Significant Revival

 

Significant Revival

Genesis 41: ⁵⁰ And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. ⁵¹ Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.” ⁵² And the name of the second he called Ephraim: “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

 

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Sometime during the years of plenty, Joseph had two sons Manasseh and Ephriam. Asenath, an Egyptian daughter of a priest who worshipped Ra the sun god, is mentioned for the second time.

 

My Observations:

• Asenath influenced her sons to live as Egyptians.
• Manasseh would later struggle with GOD
• Ephriam would become a huge tribe, yet would also struggle with GOD.

 

The birth of these two sons was so significant to GOD, that one of the tribes, Dan, was replaced in the book of Revelation with Manasseh. My guess is Manasseh was born somewhere around year three of the famine and Ephriam was born around year five. I have no factual basis for the numbers other than Joseph was extremely busy storing up food for Egypt.

 

Joseph struggled with being separated from his father. He may have thought of Jacob every day. Joseph may have learned how to manage people from Jacob. Naming Manasseh “Making me forget my sorrow” indicates He missed his father. Naming Ephriam “Double fruitfulness” was done after collecting so much food that the amount could not be counted.

 

Joseph recognized that he was in a land that afflicted him. He had been taken from his father, enslaved  and imprisoned. This land started off as a place of doom. BUT GOD healed the situation and made Joseph fruitful in all he did.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD tell Moses about the birth of Joseph’s son in such detail?
• Have you ever come out of a trial and remembered what you went through?
• Does GOD’s revival of you have to come in the way you think?

The ONE WHO IS

Amos 4: ¹³ He who forms the mountains,
    who creates the wind,
    and who reveals his thoughts to mankind,
who turns dawn to darkness,
    and treads on the heights of the earth—
    the Lord God Almighty is his name.

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Perplexed and nervous, I felt I had nowhere to turn. It seemed like my wits were at their end and I could not see how to get out of the snare I was in. I was sick of being of where I was but too tired to climb out or the hole I was in. “Will I ever graduate” was the thought.

• Sometimes I am sick of where I am in life.
• Sometimes I am tired of where I am in life.
• Sometimes I am sick and tired of being sick and tired!

One reason for my exhaustion is I had nothing to guide me at the time. I mean people gave me a good reason for going to college but never filled in the blanks specifically for me. I struggled wondering if this trial would ever be done. Since then there have been other trials that went even longer. No matter how much intellect I would throw at my problem, I could not get out. Who can help during these times?

• GOD says to me “I formed the mountains and created the winds.”
• GOD says to me “I reveal my thoughts to you.”
• GOD says to me I turn dawn to darkness and tread on the heights of the earth.”

What GOD is saying to me is HE IS in total control of my life. There nothing too hard or too big for HIM. HE sends difficulties in my life to get my attention. HE wants me to turn totally to HIM, seeking HIM daily. GOD wants total acceptance of where HE has me. HE deserves praise daily with a song on my lips. Instead of bringing HIM down, I raise HIM up to be GOD in my life!

• Are you going through something?
• Do you feel like giving up?
• Can you stop looking at your success and start looking at GOD’s mighty power!
• Will you turn your face to GOD today?

Healed from the Wounds

Hosea 6: “Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces
    but he will heal us;
he has injured us
    but he will bind up our wounds.
² After two days he will revive us;
    on the third day he will restore us,
    that we may live in his presence.
³ Let us acknowledge the Lord;
    let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
    he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
    like the spring rains that water the earth.”

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“You stink” were the hurtful words that came from a friend’s mouth. He meant I literally stank, so I switched deodorants and it worked. “That effort was pitiful, try again” were the pushy words from my coach. He observed my lackluster attitude that day and made me focus to do better.

• There were some harsh words that tore me to pieces.
• There have been things that have been said to me that ripped me up.
• There were some harmful words said to me that, quite honestly, did not feel good at all.

Truth can hurt, but if it is delivered in a helpful way I can hear it. Some people have simply thrown darts at me, not expecting me to recover. Those are words to ignore. BUT GOD may hit me with a message to “straighten up” simply because HE wants to restore me.

• GOD says to me “Acknowledge ME when you drift and I will restore you.”
• GOD says to me “Confess your sins to ME and I will be faithful and just to forgive you of those sins and to cleanse you of ALL unrighteousness.”
• GOD says to me “Repent. I stand at the door of your heart and knock, if you open that door I will come in and sup with you.”

GOD may say “You know what you said to that person was wrong, go and apologize” especially when I don’t feel like it. HE knows “restoration” is far more important than being right or winning the fight. HE treats me with grace and expects me to do the same to others. HE heals my wounds that HE inflicted on me in order to restore me.

• Are you being wounded by GOD?
• Is HE trying to change your attitude and you are resisting?
• Will you allow GOD to change your heart so HE can restore you?
• Can you accept HIS wounds so you will grow stronger?