Beware What Thou Wisheth

Pullybone, Furcula, Wishbone; commonly classified as a forked bone part in fowl. Located in the chest area, people would usually take this ‘wishbone’ out of a chicken, then two people would each grab one end and pull it apart. The one left with the biggest part would wish for good luck to come their way. Nonsense? Yup!

Long, long ago, and far, far away, two guys wished for the same thing. It doesn’t happen often, but both men had their wish granted. One was elated, and one was…executed! True story? Aren’t the most trenchant stories stranger than fiction? The story is true and it’s recorded in the Bible!

Genesis chapter 40 records the plight of these two troubled individuals. Both men were servants of the Egypt’s king who fell out of favor and subsequently fell into prison. While in prison, they were assigned to a caretaker, an Israelite named Joseph. One day Joseph noticed both men were lethargic and asked what troubled them. Both men described their dream but couldn’t understand its meaning. The two men wished that Joseph could help them. Joseph focused everyone’s attention on God. Rather than using the situation to make himself look good, he turned it into a powerful witness for the Lord. Joseph said: “Do not interpretations belong to God?” Genesis 40:8 One secret of effective witnessing is to recognize opportunities to relate God to the other person’s experience. We must learn to speak up as Joseph did—and give credit where it belongs. It was not Joseph’s knowledge of dreams that helped him interpret their meaning. It was his knowledge of God.

After telling Joseph of their separate dreams, God revealed their meaning to Joseph. They begged Joseph to reveal the meaning of the dreams. He did. One man would be returned to his former position serving Pharaoh. The other man would be hanged! Joseph asked the man who would be pardoned to speak to Pharaoh on his behalf. To tell Pharaoh that Joseph was falsely charged and languishing in obscurity. The man agreed it was the least he could do for the man who saved his life.

Everything happened just as Joseph told the men. One was restored to his former position as Pharaoh’s chief wine steward and resumed his former life. One was executed by hanging. Something happened to the man asked to mention Joseph to Pharaoh. He forgot! It wasn’t until years later when Pharaoh had a dream that couldn’t be interpreted that the wine steward remembered Joseph. He told Pharaoh of Joseph’s ability to read dreams. Joseph’s wish to get out of prison was granted, God grants wishes, too.

Bottom line:

When we feel passed by, overlooked, or forgotten, we shouldn’t be surprised that people are ungrateful or absent-minded. In similar situations, trust God as Joseph did. More opportunities may be waiting for you.

Every Drop Was Saved

Whether you’re cold blooded or warm blooded, blood is essential for life. The Bible is a book of blood. The Bible claims to be a ‘living’ Book. In fact, it is the only living Book in the entire world. Hebrew 4 tells us, “For the word of God is living and active.” The Word of God is alive; it’s distinct from all other books because it has blood circulating through every page and in every verse. From Genesis to Revelation, its pulse is strong and regular. There is one fundamental principal found in the Bible, it’s in Leviticus 17.

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the alter to make an atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” Leviticus 17:11

All men are related by the blood of Adam, and it is that very blood that carries the sentence of death because of Adam’s sin. We don’t know the exact nature of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but, we do know one thing, eating it caused “blood poisoning” and it resulted in death. Because sin affected the blood of every man, Christ could not have one drop of Adam’s blood in His veins. That’s why Mary had her child by the Spirit and not by Joseph. Christ’s blood was never tainted by sin. When it was pouring from His back from the scourging, dripping from His head from the crown of thorns, gushing out of His side by the soldier’s spear, trickling down His hands and feet by the nails driven into His hands; it was pure and undefiled…then and now.

It’s possible that angels were dispatched to collect every drop that was shed, so that not one drop was lost. It’s entirely possible that every drop of His blood is kept in a golden chalice beside the Throne of God.

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, [as] silver and gold, from your vain conversation [received] by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot…”1 Peter 1:18-19

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