Nairaland Forum

[center]Obtaining the Promise: Is God in the Turn? Pt. One
By Esamagidi[/center]

There is a pattern in the bible that reveals how God relates with his people when it comes to promises he has made to them. It is a pattern of talking about the end product but not the materials that would go into it or the process or routes that the product would go through, and it is the process that make many of God’s people fall out with him and lose out on a great destiny. When the compass points south of the promises you have received of God what exactly is going on?

As a little boy, Joseph saw the Sun and the moon and the eleven stars bow down before him:

9And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

10And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? (Genesis 37)

What Joseph saw as a little boy was an unmistakable promise of greatness; greatness that exceeded his father’s household; greatness to which even the patriarch Jacob, who would kowtow. That kind of blessing was unheard of in his family— if anything, blasphemous! To say that he, little Joseph was going to receive a blessing that was greater than what Jacob had to deceive Esau and Isaac to obtain; a blessing Jacob had to  win after an all-night mortal combat with an angel; a blessing greater than the blessing that has been in the family for three centuries running, having been carefully passed down from father to son—to even remotely insinuate that level of greatness just didn’t sound right, “and his father rebuked him” . That was how big Joseph’s promised blessing was in the eyes and ears of those who heard him narrate his dreams.

However, nobody—not even Joseph knew the process it would take to make the man to whom even Jacob would bow in the moment of need.

Joseph dreamt of the greatness, but he did not see the pit… well God never mentioned it in the dream. Twice Joseph was thrown into a pit on his journey to greatness: (thrown into a dry well by his brothers, thrown into a dungeon by potiphar).

Apparently Joseph did not see the chains too…oops! God left that part out. Twice he was in chain: (To Egypt, and in Jail).

Similarly, Joseph saw the honour, but did not see the betrayals that were ahead…hmm, another detail omitted. Twice he was betrayed by family members (by brothers, and by the Potiphars whom he served with all his might, and had come to take him as a member of the family).

Also, Joseph did not see the ingratitude ahead…ahhshhhh that must had hurt! God left that part out of the blueprint to greatness. Twice Joseph’s services for people were forgotten (Potiphar did not remember in anger, and the baker forgot like most humans).

Surprisingly, Joseph was not told of the curves ahead of his life though he was in full knowledge of the final outcome of his life’s journey. Teasingly two of those major curves in Joseph’s life superficially pointed south of what God promised him. The first curve led him into slavery, the second dragged him into a maximum security prison—now one of those curves should have been mentioned in the dream, shouldn’t it? Well, God didn’t. Poor Joseph! It wasn’t what he expected.

Above all, God did not tell Joseph the time of the fulfillment of his childhood dream. I can relate to that. Twice Joseph told the exact timing of others dreams: the precise time of the famine and surplus; the precise time of the dreams of his fellow prisoners would be fulfilled, yet the fulfillment of his own was kept from him.

End of Part One:
Question: Why did God talk about the fulfillment of Joseph’s destiny and not the process?

This section of the forum is dedicated to in-depth study of scriptures, the Holy Bible. Let those who have the grace teach with love, inspiration and understanding; be humble enough to step out when the water gets too deep for their insight, and let those endowed with sufficient grace steer the course to edification.

Holy Spirit, guide and guard this thread, and sustain only those you have in mind. May you feed the hungry, satisfy the thirsty, and open the blind eyes through the teaching of your word. Above all, may all glory be given to your Son, Jesus Christ. Release your presence now, O Lord, and take charge of the hearts and mind of men and women as they stop-by for a drink or to offer a drink to others. Personally sanctify the water that is offered in this thread, and prevail against strange fire. In this thread, which is now officially under your auspices, feed your people with meat that is kosher, kosher, and kosher only. In Jesus name, AMEN!