Jesus accuses them of hypocrisy. The word ‘hypocrite’ literally means ‘someone who puts on a mask in play’. Their mask is honouring God with their lips, but in reality, ‘their hearts are far from [him]’ (v.8). God is far more concerned about your heart than your lips.
God had seen Joseph’s heart in the midst of all his trouble. For the thirteen years between the ages of seventeen and thirty Joseph must have wondered what God was doing. He had been through so much rejection, suffering, injustice, imprisonment, disappointment and other trials. But through it all God was preparing him to be put in charge of ‘the whole land of Egypt’ (v.41).
God knew he could be trusted because his heart was right. He had stayed close to the Lord through all the trials. This is what matters – not whether you are in a period of battle or a period of blessing, but whether you are staying close to the Lord and communicating with him from your heart.
Joseph named his two children Manasseh (‘God has made me forget all my trouble’, v.51) and Ephraim (‘God has made me fruitful’, v.52). The common thread in these two names is the four-word phrase ‘God has made me’. In both the times of suffering (Manasseh) and the times of success (Ephraim), Joseph acknowledges that it is God who is in control.
Don’t let your heart be bitter in times of suffering, nor boastful in times of success. Recognise that God is sovereign over your life and your situation.
Never let go of your God-given dreams. Even if you start off in a ‘pit’ or a ‘prison’, like Joseph, you may end up in a ‘palace’. As Joyce Meyer writes, ‘No matter where you started, you can have a great finish… Even if you are in a pit today, God can still raise you up and do great things in you and through you!’
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