Genesis 41:17-52; Matthew 13:24-33; Psalms 18:4-15; Proverbs 8:14-26
OT: ““So now, let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt.” …The proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants, and he said to them, “Can we find anyone like this, a man who has God’s spirit in him?” So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you are. You will be over my house, and all my people will obey your commands. Only I, as king, will be greater than you.” Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “See, I am placing you over all the land of Egypt.” Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, clothed him with fine linen garments, and placed a gold chain around his neck. He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, and servants called out before him, “Make way!” So he placed him over all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh and no one will be able to raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt without your permission.”” (Genesis 41:33, 37-44 CSB)
On earth, we know of 4 seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. In the Kingdom of God, there is a 5th season: Due Season. Due Season comes when all the circumstances around a promise become fully ripe, everything lines up, and the time is right. With Joseph, there were so many components to the promise God had given him years before. First, Joseph’s heart had to be broken and matured to be able to rightly handle the fulfillment. He also had to be properly positioned. Pharaoh had to be in the right frame of mind, and all the weather patterns had to come together to create the perfect situation for God through Joseph to shine. Some of the things were the work of the enemy, some of the things were just cycles of a fallen earth, and some were intentional choices made by Joseph as he continued to humble himself and trust God. Then finally, in a way that not even the best project manger on earth could arrange, everything came together and due season for Joseph came… and this humble come-from-nothing boy that was sold into slavery by his family became the second most powerful man on the earth.
NT: “He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared… “An enemy did this,’ he told them. “‘So, do you want us to go and pull them up? ’ the servants asked him. “‘No,’ he said. ‘When you pull up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but collect the wheat in my barn.’” He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.” He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into fifty pounds of flour until all of it was leavened.”” (Matthew 13:24-26, 28-33 CSB)
Jesus used parables to explain the Kingdom of God and describe the ways of God’s kingdom. In the first parable, God the Father is the man sowing good seed. The earth is the field. The enemy is Satan who comes along and sows counterfeit seed along with the good seed. That is exactly what Satan does: he sows seed that is similar enough to the kingdom of God to lure people away from the Lord’s ways, but different enough to lead people to death. As due season approaches, both righteousness and evil must be allowed to fully mature. That is why we see evil growing more and more evil, even while the church of God continues to grow and expand around the earth. When both have fully matured, evil will receive it’s full judgement, and righteousness, it’s full reward. The second parable suggests that God’s kingdom is not limited by appearance and God is not disappointed in small beginnings. For He is able to take something or someone small and insignificant and bring greatness out of them. The third parable speaks of the permeating power of the Kingdom, even though the Kingdom of God started small with a hand full of common men, it will eventually permeate the world, and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God. So… If you are part of God’s kingdom, don’t be disheartened by current circumstances and don’t be discouraged by your seeming insignificance.
Proverbs: “I love those who love me, and those who search for me find me. With me are riches and honor, lasting wealth and righteousness. My fruit is better than solid gold, and my harvest than pure silver. I walk in the ways of righteousness, along the paths of justice, giving wealth as an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries.” (Proverbs 8:17-21 CSB)
This proverb speaks of the wisdom of God’s kingdom, that can be found by all who search for her. And the evidence of this can be seen in Joseph: By God’s wisdom, he walked in the ways of righteousness, and literally filled the treasuries.
Jamie Hicks 