I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
When Joseph arrived in Egypt he was sold to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guards. God was with Joseph so that everything Joseph did prospered. When Potiphar noticed Joseph’s success, he gave Joseph ever more responsibility until Joseph was running Potiphar’s entire household. Joseph was successful because he behaved in a godly manner. His behavior resulted in good outcomes because that is what happens when one behaves in a godly manner. The same thing will happen with us, if we behave in a godly manner we will have success.
However, Joseph’s success did not come without a price. Potiphar’s wife noticed him and considered him a handsome man. She wanted to add him to her conquests. When he refused to accede to her requests she became insistent. He started to avoid her as much as he could. Until one day he was in the house with her alone. She approached him and grabbed his cloak and demanded he come to bed with her. He left his cloak in her hand and fled. Potiphar’s wife then went to her husband and accused Joseph of attempting to rape her. Potiphar was furious and had Joseph thrown into prison. Despite the mistreatment he received, Joseph continued to act in a godly manner. This once again led to Joseph receiving special treatment.
While he was in prison, Pharaoh’s baker and his cup-bearer were placed into the same prison. They were assigned to Joseph’s care. After they had been in prison for some time each of the men had a dream in the same night. When Joseph came to them the he saw that they were more unhappy than usual and he inquired as to the reason. They answered that they had dreams that seemed to have meaning but they did not understand them. Joseph tells them that interpretation belongs to God and asks them to tell him their dreams. The two men each told Joseph their dreams and Joseph interpreted them. Joseph told the cup-bearer that in three days he would return to Pharaoh’s favor and he told the baker that in three days he would be executed. Joseph asked the cup-bearer to mention him to Pharaoh and get him out of prison when he received his good fortune. However, the cup-bearer forgot. Two years later, Pharaoh had two portentous dreams in the night. Pharaoh sent for his advisers and magicians, but none of them could tell him what the dreams meant. At that moment, the cup-bearer remembered Joseph. He told Pharaoh that Joseph could interpret dreams. Pharaoh sent for Joseph and asked him to interpret the dreams. Joseph told Pharaoh that he had no ability to interpret dreams, but that God would give Pharaoh the answer he was seeking.
Notice that while the passage repeatedly says that God made Joseph successful in everything he did, Joseph still experienced hardship. The same will be true for us. If we follow God’s will, we will experience success. However, this does not mean that we will not experience persecution and suffering. Also, notice that when Joseph suffered misfortune, he did not rant and rave against God. Instead, he remained faithful even though time and again circumstances went against him and he experienced suffering.
Today’s passage includes the parable of the sower. After Jesus tells the parable, His disciples ask Him why He speaks to the people in parables. Jesus gives them an interesting answer. He tells them that He speaks in parables because the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven are given to His disciples not to the people in general. He goes on to quote an Old Testament passage. First He tells them that He speaks to them in parables because:
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.”
Then He goes on to quote from Isaiah where Isaiah says that the people hear but do not understand and see but do not perceive. Isaiah goes on to say that their hearts have become calloused, they barely listen and do not look. Otherwise they might see, hear, understand and turn and God would heal them. Neither Isaiah nor Jesus say that God did this to the people. This is something the people did to themselves. People do not see because they choose not to see. They do not hear because they choose not to hear. People do not understand because they do not want to understand. If people truly listen, look and seek to understand God’s will, they are able to do so. If they do seek to hear, see and understand God’s will, they will turn from their sins and God will heal them.
After saying this Jesus explains the parable of the sower. He tells them that some people hear God’s word but do not understand it. When this happens, the evil one snatches it away from their hearts before it ever has an opportunity to take root. This is the seed sown on hard ground (the path), people who resist the idea of needing God. Other people hear the word and embrace it, but they never take it into the depth of their being and when trouble arises because of the word, they fall away. These are the seed sown on rocky soil, people who want everything to be easy. Still other people embrace the word but get caught up in their daily life and do not nourish the seed. The worries and concerns of their daily life choke out the seed as it grows and they do not bear fruit. This is the seed cast among the thorns. The final group are those who embrace the word and understand it. They produce a crop many times what they receive. I sincerely hope I am in that last group but I fear I am in the third. I wish to be faithful and serve God as He desires, but the various aspects of my life seem to keep distracting me. Once more I ask God to make me fruitful, to cause me to produce His fruit.
O Lord, I know that You hear my prayer. You test my thoughts and examine my heart. I strive to walk in your paths and follow Your commands. Help me to speak only Your words. I have seen the wonders of Your love. I offer my prayers to You because I know that You will answer.
The wicked will find God opposing them and mockers will find themselves mocked, but the righteous and humble will find God on their side in all they do. The wise will be honored, while fools will be embarrassed.