Last year, I wrote several posts about the life of Joseph, my favorite Bible character. I hadn't planned on sharing anymore about him, but lately, I've been thinking about Joseph again.
Every week, I enjoy reading the weekly Torah portion over the weekend. The first five books of the Bible - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy - are referred to as the Torah in Hebrew. Those books of the Bible were recorded by Moses. The Torah portions are divided into certain chapters each week in order from Genesis through Deuteronomy, enabling someone to read through the first five books of the Bible in a yearly reading cycle. Along with reading certain chapters each week, Jewish people also read a portion of Scripture from one of the books of the prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Zechariah, etc.
On the day that the Lord Jesus stood up to read from the scroll of Isaiah in His home synagogue in Nazareth, He read from Isaiah 61. When He did that, He did not randomly pick some portion of Scripture to read. He read from a section of the prophets that would have been part of the Torah portion that week. I enjoy reading the weekly Torah portions, and it's special to know the Lord Jesus did the same.
For the past two weeks, the Torah portions have been about Joseph which has made me think more about him. Often, I like to make a hot cup of tea to sip on while I read. Before reading, I like to pray:
"Father, open my eyes to behold wondrous things from Your Word."
The Lord answers my prayer as I read very familiar Bible stories, marveling at things I never quite thought of or saw before. God's Word is like that. After reading, I love to go for a walk in our neighborhood, weather permitting, and meditate and pray about the chapters I just read.
A few weeks ago, I read the Torah portion about Jacob leaving his parents, Isaac and Rebekah, to flee from his brother Esau. On his way to Haran to stay with his mother's relatives, he had a dream of a ladder reaching to heaven with angels ascending and descending on it. Jacob also met with God there and anointed the stone he slept on as a pillow, declaring some very special things about that place.
 |
| Jacob, Joseph's father, meeting with God in the place where he slept with a stone as his pillow. |
Most Christians know the rest of the story very well. Jacob met his Uncle Laban in Haran, and Laban's daughters, Leah and Rachel, later became his wives. (Leah and Rachel would’ve been Jacob's cousins - something I didn’t realize before)
Jacob's home life was a mess because he had two wives who were sisters. Rachel was Jacob's choice, but because of his uncle’s deception, he ended up with Leah first. Later, Jacob married Rachel.
Although they were not perfect, Jacob's grandparents (Abraham and Sarah) and Jacob’s parents (Isaac and Rebekah) did not have the dysfunctional home that Jacob had.
As I read through the story of Jacob's family and the birth of all his many sons, there is something that strikes me as being extremely profound:
Despite all of the huge problems in Jacob's home, God chose the family of Jacob (renamed Israel) to represent Him to all the nations of the world. I found that tremendously encouraging.
As I read the story of Jacob’s family, I smiled when I read about Joseph being born, especially after Rachel waited so long to have a son.
Genesis 30:22-24 says:
"And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.
And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:
And she called his name Joseph..."
Sadly, Joseph's mom, Rachel, died giving birth to his younger brother, Benjamin. As I read the story recently, I literally cried while reading parts of it. The story is so gripping.
Last weekend, I read about Joseph and his brothers, and all that Joseph went through because of his brothers jealousy and hatred of him. I read the familiar parts about Joseph's coat of many colors, about him being sold into Egypt, and about him being put into prison after being falsely accused. This story is real. This story really happened. Joseph was a real person.
This weekend I will read the next Torah portion, the part where Joseph is taken out of prison to stand before Pharaoh to interpret his dreams, and all that follows.
As I shared before on this blog, there are several things that stand out to me in Joseph's life as being very inspiring and significant.
Joseph's trials did not make him a Godly man. Rather, Joseph's trials revealed the Godly man already he was.
Trials reveal who someone really is.
Joseph had no Bible to read and no Godly fellowship. All Joseph had in Egypt was God. Joseph was completely faithful to God, even all alone.
I know some people who believe that, if you are all alone in your walk with God, you do not stand a chance in being faithful in your walk with God. Joseph's life shows otherwise. Though difficult, Joseph was where God wanted him in Egypt.
Joseph loved and forgave those who did him wrong, namely, his brothers. Joseph focused on God's purpose, even amidst all his pain and suffering.
Because of his walk with God, Joseph saw God's purpose in all the pain and suffering he went through. Joseph inspires me.
Beyond the things I already shared, there is something else that greatly inspires me about Joseph's life.
Joseph came from a “less than ideal” home. A book I have about the history of the family of Israel describes Jacob's family as likely being the most dysfunctional family in the entire Bible through which God worked His will.
If Joseph lived in our day, I’m sure there would be Godly fathers and mothers telling their daughters to be careful about considering Joseph as a husband due to the home that he came from.
And yet, Joseph became the incredibly Godly man that we read about in Scripture today. God honored Joseph tremendously. Joseph is among those we read about in Hebrews chapter 11, also known as the faith chapter.
Undeniably, the home that someone comes from has a tremendous impact on them. That is why God instructs parents to teach their children the Word of the Lord. Godly parents are to be encouraged and praised for doing that.
However, the home someone comes from does not ultimately determine who they become. Personal choices do. We see this so clearly in Joseph's life.
As shared in another post several months ago about running the race (Hebrew 12), I know many people who've decided to no longer follow God's Word in areas of their life. Others I know have completely walked away from God. It breaks my heart. I know it breaks God's heart even more.
There is no such thing as a “perfect home”, but there are good, Godly homes, the type that Christians should desire and aspire to have. I know many people who came from good, Godly, Christian homes, and later, they made a personal choice to walk away from God's Word.
I also know some people who, like Joseph, came from a “less than ideal” home, and today, they have a strong walk with God. They made a personal choice to walk with God and follow His Word despite things against them.
Like Joseph, a person’s home and family do not ultimately determine who they become. Personal choices do.
Once again, Joseph inspires me tremendously, reminding me that he is, truly, my favorite Bible character. I'm certain that, for as long as I am here on earth, Joseph's life will continue to inspire me in my walk with God.
No comments:
Post a Comment