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²⁵ “Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. ²⁶ The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. ²⁷ The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine. ²⁸ It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. ²⁹ There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, ³⁰ but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, ³¹ and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. ³² And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about.” (Genesis 41:25–32 (ESV)

After Pharaoh told Joseph his two dreams (Gen. 41:17-24), Joseph gave the Egyptian king God’s meaning for both dreams. Joseph told Pharaoh the dreams were one. In other words, both dreams had the same meaning. Joseph also told Pharaoh that God had revealed to the king what He, the LORD, was about to do. What Pharaoh dreamed, the LORD would bring to pass.

The providence of God is a recurring theme within the Scriptures. God’s providence is certainly predominant in the life of Joseph (Gen. 50:20). Providence is God’s sovereign activity throughout history in providing for the needs of human beings, especially those who believe in him. Therefore, the universe is not closed to God’s active involvement (Daniel 2:2:20-23; 4:1-3, 34-35; Prov. 16:33; Matt. 5:45; 6:26-34; Acts 17:22-28).

God’s providence is in contrast to the world’s perspectives of fate, luck, serendipity, karma, Marxist propaganda, and the false perception of the sovereign progress of science, technology, education and social evolution.  

The Tyndale Bible Dictionary explains, “All through the centuries of human existence there have been those who took great comfort in God’s providential care. God has not left this planet alone in the vast universe or forgotten for a moment the human situation. God visits, touches, communicates, controls, and intervenes, coming before and between people and their needs. Providence is ground for thankfulness.”

Today’s text could not be clearer. God claimed responsibility for the impending seven year famine, or climate change, which was going to providentially occur following seven years of agricultural abundance.

I may not know what your perspective is concerning the current debate over climate change. The biblical perspective is that we live in a fallen world. Sin, and God’s judgment of it, has even impacted the physical universe (Gen.3:17-19; Romans 8:18-24). However, God remains actively in control of all that happens. This includes the weather.

Weather related deaths and destruction are devastating. This sobering truth should remind us that this present world does not afford us our best life now. Even Jesus acknowledged the truth of political and natural disasters (Luke 13:1-5). Jesus also warned that the only ultimate solution to living in a fallen, sinful world was not the accumulation and enjoyment of wealth and comfort or personal peace and affluency, but rather to repent of one’s sin. Otherwise, Jesus said you will perish (Luke 13:3, 5).  

God does not mean for us to passively be unprepared for disasters. Prudent measures should be taken to ensure the safety of family, house and home. This is exactly what God had Joseph tell Pharaoh. He told the king the God ordained seven year famine would occur. However, prudent measures could and should be taken to prepare for its occurrence. What was needed was a godly individual to direct such measures. The LORD had such an individual in mind.  

Have a blessed day in the LORD. May each of us be secure in the truth and knowledge of the providence of God.

Soli deo Gloria!  

We will continue to devote each Lord’s Day weekend in 2022 at hiswordtoday.org to present a portion of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). For those unfamiliar with the WCF, a brief explanation is appropriate. 

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the “subordinate standard” of doctrine (to Scripture) in the Church of Scotland and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide.

It is to that “most precise and accurate summary of the content of biblical Christianity” that we will give our time and attention to each Lord’s Day in the year of our Lord, 2021. I trust you will be edified and encouraged each week by The Westminster Confession of Faith.

Chapter Twenty Four: Of Marriage and Divorce. Part 2.

4. Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity forbidden in the Word;^a nor can such incestuous marriages ever be made lawful by any law of man, or consent of parties, so as those persons may live together as man and wife.^b The man may not marry any of his wife’s kindred nearer in blood than he may of his own, nor the woman of her husband’s kindred nearer in blood than of her own.^c

a. Lev 18 throughout; Amos 2:7; 1 Cor 5:1. • b. Lev 18:24-28; Mark 6:18. • c. Lev 20:19-21.

5. Adultery or fornication, committed after a contract, being detected before marriage, giveth just occasion to the innocent party to dissolve that contract.^a In the case of adultery after marriage, it is lawful for the innocent party to sue out a divorce,^b and after the divorce to marry another, as if the offending party were dead.^c

a. Mat 1:18-20. • b. Mat 5:31-32. • c. Mat 19:9; Rom 7:2-3.

6. Although the corruption of man be such as is apt to study arguments, unduly to put asunder those whom God hath joined together in marriage; yet nothing but adultery, or such wilful desertion as can no way be remedied by the Church or civil magistrate, is cause sufficient of dissolving the bond of marriage;^a wherein a public and orderly course of proceeding is to be observed; and the persons concerned in it, not left to their own wills and discretion in their own case.^b

a. Mat 19:6, 8-9; 1 Cor 7:15. • b. Deut 24:1-4.

I encourage you to read the portions of Scripture listed in this post. Have a blessed Lord’s Day.

Soli deo Gloria!

We will continue to devote each Lord’s Day weekend in 2022 at hiswordtoday.org to present a portion of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). For those unfamiliar with the WCF, a brief explanation is appropriate. 

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the “subordinate standard” of doctrine (to Scripture) in the Church of Scotland and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide.

It is to that “most precise and accurate summary of the content of biblical Christianity” that we will give our time and attention to each Lord’s Day in the year of our Lord, 2021. I trust you will be edified and encouraged each week by The Westminster Confession of Faith.

Chapter Twenty Four: Of Marriage and Divorce. Part 1.

I encourage you to read the portions of Scripture listed in this post. Have a blessed Lord’s Day.

1. Marriage is to be between one man and one woman: neither is it lawful for any man to have more than one wife, nor for any woman to have more than one husband at the same time.^a

a. Gen 2:24; Prov 2:17; Mat 19:5-6.

2. Marriage was ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife;^a for the increase of mankind with a legitimate issue, and of the Church with an holy seed;^b and for preventing of uncleanness.^c

a. Gen 2:18. • b. Mal 2:15. • c. 1 Cor 7:2, 9.

3. It is lawful for all sorts of people to marry who are able with judgment to give their consent.^a Yet it is the duty of Christians to marry only in the Lord.^b And therefore, such as profess the true reformed religion should not marry with infidels, Papists, or other idolaters: neither should such as are godly be unequally yoked, by marrying with such as are notoriously wicked in their life, or maintain damnable heresies.^c

a. Gen 24:57-58; 1 Cor 7:36-38; Heb 13:4; 1 Tim 4:3. • b. 1 Cor 7:39. • c. Gen 34:14; Exod 34:16; Deut 7:3-4; 1 Kings 11:4; Neh 13:25-27; Mal 2:11-12; 2 Cor 6:14.

I encourage you to read and meditate upon the cited

biblical references.

Soli deo Gloria!

²⁹ “When they came to Jacob their father in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them, saying, ³⁰ “The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly to us and took us to be spies of the land. ³¹ But we said to him, ‘We are honest men; we have never been spies. ³² We are twelve brothers, sons of our father. One is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.’ ³³ Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘By this I shall know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take grain for the famine of your households, and go your way. ³⁴ Bring your youngest brother to me. Then I shall know that you are not spies but honest men, and I will deliver your brother to you, and you shall trade in the land.’ ” (Genesis 42:29–34 (ESV)

The Book of Proverbs makes several statements regarding the sin of lying.  

Proverbs 6:16-18 says, “¹⁶There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: ¹⁷  haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, ¹⁸ a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, ¹⁹ a false witness who breathes out lies ,and one who sows discord among brothers.” 

Proverbs 12:22 says, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.”

Twice in today’s text, Jacob’s eldest sons, minus Simeon, explain what happened when they arrived in Egypt to buy grain. They described the behavior of Egypt’s governor, not knowing that he was their brother Joseph. They explained the conditions upon which the returned to Canaan and why Simeon was kept captive in Egypt. They finally explained the condition required for Simeon’s release: Benjamin must accompany them when they return to Egypt. 

All of what they stated was true, with one exception. Twice they either described themselves, or recalled Joseph describing them, as honest men. In other words, truthful and trustworthy. Past recorded behavior indicates otherwise. 

With respect to Moses’ narrative concerning Joseph, the brothers not only lied to Jacob about Joseph (Gen. 37:29-35), they also lied to Joseph about Joseph (Gen. 42:12-13). They also did not tell Jacob the truth of having sold Joseph into slavery (Gen. 37:25-28). Therefore, their self-description as honest men was a testimony of self-deception. It was another lie. 

Have you ever been deceived? Has someone ever lied to you? How did you react when you discovered the truth of their deception? Were you angry, sad, disappointed, or all of the above? 

One more question. Have you ever lied to someone? 

Psalm 19:14 says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

May the LORD see honesty and integrity in each of us. Have a blessed day.

Soli deo Gloria! 

¹⁴ “Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. ¹⁵ And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” ¹⁶ Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” (Genesis 41:14–16 (ESV)

Pride may be defined as a reasonable or justifiable self-respect. However, it can also be an improper and excessive self-esteem known as conceit or arrogance. The apostle Paul expressed a positive kind of pride when speaking of confidence in the believers at Corinth (2 Cor. 7:4) or of one’s strength in the Lord (2 Cor. 12:5, 9). However, it is the sinful meaning of “pride,” which most frequently appears in the Bible; both in the Old Testament and New Testament.

The ten Hebrew and two Greek words generally used for pride refer to being high or exalted in attitude. One Greek word for pride refers to a person being puffed up or inflated with egotism. The idea is that one gives the impression of substance but is really filled only with air (see, e.g., 1 Cor. 5:2; 8:1; 13:4; Col 2:18). Presumably, hot air.

Pride is basically a sin of attitude and of the heart and spirit. Hence one reads, “Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin” (Prov. 21:4, rsv).

Pastor Robert M. Godfrey writes, “The vice of pride takes the form of boasting in ourselves. We can boast of our prosperity in a health-and-wealth-gospel way, or we might credit ourselves with successful evangelism, or we might pat ourselves on the brain, so to speak, as great scholars. The sin of pride takes root when we stop looking to God (His providence, wisdom, and grace) as the source of all these benefits and start to take the credit ourselves.”

In contrast, humility is an attitude opposed to prideful arrogance. Humility is often praised and rewarded by God.  Humility is having a spirit of lowliness, or affliction, in which one experiences a loss of power and prestige. Outside of biblical faith, humility in this sense would not usually be considered a virtue.

Within the context of God’s Word, humility is considered the proper attitude of human beings toward their Creator. Humility is a grateful and spontaneous awareness that life is a gift, and it is manifested as an ungrudging and un-hypocritical acknowledgment of absolute dependence upon the Lord.

Joseph was a man who displayed genuine humility in his audience with Pharaoh. While a youth, Joseph may be suspected of pride (Gen. 37:1-11). However, as a young man (Gen. 41:46), Joseph demonstrated genuine humility when he said to Pharaoh, ““It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”

In other words, Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams was apart from him. Rather, it was solely from God. Joseph gave all glory to God in his ability to interpret dreams. In whatever abilities the Lord gives believers in Christ (I Cor. 12:4-11; Eph. 2:10), all things are to be done for His glory alone (I Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17).

The Latin phrase Soli deo Gloria, with which we conclude each blog, means to God alone be glory. Let us never lose sight of this truth. Have a blessed day.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹⁴ “Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. ¹⁵ And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” ¹⁶ Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” ¹⁷ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile. ¹⁸ Seven cows, plump and attractive, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass. ¹⁹ Seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt. ²⁰ And the thin, ugly cows ate up the first seven plump cows, ²¹ but when they had eaten them no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke. ²² I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good. ²³ Seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them, ²⁴ and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.” (Genesis 41:14–24 (ESV)

It is easy to overlook the obvious. It is also easy to overlook the seemingly unimportant details of life and living. However, the obvious and apparently inconsequential details of our lives, and the lives of others, are often really significant.

Take today’s text for example. Moses wanted his readers to know in the Joseph narrative that “Pharaoh sent and called Joseph and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.” Why did Moses, and ultimately the LORD, find it important to inform us that Joseph shaved and changed his clothes prior to meeting Pharaoh?

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First, there was the cultural reason. Egyptians were known for their careful attention to personal cleanliness. This was particularly in contrast to the customs of the Hebrews. The Egyptians only allowed a man’s beard and hair to grow as a sign of mourning. This was also in contrast to the Hebrews, who shaved both beard and head as a sign of mourning (Isaiah 15:1-2).

Second, there was literary reason. Moses noted that every time Joseph life’s changed, there was a marked change in his clothing. Jacob gave Joseph a beautiful coat of many colors, but his brothers stripped it off him and used his garment to deceive his father (Gen. 37:23, 31–33). Additionally, Potiphar’s wife stripped Joseph’s garment off of him, and used his clothing to deceive her husband, who was Joseph’s master (Gen. 39:12, 16–18). When pharaoh summoned Joseph, the text notes that after he left the jail, he “changed his garments” (Gen. 41:14). Finally, Moses recorded that when the pharaoh invested Joseph with absolute authority over all Egypt, he gave him a garment of fine linen along with a golden collar of authority (Gen. 41:42).

Third, there is also a spiritual reason. The Scriptures speak of our salvation in Jesus Christ as receiving the imputed righteousness of Christ (Romans 3:21-26; 4:1-12). The image is of the believer in Christ clothed in the perfect righteousness of the Lord, thereby being acceptable to come into the presence of God the Father.

Zechariah 3:1-5 dramatically illustrates this truth. “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. ² And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” ³ Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. ⁴ And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” ⁵ And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by.”

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “God makes Joshua fit for the priesthood by giving him new, clean garments. This foreshadows the work of the coming Branch (vs.8) who will fulfill a priestly function and provide clothing of righteousness from His own merit (2 Cor. 5:21; Col.2:13-14).”

Joseph shaved and put on clean clothes to come into the presence of the Pharaoh, the Egyptian king. By grace alone, through faith alone, and in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone God clothes us in the Son’s perfect righteousness in order for every believer in Christ to come into His presence.  

Take time today to read and mediate upon the following biblical passages which speak of our righteous garment of salvation (Job 29:14; Isaiah 11:1-5; 59:17; 61:10; Revelation 19:1-8). Have a blessed day in the LORD.

Soli deo Gloria!     

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⁹ “Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my offenses today. ¹⁰ When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, ¹¹ we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation. ¹² A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream. ¹³ And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.” (Genesis 41:9–13 (ESV)

Following the events contained in Genesis 40:5-23, Joseph continued to languish in prison for two whole years. The chief cupbearer, following his own imprisonment and release, returned to serve in Pharaoh’s palace during the same period of time. However, he forget about Joseph (Gen. 40:9-15, 23).

It was after these two whole years that Pharaoh had his two dreams (Gen. 41:1-7). The king found no one, among his magicians and wise men, who could interpret his dreams (Gen. 41:8). Pharaoh was troubled by his dreams (Gen. 41:8). Imagine how he must have felt when none of his advisors could provide him an interpretation. Imagine how they must have felt?

It was at this providential moment that the chief cupbearer remembered Joseph (Gen.41:9-11). Dr. John MacArthur explains, “With memory suitably prompted, the butler apologized for his neglect (“my offenses”), and apprised Pharaoh of the Hebrew prisoner and his accurate interpretation of dreams two years earlier (vv. 10–13).

The cupbearer told Pharaoh of a young Hebrew prisoner who was the servant of the captain of the guard. It was this young man, the chief cupbearer recalled, who was able to provide both the chief cupbearer and the chief baker an interpretation to their own particular dream.

The chief cupbearer then provided a most significant statement. What the young Hebrew interpreted would occur, from the content of the two dreams, actually came about (Gen.41:13). In other words, the chief cupbearer was saying that Joseph was the real deal. He could provide an accurate interpretation which Pharaoh sought from his own two dreams.

Remember, there are no coincidences in life and God is always in control. This is true even when our circumstances seem, on the surface, to be absent of God’s providential control. Have a blessed day in the LORD.

Soli deo Gloria!

“After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, ² and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. ³ And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. ⁴ And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke. ⁵ And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. ⁶ And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind. ⁷ And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. ⁸ So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.” (Genesis 41:1–8 (ESV)

The two dreams of Joseph (Gen. 37:5-11), the two dreams by the chief cupbearer and the chief baker (Gen. 40:1-5), now yield to the two dreams of Pharaoh (Gen. 41:1-8). There are three sets of two dreams in the Joseph narrative. This gives us a total of six dreams. Joseph recognized the significance of the pattern of two dreams. He explained to Pharaoh that God had given him two dreams to confirm the truth of their overall message. In other words, God would surely fulfill the dreams (Gen. 41:32).

The images in Pharaoh’s dreams are striking. First, seven attractive and plump cows arise from the Nile River. The seven are subsequently eaten by seven ugly and thin cows also rising from the Nile. Second, seven plump and good ears of grain grow on one stalk. They are swallowed up by seven thin ears blighted by the east wind.

Pharaoh became troubled in his spirit because of the dreams. Therefore, he summoned all of his magicians and wise men. Pharaoh told them the dreams, but no one in Egypt could interpret them to the king.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “The apostle Paul tells us that we are God’s workmanship created for good works (Eph. 2:10). The Greek word for “workmanship” is literally “poetry.” The idea is that our lives express form and pattern along with beauty. Like the underside of grandmother’s cross-stitch, the everyday of our lives may look to be knotted and hopelessly tangled. But when we turn the fabric over, we see design and beauty that was there all along but that we never foresaw. Joseph’s life is like that. Through all the reversals, betrayals, and slanders he suffered, God was poetically designing his life so that he would be able to accomplish many good works, including saving his own family and then the entire world from the famine that was to come (Gen. 45:5, 50:20).”

Providentially, the LORD involved Joseph in all three sets of dreams. The dreams of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker would lead to Joseph’s involvement in interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams. This would eventually lead to the fulfillment of Joseph’s dreams.

Dr. Sproul concludes, “It is instructive to note that when Joseph in jail heard the dreams of the pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker, he readily offered to interpret their dreams. Joseph had already had two dreams foretelling that his brothers would bow down to him. After the years that had passed since he had been sold into bondage, if ever there was an occasion to doubt the prophecy of Joseph’s dreams, Joseph in the dungeon had reason to disbelieve. But God had spoken to his grandfather Abraham and to his father Jacob through dreams (Gen. 15:12–21, 28:10–15). It is therefore clear that Joseph offered to interpret the dreams of the pharaoh’s ministers because he still believed in prophetic dreams! In spite of all the adversity that had befallen him, Joseph fully expected to see his brothers again someday as they would bow before him!”

Joseph used his God-given ability to interpret dreams while in prison. This ability from the LORD would be the key for him to eventually leave the Egyptian prison for the Egyptian palace and witness his own dreams fulfilled.

More to come. Have a blessed day in the LORD.

Soli deo Gloria!     

“After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, ² and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. ³ And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. ⁴ And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke. ⁵ And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. ⁶ And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind. ⁷ And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. ⁸ So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.” (Genesis 41:1–8 (ESV)

Our focus is often centered from today’s text upon Pharaoh and his dreams. While his dreams are important and should be given their proper emphasis, the student of Scripture should not overlook the first four words of Genesis 41:1: “After two whole years.”

Moses’ stressed the fact that exactly 24 months had passed since the events recorded in Genesis 40. Nothing had changed for Joseph during these two years. He continued to serve the LORD while languishing in prison for a crime he did not commit (Gen. 39:19-23). While many others might become bitter, Joseph continued be faithful while serving and waiting upon the LORD.

Puritan Matthew Henry writes, “The delay of Joseph’s enlargement. It was not till the end of two full years (v. 1); so long he waited after he had entrusted the chief butler with his case and began to have some prospect of relief. We have need of patience, not only bearing, but waiting, patience. Joseph lay in prison until the time that his word came, There is a time set for the deliverance of God’s people; that time will come, though it seem to tarry; and, when it comes, it will appear to have been the best time, and therefore we ought to wait for it (Hab. 2:3), and not think two full years too long to continue waiting.”

Psalm 105:19 (ESV) says, “Until what he had said came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.” The person in question here is Joseph. The psalmist indicates that LORD tested him. The word tested (se’rapat) means to refine and to see the true nature and moral purity of an object. Joseph was experiencing God’s refining fire (Psalm 66:10-12; Isaiah 48:10; I Peter 1:6-7; 5:10).

Pastor John Piper explains from Malachi 2:17-3:6, “He (the LORD) is a refiner’s fire, and that makes all the difference. A refiner’s fire does not destroy indiscriminately like a forest fire. A refiner’s fire does not consume completely like the fire of an incinerator. A refiner’s fire refines. It purifies. It melts down the bar of silver or gold, separates out the impurities that ruin its value, burns them up, and leaves the silver and gold intact. He is like a refiner’s fire.

It does say FIRE. And therefore purity and holiness will always be a dreadful thing. There will always be a proper “fear and trembling” in the process of becoming pure. We learn it from the time we are little children: never play with fire! And it’s a good lesson! Therefore, Christianity is never a play thing. And the passion for purity is never flippant. He is like fire and fire is serious. You don’t fool around with it.”

“But it does say, he is like a REFINER’S fire. And therefore this is not merely a word of warning, but a tremendous word of hope. The furnace of affliction in the family of God is always for refinement, never for destruction.”

Thank the LORD for His work of refinement in your life. Have a blessed day in the LORD.

Soli deo Gloria!

We will continue to devote each Lord’s Day weekend in 2022 at hiswordtoday.org to present a portion of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). For those unfamiliar with the WCF, a brief explanation is appropriate. 

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the “subordinate standard” of doctrine (to Scripture) in the Church of Scotland and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide.

It is to that “most precise and accurate summary of the content of biblical Christianity” that we will give our time and attention to each Lord’s Day in the year of our Lord, 2021. I trust you will be edified and encouraged each week by The Westminster Confession of Faith.

Chapter Twenty Three: Of the Civil Magistrate. Part 2.

3. The civil magistrate may not assume to himself the administration of the Word and sacraments; or the power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven:^a yet he hath authority, and it is his duty, to take order, that unity and peace be preserved in the Church, that the truth of God be kept pure and entire; that all blasphemies and heresies be suppressed; all corruptions and abuses in worship and discipline prevented or reformed; and all the ordinances of God duly settled, administered, and observed.^b For the better effecting whereof, he hath power to call synods, to be present at them, and to provide that whatsoever is transacted in them be according to the mind of God.^c

a. 2 Chron 2:8 • b. Isa 49:23 • c. 2 Chron 19:8

4. It is the duty of people to pray for magistrates,^a to honor their persons,^b to pay them tribute and other dues,^c to obey their lawful commands, and to be subject to their authority, for conscience’ sake.^d Infidelity or difference in religion doth not make void the magistrate’s just and legal authority, nor free the people from their due obedience to him:^e from which ecclesiastical persons are not exempted;^f much less hath the Pope any power or jurisdiction over them in their dominions, or over any of their people; and least of all to deprive them of their dominions or lives, if he shall judge them to be heretics, or upon any other pretense whatsoever.^g

a. 1 Tim 2:1-2. • b. 1 Pet 2:17. • c. Rom 13:6-7. • d. Rom 13:5; Titus 1:3. • e. 1 Pet 2:13-14, 16. • f. 1 Kings 2:35; Acts 25:9-11; Rom 13:1; 2 Pet 2:1, 10-11; Jude 1:8-11. • g. 2 Thes 2:4; Rev 13:15-17.

I encourage you to read the portions of Scripture listed in this post. Have a blessed Lord’s Day.

Soli deo Gloria!