Sat.’s Devo - Eyes to See

Read: Genesis 39:1-41:16; Matthew 12:46-13:23; Psalm 17:1-15; Proverbs 3:33-35
Joseph had a destiny chosen by God and he grew with every temptation and trial. Potipher’s wife stood for the lusts of the flesh, and Joseph refused to be brought down by that sin. It cost him his position and his reputation. Even in prison, he refused to let an unfair sentence change who he was. He prospered even there. He was put in charge and in position for his next assignment which was interpreting the dreams of the baker and the cupbearer. Apparently someone had discovered a plot to poison the king and they were the people responsible to give the king his drink and his food. If the king was being poisoned one of them had to be in on it. They were put in prison until the investigation was made. They stood for more than that: one stood for the righteous and one stood for the guilty awaiting eternal judgment. One will be acquitted to eternal life and one will be sentenced to eternal death. The cup bearer was innocent so he was saved, but the baker was guilty. The baker’s dream was that the birds of heaven came and ate his flesh. We see this same picture in Revelation 19:17-18 where the birds are called by God to eat the flesh of those who were enemies of the truth.
Another hint is that it was on Pharoah’s birthday that the judgment was given. On the birthday of the earth, Tishri one, also known as the Day of Atonement the books will be opened and God will judge the whole earth. Only those whose names are written in the Book of Life will be exempt from judgment. We are covered with the blood of the Lamb and our sins are removed.
Joseph had asked the cupbearer to mention his name to the king because he was in prison on a false charge. The cup bearer never remembered until it was the right time. Pharaoh had a dream that greatly troubled him and no one could interpret it. That is when the cupbearer remembered Joseph. They summoned Joseph from prison and Joseph did a very wise thing. He shaved and changed his clothes. He presented himself as an Egyptian so Pharaoh could receive what he had to say.
Joseph was a type of Jesus and his prison time represented Jesus rising from the grave. When Jesus died, he went first to Sheol and preached captivity captive (Ephesians 4:8). When he rose from the grave and presented himself to his disciples, they didn’t recognize him. He had shaved off all sin and was robed in God’s glory. Jesus was no longer just for the Jew, but God’s son sent to save the whole earth.
Joseph appeared before the king but made it clear that it would not be his interpretation but God’s he would give.
In Matthew Jesus gives them the parable that all the parables hang. If they could understand this one, they could understand all of them. It is the parable of the seed and the sower. The seed is the Word of God and the soil is the heart. Whether the seed bears fruit has to do with the condition of the heart. He gave four different kinds of heart: the one who doesn’t understand and it is stolen by the devil, the one who hears but has no roots so it can’t stand in trials, the one who hears but is chocked by the deceitfulness of riches and worries of this life, and the last is the one who hears and bears fruit because he understands it. Our understanding has to do with how we hear and believe in our hearts. It goes beyond what we see with our eyes which is faith.
Lord, may we have eyes to see and a heart to understand your Word.