January 21 ▪ Day 21

Scripture Readings

Proverbs 6:23
Genesis 41–42
Matthew 21
Psalms 21

Verse Focus (Proverbs 6:23)

For these commands are a lamp,
     this teaching is a light,
and the corrections of discipline
     are the way to life.

Meditation

Never have we needed light, truth, and clarity more than we do now.

Our verse focus tells us that these “commands” and this “teaching” not only bring light, but they are light. In the context of the chapter, the verse is talking about your father’s commands and your mother’s teaching — but, of course, we know that the verse is really talking about God’s law. The Bible is a lamp; Scripture is a light.

But I think about the kinds of things that parents teach their children. “Be nice.” “Share.” “Say thank you.” “Apologize.” And these are the principles that should guide my life: kindness, compassion, generosity, thanksgiving, and confession. Inevitably, these teaching moments would come when I had transgressed these very principles — when I was selfish with toys, when I was mean to another child, or when I failed to appreciate something I’d been given. My parents’ corrections were the way to teach me how to live. It is the same today, with whatever corrections or trials God allows into our lives. God disciplines us through circumstances outside our control that we may learn to lean more heavily upon Him.

Father God, keep me always searching your Word for wisdom and insight. Help me to obey your commands: to be righteous and kind, compassionate and generous. As children, it was hard for us to do what our parents taught us to do when it seemed like we were the only ones being required to do what is right. Even today, we are surrounded by people who do not believe as we do and yet we are still called to forgive, to love, and to be generous. We can only do that with the aid of your Holy Spirit. So I pray for your Holy Spirit to dwell within me, and to open my eyes to the truths in Scripture, and to keep me on the path to life in all my actions. Thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name I pray, Amen.

Joseph’s life comes to another turning point in Genesis 41. It has been two years since he interpreted the dreams of the cupbearer and the baker. He is now 30 years old, and he has been in Egypt as a slave for almost half his life. But Pharaoh has some dreams and the cupbearer finally remembers Joseph. Joseph interprets the dreams for Pharaoh, and impresses him so much that Pharaoh puts him in charge of the entire land of Egypt. He is given a wife, Asenath, the daughter of a priest of On, and he has two children by her in the years before the famine started. By arranging this marriage for Joseph, Pharaoh is effectively giving Joseph a high-ranking social status as a seer and prophet.

As in our chapter today, Scripture relates a number of examples of prophetic dreams, given both to believers (Matthew, Joseph) and unbelievers (Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar). Perhaps I just don’t run in the right circles, but I rarely hear of believers today talking about God speaking to them through dreams. Is this because God no longer uses this method? Certainly, with the coming of the Holy Spirit, God can use more direct means of communication, so He may not need dreams anymore. Or is the lack of dream communication simply a function of our expectations? We do not expect God to communicate in this way, and so we do not hear Him if He does?

I believe God may use dreams to communicate with us if we are open to that possibility. However, I would caution prayer for spiritual protection should you decide to pursue dream communication. I sometimes pray for the protection of my mind before I sleep — when I’m particularly tired, and not focused on any specific thoughts, I can sometimes have images or thoughts pop up that are frightening or disturbing. That’s when I remember to pray for God’s protection. And I do think dreams are a way for us to interact with and comprehend spiritual realities — so we should pray that God would be the only one to communicate with us as we sleep.

I thought Joseph’s comment in verse 32 was particularly interesting. That the “doubling” of Pharaoh’s dream meant that this course of action was fixed and certain to happen soon.

Another thing I found interesting in Genesis 41 was about how Joseph suggested Pharaoh prepare for the upcoming famine. He suggested that Pharaoh collect one fifth of everyone’s harvest. This was a double tithe for the government, and, of course, it was meant to store up reserves for the famine that Joseph knew was coming. It occurred to me that this might be a good general principle for us, in money management — to set aside one fifth of our income for emergency use. I don’t know that I could actually do this, or even if it’s the right thing to do — it’s challenging enough to tithe consistently — but I wonder if this might not be something that God would want me to try, especially during times of abundance.

Genesis 41 tells us that the famine affected other lands besides Egypt. It was severe everywhere, but in Egypt “there was bread.” Soon Egypt also feels the famine, and everyone starts coming to Joseph to buy grain.

In Canaan, Jacob and his family are also suffering in the famine. Jacob learns there is grain for sale in Egypt, and he sends his sons to go get food. All except for Benjamin, the youngest son, because Jacob is fearful of losing Benjamin. As we remember, Benjamin is Joseph’s full brother, the only other son of the much-beloved Rachel, and also the youngest of all the children.

By the time Joseph’s brothers arrive in Egypt, it has been at least 7 or 8 years since Joseph was elevated to his high position, so Joseph is now 38. It has been 20 years since he last saw his family. In dress and manner, Joseph appeared very Egyptian, so his brothers do not recognize him. But Joseph recognizes them! Verse 9 is interesting because it tells us that Joseph remembers the dreams he had when he was 17, and that’s why he accuses his brothers of being spies. I’m not quite sure I understand the connection, why remembering the dreams would cause him to play out this ruse. But he throws them into prison for three days.

Three days isn’t very long compared to the years that Joseph spent in prison, but it’s a significant time period all the same. Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days; Christ was gone for three days before his resurrection. And three days is long enough for the brothers to remember their sins. When Joseph lets them out and offers them the bargain that one should stay behind while the others return to Canaan, the brothers discuss with one another that they are receiving just punishment for their sins against Joseph — completely unaware that Joseph could understand what they were saying. Joseph selects Simeon as the one to stay in prison while the others return home. This is likely in recognition that Reuben, the eldest, had actually tried to prevent a bad outcome with Joseph; Simeon, as second eldest, was probably most culpable in Joseph’s eyes.

So Joseph also instructs his stewards to return the money his brothers paid for the grain they received. When the brothers discover that the money is back in their bags, they are distressed. “What is this that God has done to us?” they ask (v. 28). From their point of view, it was certainly a miraculous occurrence. They could not know there was a logical explanation for the money being returned. It’s interesting, though, that even though they believed God must have engineered the money in their sacks, they didn’t view it as a blessing. Instead, they were frightened. Perhaps because they feared what consequences might come of the money being in their bags; or perhaps they were frightened simply because it made no sense to them.

When they do arrive back in Canaan, they tell their father Jacob about what happened. When Jacob sees the money, he also is frightened. He talks about Joseph and now Simeon being gone, and exclaims, “Everything is against me!” (v. 36) He declares that Benjamin will not go down to Egypt because he could not bear it if Benjamin were lost. Certainly, faith that God might be engineering these circumstances is very far from Jacob’s mind.

Matthew 21 writes of the events that are now celebrated on each Palm Sunday: Jesus’ “triumphal” entry into Jerusalem, riding on the back of a donkey. Again, Matthew points out how this fulfills prophecy of the Messiah (v. 5).

Jesus cleans out the temple by throwing out the money-changers and those who were buying and selling things. And then he heals the lame and the blind. It struck me as a particularly fitting use of the temple. We expect the temple of the LORD to be where one might come to be healed.

We read of a fig tree that withers because Jesus cursed it and hear the lesson that Jesus would teach us: that faith without doubt can accomplish marvelous things. He tells us that if we believe, we will receive whatever we ask for in prayer (v. 22).

Jesus’ authority is questioned, but he does not respond to the Pharisees as they hope he will. He gives two parables: first, of a father with two sons. One son says he will do what the father asks, but doesn’t do it; the other says he will not do what the father has asked, but ends up doing it anyway. In the second parable, Jesus tells of a vineyard owner who rents out his land to tenants. The tenants refuse to pay any harvest to the landowner, and they mistreat some servants and kill others. When the vineyard owner decides to send his son to collect the fruit, the tenants plot to kill the heir. Jesus asks the Pharisees what the vineyard owner will do once the tenants have killed his son. They reply that the owner will destroy those tenants and find new tenants. Jesus then asks the Pharisees what they think is the meaning of the Scripture that talks about the cornerstone that the builders have rejected. He tells them that the kingdom of God will be taken away from them and given to those who will produce its fruit. The Pharisees understand that Jesus is talking about them in these two parables, and so this strengthens their resolve to arrest Jesus.

What I think is particularly fascinating about the second parable is the tenants’ plot to kill the heir and take the land for themselves. It is ironic because it really was with the death of God’s Son that we became co-heirs of the kingdom of God. And although the Pharisees were right that the land would be given to new tenants (the Gentiles), they do not understand that the cornerstone is placed for their own salvation too.

In Psalm 21, David sings praises and gives thanks for the victory that the LORD has given to the king. These “unending blessings” come because the king “trusts in the LORD” who has “unfailing love.” The psalm stays in the present tense while it talks about all the blessings that the king has received, but then it shifts to the future tense. Here, David talks about how the LORD will consume and destroy his enemies and foes. Note that these are not David’s enemies the psalmist is talking about (those have already been vanquished); these are enemies of God that will be defeated. The psalm concludes with a declaration of praise for God, and a promise that we will sing God’s praises in the future.

This psalm perfectly represents our current situation. In the present, we enjoy the blessings and favor of God. For this, we praise and thank God. But not all of God’s enemies are yet defeated. But we have confidence, with the psalmist, that these will be taken care of and so we will have as much cause to praise God in future as we do now.

We read this meditation on the 21st of January, after the Inauguration. As I write this meditation, the Presidential transition is still some days away. However, there are threats of violence, and recent events have been quite disturbing. I do not know what the future holds for us and I cannot predict what we will all feel like on January 21st, but I do know that God is sovereign. We can sing His praises now, and we will sing His praises in the future, too.

Father God, Psalm 21 teaches us that we are to sing your praises even while living in a land that harbors your enemies. Thank you, Father, that you are sovereign, and that you are in control. Our nation has been particularly troubled in the past year; we seem so divided, politically and socially. We pray for your peace — for ourselves, for our nation, for the world. We pray for your protection from all that threatens, whether that is the pandemic, political unrest, or powers and principalities.

Thank you that you work in mysterious ways. Thank you for your plan of redemption, for working in Joseph’s life. His circumstances were bleak, but you made him prosper. Keep us always trusting in You and fruitful for your kingdom. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.