Bible Discussion Thread

Wow! From prison to second in rank of all of Egypt, which was the "superpower" of the area at that time. Joseph knew that his ability to interpret dreams was from God and could confidently interpret the Pharaoh's dream. Either the magicians could not interpret the dreams or were afraid to do so in case they were wrong. But God proved to be over and above all of the powers of the magicians. Pharaoh recognized that the Spirit of God was with Joseph. The Pharaoh probably noticed Joseph's godly character in addition to is ability to interpret dreams to have chosen Joseph to oversee the land of Egypt during the time of plenty and famine. Pharaoh released so much into the hands of Joseph. He must have had confidence both in Joseph and in Joseph's God. It does not say how much Pharaoh knew about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He did know that Joseph was a Hebrew and may have heard about how God blessed Joseph's forefathers abundantly as well as blessing Joseph the 13 years he was in Egypt despite unfavorable circumstances. Placing Joseph in charge of his kingdom showed a bit of faith on Pharaoh's part.

Joseph commanded his responsibilities with wisdom and good judgment. He was able to convince people to live on less than the abundance of their crop yields in order to store up much than what Egypt would use during the famine. There was enough for those tribes that came to Egypt for relief from starvation during the famine. Pharaoh ad chosen wisely in placing Joseph in charge.

How often we can overspend in times of plenty when we probably should live modestly in order to save up for future expenses or possible downturns in our ability to earn income. In Egypt it was a matter of daily sustenance that they needed to consume in moderation to supply for the future famine. In current times, consumerism is such a trap as we are constantly being marketed by advertisers and social influence. May we all take some time to prayerfully re-evaluate our own lifestyles.

Thank you GiGi. That was a word in season for sure. So many Christians get trapped in consumerism hardly giving consideration that our bounty & blessings only come from the Lord & He expects that we use them wisely & carefully. Yet, I sometimes hear, 'I earned it, it's mine, I will do with it as I please'.

When we correctly handle our material blessings by meeting our essential needs & looking out for the needs of others & the ministry of the Gospel, we will witness the Lord's full consistent riches to us. The difficulty that arises & the question: is the Christian showing little faith in God by saving his spare cash for the future or that rainy day? I had an aunt who lived like that, though she never judged anyone for putting aside money. She wholly trusted the Lord for supplying her needs, whether food or clothing. She looked after a Christian camping/conference facility so accommodation was free, but she received no wages or stipend. If someone gave her a monetary gift, she might buy something she needed & the rest she would give away. Once, she really wanted a green handbag & of course having no money, she laid the matter before the Lord. In time, someone gifted her a bag, & guess what, it was green. And that's how she lived to the day of her decease.

But I believe it's prudent to put money away if at all possible - it may not be for one's own needs but for another that the Lord might bring to you. And of course, in our society, with its never-ending demands upon us for all manner of payments & taxes, it's quite different to those of Christ's day who lived very simply by subsistence endeavours. Indeed, we can "go to the ant" & learn ( Proverbs 6:6-8), not only to engage in wholesome work, but also to lay aside for the future. It's wise to live like that before the Lord - listening for His Direction on how to use what He's given to us & how to bless others in need. It's not just a one-way street. Thanks for raising this up, as seen in Joseph's life & wisdom.

Thanks .We have had a good example in my parents. Though they never earned above the poverty line, they never went in debt for anything except the house which they paid off in probably five years or so. I cos $16,000 dollars in 1956. They just hated to spend interest on anything. So they lived frugally. We have too, for most of our marriage. We are preparing for retirement for both of us (I am now retired a year earlier than I expected). We paid off our house about five years ago and then have been putting the money we were paying on our mortgage and the extra money to being the mortgage down to zero quickly into savings for the past five years. Facing retirement is a bit unnerving because we will make do with what we will receive on a monthly basis and hopefully keep our savings intact for a while. It is hard to know how things may change in our economy over the next 20 yrs. Even so, God has always carried us through in every circumstance, so we will live responsibility and simply. We have learned to be content in a simple lifestyle for these 42 years. I know it is different for everyone and it is harder for younger people to get established than in the past. Yet, we all can probably do with a lot less "stuff." Everyone is at a different place with regards to how they manage the "fruits of their labors" but I do suggest being prayerful in all things.

It is good to hear from you, Chris

Sister GiGi, you have no worries about the future, you have PROMISES.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and ALL these things shall be added unto you.

God Bless You.

Yep, you !are so right!