Joseph Challengeಮಾದರಿ

Blessings have consequences

Jealousy is such a subtle yet vicious killer and many believers are murderers in their hearts because of it. How can you genuinely support your friend if you are ruled by envy? Thank God for the ‘one’ brother, Reuben, who spoke up! You may be the only one to stand up for what is right…do it anyways! Your moral conduct and obedience is tied to someone else’s destiny and your destiny! We will see how Reuben’s actions were crucial to the fulfilment of Joseph’s dream and how He was honoured for His courage later on in the challenge.

Joseph was stripped away from the colourful robe, given to him by his father. Joseph’s life is often reduced to a coat in many storybooks. However, we must understand that this coat, which represented his identity, excellence and blessing, actually provoked envy. This is a sobering reminder that being blessed has its consequences. You cannot have the blessing without the envy and Psalm 1:1 echoes this, in the Amplified version.

‘Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk...’

I encourage you as children of God, not to be envious of your neighbour’s blessing. Instead, you ought to rejoice with them, because when God is blessing your neighbour, it means that the blessing is in your neighbourhood.

Get rid of the robes

Joseph was rid of his earthly identity as the favoured son of Jacob - his earthly Father, in order to walk in the fullness of what God had for Him, as a favoured child of God.

Sometimes we have to lose the robes! We have to be stripped away from the expectations of our family and friends in order to meet God's expectations. God has to strip away the former identity so that we can walk in His. 

We'll see as the story unfolds, that Joseph learned what it meant to be totally dependent on God and not dependent on human strength, position or accolades. We will also revisit the events of this passage later on in the challenge to show how it foreshadows the experiences of Jesus.

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