Eyes on the Prize-Maker: Genesis 41:46-57
Joseph overcame what life gave him because his focus was on God. In our day-to-day life, it is easy to focus on the moment and get burdened down by the events and emotions of our life. It is easy to miss God calling us out of the quagmire of our own creation. We overcome when our focus returns to God.
Joseph steps into the role God planned for him. He collects the grain and stores it. He collects so much grain he no longer bothers to measure it. When God said there would be seven years of plenty, He meant it. Joseph collects so much grain that Egypt survives and has enough to sell to other nations! God helps Joseph turn the famine into a way to make Egypt prosper!
Joseph stayed rooted in God throughout the experience. That will be a theme for the rest of Genesis. How do we know? Asenath bears a son and Joseph calls him Manasseh. She bears a second son and Joseph calls him Ephraim.
Asenath was the daughter of an Egyptian priestess. The gods were incredibly important to her family. Yet, when Asenath bears children, they are given Hebrew names relating to the Hebrew God. Joseph is in Egypt, surrounded by Egyptian influences, holding incredible power over the Egyptian people, living up to the expectations of an Egyptian Pharoah. He still honors God and stays true to Him.
Many people might allow the culture to influence them. Others might let the power go to their heads. Some might let the religion of their spouse’s family influence their thinking. Joseph doesn’t do this. Joseph walks with God despite the flood of foreign influences surrounding him. If ever there was an example of handling authority in a godly manner, it is Joseph.
Joseph’s personal growth is also amazing. The name Manasseh sounds like the Hebrew word for forgetting. When Joseph considers what to name the child, he decides upon the name “To Make Me Forget.” That is an incredibly unusual name for a child. What parent gives their child a name connected to being forgotten? Joseph is not a usual person, though. Joseph’s eye is upon God. Joseph names his child Manasseh so every time he calls out to his child, Joseph is reminded about God’s grace and how it allowed him to forgive his brothers for their actions. Joseph understands how important God was to allow him to let go of his anger.
The same is true for Ephraim. The name Ephraim sounds like the Hebrew word for “To Make Fruitful.” Every time Joseph calls out his second son’s name, he is reminded how God placed him in areas he could use to grow in every season of his adult life.
Joseph overcame many obstacles. He overcame the anger others had for him, the traps others devoured him with, and his own pride. Joseph overcame what life gave him because his focus was on God.
