Miketz “At the end”
Genesis 41:1–44:17
1 Kings 3:15–4:1
Matthew 21–22

The Matter Has Been Fixed

Joseph has been in jail for two full years now. He, like Moses after forty years on the backside of the desert, must have thought God had forgotten about him. In the solitude of his prison cell many thoughts must have passed through his mind during those long years. He no doubt had time to question the dreams he had when he was just a boy. He must have wondered now if the dreams were actually real. Were they from God or had he done something along the way to cause God to change His mind about him? For Joseph, just as for each of us today, time and solitude have a way of causing our faith to waiver at times.

We are not told anything about Joseph's life in the prison during these two years. We can only imagine how we would feel if we had been asked to walk in his shoes.

Finally one day footsteps were coming toward Joseph's prison cell. The door was unlocked and the guard summoned Joseph to follow him. Was he about to follow the same steps the baker had followed? Was life or death at the end of his walk today?

The guard took Joseph to a special room. There he told Joseph to quickly clean himself and put on the new robe, which was hanging on the wall. "The King wants to see you." Still Joseph did not know if by the end of this day he would be dead or alive.

Joseph stood before the Pharaoh that day and we all know the story. Joseph interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh and was placed in a position of power and leadership in the land of Egypt. The years of abundance came, followed by years of famine just as God had revealed in the dreams. Our story continues into next week as the full reason for God's plan is revealed.

This week, could we look for a moment at just a few words of the Torah passage, words we can far too easily pass over? In Genesis 41:32 the scripture says, "The matter has been fixed by God." Look closely at the context of these words in your Bible. I believe they give us insight into our day. They tell us that He has appointed certain events to happen at certain times throughout history and these appointed times would not and will not be changed.

Over the past years I have written regarding learning to put our full trust in HaShem, learning to hear His voice and being obedient to His voice. I have written and spoken about how many are hearing Him say the world is changing and changing soon. Many people are seeking His will for how to prepare for the days ahead.

Throughout history, biblical prophecy has been open to fallible man's opinion and interpretation. Some have been right while others have been wrong. But no matter how right or wrong man has been, the words of scripture have never failed to come to pass just as HaShem said they would. When we look at prophecy with twenty-twenty hindsight we can see that His word has never failed. We can see that there are appointed times fixed by God Himself. The question is, “Are we entering or have we already entered one of those times today?” I for one believe we have.

Understand that if I and many others are correct, if these are the closing days, life as we know it may be changing soon. As in the days of Joseph in Egypt, there will be two kinds of people, those who are prepared and those who are desperate. This is not a statement meant to bring fear, but meant to bring an awakening to us all.

In the days of Joseph in Egypt, HaShem spoke His will to one man who was given specific instructions to follow so the people of God could be provided for and through it all His family brought together. I do not believe He is speaking to just one person today, but to many who are listening for His voice; those who are wise enough to store up the grain of His word in their lives.

The other aspect of the story teaches us about storing natural grain. There are many today who continue to debate whether preparing physically is faith or a lack thereof. One concept says preparation is a lack of faith and lack of preparation is true faith. How does this thought fit in the life of Joseph, Noah or many others in scripture? Frankly, it does not! Joseph put action to his faith and did something. What he shows us is the true meaning of faith, which is to hear and then put action to what we have heard. Faith is not a word of complacent non-action, but rather a word of Godly activity. What would have happened if Joseph had taken the attitude that “God will provide” and done nothing to prepare for the coming famine? It is the true meaning of the word Sh’ma which is to hear and then to act on what you have heard.

Maybe the reason there is so much discussion on the subject is that many are too spiritually lazy to spend the time and effort to truly hear what He is saying today. They know that if they hear then they will have to get up and do, and that is just not the desired option in their minds. Instead they are very happy just sitting on the premises and watching the world go.

Again there are two kinds of people in the world. There are those who make things happen and those who wonder what happened. Joseph was a man who heard the voice of Elohim and went forth to do his part in making things happen. He had sat in a prison cell long enough with the dream burning within him. It was his time now and he was going to do everything he was being told to do. He would never have to look back and wonder what happened in life, but under the direction of his Creator would go forth and make things happen.

Let us take a lesson from Joseph and determine to hear, and then to put what we have heard into action. And for those who want to sit and do nothing? Maybe one day they will be thankful when it is your actions which are keeping them from going hungry, spiritually and physically.