S) "16 When the chief baker saw that he had interpreted favorably, he said to Joseph, 'I also saw in my dream, and behold, there were three baskets of white bread on my head; 17 and in the top basket there were some of all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.' 18 Then Joseph answered and said, 'This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; 19 within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and will hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh off you.'"
Genesis 40:16-19 (NASB)
O) The mistake the baker made is clear in the beginning of v.16, when he assumed he would have a favorable interpretation from Joseph. I think there are three probable reasons why he would have made this mistake.
First, he may not have actually believed that Joseph was interpreting in truth. More like opening a cookie that cans a generic good fortune, he may have simply been looking for something to make himself feel better about his situation. Seeing that the cupbearer had just received such an encouraging word, he may have been looking for nothing more than that.
Second, he may have mistakenly believed that Joseph himself controlled the interpretation he gave. Joseph was, after all, a man in a position of great authority, having been placed in charge of the whole prison where he himself was kept (see Genesis 39:21-23), so maybe he assumed Joseph had some kind of sway or even that he might have been making it all up.
Third, he may have assumed goodness was contagious. He may have understood that Joseph was speaking truth. He may have understood Joseph was given the interpretation from the LORD. He may still have misunderstood God's sovereignty. God is the Creator, free to bless His creations with discretion that requires no explanation. Just because circumstances look similar, does not automatically mean God is going to approach them the same.
A) The third scenario seems the most likely to me, mostly because I have seen it in the church today. I have struggled myself, with projecting my experiences into someone else's circumstances. Just because I have experienced something similar, does not mean God will do for me what He has done for someone else. Not all of the promises of the Bible are transferable and applicable to my life and circumstances. I cannot let myself be tempted to take scriptures out of context, or demand things from God (by action or prayer). I need to humbly seek God, and allow Him to answer in His sovereignty. I will place my hope on the site, eternal promises, so that I will not be disappointed by my own maligned expectations.
P) Father, throughout my life, Tou have been unfailing in Your goodness, lovingkindness, patience, and love toward me. I confess, though, that I do not always know what is good for me. Furthermore, what I want, and what is good for Your kingdom, do not always align. So Father, I pray that I am humble and patient, to wait and see Your will be done. Help me resist the temptation to assume You will do anything for me, and rely solely on Scripture in defining Yoyr character. Open my eyes to see and my ears to hear. Let Your will be done in my life, even if it means my death. Be glorified. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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