whereas Paul and Barnabas took the Good News to the non-Jews and many were added to the numbers.
God had a plan for Jews and non-Jews alike to become members of the family of God. Some were far back in time, some during Jesus’s life and many have been since Christ resurrection. The bottom line is that we are all given the responsibility to make a decision for ourselves. God revealed the Commandments to the Jews, but many nations were blessed because of the Hebrew people. The priest of Melchizedek came to meet Abraham, well before the law, but he was considered a true follower. Non-Jews demonstrated ability to follow God.
Regardless of birth heritage, everyone has an opportunity to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Thanks be to God.¬¬
All Scriptures printed below are in King James Version for copyright purposes. However, clicking on the verse locations will take you to Biblegateway.com where the text is linked to more contemporary versions.
Prayer: Almighty God, Open my eyes that I might see. Open my mind that I might understand. Open my heart that I might make your words a part of me. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Amen
Ordinary 20, Proper 15Bible Readings
http://legacy.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm 28;Genesis 40:1-23;Matthew 8:23-27&version=KJV;ERV;GNT;NCV;CEV (multiple versions)
Friday, Ordinary 20, Proper 15
Psalm 133
Genesis 41:37-57
Acts 14:19-28
Daily Bible Verses to Memorize for Meditating
Psalm 133:1
King James Version (KJV)
133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
Single Bible Study chapter to study
Genesis 41:37-57
King James Version (KJV)
37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;
43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.
44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
47 And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.
48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.
49 And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.
50 And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.
51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.
52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.
53 And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.
54 And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.
57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.
OBSERVE:
Take a moment and write three observations of the verses. What strikes you? An observation is an observable fact from the Word.
1.
2.
3.
INTERPRETATION:
What do you interpret these verses to mean for you today?
APPLY:
Today, I learned _____________________________________and apply it to my life.
Prayer of Encouragement
Almighty God, thank you for the stories of Joseph which have such happy endings after the seemingly endless troubles that he endured. Help our faith to grow strong that when we have bad times, there will be a happy ending for us too. In Jesus’ name, Amen
Conclusion
Friday, Ordinary 20, Proper 15 dealt with the transformation of Joseph into the key to Egyptian survival through the drought times. Joseph’s exemplary life was the example for us to follow. He was the beacon of the glorious way that life could turn around for the better. God at work in a person’s life—whether Jew or non-Jew—to make things come together for good.
We must each own our part in the process. God offers. We must accept. Each has a choice. Each can become a family member. We are united in Christ.
Go out and be ready for God to do mighty things in your life—for the glory of God.*
Thank you for visiting ChapLynne’s Daily Encouragement and Bible Study. God bless you.
*If you do not know the Lord as your personal Savior and you are seeking, please contact me. A genuine and simple prayer, asking God into your heart for the forgiveness of your sins will also do.
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Replies
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God has definite plans for people. God knew ahead what was going to happen to Joseph, even when hia brothers were jealous of him and turned him over to the Egyptians. He was given a gift of interpreting dreams and was favored. In the end his family came and lived and ate well in Egypt. I many times question God but know that if I would get things i pray for i would not be happy. God designs our steps, our paths in life if we make him our guide and protector. Many can squash our spirit but God saves our soul. No plans of man can hurt our spirit, just our worldly ego. Joseph was chosen. Yes, God walked with him. He put the Lords will to work. I am sure there were times when he was fearful even doubtful but he knew the dreams to give to the pharaoh and was guided and chosen. God guides may I listen and watch.0
