Bibledoorajar Says: Heads Up!

Pharoah had been used to having control over his environment. He had amassed much and had come to a place of peace on the basis of his control of the physical elements of his world. But now, Joseph was telling him that for seven years he would have no control over the physical elements because of an all encompassing famine. This message  had to be alarming to Pharoah, but there stood before him a man seemingly in perfect peace assuring him that God in His grace and mercy was giving Pharoah a heads up. Joseph even was able to give Pharoah advice as to how to handle the environment to prepare for the terrible famine. Pharoah should locate the most wise man in his kingdom and depend on him to adequately manage for the terrible coming difficulties--a time when sustenance would become the most important factor in the lives of the world. If this man, whomever he chose, prepared and gave his all, the world as they knew it could be saved. Before Pharoah stood such a magnificent servant, even Joseph. Surely he could find no other better man qualified to take on the responsibility. Pharoah quickly puts Joseph in charge of all the preparations and Joseph gladly takes on the monumental task.

After the Corinthian church had accepted Jesus, they were still having trouble controlling the spiritual elements of their world. The forces of adultery, fornication, etc. were rampant and they were being robbed of their peace and seemingly the ability to manage these forces. The apostle Paul, from a place of inner peace, was sent by God to give them assurances and knowledge of how to gain control over the dark spiritual forces. He reminded them that their inner man was the object of all these forces but was not part of them. It was key for them to  remember that they had been chosen and sealed by God to carry on for Him and that He had put them in the church,  a place of perpetual sustenance. Believing that their inner man was stronger than the outside forces was like living in a fortress.
 How well are you doing at tackling the forces of the world from a place of inner peace? Heads
Up!---; believe that the preparations made by your Most Magnificent Servant are adequate for the tasks ahead.

"Now is the time for faith and determination
  Don't lose the vision here carried away by the motion
  Hold on to all you hide in your heart ...
  We believe that His children will not be forsaken
God is in control
We will choose to remember and never be shaken
There is no power above or beside Him, we know
Oh, God is in control, oh God is in control."

 Twila Paris - God Is In Control

Bibledoorajar Follows Joseph Into the Palace

The magnificent servant, also known by some as simply a slave, was rushed to the palace of Pharoah. The challenge before him: to reveal the meaning of Pharoah's dreams. Simply put Pharoah had dreamed of seven very healthy cattle being ravaged by seven very emaciated and pitiful cattle. Again, he dreamed of seven healthy ears of grain being consumed by seven very unhealthy ears of grain. What in the world did the most powerful man on earth need to know? The servant was soon seen to be a revealer of secrets from God about the things that troubled Pharoah. Joseph, ever the humble servant, said he could not reveal the message, but God could through him and Pharoah could have peace. Could Joseph share a serious but hopeful message?  Joseph began to reveal a master plan of salvation to Pharoah.

Years later a More Wonderful Servant , also known by some as a simple carpenter, was rushed from the confines of the grave to reveal that the ultimate secret of eternal life with the Father was real and would come to all whom believed. For God's servants, death would be overcome. We can have peace. For three years Jesus revealed things about this great plan of salvation. Truly the best is yet to come. Be happy and....

"Sing that sweet sweet song of salvation
let your laughter fill the air
Sing that sweet sweet song of salvation
and tell the people everywhere"

 Performed by Larry Norman and an inspiration to many a Christian in the 70's and 80's including me!

Bibledoorajar looks at the Miracle of Joseph's Dream Interpretations

“You can't throw too much style into a miracle.”
― Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Pharoah's wise men had disappointed, but the best was yet to come. When Joseph was remembered by the cupbearer he was remembered as the man who had both served him and told him that when Pharoah counted on his servants he would once again be counted among them. Now, he served Pharoah again and had his complete trust. So, the cupbearer had every reason to believe that his newly replaced prominence would carry weight with Pharoah and so he told him of Joseph's abilities. This is how much trust Joseph had in God--that he said all the cupbearer would have to do was mention his name and his ability to serve. As the above quote says, you can't throw too much style into a miracle and we are about to see Joseph give a miraculous interpretation of Pharoah's dreams. So anxious was Pharoah that he had Joseph RUSHED to his palace from the dungeon. Joseph shaved and changed his clothes and came into Pharoah ready to serve him. By shaving, Joseph would look more like an Egyptian thus he honored the culture in which God had placed him to serve.

I remember being in Muslim countries on missions and forsaking my American custom of dress for their custom in order to not be offensive to the local people. Paul, the apostle told of how
important such an effort could be:

"Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.  To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.  To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.  To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.  I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
                                          1 Corinthians 9: 19-23


And all such efforts lead to sharing in the best yet to come. It is a relatively long passage but if you want to remember the best yet to come read Revelations 21 through 22:9. Have a great week serving that you might share in the wonderful blessings of the gospel.

Bibledoorajar thanks God for freedom

Happy Memorial Day. Bibledoorajar will return next week. God bless America.

Bibledoorajar looks at Misplaced Hope

 "Hope that has no guarantee of fulfillment is a false friend that comforts us a while with flattery and leaves us to our enemies. Expectation of a bright tomorrow when no such tomorrow can be ours will be bitterness compounded by despair in the day of the great reckoning."
                                                                                                         A.W. Tozer

Last week we looked at Pharoah's misplaced hope in his wise men and magicians. His expectation was that the meaning of his dreams would be declared and he could rest assured that his tomorrows would be brighter. His troubled soul would be quieted.  But a hope misplaced in the world and it's ways can only lead to disappointment and/or bitterness and anger. Yesterday in Bible class we were talking about that very issue. Looking to the world and its' thought can only be a one way street. Consider this Hindu proverb: "There is no disease like hope." The proverb rightly points out the error of worldly hope or hope misplaced. It has no guarantee even though over and over men and women seek its' comfort. Paul says to be in the world and drawing on its' wisdom is to be without hope and without God. So, what was so powerful about the hope Joseph put in God?  The main point of it was that it was based on a covenant--an agreement between God and Abraham that was passed down through the patriarchs. It was not some loosely based report that was merely misplaced flimflams that can come from any direction leading to confusion and chaos. For Joseph, he held the covenant in his heart and his destiny was in the hands of God. Where are you placing yours? Is it based on a covenant given by God?

"Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. "
                                      Ephesians 2:12

Jesus gives us new birth based on a new covenant that gives us complete hope in Christ. Give it some consideration today. If you have it, praise God. If you need it, seek it. It can be found.

Bibledoorajar Says Look, God Limited Pharoah's Wise Men!

"As a magician I promise never to reveal the secret of any illusion to a non-magician, unless that one swears to uphold the Magician's Oath in turn. I promise never to perform any illusion for any non-magician without first practicing the effect until I can perform it well enough to maintain the illusion of magic."
                                        Magicians Oath for Professional Organization Membership

"Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,…" 2 Thessalonians 2:8,9

Pharoah's butler was alive and well and serving in the palace thanks to Joseph. But he had all but forgotten the one who asked to be remembered. But in the fulness of time, God moved in powerful ways to have Joseph emancipated from slavery. He did this by giving Pharoah dreams that he himself could not interpret. But never fear, Pharoah had all kinds of wise men dedicated to help him in situations such as this. And so they were summoned. Some scholars say that these men were magicians capable of sophisticated magic that makes people say, "how did they do that?" Others say that these men were connected to the occult and got they power from Satan and demons. It appears that both groups are right as clearly the passage quoted above indicates that Satan and his demons have the power to complete sighs and false wonders and that through practice men can create unbelievable illusions.  But, we must never forget that God can use the most likely and the most unlikely events to bring about His will. "The King's heart is in the hand of the Lord....He turns it wheresoever he will. Proverbs 21:1" Under these circumstances: prison, a pharoah's psychological distress, magicians and wise men, Joseph is to not only be delivered from prison but exalted to a high position in Pharoah's court. Pharoah's dreams? An instrument in the hands of God. Pharoah's magicians? Instruments in the hand of God. Pharoah's butler? An instrument in the hands of God.
Egypt, the center of all then known culture and learning? An instrument in the hands of God. The Egyptians may have known many secrets about the world and things in it, but the one who would bring true light to Pharoah's dreams was to be a man who feared God. Something to think about.

Bibledoorajar and Dreams

Joseph was bound in prison for something he did not do. In there with him were two miserable men. Both had had very vivid dreams the night before. And both of the men did not know what such a vivid dream meant. They were very tense and sad about not knowing the meaning. This was the first thing Joseph said to them: the interpretations will come from God and I will ask Him what they mean if you tell me about your dreams. Pharoah's butler started. His dream involved three grape vines entwined about his head and he took the grapes and squeezed them into a cup. Pharoah's baker then said he dreamed of having three baskets on his head and the top one was filled with baked goods. In the dreams, the butler was able to press the wine, fill the cup and place it into Pharoah's hand. But the birds came and ate the baker's baked goods and they never reached Pharoah's hand. To the butler, Joseph said the 3 vines symbolized three days and that at the end of that time period, the butler would be restored to full standing before the Pharoah. For this good report, Joseph asked to be remembered. However, to the baker, Joseph said that the three baskets were three days and at the end of the time period, his full standing before Pharoah would be forever cut off cursed by death.

It is said that if you want to see if someone's predictions are true, wait to see if they come true. Well, in this story the interpretations made by Joseph with God's help were spot on. Within three days the butler was back in good standing, but the baker reaped the curse of death. The butler was happy, but unfortunately he forgot to remember the one who gave him peace. Yesterday I took the Lord's Supper with fellow congregants. Thank God for the opportunity to remember the One who shed the blood that was pressed into the cup and that we symbolically drank. Our faith extended to the time at which He would bring us into full standing with the Father to be with Him always. But for those like the baker, who stand with their human works in their hands, expecting full restoration, beware, for human works will never fully restore. He that believes his own works will fully restore will be subject to damnation. Such a solemn reminder.  Don't forget to remember the One who alone gives peace.

"Peace, Perfect Peace, in this dark world of sin, the blood of Jesus whispers peace within."
                           Edward Bickersteth, 1875