Good Morning.
Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river.(Genesis 41:1)
In the Hebrew Bible, this portion of Scripture begins what is called a parsha — essentially a portion of the Scripture that everyone in Judaism reads together. This particular parsha is called Mi’ketz which means “at the end.” It is taken from the Hebrew phrase, here, that is translated “at the end of two full years.” Like other portions, Mi’ketz is pregnant with prophetic overtones. In other words, the events described here are hinting at what will transpire “at the end (of days).”
One of the things we glean from this part of the Scripture is these events begin the last part of the prophecy given to Abraham in Genesis 15 –- his seed would be subjugated. Consequently, it was important that Joseph was willing to submit to what God had ordained which included being sent into exile and unfairly sentenced to prison. However, were it not for that, many other good things would not have happened.
As humans, we perceive things as being bad or good based on how they appeal to our flesh. But from God’s point of view, sometimes “bad” things are really “good” things and that which we regard as good might be bad. Again, it all depends on whether it appeals to our flesh or not. Those things that prompt us to die to our flesh are, in the end, good for us and others. Furthermore, we understand that God often uses something “bad” to bring about something “good.” As Paul said:
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
Maybe there are bad things happening in your world, today. Don’t lose heart; these things might be the very vehicle God uses to bring about something unbelievable and glorious in your life. And if it blesses your life, chances are it will spill over into other people’s lives to bless them as well.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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