†. Gen 40:20a . . Pharaoh's birthday came three days later, and he
gave a banquet for all his officials and household staff.
What really is the purpose of a birthday party anyway if not to celebrate
your own existence? For a guy in Pharaoh's position, life is good: better than
what you could ever hope to ask for; and of course that's cause for
celebration. But for the majority of his subjects, life wasn't all that good, and
nothing to celebrate. No doubt quite a few Egyptians in that day derived
very little pleasure out of there own existence.
People normally count Job as one of the most righteous men who ever lived,
yet when he lost his health and wealth, Job cursed the day of his birth and
wished he was never born (Job 3:1-26).
†. Gen 40:20b-23 . . He sent for his chief cup-bearer and chief baker,
and they were brought to him from the prison. He then restored the
chief cup-bearer to his former position, but he sentenced the chief
baker to be impaled on a pole, just as Joseph had predicted.
Pharaoh's cup-bearer, however, promptly forgot all about Joseph,
never giving him another thought.
One might wonder how it was possible for the cup-bearer to not be
thoroughly amazed enough at the fulfillment of Joseph's predictions to begin
exclaiming his prison experience with such enthusiasm as to totally rivet the
attention of every single one of Pharaoh's courtiers and instantly secure
Joseph's freedom. But if we take into account the hand of God in the glove
of providence, then it seems reasonable to conclude that God didn't want
Joseph in the limelight just yet; so he put a mental block in the cup man's
head to silence him for the time being. No doubt when Joseph was apprised
of recent developments by his friend Potiphar, he was deeply disappointed,
and probably a bit consternated too. Joseph probably assumed-- and with
good reason --that those successful predictions were his ticket to freedom at
last.
Well . . Joseph's God wanted him free too; however the time wasn't quite
right yet. If Joseph got out of jail now, no doubt he'd blast off at Mach 2
straight home to Palestine. Subsequent events will prove just how vitally
important it was for Joseph to be kept on ice right where he was for the time
being.
In a similar experience; I was laid off from a really good welding job back in
1991. I searched for work, and languished at home, for a full three months
wondering if I'd ever find another job as good as the last one. And then,
Shazaam! the US Army Corps of Engineers advertised for a temporary
welder. While I was in that position, two permanent men departed: one with
heart trouble, and one retired. That created two openings for permanent
positions. I got one of them, and retired at 62 on May 31, 2006 with a
Federal pension.
An advantage of Federal retirement is that you get to keep your health
insurance and take it with you at the very same co-insurance rate; plus, all
past years of active military service count in with the years of your civilian
employment and they factor it into your pension. I was almost to the point
of despair looking for a good paying job; but if I had settled for something
less, then I would have missed out on the best elephant graveyard a dumb
welder with a high school education could ever hope for.
Cont.
/
gave a banquet for all his officials and household staff.
What really is the purpose of a birthday party anyway if not to celebrate
your own existence? For a guy in Pharaoh's position, life is good: better than
what you could ever hope to ask for; and of course that's cause for
celebration. But for the majority of his subjects, life wasn't all that good, and
nothing to celebrate. No doubt quite a few Egyptians in that day derived
very little pleasure out of there own existence.
People normally count Job as one of the most righteous men who ever lived,
yet when he lost his health and wealth, Job cursed the day of his birth and
wished he was never born (Job 3:1-26).
†. Gen 40:20b-23 . . He sent for his chief cup-bearer and chief baker,
and they were brought to him from the prison. He then restored the
chief cup-bearer to his former position, but he sentenced the chief
baker to be impaled on a pole, just as Joseph had predicted.
Pharaoh's cup-bearer, however, promptly forgot all about Joseph,
never giving him another thought.
One might wonder how it was possible for the cup-bearer to not be
thoroughly amazed enough at the fulfillment of Joseph's predictions to begin
exclaiming his prison experience with such enthusiasm as to totally rivet the
attention of every single one of Pharaoh's courtiers and instantly secure
Joseph's freedom. But if we take into account the hand of God in the glove
of providence, then it seems reasonable to conclude that God didn't want
Joseph in the limelight just yet; so he put a mental block in the cup man's
head to silence him for the time being. No doubt when Joseph was apprised
of recent developments by his friend Potiphar, he was deeply disappointed,
and probably a bit consternated too. Joseph probably assumed-- and with
good reason --that those successful predictions were his ticket to freedom at
last.
Well . . Joseph's God wanted him free too; however the time wasn't quite
right yet. If Joseph got out of jail now, no doubt he'd blast off at Mach 2
straight home to Palestine. Subsequent events will prove just how vitally
important it was for Joseph to be kept on ice right where he was for the time
being.
In a similar experience; I was laid off from a really good welding job back in
1991. I searched for work, and languished at home, for a full three months
wondering if I'd ever find another job as good as the last one. And then,
Shazaam! the US Army Corps of Engineers advertised for a temporary
welder. While I was in that position, two permanent men departed: one with
heart trouble, and one retired. That created two openings for permanent
positions. I got one of them, and retired at 62 on May 31, 2006 with a
Federal pension.
An advantage of Federal retirement is that you get to keep your health
insurance and take it with you at the very same co-insurance rate; plus, all
past years of active military service count in with the years of your civilian
employment and they factor it into your pension. I was almost to the point
of despair looking for a good paying job; but if I had settled for something
less, then I would have missed out on the best elephant graveyard a dumb
welder with a high school education could ever hope for.
Cont.
/
