November 22nd, 2011
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

A Royal Summons

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

Father, You are the God of the great and small, the young and old, the strong and weak. I praise You, Lord.

Read GENESIS 41:1-16

[1] When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile, [2] when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. [3] After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. [4] And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. [5] He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. [6] After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted-thin and scorched by the east wind. [7] The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream. [8] In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him. [9] Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. [10] Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. [11] Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. [12] Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. [13] And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.” [14] So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh. [15] Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” [16] “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

Meditate

The Gospel is good news that liberates us. Reflect on the life-giving freedom that Jesus Christ brings to You and all who trust and follow him.

Think Further

Two years of Joseph’s life are passed over in a few words. It’s hard to imagine how he must have felt during this long period, languishing in a foreign jail for a crime he never committed, cut off from his family. Prison conditions cannot have been pleasant; jail was literally a pit (14) with no thought given to the personal hygiene of the inmates. Surviving in such conditions cannot have been easy. Not surprisingly, Joseph needed to be cleaned up before being brought into Pharaoh’s presence.

If anyone had cause to be angry with God, surely Joseph had. Where was the God who had protected his great-grandfather, Abraham, when he was in Egypt? Why had God permitted Joseph to be treated so unjustly? Yet, something sustained his faith through these difficult days of incarceration. Did he still believe that his royal dreams would be fulfilled? That would require extraordinary faith, given his circumstances. Nevertheless, Joseph appears to have retained a deep faith in God despite his desperate personal situation.

Pharaoh’s pair of dreams provides the means by which Joseph will be released from prison. They underline God’s foreknowledge of what has yet to happen. While for us the future will always be a mystery, God is fully aware of all that is going to occur. In the light of this, we should have a quiet confidence even when, as with Joseph, our present circumstances may seem exceptionally bleak. While our relationship with God is no guarantee that we will never suffer hardship, pain, or even death, we can face these things in the knowledge that something much better awaits us. For us, it will be a case of being cleaned up so that we may enter the presence of the King of kings.

Apply

Reflect on how your faith in God is affected when hardships come your way. How do you react in those situations? Is any change needed?

Closing prayer

Forgive me, Lord, for my impatience when thing don’t work out according to my plans. May I trust in Your loving care.

Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.

© 2024 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.

Encounter with God is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.

View all readings

Get ENCOUNTER:

in your email:

in Print:

Become a Member | Visit our store