The Life of Joseph - Lesson 19, Continuing the Life of Joseph in Egypt.

Genesis 41:25-32,  And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath showed Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. 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. This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he showeth unto Pharaoh. Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: 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; And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous. 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.

So Joseph begins to give that which God has given him, for all interpretations come from God.

And we ought to see in this narrative that:

The kings heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of waters. He turneth it whithersoever He will.

How else could this interpretation be so readily accepted?

Joseph, only out of prison a few minutes, as far as the Pharaoh was concerned, a man with only the testimony of the butler.

What status did this slave have to impress the Pharaoh even without any corroboration.

Joseph's testimony and authority were such as to cause the Pharaoh to immediately believe him and to put his trust in him.

Joseph impressed the Pharaoh that the dreams were a communication to the god Pharaoh, from the true God, Elohim, concerning what He was about to do in the earth.

Every Egyptian magician must have agreed.

Why didn't we see this interpretation in the Pharaoh's dreams, they may have wondered?

Why didn't so obvious a solution come to us?

It was as if scales had been removed from their eyes when Joseph spoke the interpretation of the dreams.

Well, the answer is that God shut their minds to this interpretation for he had a servant who was to interpret in a way to promote His will.

It is also interesting to see that God will provide the Pharaoh a way of escape from the famine if he will listen to God's servant, Joseph.

Joseph was the bearer of good news, Joseph's Gospel, because he had a plan from God as to how to survive the famine.

Yes, the famine was coming, but the years of plenty were to precede the years of famine thus providing a way of escape.

But the Pharaoh must believe the word of God as given by His servant Joseph.

Joseph does not hesitate in giving the interpretation.

As in the butler and the baker's dreams the numbers given refer to time.

Three branches, three baskets refer to three days.

The seven kine and the seven ears refer to seven years.

There is a good period of seven years and a bad period of seven years.

Most likely there will be seven years of nourishing floods from the Nile but there will be seven years where the Nile will be as lean as the thin and ill favored kine.

The Pharaoh knows even though he is thought of as a god that the Nile is what Egypt depends upon for bountiful harvests.

God is good for he reveals though Joseph what is about to come to pass.

Joseph tells the Pharaoh that God will shortly bring to pass events of which the Pharaoh will know ahead of time.

And if the Pharaoh believes God he can prepare during the good times for the bad times because the thing is established by God.

Joseph communicates to the Pharaoh and his court that what the dreams tell will, without a doubt, come to pass because Elohim has spoken and it will most assuredly come to pass.

And what will come to pass shall be so grievous that the plenty of the first seven years will be forgotten in seven years of famine.

Genesis 41:33-37,  Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 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. 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. 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. And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.

A good principle to operate by is displayed here.

Joseph gave fair warning to the Pharaoh but he followed his warning by good counsel.

Joseph was appointed by God to be Counselor to the Pharaoh and he did not shirk from this duty.

In this he went beyond what he was asked to do by the Pharaoh.

That in itself is a good thing, going the extra mile.

He advised the Pharaoh to look for a man where the government can be upon his shoulder.

As with Christ he was sent by God with a message to tell men how to prepare for the future.

The judgment of the famine was coming and if you believe Joseph you will store up during the fat years in order to survive the lean years.

Psalm 105:20-22,  The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance: To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.

The man Joseph was looking for, had to be a man that was discreet.

This word from the Hebrew means: to separate mentally or distinguish.

If anything is lacking in our country it is this characteristic of a man.

The ability to look at complex things and to break them down into their component or simple parts.

This is the only way to understand a complex matter, break it down into its component parts.

To prepare for a seven year famine and to insure that there will be enough food for a nation will require a man who can look at this complexity and see all the simple parts that make up this complexity.

Knowing the simple parts will lead one to simple solutions.

In only this way can a man have keen insight into the situation and its needs.

What amazes me is how readily Pharaoh accepted Joseph's counsel.

You would expect that most would declare Joseph to be a deceiver or a madman.

Perhaps he would be accused of being in league with those who would be rewarded if his advice is followed.

But it is obvious that this is the Lord's doing.

He is turning the heart of the king.

Don't you suppose this would be the norm in the one party system of Egypt?

That which was good in the eyes of the Pharaoh was also good in the eyes of his servants.

All God had to do was to turn the heart of the king.

But we see also in these following verses a Pharaoh that appears to have wisdom to make right choices.