Welcome to today’s Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation covering Genesis 40:6-8 wherein we see an unlikely character fully engaged in the work of ministry.
When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”
One of the misconceptions that we sometimes have within Christianity is that the work of ministry is something that is primarily done by pastors or other church leaders. The Bible speaks something very contrary to this: And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11). Jesus actually builds His church by putting the leaders in place to help the rest of the body live lives of ministry. Of course, this work of pastors and the like is ministry work, but you get the point. Take a look at Joseph here in this text. If anyone could have said that the work of ministering to others should have been done by someone else, it would have been him. Falsely accused and in prison with a couple guys that actually had stepped out of line, nobody would have given Joseph a hard time for keeping to himself and worrying about his own problems. But that’s not what we see with Joseph. He observed his fellow prisoners in a troubled state and tenderly asked them why they were hanging their heads! What a guy and how providential that the great dreamer would be caged up with those troubled by their dreams. It’s likely that these men, the former chief cupbearer and chief baker for pharaoh, would have had access to those in the kingdom who had claimed the ability of dream interpretation. How much better that they would actually have Joseph, a man of God, on hand!
At this juncture, Joseph could have left God out of things and just asked to hear their dreams, but this is not a guy ashamed of his Lord or a seeker of self glorification. Joseph expresses that he is God’s representative and mouthpiece, a sharer of God’s wisdom and not his own. He is not only about to help them understand what has been perplexing them but is witnessing to God’s perfect knowledge at the same time. Joseph is still, after everything that has transpired in his life, living for God’s plan and not his own.
Now as we look at this account, there are two positions that we might find ourselves in. We may be perplexed about what is happening in our lives and are looking for meaning in the midst of mystery. For such a one, the message is, “Look to God for the interpretation.” That might mean talking to someone that you know who is a follower (or fellow follower) of Jesus as Lord and so is directed by God’s Spirit. And for those who are modern-day Josephs with great trust in the King, there is a great reminder to speak with love and wisdom into the lives of those in need. It’s time to be about the work of ministry today.
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