Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
Have you ever read The Unnecessary Prayer in the Bible? It was offered from a sad heart that was broken with Unnecessary Sorrow. That prayer came from a very good man whose sorrow was possible only because of his unbelief (the same unbelief all of us have known, by nature).
In Genesis 37:3-11 God has chosen Joseph, old Jacob's son, to be a prophet, and has given him two inspired dreams. His father, mother, and eleven brothers would all someday bow down to him. The ten brothers hated him (just as we good church people find it easy to hate any true messenger the Lord may send to us--it's a perpetual phenomenon).
Jacob almost believes, but then disbelieves. When the ten brothers sell Joseph as a slave into Egypt, they tell the old father a lie, and he believes it instead of the prophetic Good News. "A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces" (vs. 33). Jacob believes that lie for many years. Meanwhile Joseph has become Prime Minister of the great Empire of Egypt.
He pretends to talk rough to the ten brothers who finally come down to buy grain. Don't you dare come back unless you bring your youngest brother (Benjamin)! So they tell this "sad," bad news to old Jacob who concludes (like so often we all do!), "All these things are against me" (42:36; they were actually for him!).
Finally, with reluctance he lets them take Benjamin and go back to buy some grain to save their lives. The ten have told him about that "mean man," the Prime Minister; they're all afraid of him. Jacob lets them go, and prays: "May God Almighty give you mercy before the man!" (43:14). He prays that Joseph, who loves them all with all his heart, will be merciful! The Unnecessary Prayer!
All those many years of Jacob's sorrow were needless except for his doubt of the Spirit of Prophecy. He should have believed that since God had called Joseph to the gift of prophecy He would never have let "a wild beast devour him." He should have told the ten, "You're lying!" He should have kept the faith and been happy all those long, sad years.
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: April 17, 2003.
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