Wed.’s Devo - Joseph’s Trials

Read: Genesis 39:1-41:16; Matthew 12:46-13:23; Psalm 17:1-15; Proverbs 3:33-35 Joseph was taken to Potiphar’s house. Potiphar means “my affliction was broken”. His affliction was broken when Joseph came and everything in his house was blessed and turned around. Joseph had an enemy which was Satan. He was there to discourage and fight everything God was doing. But God was using every failure to mold Joseph into the leader he needed him to become. God had a funny way of promoting Joseph. He would test him and Joseph would end up in prison. Joseph would use his gift of administration and be promoted again. Everywhere Joseph ended up God was with him to bless him. It was all preparation for the greatest job of all. Joseph’s life was a picture of Jesus’ life in so many ways. Jesus, like Joseph learned to obey God by the things he suffered (Hebrews 5:8). Joseph was rejected by his own brothers because of their jealousy of his favor from their father just as Jesus was rejected by the Jews for his talk of his relationship with his Father. Joseph was wrongly accused by Potipher’s wife just as Jesus was wrongly accused of doing his miracles by the power of Satan. Both were being prepared to reign over nations. Both grew in the favor of God. Apparently the king found out that someone was trying to poison him and there were two people who could do this. One would be the one who gave him what he drank - the cup bearer and the other was the one who baked his food - the baker. They were both put in prison till the plot could be investigated to find the guilty one. God gave them both a dream on the same night and when Joseph heard the dreams, God gave him the interpretation. The baker was guilty and ended up hanging on the third day. The cup-bearer was innocent and was exalted to his rightful position on the third day. This is a picture of judgment day when all of the sins of the world will be revealed and brought to light. Those covered by the blood of Jesus will be declared innocent and we will reign with Christ in his Kingdom. Those who are guilty of sin will go to their destiny in hell. The cup-bearer completely forgot about Joseph until two years later when the Pharaoh had a dream that no one could interpret. Joseph was brought out of prison and brought before the king. Joseph made sure that the Pharaoh knew that only God in heaven could interpret his dream. In Matthew, Jesus was told that his mother and brothers were outside and wanted to speak with him. Jesus made sure that they understood that everyone was on the same level with God. They could all have the status of his mother and brothers. Jesus taught the people in parables which were stories that had hidden meaning. To understand the meaning you had to meditate on them and want to understand. Jesus did this to cull out those who were just there for the miracles and not for their love for God. The parable about the seed and the soil was the parable of all parables. If you understand it, you will understand the others. The seed is the Words that Jesus spoke and that are written in the Bible. If they land on hearts that are fertile they will grow and produce fruit, but if they fall on shallow hearts, they will not stand when persecution comes. If they fall on hearts that are full of sin, they will be choked out by the sin. Jesus chose the disciples he chose because all but one of them had the right kind of hearts. Thank you, Lord for choosing us and putting your Word and your Spirit in us. May we grow to produce much fruit for your kingdom.