Day 5 – Place Swap!

Before I continue from the last chronicle, I’ll share a couple of nuggets of wisdom: First thing, be diligent in everything you do. That monotonous task, which seems pointless and goes unnoticed? Do it well. You never know where diligence will take you! If I had been a lazy worker or if I had done a shabby job when serving Pharaoh’s servants, I can assure you that the last you would have heard of me would have been in Prison. However, God watches how we handle the seemingly mundane things. Truly, as Luke 16:10a states, “Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much …”. Secondly, you must be ready in and out of season (cf. 2 Timothy 4:2). You never know when your gift or service will be required. You get ready by allowing God to prepare you; and He typically does this in obscurity, far away from the eyes of humanity. Look at how He moved in the lives of other people in the Bible – Moses, David, Mary, and even Jesus! Allow God to prepare you in the dark, for the place that He has for you in the light. Also, the way you present yourself matters. However, that is a whole other lesson in itself.

Now where was I with my story…? Oh yes! I was telling you about the scene where I stood before the King, as he appointed me as the Second-in-Command in Egypt. I was jolted back to reality when Pharaoh took off his signet ring – the symbol of his authority – and placed it on my own finger. Was I dreaming?!? I couldn’t believe this was actually happening! Again, another light bulb moment occurred in my mind – the bows had already begun! In coming here to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams, I began to see the meaning of my own dreams, many years prior, unfold before my very eyes... I did not have the chance to complete that thought, before Pharaoh ordered his officials to dress me in royal attire and escort me to my own state parade, as the newly-appointed “Second-in-Command” in Egypt.

As I was escorted out of Pharaoh’s presence, I glanced around and noticed my good old friend – the Chief Cupbearer – smiling nervously at me. On my way out, he bowed with his face to the ground and began profusely apologising to me about his negligence and forgetfulness. Honestly, I cannot quite remember the excuses he gave. However, I understood his new-found position – since I was now Second-in-Command in Egypt, he needed to ensure that he was in my good books. With a gentle pat on his shoulder, I reassured him that I understood and that he had nothing to worry about. I did not have more to say, because I was being whisked off to the state parade. I was completely blown away. I dare say, even the horses pulling the chariot, may have felt it! As we rode through the land, my mind wandered to the various moments of my life and how each one of them had led me here. I could see how all the dots were connecting – demonstrating Yahweh’s divine providence through it all, even though it didn’t look like it at the time.

Oh, did I mention who escorted me out of Pharaoh’s inner courts? You guessed correctly. It was Mr P himself, alongside some of his guards. Wow! What a reversal of status! Servant turned Master; Master turned Servant. All in one conversation with the King... This God – the King of all kings – is to be feared o*! How can someone go to bed as an inmate in a High-Security Prison, and by the next day, he is being made Vice-President of a powerful nation?! Only God can cause such a thing to happen! That is why I often advise people: Treat people well. You never know who the person in front of you, will become tomorrow. I don’t need to tell you that shortly afterwards, Potiphar also rendered his own apologies and obeisance to me. I graciously accepted his apology. Who was I to question Yahweh’s ways? I was certainly not going to ignore the wisdom I just shared with you! Ha!

Upon my return to the Palace, Pharaoh reiterated my position of authority in Egypt. No one could even lift a finger without my consent! Such power! The King also gave me an Egyptian name: Zaphenath-paneah, which means “the god said let him live”. Hmm… I wonder if he coined that after hearing about my horrible ordeal. I was now in the fourth “P-moment” in my life – the Palace; this was where I would spend the rest of my days. To top it all, Pharaoh gave me a wife – a beautiful and distinguished damsel named Asenath. Whilst in Prison, I couldn’t allow myself to dwell on the fact that I desired a wife. I didn’t even know how or when I would be released! Several times, I thought about my peers and how their lives had progressed. I was sure that by that time, a number of them were married and had started their own families. However, God had not forgotten about me. Though it appeared that my ‘blooming’ was late according to the timing of people, God was gracious to me and had met my needs in a glorious way. Plus, He brought it to bear in the twinkling of an eye! Indeed, I had been reserved for a special purpose and a special person. I soon found out …

Work began immediately. There was so much to do! I had to travel all around Egypt and quickly appoint regional officials. They worked under my leadership to ensure that during the years of abundance, we gathered excess grain. There was so much grain stored, that at some point, we lost count! My family also grew during that time. My wife, Asenath, and I welcomed two precious boys into our lives – Manasseh, which means “causing to forget”; and Ephraim, which means “fruitfulness”. Both our sons’ names, pointed to Yahweh’s grace – He had allowed me to forget the sting of the pain I had experienced through my brothers’ wickedness, and He had also made me fruitful in the land of my suffering. As you may imagine, from the Hebrew names that we gave our children, my wife also grew to share the same faith in Yahweh; and we raised our children likewise. Heritage is key; and in my family in particular, it was very important to pass down the faith walk my forefathers had with Yahweh, to our descendants.

The seven years of famine arrived as predicted. The entire world at that time was affected. I’m not sure if you can picture that happening in your days. Nevertheless, because of the great strategy and wisdom that God had blessed me with, there was food stored up in Egypt. Soon enough, we opened up the storehouses and began to sell grain – first within Egypt, and shortly after, to other nations.

My life was about to take yet another turn…

*o – a Nigerian expression typically used at the end of sentences for emphasis; it can also mean “really!”

Reflection:

Increasingly nowadays, it can be very tempting to compare yourself with others. There's always someone with a better job or someone who got married or had children earlier or later ... and the list goes on and on ...

This can either lead to despair or pride, neither of which are good emotions to nurture. Through Joseph's story, let's be reminded (and encouraged!) that God has a unique plan for each person's life. Some people may 'bloom' quickly, while others appear 'late' in the eyes of society. However, no one is better than the other! As individuals, we should simply focus on following God's plan for our own life. It is a truly beautiful plan indeed - perfectly suited and tailor-made.

What would this week look like if you chose to focus on God's unfolding plan for your life, instead of wishing you were like so-and-so?