Genesis 41; Mark 11
Daily Catechism
QUESTION 15: WHAT ARE GOD’S WORKS OF PROVIDENCE?
Answer: God’s works of providence are the holy, wise, and powerful acts
which he preserves and governs all his creatures, and all their actions.
Scripture: Nehemiah 9:6; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3; Psalm 103:19; Matthew 10:29-30.
Comment: It would be helpful to discuss this with your child in relation to the common concept of “luck.” Is there such a thing as luck in a world ruled by the providence of God? “The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly from the Lord” (16:33). You will also need to stress that many of God’s acts of providence may not look “holy and wise” (like storms that kill thousands of people). But then stress that God has his secret purposes (Deut. 29:29) that we are never great enough to see, and the Judge of all the earth always does right (Genesis 18:25).
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Genesis 41
Ready:
In the last chapter Joseph interpreted dreams for two prisoners that were from Pharaoh’s house. These two had opposite dreams and results and the survivor was released and restored as Joseph interpreted to be so but then the guy “forgot" about Joseph and did nothing to help him.
Reading thoughts:
This chapter is the big turning point for Joseph. I see him gain the favor of Pharaoh and he gains great power and authority over all of Egypt. By listening to the Lord’s warning Joseph helps Egypt to prepare for a terrible famine that impacts the whole earth. Egypt is prepared and survives well and makes provision for others out of the abundance that was preserved by Joseph. He even has a couple of children by his Egyptian wife.
Key Verses:
Gen 41:1-4, 12-13, 14, 16, 25, 28-32, 34-35
I see the theme as- God uses Joseph’s candor and integrity and fearless commitment to speak the truth in order to accomplish his will in preserving Egypt under the severe famine, placing Joseph in a position of authority in Egypt second only to the Pharaoh himself.
Rumination thoughts:
v1-13. Pharaoh in the last chapter has hanged his chief baker so we know that he is a hard man and that he does not take much disrespect or irreverence from his court. It could be that people were fearful to misinterpret or to offend Pharaoh in their response but regardless of the cause he could not get anyone to interpret his dreams. I suppose if I had a recurring dream that was vivid and I felt conviction by God to interpret it maybe I would give it consideration but on a daily basis I think nothing of whatever dreams I may have. The cupbearer finally came though and he spoke up for Joseph, since it was now going to be helpful to him and to Pharaoh in sending this uncomfortable scenario of nobody being able to please Pharaoh.
v14-36. Here Joseph is humble to give full credit to God as the one interpreting the dreams and Joseph merely passes on the message. He really functions as a prophet in this sense. Joseph makes it clear that he hopes for a favorable interpretation but since it does not come from him... perhaps the Pharaoh will have mercy if he does not find the interpretation favorable. Joseph then hears and interprets the dream and more than that he gives Pharaoh advice on how to deal with the coming famine. This includes placing someone over all the land with authority over food production and storage.
v37-45. Pharaoh seems to look at his servants with a smirk saying something like “Hmmm, where in the world would we find someone who is clearly blessed by God and wise over such matters who is responsible and has integrity and who would know how to lead our people in preparation for this great famine…I wonder if there is anyone who could handle this.” Of course, Joseph is the only answer and so it goes that Joseph is given all authority in Egypt over everything but matters that need the Pharoah’s judgement from his throne. Joseph is given riches and prominence and a wife and all he could probably want as far as earthy possessions and accomplishment.
v46-56. Joseph had been in captivity since he was 17 with varying degrees of authority and prominence due to God’s blessing but now he is highly lifted up and at the age of thirty he is placed in the highest position possible in the whole nation of Egypt. He has lived in Egypt now longer than with his family in Canaan (23 years). Joseph stores up food in each City (not one big storehouse somewhere) and during the seven years of abundance he has a couple kiddos. Sadly he names the first one Manasseh, which means something like “to forget” because he had forgotten all his hardship and all his father’s house. Forgetting his father’s house is the sad part. It seems that he completely moves on mentally and emotionally and is content now to have no attachment to Jacob or his 11 brothers. Now would seem to be the time that he could reach out to them since he is in no sense in captivity any longer. but he spends 7 years focused on per parring for the famine and on making his own family without considering Jacob. The famine comes and Joseph is put in charge of how and when the storehouses are used and also of the sale of food to outsiders since the famine was affecting the whole earth. This would have set Egypt up as quite the super-power in that time.
Meaning, Implications, and Significance
1. Like I read in Psalm 128 it seems to be the message here that the Lord blesses those who fear him:
“1 Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! 2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. 3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. 4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.” (Psalm 128:1–4, ESV)
The implication is that a right view of God and submission to his reign in one’s life is the pathway to happiness. Surely the Lord took Joseph through many trials and challenges and disappointments along the way but the overarching theme is blessing. The significance for my life is that I do not need to find my own way of manipulating my circumstances by human wisdom and shrewdness but I can rely on God and I can walk in fear of him and make my decisions based on his Word rather than on what I think will protect me in the moment. I can trust that doing it God’s way is the right way even when the results do not immediately appear favorable.
Response:
“Private”
Reaction:
“Private”
Mark 11
Ready:
Yesterday Mark presented opposing views of salvation with the juxtaposition of the blind beggar against the rich young man. The rich young man wanted to know how he could accomplish his own salvation by his “doing” and the blind beggar saw (in a manner of speaking) that it was Jesus who needed to “do” something… out of mercy. Sandwiched between these stories was Jesus’ description of his work of redemption on the cross and from the grave. I saw that the one who received from Jesus became a follower and the one who sought to give something to Jesus went away empty.
Reading thoughts:
Here is the triumphal entrance into Jerusalem as Jesus and told the disciples they were headed there. But the disciples were amazed that he was intent on coming here (Mark 10:32) since he claimed that he would be tortured and killed in Jerusalem. Jesus sets out fulfilling prophecy with his entrance to the City of David and the crowds welcome him warmly with shouts of joy and cries for salvation that sound like they surely recognize him as the coming Messiah…but in five days time this cry will turn to “Crucify him!"
Key Verses:
Mark 11:8-10, 13-14, 15, 17, 22-23, 28-29, 30, 33
I see the theme as- The identity and authority of Jesus is declared and ignored.
Rumination thoughts:
v1-11. Here is Palm Sunday! Jesus entered Jerusalem to begin Holy Week where in the end he will be crucified and then rise from the dead. Verses 9-10 make it sound like the crowd recognizes Jesus as the coming Messiah and they cry out for salvation with “Hosanna!”. Of course this is ironic because the crowd will cry out “Crucify him” in five days. Knowing who Jesus is, or thinking I know who he is, and surrendering my life to him are different things.
v12-14. I think this part of the parable illustrates how Jesus wants us to know that the religious system of the Jews (as they have used it) amounts to a leafy tree that is useless since it gives no fruit. It has the appearance of truth but it lacks any real result. It cannot feed the soul. It can dress up the pathway but it leaves the pilgrim empty. A reliance and boasting in the law leaves nothing to be added to the soul that hungers for God. Jesus hungered and the tree offered nothing. The law offers me nothing. Jesus curses this empty religion because it fools people into thinking that it is the source of righteousness when it is barren. Jesus has decided to show the reality of this tree. I don’t think it is any mistake that this sign is given as he come into Jerusalem since it is the center of Judaism and the seat of where the law has been misused as a means to merit righteousness before God (Rich young man from the last chapter) rather than as a means to understand our need for Jesus (blind beggar named Bartimaeus).
v15-19. I take the cleansing of the temple here to be related to the fig tree story (since it is placed between the two halves of it). I think Jesus is illustrating that the misuse of the law and the entire religious system that Moses presented to Israel has been used to gain power and prestige and wealth and personal gain. It has become a testament to the Jew’s boasting in the law (Rom 3:27-28). Jesus makes it clear that the temple is a place for spiritually sick people (sinners) to cry out (pray) to God and to rest in God’s mercy that is to come through the promised offspring.
v20-25. Here the disciples find the fig tree that Jesus had cursed the day before is now totally withered to the root. I take this to be a condemnation upon Israel’s failure to trust in God but rather they trusted in a law that failed them because they were not pursuing the righteousness of God, but of men (Rom 10:2-4, Rom 9:30-32). Putting trust in the means instead of in the goal is a fatal error. So too here thinking that a trust in the desired outcome (as can easily be taken from this teaching on prayer) is ruled out by Jesus’ first statement…”Have faith in God”. So the whole teaching must be taken in the context of the object of faith is God and not the requested outcome. Once the faith is in God we can apply the rest of Scriptural teaching on prayer and we see that Jesus is denied his request to not drink the cup in the Garden (Mark 14:36) and we see that Shadrack and his buddies do not claim to be able to control the hand of God but submit to his will all the while never doubting God’s ability to deliver them (Dan 3:16-18). Note that it could even be in Mark 11:23 that the “he” in “what he says will come to pass” can be God and not the person praying. God is a more natural person to be saying things and then those things come to pass. So trusting that whatever God says will indeed come to pass and trusting in him to do his holy and good will, I can pray with confidence that he will not withhold any good thing (Rom 8:32, Matt 7:9-11). An example is the centurion who asked Jesus to say the word in order to heal his servant. The centurion did not say to Jesus "I know it’s done in my asking with faith", he said “say the word and my servant will be healed" (Matt 8:8-10). Trust in and submission to the authority of the one who can grant the desired answer is the only thing being taught here. But since I am often ignorant as to what is good or bad for me or in God’s great plan I can never have ultimate confidence in my requested outcome…especially if I come from a place of submission to the will of God rather than my own.
v27-33. He demanded that they answer and it seems he is recalling their silence in Mark 3:4-5 when they would not respond to his question that was exposing their previous error. They refused to acknowledge truth already and now here Jesus demands that they take a position and then refuses to give them more truth explicitly because they already deny what they have been given…reminds me of Matt 7:6 and his admonition to not throw pearls before pigs. Jesus is pretty plainly teaching that he has the authority of God to cleanse the temple and to teach in the temple and to heal on the Sabbath and to wither a tree to expose its bare roots.
Meaning, Implications, and Significance
1. I hear the message that Jesus came with the full authority to accomplish all of God’s holy will without restriction and that a trust in him attaches the believer to this omnipotent hand of blessing but a trust in something of our own doing (which is void of any authority) will be fruitless. The implication for today is that a believer can only trust in God’s authority and his purposes and that it is possible to misuse the law or prayer or anything that is not grounded in the true purpose of God as reveled in his Word. The significance for my life is that I must trust in God and in his power to accomplish what is good for me in my life…even when it seems gnarly (like being sold into slavery- Joseph). I need to cry out to him for help trusting that he can accomplish anything and not rely on my own efforts toward righteousness. I cannot boast or even look to my own righteousness or I am filling the temple with my supposed riches, while the roots are withering away right under my feet.
Response:
“Private”
Reaction:
“Private”
Soli Deo Gloria!
