Forgotten

This past weekend, Jonathan referenced an important story from the life of Joseph. Over the next three days, we are going to reexamine that story. You can check Joseph’s backstory in Genesis 37 and 39; but let me offer you some of the highlights. Joseph’s father (Jacob) loved him more than his other sons. As you can imagine, Joseph’s brothers didn’t appreciate their father’s favoritism so they sold Joseph into slavery. As a loyal slave in Egypt, Joseph was falsely accused of attacking his owner’s wife and eventually thrown in prison. Joseph even used his God-given ability to interpret dreams to help a guy; but that guy forgets about him for two more years until Pharaoh has a dream...


Genesis 41
14 Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was quickly brought from the prison. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he went in and stood before Pharaoh.
15 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream last night, and no one here can tell me what it means. But I have heard that when you hear about a dream you can interpret it.”
16 “It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.”
17 So Pharaoh told Joseph his dream ... (You can check out his dreams in Genesis 41:17-24)
25 Joseph responded, “Both of Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing. God is telling Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do.
26 The seven healthy cows and the seven healthy heads of grain both represent seven years of prosperity.
27 The seven thin, scrawny cows that came up later and the seven thin heads of grain, withered by the east wind, represent seven years of famine.
28 “This will happen just as I have described it, for God has revealed to Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do.
29 The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout the land of Egypt.
30 But afterward there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten in Egypt. Famine will destroy the land.
31 This famine will be so severe that even the memory of the good years will be erased.
32 As for having two similar dreams, it means that these events have been decreed by God, and he will soon make them happen.


Forgotten. I was really struck by the idea that the “prosperity will be forgotten” ... “even the memory of the good years will be erased”. I shouldn’t be ... how many times have I quickly forgotten all the ways that God has blessed me the minute a difficult a difficult season of life appears on the horizon? This is why we encourage people to journal. This is why we offer Communion every weekend. This is why we make such a big deal about Easter. We need daily, weekly, yearly reminders of how powerful God is, how loving God is and how gracious God is. Then, when the “famines” of life arrive, we will be able to respond the way Joseph did, “It is beyond my power ... But God can ...”