City Life Starter

Written by Efe Abbe

The Word

³⁷ This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. ³⁸ And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?”³⁹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. ⁴⁰ You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” ⁴¹ And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”⁴² Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. ⁴³ And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. ⁴⁴ Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” ⁴⁵ And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

Genesis 41: 37-45

Reflection

Thirteen years after being sold into slavery, God elevates Joseph to second in command of Egypt. Joseph could have turned bitter and resentful at his unjust enslavement and imprisonment but he didn’t. Instead we see a picture of Joseph who has grown in godly wisdom and as a result matured into the gifts of God in his life. When he was before Pharaoh, rather than putting himself as the focus of God’s gifts of dreams and interpretation, Joseph rightfully made God the focus of his gifts (Genesis 41:16, 25, 28).

By God’s wisdom, Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams and gave him counsel to appoint an overseer to store a portion from the upcoming seven years of plenty to prepare for the famine to come afterwards. Notice that it was when Joseph didn’t presume any reward or favors for using God’s gifts that God elevated him instantly; he had learned humility (Genesis 41:34). Pharaoh appointed Joseph as overseer because of God’s wisdom, not because Joseph drew attention to himself (Genesis 41:39).

God was always going to fulfill His plans for Joseph’s life, but Joseph’s ambition had to get out of the way. God used all of the injustice he endured to teach him humility – which James, the brother of Jesus, points to as the proof of godly wisdom:

¹³ If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.

James 3:13 NLT

Application

Being humble isn’t thinking less of ourselves, rather it is having a correct assessment of who we really are in light of who God is and we can only get the correct assessment of our lives when we orient our lives around God through Jesus, His Son.

In the introduction to Genesis in The Message, Eugene Peterson writes:

First, God. God is the subject of life. God is foundational for living. If we don’t have a sense of the primacy of God, we will never get it right, get life right, get our lives right. Not God at the margins; not God as an option; not God on the weekends. God at center and circumference; God first and last; God, God, God.

This orientation around God also called the Fear of the Lord, which produces humility and is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7).

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, please teach me to fear You, so that I become truly wise and humble in Your eyes, in Jesus’ name, amen.