Genesis 41:53-57 Every nation came to Joseph!

The Famine Begins

53When the seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, 54the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. And although there was famine in every country, there was food throughout the land of Egypt. 55When extreme hunger came to all the land of Egypt and the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, he told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”

56When the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened up all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians; for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57And every nation came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.

“25At this, Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do.”

The dreams and prophecy came true exactly as God revealed to Pharaoh and as Joseph interpreted.

Notice the condition, “extreme hunger came to all the land of Egypt and the people cried out to Pharaoh for food”....

Notice the response, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.”

How many of us in Joseph’s position would have gloated and become boastful? 

Let’s face it, there was a reason God selected Joseph for this mission of slavery, imprisonment and to be exalted to the second in command of Egypt, our hearts would have melted under the stress while Joseph’s heart stayed focused on God.

“57And every nation came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.” 

When was the exact moment that Joseph realized that God put him in this position because of the severe famine?

Our church has a saying, “meeting people where they are and moving them to where God wants them to be.”

Joseph was where God wanted him to be.

Are you where God wants you to be?

Blessings, David 

Genesis 41:46-52 Forgetfulness and Fruitful!

The Seven Years of Plenty

46Now Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout the land of Egypt.

47During the seven years of abundance, the land brought forth bountifully. 48During those seven years, Joseph collected all the excess food in the land of Egypt and stored it in the cities. In every city he laid up the food from the fields around it. 49So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance, like the sand of the sea, that he stopped keeping track of it; for it was beyond measure.

50Before the years of famine arrived, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. 51Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh,saying, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household.” 52And the second son he named Ephraim,e saying, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

Manasseh means forgetfulness, the Lord made Joseph forget all the pain and trials of his previous life.

Ephraim means fruitfulness as the Lord made Joseph fruitful in Egypt.

“We can’t be doubly fruitful until we are also forgetting.” Guzik

How many of us who are under Grace continue to relive our past sins because the devil keeps whispering our sins in our ear?

Be doubly fruitful forgetting your sins, the Lord has!

Do you have pain and trials from your previous life? Lift them up to the Lord.

He may help you forget them or He may want you to use them to help others. 

Just like a friend who the Lord is using as a beacon of light for His glory because everyone can tell the Spirit of Lord is with him. He uses his testimony for the glory of God. In his moving testimony he asked God why He waited so long to change him and God told him, I was waiting on you.

What are you waiting for?

Blessings, David 

Genesis 41:37-45 The Spirit of God abides!

Joseph Given Charge of Egypt

37This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his officials. 38So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, in whom the Spirit of Godabides?”

39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. 40You shall be in charge of my house, and all my people are to obey your commands. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”

41Pharaoh also told Joseph, “I hereby place you over all the land of Egypt.” 42Then Pharaoh removed the signet ring from his finger, put it on Joseph’s finger, clothed him in garments of fine linen, and placed a gold chain around his neck. 43He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, with men calling out before him, “Bow the knee!”b So he placed him over all the land of Egypt.

44And Pharaoh declared to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission, no one in all the land of Egypt shall lift his hand or foot.”

45Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah, and he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On,c to be his wife. And Joseph took charge of all the land of Egypt.

“Can we find anyone like this man, in whom the Spirit of Godabides?

Take note, this is the first time in the Bible that is mentioned the Holy Spirit came upon a man and the Pharaoh witnessed Him abiding in Joseph.

Joseph’s preparation for this moment took thirteen hard years! Gods timing is not our timing because we cannot handle change quickly. He needs to prepare us first through trial and tribulations, slowly building us up and moving us to where He wants us to be. 

Joseph went from rags to riches,

Slavery to second in command of Egypt,

Walking a foot to a luxury chariot!

A dungeon to a mansion.

No jewelry to a signet ring!

When we accept Christ, spiritually the same things happen to us.

We go from filthy rags to being clothed in white,

Destined to hell we are reserved to heaven,

Moved from the dungeon to a room in the Father’s mansion,

Weeping and gnashing of teeth to singing and praise!

And the Spirit of God abides in us too!

I can’t wait, can you?

Blessings, David 

Genesis 41:33-36 Knowledge and Wisdom.

33Now therefore, Pharaoh should look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. 34Let Pharaoh take action and appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of its harvest during the seven years of abundance. 35Under the authority of Pharaoh, let them collect all the excess food from these good years, that they may come and lay up the grain to be preserved as food in the cities. 36This food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine to come upon the land of Egypt. Then the country will not perish in the famine.”

The Pharaoh received knowledge from Joseph with the interpretation of the dreams.  

Now he received the wisdom on what to do about them.

One fifth would be a twenty percent tax and as the famine takes place we will see Joseph was correct with the amount that was stored up.

Let us use Joseph’s wisdom and store up for the lean years. There are always unexpected expenses in our lives, which is why when we are working we should store up something for the future and by doing so we will not perish in the famine to come.

Who will the Pharaoh appoint to oversee this monumental task?

Blessings, David 

Genesis 41:25-32 Decreed by God!

25At this, Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 26The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven ripe heads of grain are seven years. The dreams have the same meaning. 27Moreover, the seven thin, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind—they are seven years of famine.

28It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, 30but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten and the famine will devastate the land. 31The abundance in the land will not be remembered, since the famine that follows it will be so severe.

32Moreover, because the dream was given to Pharaoh in two versions, the matter has been decreed by God, and He will carry it out shortly.

The pharaoh got a twofer, two dreams that are one in the same. Seven years of good and plenty (great abundance) followed by seven years of famine. The famine will be so severe the seven years of abundance will not be remembered.

Notice what Joseph says, “Moreover, because the dream was given to Pharaoh in two versions, the matter has been decreed by God, and He will carry it out shortly.”

Decreed; an official order issued by legal authority.

Unfortunately when we have years of good and plenty with great abundance we tend wander away from the Lord but when we have a dry spell of famine we cry out and run back to Him.

2 Samuel 21:1During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD.

And the LORD said, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family, because he killed the Gibeonites.”

The Lord uses famine in our lives to get our attention. 

Are you having a time of great abundance or famine in your life?

Blessings, David 

Genesis 41:14-24 I had a dream!

14So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, who was quickly brought out of the dungeon. After he had shaved and changed his clothes, he went in before Pharaoh.

15Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have received word about you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”

16“I myself cannot do it,” Joseph replied, “but God will give Pharaoh a sound answer.”

17Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18when seven cows, well-fed and sleek, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds. 19After them, seven other cows, sickly, ugly, and thin, came up. I have never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt! 20Then the thin, ugly cows devoured the seven well-fed cows that were there first. 21When they had devoured them, however, no one could tell that they had done so; their appearance was as ugly as it had been before. Then I awoke.

22In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, growing on a single stalk. 23After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind. 24And the thin heads of grain swallowed the seven plump ones.

I told this dream to the magicians, but no one could explain it to me.”

“I had a dream!”

Joseph gives glory to God and doesn’t give glory to himself. This is a striking difference from when he was a boy and told his brothers of his dreams. 

Joseph matured in his slavery and his imprisonment.

The magicians couldn’t interpret these dreams because they were inspired by God and He orchestrated events to place Joseph in this exact spot at this exact time.

Has God orchestrated events in your life? 

Blessings, David 

Genesis 41:1-13 Today I recall my failures!

The Dreams of Pharaoh

1After two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile, 2when seven cows, sleek and well-fed, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds. 3After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside the other cows on the bank of the river. 4And the cows that were sickly and thin ate up the seven sleek, well-fed cows.

Then Pharaoh woke up, 5but he fell back asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, came up on one stalk. 6After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted, thin and scorched by the east wind. 7And the thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, ripe ones. Then Pharaoh awoke and realized it was a dream.

8In the morning his spirit was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.

9Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I recall my failures. 10Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the captain of the guard. 11One night both the chief baker and I had dreams, and each dream had its own meaning. 12Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams and he interpreted them for us individually. 13And it happened to us just as he had interpreted: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.”

In the morning the Pharaoh’s spirit was troubled because he knew these dreams represented something important. 

God knows our hearts, He knows our thoughts, He can control our minds for His purpose, for His glory.

The cupbearer says, “Today I recall my failures”. He remembered Joseph and the promise he made. For two years he failed to keep his promise, better late than never!

Like Joseph, God will reward you for your steadfast faith in Him.

Psalm 103:3He who forgives all your iniquities,

and heals all your diseases,

4who redeems your life from the pit,

and crowns you with loving devotion and compassion,

Joseph was sold as a slave, wrongly accused and spent years in prison, but God was with him.

May we all have the faith of Joseph!

Whatever life throws at you remember Joseph’s example, keep the faith because unlike the cupbearer, God never forgets!

Blessings, David