1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Hello, and thank you for listening to your 2 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:17,079 Speaker 1: Daily Bible Verse, the podcast that examines the Bible each 3 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:19,480 Speaker 1: day to learn more about God and his will for us. 4 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Shaka Hines, and after this short word 5 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: from our sponsor, will dive into today's verses from Genesis 6 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: forty one, verses fifty one and fifty two. Genesis forty one, 7 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:49,200 Speaker 1: Verses fifty one and fifty two, Joseph named his firstborn 8 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: Manasha and said, it is because God has made me 9 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: forget all my trouble and all my father's household. The 10 00:00:57,160 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: second son, he named Ephraim, and said, it is because 11 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 1: God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering. Now, 12 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: our fifth child was born the year after we lost 13 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 1: our eleven year old. We purposely named him Ezra, a 14 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:17,399 Speaker 1: name that means help or helper in Hebrew and one 15 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:21,680 Speaker 1: that is commonly associated with the phrase God helps. It 16 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: had to be Ezra because God had given us the 17 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:28,920 Speaker 1: eyes to see how He had reached down to help 18 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:33,039 Speaker 1: us right in the middle of profound sorrow. He helped 19 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: us to see how He held us in his arms 20 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:38,760 Speaker 1: when we needed comfort, and he carried us through the 21 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: days when we were weak, and he guided us when 22 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: we felt lost. I declared the name Ezra, like a 23 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: flag planted in a hostile land, to remind me that 24 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:53,640 Speaker 1: God helps. He was a memorial. The name was a 25 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: memorial pointing to God's faithfulness Ezra in the Bible, and 26 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 1: indeed in Middle Eastern cultures today, names are profoundly important. 27 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: People in the ancient world of the Bible understood names 28 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 1: to express a person's essence, their character and nature. Names 29 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 1: declared destiny and purpose. Sometimes that names might reveal something 30 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 1: about how the parent perceived his or her circumstances, and 31 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: that's what we see happening as Joseph named his children. 32 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: Many of us are familiar with how Joseph's father, Jacob, 33 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 1: favored Joseph over his brothers, and how their jealousy led 34 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 1: them to sell Joseph into slavery. He wound up a 35 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:42,239 Speaker 1: slave in Egypt. He spent years in prison after being 36 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 1: falsely accused by an important official's wife, and through a 37 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: miraculous intervention, he went on to become Pharaoh, second in 38 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:55,600 Speaker 1: charge of over all of Egypt. Joseph names his sons 39 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 1: as a continual reminder of the God who lifted him 40 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 1: out of suffering and prospered him in a foreign land. 41 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:08,799 Speaker 1: He names his first child Menashah, a name which may 42 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:12,360 Speaker 1: be derived from the Hebrew word for for good. Joseph 43 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:15,799 Speaker 1: explains the name. He says, God has made me forget 44 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 1: all my trouble and all my father's household. Now, his 45 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:24,800 Speaker 1: second son, he names Ephraim, which sounds like the Hebrew 46 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 1: for twice fruitful. Joseph hadn't literally forgotten his family, and 47 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:33,079 Speaker 1: at this point in Genesis, God hasn't even reunited Joseph 48 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:36,400 Speaker 1: with his father or the rest of his family. But 49 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 1: with eyes of faith, Joseph saw that God had used 50 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: the circumstances meant to break him for God's glory and 51 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: the good of Joseph, and later he'll understand that God 52 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,720 Speaker 1: has also used his circumstances for the good of all 53 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: of God's people. Now, the names Menasha and Ephraim are 54 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: Joseph's chosen memorial to honor God and remind himself of 55 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: how God has worked to bring healing to his broken story. 56 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: One of the first things we can learn from Joseph 57 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 1: is to look for God in the middle of our 58 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 1: story and name that joyous occasion or name that obstacle 59 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:21,080 Speaker 1: with eyes focused on honoring the creator of all things 60 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:26,599 Speaker 1: things by marking moments of thanksgiving or just recording how 61 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: He is redeeming your story. Declare purpose and destiny by 62 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 1: viewing every part of your story through spiritual eyes. Focus 63 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 1: on the mighty workings of your loving God in your life. 64 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 1: You might call this season perseverance or grace, or expectant 65 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 1: waiting or deepening roots with faith filled eyes, every season 66 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 1: reaps a blessing. But maybe you're not in a place 67 00:04:56,400 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 1: that you can clearly recognize God in this cur situation, 68 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: let alone name a memorial in honor of what He's doing. 69 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:08,119 Speaker 1: Maybe the name you feel comes closer to your life 70 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:17,120 Speaker 1: is failure, broken, lost, unloved, unseen. Remember that though Ezra, Manasha, 71 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 1: and Ephraim are all their good names, they're only a 72 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 1: hint of how God redeems the suffering of his servants, 73 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 1: a foreshadowing of a better name, a greater destiny, available 74 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 1: for all who choose to stand beneath the banner of 75 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 1: this name. Because Joseph's story didn't end in bliss, the 76 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:42,160 Speaker 1: tribes of Minasha and Ephraim, they walked a broken road 77 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 1: of hardship along with the rest of Israel. In Philippians, though, 78 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: Paul tells us there is a better name available for 79 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 1: all to raise as a banner of hope, grace, and salvation. 80 00:05:56,080 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 1: Paul says, therefore God exalted him to the highest place 81 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 1: and gave him the name that is above every name. 82 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:07,479 Speaker 1: That at the name of Jesus, every niece should bow 83 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and 84 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 1: every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the 85 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:20,839 Speaker 1: glory of God, the Father. His name is Savior, Messiah, 86 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:28,039 Speaker 1: Son of God, good Shepherd, the word Christ, Emmanuell. His 87 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:33,160 Speaker 1: name is Yeshuah. Jesus is his name. His is the 88 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:37,360 Speaker 1: highest and holiest name, the most powerful name you can 89 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:40,680 Speaker 1: speak over any challenge you might face, the name that 90 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: ultimately secures our victorious destiny. And you know what, He 91 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:50,360 Speaker 1: gives us a new name. We are His beloved children 92 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: of God, chosen friends of God, Light of the world, 93 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 1: city on a hill, redeemed. You know. Let's learn from 94 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 1: Joseph and plant a spiritual flag in this moment, just 95 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 1: as God helped us see him in our story, as 96 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 1: we claim the name Ezra. No matter what is happening 97 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 1: in your life right now. In Jesus, you can claim 98 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 1: victory and name your destiny victorious. Let's pray, Abbah, help 99 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:28,600 Speaker 1: us to see you in the middle of our circumstances. 100 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 1: Help us to see the story that you're writing right 101 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 1: in the middle of our hardships. Those who are listening 102 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: to me, there might be some God who are in 103 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:46,240 Speaker 1: a place where they can simply praise and they name 104 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:50,240 Speaker 1: this a time of joy. But there are others God 105 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 1: who are really struggling to see you in the middle 106 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:58,360 Speaker 1: of what's happening to them, in the middle of some 107 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:05,640 Speaker 1: severe suffering, in the middle of profound grief. Aba, would 108 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:10,840 Speaker 1: you give them spiritual eyes to see you, because in 109 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 1: Jesus we have the victory in Jesus. With Jesus, our 110 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 1: circumstances no longer define us. We are the beloved of God. 111 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:30,240 Speaker 1: We are your joy. You delight in us. Aba. Help 112 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:36,080 Speaker 1: us to name our stories anew, no matter what we're 113 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:40,679 Speaker 1: going through right now, because in Jesus we have victory. 114 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 1: We love you. Jesus. Thank you that your name is 115 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:49,360 Speaker 1: the name above every name. And at the sound of 116 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:54,080 Speaker 1: your name, every knee will bow trumpets will sound. You 117 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: will bring home all those who are yours. Your name 118 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:05,079 Speaker 1: is powerful over all of these situations. We speak Jesus. 119 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:08,600 Speaker 1: Would you meet us right where we are, God and 120 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:13,200 Speaker 1: call us to yourself. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen. 121 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 1: Hey listeners, it's Kelly from the Life Audio team with 122 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:24,400 Speaker 1: a quick favor to ask. We're working on a newsletter 123 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 1: and honestly, we'd rather ask you what you want than guess. 124 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:30,520 Speaker 1: There's a two minute survey linked in the show notes. 125 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 1: Fill it out and shape what we make. Thanks.