Tues.’s Devo - Dreams Come True

Read: Genesis 41:17-42:17; Matthew 13:24-46; Psalm 18:1-15; Proverbs 4:1-6 Pharaoh began telling Joseph his dream. Seven fat cows came out of the Nile followed by seven thin cows. The thin cows ate the fat cows, but were still thin. He woke, then went straight into another dream. In the second dream he saw seven healthy stalks of wheat and then seven blighted stalks which devoured the seven good stalks. When he woke from that dream he asked his magicians to tell him the meaning and they couldn’t. *** Joseph told the Pharaoh that God alone interprets dreams. In his dreams God was showing the Pharaoh what he was about to do on the earth. The seven healthy cows and stalks represented seven good years of prosperity and growth. The seven thin cows and blighted stalks represented seven years of famine which would use up all the produce of the good years. Since he had two dreams that meant the same thing, it was sure to happen. *** Joseph told the Pharaoh exactly what he needed to do to survive the seven bad years. He should appoint overseers to collect one -fifth of the proceed during the first seven years and store them for the last seven years. *** Pharaoh was so impressed with Joseph’s interpretation and advise that he appointed him to be the overseer over the land of Egypt. He gave him his signet ring and clothed him in fine royal garments. Then he put a gold chain about his neck and made him ride in his second chariot. He made all Egypt bow before him. He also gave him a new name Zaphenath-paneah which means “treasury of the glorious rest” and gave him a wife named Asenath which means “she has stored up.” *** Joseph was thirty which means since he was 17 he had been a slave or in prison. Now, he was second in command of the most powerful nation and had the authority of the Pharaoh. *** In the years of plenty, Joseph gathered abundant food for the cities to use in the years of famine. He also had two sons and name them Manasseh and Ephraim. Manasseh means “God has caused me to forget all his hardship and all his father’s house. Ephraim means “fruitful” which represented his life now. *** When the famine came, it was everywhere. The only place in the earth you could get bread was Egypt. Jacob learned there was grain in Egypt and sent his sons, except for Benjamin, to Egypt to buy grain. *** The brothers came to Joseph and bowed down just like Joseph had dreamed. He recognized them but they did not recognize him. Joseph remembered his dreams. He accused them of being spies and they began telling him their story and who they were. When they mentioned that they had a brother at home, Joseph devised a plan to see if they had changed. They told them that they would stay in his prison and he would send one of them home to get their other brother. When he returned with his brother, he would know they were telling the truth and release the others. He kept them all in jail for three days. *** Three days in jail was nothing compared to the years Joseph stayed in jail for something he didn’t do. We are told that we will fellowship with Jesus in his sufferings. Trials are not a punishment, they are a test to make us stronger and better. Joseph put the brothers together so they could talk about their lives and do some deep contemplation. *** In Matthew, Jesus gave the crowd a few more parables to think about. He compared the kingdom of heaven to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While he was asleep, the enemy sowed weeds among his wheat. The owner of the field knew an enemy had done this, but he told his servants to not do anything until the harvest, least they pluck up some wheat with the weeds. In the harvest, they would take the weeds first and burn them. Then they would gather the wheat into the barn. Notice the weeds get taken out first. It has been prophesied that we will see a great dying away of the wicked. This is what Jesus showed them also. He gave them another parable about the kingdom of heaven being like a grain of mustard seed. It became a great tree with branches that spread out and became home to many birds and animals. The kingdom of heaven is also like yeast that makes the flour grow three times greater. *** When the disciples had Jesus alone, they asked him the meaning of the new parables. Jesus explained that He was the sower and the field was the world. The good seed were the sons of the kingdom. We have been spread throughout the earth to spread the good news. The devil has planted his workers among us: in our churches, in our places of work, in our lives. At the end of the AGE he will send his angels to harvest the evil ones and they will be judged. The righteous will then shine like the sun. *** The end of an age is different than the end of the world. An age lasts a little over 2,000 years. We are at the end of an age and are leaving the Age of Pieces and entering into the Age of Aquarius. The Age of Pieces had to do with fish and being fishers of men. The Age of Aquarius represents a man with a watering can pouring out water. It has to do with God pouring out his Spirit without measure on the righteous who are left, after the ungodly are gone. *** Jesus then went into the parable about the treasure hidden in the field which has to do with his chosen people which are scattered all over the world - hidden. He purchased the whole world with the blood of his son to purchase them. This parable is referring to the Jews who will be saved in a day. *** Then the told about a merchant who was in search of fine pearls. The Gentiles are the pearls. God purchased us with the blood of Jesus also. *** Lord, thank you that we are living in this day where we are witnessing the changing of the Age. May we have eyes to see and ears to hear and not be afraid, but excited as we see your kingdom come to earth as it is in heaven.