Sunday, January 19, 2020

Sun.’s Devo - Understanding Mysteries

Read: Genesis 391-41:16; Matthew 12:46-13:23; Psalm 17:1-15; Proverbs 3:33-35
Joseph was sold to Potiphar who was chief of the executioners for the Pharaoh. Right away he noticed that Joseph was blessed with administration and that everything he touched prospered. Potiphar entrusted everything he had to Joseph and didn’t worry about a thing. Potiphar worked out of town much of the time so Potiphar’s wife started noticing Joseph when Potiphar was away. She tried to seduce him to have sex with her but he wouldn’t do it. She was relentless and when she was spurned the last time, she lied and said he had tried to force himself on her.
When Potiphar came home, she told him her lie. He must have seen through it because it would have been nothing for him to execute Joseph since that was his job. Instead, God intervened and Joseph was put in prison.
Joseph stayed there for years. One day both the king’s cook and wine taster were put in prison. Someone must have plotted to poison the king since they were in charge of what he drank and ate. They were put in prison till an investigation could be made to find out which one or if both were guilty.
God gave them both a dream on the same night and Daniel interpreted them both. The cup bearer would be restored to his job in three days. In three days, the baker would be hanged and the birds would eat his flesh. Joseph asked the cup bearer to please remember to mention his plight to the king and get him out because he was innocent. The cup bearer forgot about Joseph until years later when the king had a dream and it needed to be interpreted. Then the cup bearer told him about Joseph. Joseph was brought out of prison and shaved his head and changed out of his prison clothes. Joseph was wise enough to know that if he was going to appeal to an Egyptian, he needed to relate to him as much as possible.
When Joseph was asked by the Pharaoh if he could interpret his dream Joseph told him that God would tell him what it meant. Good answer!
Joseph’s brothers sold Joseph and faked his death as a picture of the Jew’s killing Jesus on the cross. Jesus was resurrected and sold to the Gentiles where he prospered and help them prosper. The Gentile church went through tough times when they had to go underground as Joseph was in prison but he came out of prison to rule over the Gentile world. We are living in that season right now but soon the Jewish eyes will be opened and they will realize that their Messiah has been alive all this time.
In Matthew, Jesus’ mother and brothers came for him. I am guessing that Joseph must have just died and they expected Jesus to come home and take over the family business. Jesus explained that his spiritual family was much bigger and just as important to him as the ones in his own house.
He didn’t go home, he followed his heavenly Father’s will. Jesus stood in a boat and told the crowd the most important parable of all. To understand all the other parables, you must understand this one. It was the one of the seed and the sower. He explained it to his disciples, who asked, what it meant. The key to understanding anything about Jesus and his kingdom has to do with the soil of your heart. If the soil is not ready and willing to receive the seed, the seed will not live. The seed is the Word of God. The farmer, God, throws out seed everywhere but it will only grow where the heart is ready and wanting to receive it. The more seed you devour, the more seed will be given you.
Lord, make us hungry for the seed of your Word. Remind us that your mysteries are for us to understand. Open our eyes to your kingdom.

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