Mark spoke from Gen 47:13-26 this morning, continuing to look at the story of Joseph. Here, we see how Jacob’s blessing of Pharaoh (so incongruous in that Pharaoh was the most important leader in the world at that time and Jacob was a mere Hebrew landowner), coupled with Joseph’s growing wisdom, results in even greater fame and wealth for Pharaoh. As the famine continues in the whole world, Joseph sells food in exchange for money, and then in exchange for livestock, land and eventually people. The people are desperate, for they have nothing, but as Joseph has shown prudence and wisdom because of God’s fore-warning, there is still food in Egypt, even if the price people have to pay is their animals, their land and even their freedom.
In the midst of this difficult and desperate situation, Joseph gives seed to the people, telling them they will once more grow crops, four-fifths of which they may keep, with one-fifth being returned to Pharaoh. It would take hard work to break up the dry, barren land in order to plant seed, but as Hosea 10:12 reminds us, we have to sow for ourselves righteousness and break up our unploughed land if we are to reap the fruit of unfailing love and see God’s showers of righteousness. Sometimes, we have to keep on doing the right things even in hard times, even when the prospect of a harvest seems remote.
Joseph the dreamer has vision and faith for all the people, not just for himself, and he can trust God to bring an end to the famine, for his faithful God had proved Himself time and time again. The people were grateful for the salvation Joseph provided, but he knew that God was the real source of the salvation in providing the wisdom and skill to help the people. Joseph has become more than a dreamer by this time; he has grown in wisdom and become spiritually wise; he has become a doer as well as a dreamer. When we truly give our lives to God, He will use us to bring about His will in the world, giving us the gifts we need to do so much more than anything we can ever dream.
Casting Crowns remind us that God’s dreams for us are so much greater than anything we could ever dream on our own. Mary dreamt of being a wife and mother; she never expected to become mother to the Son of God. David dreamt about being a big time shepherd one day, but God had plans for him to bring down Goliath (‘Dream For You’, Casting Crowns). Joseph’s dreams never included the salvation of Egypt and the whole world, but God is able to take a surrendered life and do amazing things through us. We want to be a generation that sees God move in awesome ways. He needs pliable ploughers and planters for His dreams to come true.