God didn’t just prepare Joseph for the job, He made the job for Joseph.
No role existed until Pharaoh had his two dreams, double confirmation of what was to come. The harvest had to be wisely stewarded during the years of abundance to provide during the coming times of famine.
48 Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. IN EACH CITY (Population Centre) HE PUT THE FOOD GROWN IN THE FIELDS SURROUNDING IT. 49 Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because IT WAS BEYOND MEASURE. Genesis 41
Joseph, often regarded as a Type of Christ, laid down the strategy, but each area was responsible for its own harvest. The harvesting and keeping of huge crops for seven successive years must have been very demanding for the workers, but God enabled them. The coming harvest of souls will also require very intensive work by the servants of the Lord. I believe that He is already raising up Hidden Leaders to guide this work and their roles will be completely different in scale and quality. Sudden massive expansion will demand different skills from routine maintenance (The apostles Peter and Paul were such leaders in early Church growth.)
We said in yesterday’s blog that Joseph was recognised by Pharaoh and his advisers as the man for the job. He came on the scene from a completely unexpected quarter.
14 So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly BROUGHT FROM THE DUNGEON. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh. Genesis 41
Some of the future leaders for the coming harvest may be from unusual backgrounds and probably not at all respectable. Pharaoh, a pagan ruler, chose a man he didn’t know and who was a long term prisoner and put his own palace Genesis 41:40 and then the whole country Genesis 41:43 in his hands. When God is in charge things will be very different, He always does things His own way.
Gamaliel gave the religious leaders good advice at the time of the new Church being birthed in Jerusalem;
38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.’
I also believe that there is a time of Super Abundance coming for God’s people, spiritual and material. A blessing of an amount that it can’t be counted, time will tell what God will do.
God bless and keep you today.