- araratchurch
- Jul 10, 2024
- 3 min read
“Pharaoh’s birthday came three days later, and he prepared a banquet for all his officials and staff. He summoned his chief cup-bearer and chief baker to join the other officials. He then restored the chief cup-bearer to his former position, so he could again hand Pharaoh his cup. But Pharaoh impaled the chief baker, just as Joseph had predicted when he interpreted his dream. Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer, however, forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought.”
Genesis 40:20-23 NLT
Sadly, it’s all too common: Someone—perhaps having fallen on hard times—is helped out of their situation. But, having been restored, they now forget those who are still in a bind. But allow me to tell you something a little closer to home.
My father was known for being a forgiving, loving, individual who helped many people, people others wouldn’t help. Yet, some of those same people, turned around and—because of their own agenda—went after him, even to the level of allowing someone close to them to threaten to “break the old man’s legs.”
I will have to say, my father never turned around and said he regretted having reached a hand to lift that person up, or anyone else, for that matter.
Additionally, there were others he lifted up who—when given the chance to help him—did not. For example, my father had a very rich relative whom he had brought to Christ and was always ready to offer prayer when that person had a need. But that same individual, never helped my father financially when he was struggling to get a church started with a young family.
Now, I don’t say any of these things with bitterness. After all, my father was never bitter; and my Heavenly Father is never pleased with those who are being controlled by bitterness.
My point is this: If someone has helped us, even if that person never personally needs help for themselves, we must pay forward what has been done for us.
For those who estimate themselves as being “self-made,” or always singularly fighting their own battles, I would simply point them to what Christ has done for us.
“We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.”
1 John 3:16 NLT
And there’s this:
“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!”
Matthew 10:8 NLT
It should not be enough that we have been given what we needed. What about those who are still struggling? What about those who reached out to us when we needed a helping hand?
Jesus gave a simple, but very profound instruction:
“Do to others as you would like them to do to you.”
Luke 6:31 NLT
If we followed this simple instruction, we would never forget, or leave people behind who are still seeking justice.
In our opening scripture we see that the dreams interpreted by Joseph have come to pass. Just as he said, the cupbearer was restored, and the baker was executed. Then we see this very sad commentary: “Pharaoh’s chief cup-bearer, however, forgot all about Joseph, never giving him another thought.”
Surely Joseph will now throw up his hands in despair and allow bitterness to fill his soul. I guess we’ll have to see what happens.
In the meantime, let’s remember how we felt when we needed justice. Let’s never leave anyone behind and forgotten.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Jul 9, 2024
- 3 min read
“When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given the first dream such a positive interpretation, he said to Joseph, “I had a dream, too. In my dream there were three baskets of white pastries stacked on my head. The top basket contained all kinds of pastries for Pharaoh, but the birds came and ate them from the basket on my head.” “This is what the dream means,” Joseph told him. “The three baskets also represent three days. Three days from now Pharaoh will lift you up and impale your body on a pole. Then birds will come and peck away at your flesh.””
Genesis 40:16-19 NLT
My mind goes back to some of the first days of our journey into “47 Days of Justice 2024,” as we talked about Nathan the prophet confronting David.
As you will remember, Nathan presented a scenario in which a very wealthy man chose to take the lamb of a very poor man (for whom the lamb was a pet), to kill and eat when he had company over.
As you will also remember, David was furious and demanded harsh judgment upon this man, only to hear Nathan the prophet say, “You are the man!”
What can we glean from this scenario between Nathan and David?
You see, there comes a time when a person may have become so self-deceived that they actually begin to believe that justice is on their side. David was blind to the fact that Nathan was describing him!
I think we all have probably known of circumstances where people have made themselves a special case in terms of judgment. Sadly, even some Christians, including some Christian leaders, deceive themselves with the idea that they are some sort of a “special case,” such that God will not punish them for the evil they are doing.
Indeed, the Lord addresses the phenomenon of people being deceived as to where they would stand in judgment.
“You look forward to the day when the Lord comes to judge. But you are in for trouble! It won’t be a time of sunshine; all will be darkness. You will run from a lion, only to meet a bear. You will escape to your house, rest your hand on the wall, and be bitten by a snake. The day when the Lord judges will be dark, very dark, without a ray of light.”
Amos 5:18-20 CEV
Yes, God’s people were yearning for the Day of the Lord, assuming that He would rescue them. However, they were blinded to their evil ways, blinded that they were deserving of punishment!
Jesus addressed the issue of those who are deceived in terms of what justice would look like for them. Incredibly, they will even try to argue with the Lord concerning His judgment.
“”Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’”
Matthew 7:21-23 NLT
It’s so good to know that we have a Savior Who took on the justice sin demanded. But we will only escape the wages of our sin by calling on the name of the Lord in repentance and faithfully walking in obedience to Him.
In our opening scripture, we see that since Joseph had given the cupbearer an encouraging interpretation to his dream, the baker seeks out an interpretation for his own dream, expecting a glowing prediction.
Now, we must step aside for a moment and take note that since the baker was obviously the one guilty of what he and the cupbearer were accused of doing, he must have known that he was guilty. Yet, he assumed that he would be restored to his position. He was blind to the fact that justice would require his death.
As we seek and pray for justice, let us continually allow the Holy Spirit to show us areas where we would not be on the winning side of justice.
As well, let’s make sure to get things right in our own lives before praying for the floodgates of justice to be opened. Remember, when those floodgates are opened, everything in the path of those raging waters will be swept away.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Jul 8, 2024
- 3 min read
“And please remember me and do me a favor when things go well for you. Mention me to Pharaoh, so he might let me out of this place. For I was kidnapped from my homeland, the land of the Hebrews, and now I’m here in prison, but I did nothing to deserve it.”
Genesis 40:14-15 NLT
When I was a little girl I knew a once-beautiful young woman who was confined to a wheelchair. The story goes that she was not always this way.
Years before my family knew her, she had experienced a very traumatic heartbreak, being rejected by the love of her life. Even still she would talk with great sorrow about the incident. And, it seems that the symptoms leading to the wheelchair confinement, began at that time of great sorrow. It appeared that the bitterness in her soul had become manifested in her body.
Now, can we say that all people comfined to a wheelchair, or suffering from some sort of malady, are victims of bitterness or some other psychological/spiritual/emotional dynamic? Of course not, that’s not our call to make. After all, we are not “Job’s comforters.”
The point we must appreciate is that something like a great heartbreak, a great loss, any traumatic event, can lead to bitterness. And make no mistake, bitterness will suck the very life out of you, leaving you empty of anything but the bitterness.
It’s no wonder that the Bible issues several warnings against having bitterness. As Paul instructed the Ephesians, bitterness—along with other “negative” emotions—can cause a person to grieve the Holy Spirit.
“And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”
Ephesians 4:30-32 NLT
When Simon the sorcerer offered to pay to receive the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter noted that bitterness had poisoned him.
“Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”
Acts 8:22-23 NKJV
Yes, bitterness—though possibly precipitating from the actions of others, or from our experience—is a self-administered poison. And just as you might expect from poison, it causes great harm, if not death.
Today, we re-examine a portion of the scripture from yesterday, looking at something Joseph said to the king’s cupbearer, or rather, something he did not say.
Notice, in asking for the cupbearer to remember him to the king when he becomes reinstated, Joseph does not mention what his brothers did to him, rather, he speaks generally about the fact that he is not guilty of anything.
Wow! Imagine that! Your own brothers sell you out; yet you do not bring an accusation against them. Why didn’t he? Had he forgotten what they did to him?
Of course, Joseph had not forgotten exactly how he got where he was. Apparently, he wasn’t focusing on how or why he was where he was. He was not only making lemons into lemonade, he is making lemon chiffon pie! He is prospering in every pit into which he is thrown. In fact, we see no evidence of Joseph being bitter towards his brothers or towards his life in general. After all, the Lord is with him! And perhaps the Lord means all this for some greater purpose.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!