Faith Alone - May 20, 2012

Hardships Before Honor

Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh, and said, "It is because God
has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household."
The second son he named Ephraim and said, "It is because God
has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering."
Genesis 41:51-52

Joseph became an important ruler in Egypt, and Jacob eventually saw his descendants become a large nation.  But both men had to go through hardships first.  Joseph learned this lesson firsthand.  When naming his sons, he thought, "I was the firstborn son and an heir of a noble mother.  But I lost everything, and I had no hope of inheriting anything.  One must totally forget any material gain he might find in thei world."  So Joseph named his son Manasseh in God's honor, because God had brought him to his knees and to the point where he forgot all about his father's family.  Joseph named his other son Ephraim, because God had lifted him up again and given him children.  Later, Ephraim received a wonderful blessing from his grandfather Jacob.  Ephraim's descendants would become the powerful tribe we read about in Joshua, Judges, I Kings, and 2 Kings.

We learn from this passage that we are brought down before we are rised up.  We must become like Joseph.  We must be reduced to nothing.  Our human natures find this idea very painful and hard to take.  All of creation hates destruction and decay.  You can't cut down a tree or a bush without hearing a loud crash.  Even Christ himself was brought low.  He cried out from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  (Matthew 27:46).  That's why we should have the same modest attitude as Joseph.  Even after receiving an honor, he didn't become proud, but remained humble.