Thursday, May 7, 2015

Genesis 41 ... Viewing the works of God through scripture

(Joseph had been put in dungeon in Egypt, falsely accused of trying to have sex with Potipher's wife ... Joseph interprets dream of Pharaoh's chief butler who had been put in dungeon.  Butler was being freed and restored to service of Pharaoh.  Joseph asked butler to "remember him" for he was in dungeon without cause.  But when butler was freed, he forgot all about Joseph so Joseph remained in the dungeon.  Two more years pass with Joseph still in dungeon.  Genesis 40) 

1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed:and, behold, he stood by the river. 2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow. 3 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. 4 And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke. 

5 And he slept and dreamed the second time:and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. 6 And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them. 7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. 

8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof:and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

(God is about to make a way whereby Joseph can be released from dungeon and even be exalted to second in authority behind Pharaoh... Proverbs 18:16 A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.)

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9 Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:10 Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker:11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. 12 And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. 13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.
 

14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon:and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. 

15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it:and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. 16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me:God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. 

(Joseph refused to take credit but gave glory to God who is the one who holds the wisdom and knowledge of secrets and reveals such to men.)

17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:18 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:19 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:20 And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke. 22 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:23 And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears:and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.
 

25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one:God hath shewed Pharaoh what HE is about to do. 

26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years:the dream is one. 

27 And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. 28 This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh:What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh. 29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; 31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous. 

32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. 

33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. 35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. 36 And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.
 

37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?  

39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled:only in the throne will I be greater than thou. 

41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. 

42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; 43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee:and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.  44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
 

46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. 

47 And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. 48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities:the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. 49 And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number. 

50 And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him. 51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh:For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house. 52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim:For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.
 

53 And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. 

54 And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said:and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 

55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread:and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. 

56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth:And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. 57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.


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Comments by Joan Boney  



Genesis 41 ... Pharaoh dreamed a dream ... 17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:18 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:19 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:20 And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke.

This thing was appointed by God, determined by God, and it was going to happen.

Joseph dealt wisely with the situation, with the wisdom given him by God.

Joseph knew there would be 7 years of good followed by 7 years of crop failure.

The dream showed that the lean kine ate up the fat kine and yet even after eating the fat the lean remained lean.  This matter was not going to be changed by anything man could do.  It was going to happen.

Joseph dealt wisely ... by storing grain during those 7 lean years.  Thereby he had a way to keep Egypt alive and even kept other nations alive for nations came to him to buy grain.  And God used this to bring Joseph's dream to pass where his father and brothers bowed down to Joseph.

I've seen some Christians deal very foolishly with fears caused by dreams ... some will quote scripture thinking to change the matter ... some will say, "God will never let that happen to me."

In such situations they may miss the plan of God completely.  God may have another way of escape.  Therefore when such things happen, we need to turn to God quickly, asking HIM if there is anything we should do ... opening our mind to God.

In WWII, before the war started, Hitler was showing himself and the Jewish people were beginning to suffer consequences.  Some fled to other countries.  Many stayed there thinking it would all work out.

These are examples of how important it is to turn to God in prayer, asking God what HE wants us to do!

There are a great many times during the past 30 years where offerings decreased and I was afraid.  I turned to God asking Him if I should try to get job in secular world or if there was anything HE wanted me to do.  The fear would vanish because I turned to God and trusted God to show me if HE wanted me to do anything.

We must be quick to turn to God with our fears and depend on God to show us what to do.