head knowledge but an experiential knowledge knowing him and often sufferings a tool aren't they in the master's hand to bring us into closer fellowship with him. I trust you have your Bibles there and that you'll turn with me to Genesis chapter 41. Genesis chapter 41, as we continue in our Sunday morning series through this wonderful book, the first book of the Bible, and we have been dealing with the story, the life of Joseph. A wonderful, wonderful life that God records for us in the scriptures and one that we can draw much encouragement and much instruction from. Now we have a lengthy reading this morning but I do want to read the chapter to you because God may or may not bless what I have to say but he will bless his word and so we want to take the time to read. You may stay seated though for the long reading and we'll read together, you follow along as I read. Genesis 41, the Bible reads, and it came to pass at the end of two full years that Pharaoh dreamed and behold he stood by the river. And behold, there came up out of the river seven well-favoured kine and fat-fleshed, and they fed in a meadow. Behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill-favoured and lean-fleshed, and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. And the ill-favoured and lean-fleshed kine did eat up the seven well-favoured and fat kine, so Pharaoh awoke. And he slept and dreamed the second time, and behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. Behold, seven thin ears, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them. And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears, and Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled. 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 under Pharaoh. Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day. 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. And we dreamed a dream, and we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he, we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. And there was there with us a young man in 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. And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was. Me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged. 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. 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. Joseph answered Pharaoh saying, it is not in me. God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river. Behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fat-fleshed and well-favoured, and they fed in a meadow. Behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill-favoured and lean-fleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness. And the ill and the ill-favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine. 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. And I saw in my dream, and behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good, and behold, seven ears, withered thin and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them. 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. 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-favored 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. 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. And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art. 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. Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. 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. And he made him 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. 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. And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paneah, and he gave to him to wife Asenath, the daughter of Potipharah, priest of On, and Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. Joseph was 30 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 and in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls 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 is round about every city lady up in the same And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea very much until he left numbering for it was without number. And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath, the daughter of Potiphar, a priest of On, bear unto him. 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. And the name of the second called he Ephraim. For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. the seven years of plenteousness that was in the land of Egypt were ended and the seven years of dearth began to come according as Joseph had said and the dearth was in all lands but in the land of Egypt there was bread. And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for a bed. And Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph, what he saith to you, do. 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. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph or to buy corn. because that the famine was so sore in all lands. The title of this morning's message is From the Prison to the Palace, Joseph's Faithfulness is Rewarded. Let's pray. Heavenly Father we thank you for the Word of God this morning, we thank you that every word is pure and Lord it is there for our edification, for our learning and Lord I pray now for help and for the preacher and for the hearer, Lord, that we would hear what your Holy Spirit would have to say to us as a church this morning. We have that constant instruction coming through those letters in Revelation, let him that hath an ear hear what the Spirit saith under the churches. So we know that you speak through your word and we pray that we might hear your voice today speaking, Lord. In this chapter Joseph's time in prison comes to a close and he is launched out onto his main life's work. divine dreams that God had given Joseph those 13 years earlier begin to be fulfilled on this day as he goes from Potiphar's prison to Pharaoh's palace literally in one day. all those years of preparation were leading up in a very real way to this key point in Joseph's life, nothing was wasted in what God was doing in preparing his servant for this great task of not only preserving the land of Egypt but more importantly preserving the nation of Israel, God's chosen people who would come down and dwell in Egypt for 400 years. Little did Joseph know when he woke up that morning, just another day in the prison, he'd been there for several years at least, little did he know that his life was about to be swept up in the next part of God's divine plan for him. the tide is about to turn in Joseph's life. And again, at this key juncture in Joseph's life, we notice that dreams form a prominent feature in the story again. And we see that in Joseph's life, these key times and the dreams coming in pairs. And so here in Genesis 41, we now have Pharaoh, the most powerful man in Egypt, if not the world at that time, And he has these dreams and Joseph will be brought in to the narrative as we go along here. And so what I'm going to do is divide our lesson up into three headings, under three headings, and hopefully we'll be able to just study along there and learn some lessons along the way. But I want you to notice firstly, here's the first division, in verse 1 to 8, what I would call the revelations in Pharaoh's dreams. So let's look at these dreams that God gave to Pharaoh. And he had two significant dreams and these dreams would help set in motion the next phase of God's will for Joseph's life. Verse 1, and it came to pass at the end of how many years? Two full years. two full years that the Pharaoh dreamed and behold he stood by the river.' Let's look at these dreams, look at the timing of the dreams there in verse 1. The timing of the dreams, these dreams came to Pharaoh a full two years after the incident between the butler, the baker and Joseph recorded in the previous chapter. it's interesting to me that the Holy Spirit doesn't just say two years but says two full years just so that we are not in any doubt as to the time frame. And these further two years represented a further period of waiting in Joseph's life. We read over that and go, okay, two years sounds like nothing. You try, think about it, Joseph, day after day in prison, he gets up another day, when will I ever get out of this? He had no idea. And he's there for another full two years of waiting. I don't think we understand enough at times how much God uses waiting in our lives to prepare us for what he has for us. we are so often frustrated, we are so often worked up in times of waiting because we don't understand and we just want to be on with the next phase in God's will, but let's be encouraged this morning that if God has us in a period and a place of waiting, God has a purpose He is accomplishing in your life through that period of waiting. we can see the importance of that. It was further preparation for Joseph. In the previous chapter we do get a sense of some self-indication from Joseph and if you're like me, I'm so reticent to criticize Joseph because it's so human. We understand it so well when we read about him relating to the butler, the fact that he was stolen out of his homeland and that he had not done anything that would warrant him being in prison and please make a pill for me before Pharaoh. We can understand the humanness of all of that but there was a hint of self-vindication there And so God said, as it were, Joseph, you need another two years that you might come to a place of being more fully resigned, that self would be more fully crucified, as it were, so that you might then be ready for the work which I have for you. It's hard, isn't it, to wait, especially when your character has been assassinated, when you have been slandered, when you have been maligned. Everything in us rises up against that and says, I want to vindicate myself. I want to clear my name. And while we understand the humanness of that, we have to learn, don't we, like Joseph no doubt learned, to leave our reputation in the hands of God. Listen, if Jesus Christ could make himself of no reputation, we need to not be too concerned about our own. We need to be concerned about our testimony and the truth but if you get falsely accused and falsely maligned, the main thing is that you know between you and the Lord that your life is right with God and so seasons of waiting in the will of God are not wasted, they're seasons of preparation. Please factor that in because we are naturally an impatient people living in an instant kind of society where we expect everything straight away. And perhaps God's word for you this morning might be this, Psalm 27 14, wait on the Lord, be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart, wait I say, on the Lord. Is that God's message for you this morning? Interesting, isn't it, how it says, be of good courage and he will strengthen thine heart. You say, do I need courage to wait? Absolutely. Do you need God to strengthen your heart in that time of waiting? Absolutely. We can get so discouraged, we can get so downhearted in times of waiting and yet God has a purpose for it. And so we see the timing of these dreams, that the dreams came a full two years after the events of chapter 40. Then we notice the theme of the dreams in verse 2 to 7, the theme of the dreams. And Pharaoh has two dreams, the dreams come in a pair. And we have the first dream, and I'll call this the cow dream. And in this dream, Pharaoh stands by the Nile River, the Nile River, the significant water course there in Egypt still to this day, responsible or used for a lot of the irrigation and that sort of thing. And in his dream, he is standing by the bank of the Nile River. And in this dream, he sees seven fat, healthy, plump cows coming up out of the river. Now no doubt, as a pagan, he would have taken note of that because cows were very significant in the pagan worship system of Egypt. In fact, the cow was an emblem of Isis, the revered Egyptian goddess of fertility. So he sees these seven very fat and beautiful, well-fed cows coming up out of the river. No doubt that was a startling scene of its own. as the dream goes on he sees a further seven cows coming up out of the Nile River and this time these cows are very thin, very haggard looking, very gaunt and they come and stand with the other seven cows, the Bible gives a lot of detail, on the brink of the river so they're right there on the bank the river, the seven fat cows are feeding in the meadow, that's the scene we see in the dream and then we have these further seven cows coming out and they stand for a time next to the other cows and then something very startling happens that wouldn't normally happen in real life. The seven ugly cows, nasty looking cows, began to eat the seven fat cows. Now if you've had a dream like that maybe something was wrong with what you ate the night before but there you go, that was the dream that Pharaoh had and he was startled by that, he sees these seven thin cows devouring the seven fat cows and later when he recounts the dream to Joseph he adds the detail that even after the seven thin cows had eaten the seven fat cows they didn't look any improved and they were the worst he had ever seen in all the land of Egypt and he awakes. Well, evidently, have you ever been woken up by a dream? I have and sometimes, anyway, there you go, we won't get onto that. Sometimes they're scary. Have you ever woken up and you're still full cross for a while with someone that you were having an argument in the dream and you woke up and you want to settle the score, let me go back to sleep and settle that score. That's very, that's just your carnal heart speaking there but anyway, so Pharaoh then wakes up, he goes back to sleep and he has a second dream. And in this dream he sees a stalk of wheat springing up of no doubt a very familiar sight in Egypt. Egypt was the breadbasket of the world then. And he sees this stalk of wheat spring up and it has seven beautiful, well-formed, full-bodied ears of grain on that one stalk. Then as the dream progresses he sees a second stalk spring out of the ground and it's thin, it's blasted by the east wind. Now if you look at Egypt on a map, you say where would the east wind be coming from? Well east of Egypt you have the Sinai desert, the wilderness. you can imagine if you're in Egypt and you get those hot winds blasting off of the desert there across Egypt, they could wither things very quickly if you have sustained heat like that, the hot winds of the Sinai Desert coming across there and so he sees this very unhealthy, blasted by the east wind ears of grain and then the similar phenomenon is repeated from the last dream, those thin ears of grain devour the healthy use of grain. And then Pharaoh wakes up for the second time. That brings us thirdly to the troubling over the dreams. When the morning came, Pharaoh could not shake off these dreams. Something in his spirit... interesting, we are spiritual people, that's true, this man didn't know God but he was troubled in his spirit and he sensed that there was something ominous these dreams, that there was something more to it and so he sends for the magicians. This is what was done in those days, they were very superstitious people and there was a whole class of magicians and wise men who were essentially involved in the occult and witchcraft and they would come and interpret dreams and these sorts of things. In fact, the word magician there literally means horoscopist. drawing of magical lines or circles. It's nothing new, is there? And we know from reading later in the book of Exodus that these magicians had some real satanic power. They were able to replicate some of the miracles, remember how Moses threw down his rod and it became a serpent and Pharaoh's magicians did the same, they were able to make these wooden rods turn into live snakes, they had some power. it was satanic power and it was dark power and no doubt they came along fully expecting, like at other times, to be able to interpret Pharaoh's dream for him or to put some sort of spin on it but this time they were confused, they had no way of interpreting the dream. Why was that? That's because this dream came from God, not Satan. these magicians were powerless to understand the truth that God was revealing, they were powerless to bring peace to the troubled heart of Pharaoh, they were powerless to truly know the future. You know, only God really knows the future. These modern-day magicians that are not too dissimilar to these ancient magicians that go around saying they can predict the future, they don't really know the future. Only God knows the future. If you want to know the future, don't grab the paper and look for your star sign, read the Word of God. Now, I believe the devil can orchestrate things sometimes. Someone makes a prediction and the devil makes it happen. make it look like it's being fulfilled but only God truly knows the future. And so magicians, ancient or modern, may have access to dark occultic powers but they have no power to provide real answers to life, spiritual questions and spiritual needs. You know, like Pharaoh, many people today are turning to the occult to try and find answers. turning to these ancient forms of witchcraft that are not really new, they're just repackaged. Wicca is just witchcraft repackaged. It's interesting too, isn't it, how often they do make appeals back to Egypt and the pyramids and these sorts of things, nothing new under the sun. But they are powerless to truly know divine truth Satan, of course, as an angel of light, beckons people on in this quest and they think they're going to be enlightened and they're going to find something but they only end up finding themselves in bondage more than ever. And so you don't need a magician today, you need the Messiah. You don't need a sorcerer, you need the Savior. You don't need a witch, you need the Word of God. You don't need a Ouija board, you need the Bible. You don't need tarot cards, you need the truth. You don't need horoscopes, you need the Holy Spirit. You don't need star signs, you need salvation from sin. You don't need palm reading, you need powerful redemption. You don't need luck, you need the Lord. You don't need the devil, you need deliverance. You don't need the new age, you need the new birth. You don't need crystals, you need Christ. And so, Pharaoh seeks help from these magicians but they are powerless to bring peace to his troubled heart. That brings us number two now to the interpretation of Pharaoh's dream in verse 9 down to verse 32. And Joseph is going to come on the scene shortly here, then spake the chief butler under Pharaoh saying, I do remember my faults this day. 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. we dreamed a dream in one night, I and we, we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.' And he goes on and recounts what had happened there in his own life along with that of the baker. Now this had only happened two years before this point in time and no doubt Pharaoh would have remembered those events, these were two high-ranking officials and he would remember the fact that the baker was put to death and the butler was restored. interpretation of Pharaoh's dream. And so we see in verse 9 to 13 what I would call the memory of the interpreter here, the butler who had that experience with Joseph in the prison, is now going to form an important link in the chain of God's providence in Joseph's life. I think that's a really wonderful way to look at Joseph's life and to see all the links of God's providence how that nothing was happening in Joseph's life by accident, that God was orchestrating things by his power and according to his will. And so, Joseph is summoned that brings us to the second point about this. We have the memory of the interpreter and then the meekness of the interpreter. I want you to see Joseph as he comes before Pharaoh here. So Joseph is hastily brought out of the dungeon. interesting isn't it, how that seasons of waiting can all of a sudden change within a day. That's what we see in Joseph's life, he's gone from this season of waiting on God in prison and now all of a sudden he's hastily brought out of the dungeon. Bear that in mind and be encouraged, there are seasons of waiting but when it's God's time for you to take that next step, whatever that might be in your life, when it's God's time for that to happen, the wheels of motion can turn very quickly. So wait on the Lord. Be patient. But the meekness of Joseph here is something that really strikes you as he stands before the most powerful monarch there, Pharaoh of Egypt. And the Pharaoh tells Joseph that he is heard of his reputation in the area of the interpretation of dreams. And at this point, if Joseph had been self-motivated, I mean, they needed him right now. Think of it, all the wise men and all the magicians of Egypt, with all of their occultic powers, had no way of interpreting Pharaoh's dream. Joseph was a man in high demand right now. Joseph could have easily, if he'd been self-focused, used this opportunity to try and get his name acquitted. He could have tried to leverage the situation for his own personal gain, but when Joseph stands before Pharaoh, we see him possessed of a spirit of absolute humility. There's no hint of self in this. In fact, Joseph's only concern as we see him interpret this dream is the glory of his God, the reputation of his God and Joseph is possessed of a humble spirit, not a hint of self-promotion, not a hint of self-vindication, nor of self-love. Because he says to Pharaoh, look at it there, verse 16, and Joseph answered Pharaoh saying, it is not in me. God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. Do you see the humility in Joseph there? Joseph is a humble man. God's work of preparation had gone deep in Joseph. The seasons of waiting on God had done its work. Joseph had learned, as it were, to die to self and to trust God and Joseph stands there with that sense of dependence upon God. It is not in me. I've trust that we'll get to that point in our Christian lives where we will learn it is not of us. It is not of our power. It is not of our strength. We would get to that place where like Joseph we have that sense of dependence upon God that we have nothing and can do nothing. It must be Christ living through us. What a contrast Joseph must have been to the conniving self-serving magicians of Egypt. believe Pharaoh must have been struck by his simplicity, his humility, he was used to these sharks around him trying to get personal gain and to put their little twists on dreams and other things to try and get power and prestige but here's Joseph totally unassuming, totally humble. It is not in me, spirit of humility, God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.' I think Joseph was bold. Here we have Joseph standing before the most powerful man in Egypt, if not the world, a man who is committed, no doubt at this point at least, to his pagan gods and his pagan worship and before the most powerful man in Egypt, Joseph is not ashamed to speak of his God. You know, many Christians are happy to witness to someone of low status. The test is, are you prepared to speak for God in the presence of that powerful person in your life? Are you prepared to let your manager know you're a Christian? Are you prepared to tell that person of notoriety, who maybe has some sort of power and influence in your life, maybe they have the power of promotion if you're in the workplace, or the power to withhold promotion, and you hold back from testifying of your relationship with Jesus Christ, you hold back from speaking of your God because of the power and prominence of their position. I don't see that in Joseph's life. It didn't matter if Joseph was speaking to a fellow prisoner in the dungeon or Pharaoh himself on the throne, Joseph would unashamedly and boldly speak of his God. What about you? What about that wealthy businessman, that university professor, that manager at work? And you're holding back from testifying of your faith in God because of what may be the consequences. I mean, let's be real here. Joseph is standing before the man who had the power of life and death. One word from the lips of Pharaoh and Joseph's life could be taken. And yet we see Joseph had come to the point in his life, didn't matter whether it was refusing Potiphar's wife or standing before Pharaoh, Joseph would do what was right matter the consequences. Now there's a powerful verse here in Psalm 119 verse 46, listen to the attitude of the psalmist, I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings and will not be ashamed. Are you ashamed of God? In that workplace? In that university hall? In that classroom? will speak of thy testimonies also before kings and will not be ashamed.' Listen, why would you be ashamed to speak before a king when your God is the King of kings? You serve the King of kings! And I sometimes hear Christians say very unbiblical things, oh well I'm just going to fly under the radar for a time in my workplace or I'm just going to keep quiet. Listen to me, that is not a scriptural position. It is not. Now I understand that we need to be prayerful and trust God to open the right door and sometimes there is a matter of timing, waiting on the Lord, but when the opportunity presents itself, may I ask you the question, will you speak for King Jesus before that powerful person or not? Would you be ashamed or are you ashamed? And so Joseph comes to Pharaoh there and he says, It is not in me, verse 16, God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. Now that's interesting, Joseph hadn't even heard the dream yet but somehow God enabled him to know that whatever the outcome of these interpretations, whatever they would be, there was going to be a word of peace for Pharaoh. was going to, even though the message might be sobering and there might be some difficulty in the message, Joseph discerned in his heart before God that there was a message of peace for Pharaoh. Now many see in Joseph here another type of Christ. Joseph, and we've seen that a number of times and I want to highlight a few more today, that Joseph pictures Jesus, Jesus Christ the Lord thing in the story of Joseph. And so Joseph comes to Pharaoh with a word of peace and the Lord Jesus Christ. is the Prince of Peace, isn't he? Isaiah 9, 6, he preached peace, Ephesians 2, 17, and Christ paid the price of peace in his own blood, Colossians 1, 20, and having made peace through the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself, by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven. Do you want peace in your life? You must come into contact with the Prince of Peace. You must come to know Jesus Christ who paid the price of your peace his own life's blood and so Joseph comes with a word of peace for Pharaoh and the Lord Jesus Christ who is pictured here comes with a word of peace for those who will repent and those who will turn and receive the gift of eternal life that he purchased in his own blood. So we have the meekness of the interpreter there, Joseph is meek and humble and focused on God and in fact you will notice a reoccurring theme that Joseph's interpretation is laced with references to his God. God is showing Pharaoh what he's about to do. The dream was repeated twice because the thing is established by God and there's these constant references. Think about that in a pagan land like Egypt full of darkness Book of the Dead and all these dark, satanic idols around. Think of the light that Joseph was being before this man. Referring to the one true God of Israel. To the point where Pharaoh as a pagan who didn't know God said, you are a man in whom the Spirit of God is. That's amazing. That is an amazing testament from a pagan king that he could see something different in Joseph's life. He was possessed of a spirit that was different to the evil spirits of Egypt and what he had encountered. Wouldn't that be a wonderful thing if by God's grace in our lives we were such a testimony, not only by what we say but by how we live, that people would recognize there's something different in our lives. That God is in our lives. That we know Him. I want to have a testimony like Joseph. We come now to the meaning from the interpreter and here Joseph now interprets the dreams in verse 17 to 32. just to give you the division here of the verses as we move along we see Pharaoh recounting his dreams in verse 17 through 24 and so we won't reread that but Pharaoh recounts his dreams to Joseph in the hopes that he will be able to interpret them and then in verse 25 to 32 Joseph then reveals the dreams interpreting the divine message that God had given through those dreams. and we see how God is now using Joseph's gift. God had been preparing Joseph's gifts, hadn't he? particularly in prison, in the first instance he had his own dreams that no doubt God helped him to understand the implications of but the next set of dreams that he encountered in his life were recorded there in chapter 40 with the butler and the baker and as I mentioned last week, God was preparing Joseph's gifts but in a humble context where he would not get puffed up. now the time has come for Joseph to exercise this gift that God has been preparing in his life. So Joseph explains some things to Pharaoh. He explains that while Pharaoh had had two dreams, they contained one message. There was a unified theme. and the same message had simply been communicated twice over two dreams. And Joseph interpreted very simply that the seven good cows and the seven good ears of corn represented seven years of plenty for the whole land of Egypt. Then the seven ill-favoured cows and the seven poor ears of corn blasted by the east wind represented seven years of grievous famine. Famine that would be so grievous that the plenty of the seven years previous would be forgotten. And Joseph explained that the reason God had given Pharaoh two dreams was because the thing was established by God. Verse 32, look at verse 32, and for that the dream was doubled under Pharaoh, how many times? Twice. Why? It is because the thing is what? established by God and God will shortly bring it to pass. So he not only interprets the details of the dream but he also gives Pharaoh the reason why he had two dreams and that was because one, God was making it very clear that this was something established by him, it was certain to happen and the second reason was it was going to happen very shortly. Who else had two dreams in his life? Joseph. Had those dreams been fulfilled yet? No. And there he is standing before Pharaoh, this is an amazing insight into Joseph's... look at what Joseph says to get a sense for his thought patterns, how he thinks, his faith. He says, Pharaoh, I've had... he doesn't say this but essentially you can imagine, I know what it is to have two dreams and if God gives you two dreams it's because it's established by God. I think that's a statement of faith in Joseph. was trusting God, he'd received two dreams and he understood that the double dream meant God was going to do something as certain and it was certain and it was sure and he could say that, Pharaoh, you've had two dreams, that means God is going to do it! And at this point Joseph, who'd also received two dreams, had not seen the fulfilment of them. In fact, he really wouldn't see the full fulfilment of them for another seven years or so. saw the partial fulfillment of those dreams in his exaltation as ruler over Egypt but the reconciliation with his brothers when they came and bowed down to him, that was still another seven, eight years away. And so repetition equals importance. Listen, when God says something once we should pay attention Because God only has to say something once and he's going to fulfill it, isn't he? If God says it twice, it's not because he's uncertain, he says it twice for our benefit that it might sink in. So sometimes with preaching, that pastor repeats certain themes, that's because the Bible repeats themes because we're thick and don't get it. God knows that we have to hear it more than once and if the Bible says something once that should be significant to you but if it says it repeatedly you better know it's certain, it's doubly certain, it's a hundred percent certain. All of God's Word is certain but it helps us to understand. Anyone too warm in here or you're all good? All good? Nods, that's great. We'll keep roasting the Saints for a bit longer. Number three, the exhortation after Pharaoh's dream. third point this morning, the exaltation after Pharaoh's dream, verse 33 to verse 52. And under that, look at Joseph's recommendations in verse 33 to 36. Now this is interesting, Joseph interpreted the dreams for Pharaoh, that was what he'd been asked to do, now he goes beyond that, God gave him wisdom and foresight to see the solution to what was coming. This is quite bold really, to be giving advice to a powerful man like Pharaoh that second major gift of Joseph's we've talked about, is about to come to the fore. What was his first gift? Gift of interpretation. God had gifted him in this area of receiving and interpreting dreams but the second major gift we can't but see in Joseph's life is administration and Joseph as the person with the gift of ruling and administration is able to do, he sees what's happening, what's coming and how to best prepare, how to put things in place. And so Joseph gives advice on how to prepare and remember the big picture here, that God was going to use Joseph to not only preserve the land of Egypt but most importantly, don't forget this within the context of Genesis as we're tracing the development of the nation of Israel, Joseph was going to be used of God to preserve the Jewish people. It's interesting, isn't it? Because in many ways, as we follow the life of Joseph, we look at what God's doing for Joseph as an individual. Let us not forget that God was not just working for Joseph's benefit, God was working for the benefit of many others. God was working for the benefit of the whole nation of Egypt. God was having mercy on Egypt and on many other lands. Remember, many other countries came to buy food from Egypt. The compassionate heart of God here. God was using Joseph to help preserve his own family. And it's good for us to pause and remember that at times. that yes, God is concerned about me as an individual. Yes, God has my best interest at heart as an individual. Yes, God is working for my good and for my blessing as an individual. But don't ever forget that God is not only working for you as an individual. If God is working in your life as an individual, it is not just for you, it is for the good and the blessing of others. Think about how much was at stake in Joseph's life. Imagine if Joseph had given in to Potiphar's wife. Imagine if Joseph had given up on the Christian life, so to speak. Imagine if Joseph had thrown in the towel. Imagine the huge ramifications and the consequences of that. There's so much at stake in this key man. There's so much at stake in the life of Joseph. Joseph can't afford to bomb out. Joseph can't afford to give up his walk with God. There's so much at stake, not just for Joseph as an individual, but for many others. And by way of application, could I say that to you this morning? That God wants to work in your life because He loves you as an individual. But don't you ever forget that God has a much bigger purpose for what He is doing in your life that goes way beyond you. And the ripple effect of your decisions for good or evil can be so profound. If you bomb out of the Christian life, if you give in to a Potiphar's wife kind of temptation, or some other destructive temptation, it will not only be you who suffers but the ripple effect will damage so many lives. Please don't miss that. God is working for Joseph's good and Joseph's benefit, yes, but it's far more than that. God is working to save thousands of others and he's using Joseph. None of us are islands, are we, as people? even had a family member say, don't ever follow me, don't ever do what I do, you know, kind of like understanding that what I'm doing might affect you. Well I appreciate you telling me not to follow you but what you're doing does affect me in some way. Now by God's grace I don't have to let it take me out of the Christian life but are not the ripple effects of decisions profound? And if Joseph had not stayed steadfast and had not maintained his trust in the Lord, think about the ramifications. Now we understand God is bigger than any one man and God could have raised up another deliverer but I'm just saying, understand the principle there. God is working for the good of Joseph, yes, but for the good of others as well. So Joseph makes some recommendations here and he recommends a number of things. He recommends that a man be sought to oversee the task of preparing. Verse 33, now therefore that Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise and set him over the land of Egypt. You note the principle there, God if he's going to do a great work doesn't look for a committee, he looks for a man. He doesn't look for a board, he looks for a man. And yes, there would need to be many other men who would work under Joseph. He goes on to recommend the appointment of officers to collect the levy throughout the land and to put them into these big grain silos in the cities to prepare for the coming famine. But it starts with a man. God seeks a man for a great work. This man could not be just any man, he had to be a man who was discreet and wise. The word discreet there means discerning, means prudent, wise in avoiding errors or evil, says Webster's Dictionary of 1828. And in selecting the best means to accomplish a purpose, circumspect, cautious, wary, not rash. We need those kind of men, don't we, today? Men who are discreet, discerning, wise, not making rash decisions, and men who are wise. And under this man officers were to be appointed to collect and store a fifth of the produce of the land during the seven years of plenty, a fifth is 20 percent, is that right? A double tithe, I don't get the slightest hint, I don't think you will either, I do not get the slightest hint here that Joseph was suggesting he was the man for the job. He's just possessed with a spirit of humility and he doesn't have some sort of selfish motive. Well, I can really see in this an opportunity for me. What can I get out of this? Some people are like that, sadly, even in Christian circles. There's a time of crisis and instead of seeing what they can do for others, they see what they can do for themselves. You haven't met anyone like that? That's good. But it does happen. No, Joseph is guileless, honest, unassuming. Doesn't say, I'm your man, Pharaoh. No, no, he's humble. Not a hint of that kind of spirit there. And that's just the kind of man God will use to do something great. That's just the kind of woman God will use to do something great. A man or woman who is, by God's grace, selfless. A man like Joseph who is God-focused and God-dependent. A man or woman like Joseph who is humble and meek. Man or woman of faith. at now Joseph's rewards, Joseph's recommendations, Joseph's rewards, verse 37 to verse 52, and the time had now come for God to reward Joseph for his steadfastness. Don't forget the truth of 1 Samuel 2 30, them that honour me, says God, I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. You honour God, he will honour you. The devil tries to get us focused, doesn't he, on the short-term pleasures? the short-term rewards, so to speak, of living a sinful life. Potiphar's wife was a short-term, potentially a short-term source of pleasure. But don't you see in the life of Joseph that it is worth waiting on God, that it is worth being faithful to God and remaining steadfast in your walk with God. Oh, the rewards of living for God far outweigh anything the devil offers. I just wish that as Christians, we could somehow get a sense of the big picture. I wish we could get a sense of the long term. Satan says, just look at the here and now, just get into this here and now, just satisfy that desire here and now. God says, wait on me, trust me. And you find that God's rewards are so much better than any little trinket the devil can offer you. So let's look at these rewards. And I think we could say his reward was threefold. received firstly what I would call the reward of honour, then that honour me I will honour says God, verse 37 to 44. Now think again about this, Joseph up until this point has been a slave of Potiphar, he's been in Egypt where he was sold into slavery at 17 years of age, how long it took for the journey to Egypt we don't know but he's been in Egypt close to 13 years. He's been a slave to Potiphar for a good number of years. He's been a prisoner for a number of years. And now he goes from the position of a slave and a prisoner in one day, in the space of hours, to being the second most powerful man in all the land of Egypt. You say, isn't that wonderful? Well, can you see why God had to prepare Joseph for 13 years? Because if that happened to you and I, it would just ruin us. most of us, it would go to our heads. Most people actually, see, some people can't handle trials or in the sense of they allow their trials to destroy them in the Christian life, sometimes people get destroyed by success. And it takes grace not to be destroyed by our sorrows in life but it also takes grace and the work of God in our hearts not to be destroyed by success. Joseph was ready for success, Joseph was ready for this, he was a God-dependent, humble man. So the reward of honour, we could say the presence of God in Joseph's life was recognised, this was a reward wasn't it? Look at verse 37, 38, and the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said unto his servants, not to Joseph, he turned to his servants and said, can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? talked about that before but isn't that an amazing statement? Especially when you consider that the indwelling of the Spirit is really a truth revealed in the New Testament. Remember that in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit would come upon people but it's in the New Testament after the day of Pentecost that he comes to dwell in people but so godly was Joseph, so powerful was his testimony that for Pharaoh it was like he was indwelt by the Holy Spirit, that's what it seemed to him. God's hand was so upon him. The presence of God in Joseph's life was recognized. I think we could say also, the promotion of God in Joseph's life was realized. Pharaoh elevates Joseph to the position of second ruler over the entire nation. You say, what kind of authority did Joseph have? Well, just look at it there. Verse 40, thou shalt be over my house. Not just the land, but even over Pharaoh's house. Look, drop down to verse 43. And he made him, last part of the verse, ruler over all the land of Egypt. Look down at verse 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. saying, does that literally mean that no one could lift their foot up? Well, Pharaoh's emphasising, you have total authority, total sovereignty over the land of Egypt, only I'm still more powerful than you, Joseph. Pretty amazing. And then he gives him certain symbols of his rulership, royal ring. Pharaoh takes off his own signet ring and puts it on Joseph's finger. You need to understand in those days the signet ring of a king or a very powerful official like this was like an ancient form of a stamp. They would use the signet ring, usually in a little bit of melted wax or something, to sign official documents, okay, and so they would set their seal on things. So what's Pharaoh doing here? He's giving Joseph the symbol of authority, he had the power to go and sign official documents, to make decrees and to have that authority and then he's also given a golden chain to symbolize this position of authority. Apparently this was a practice in the ancient world because you remember that Daniel experienced the same thing, he interpreted Belshazzar's dream for him and they gave him a gold chain and made him the third ruler of the kingdom, Daniel 5. Joseph is also given a royal robe You know, there's an interesting little study or it's interesting food for thought to think about Joseph's coats in his life. He's given a royal robe here. Joseph's had some experiences with royal robes hasn't he? Or coats. Remember he had the coat of many colours and that was taken away from him by his brothers very cruelly? He lost that coat. Remember the second coat he lost when Potiphar's wife took a hold of his coat there and he left his coat, he lost his coat but he kept his character? Now God is going to reward him with another coat as it were, the coat of the second ruler of Egypt. So there's a royal ring, a royal robe, a royal ride, Joseph is made to ride in Pharaoh's second chariot, it appears they had some sort of royal procession of state here. Joseph rides, not in Pharaoh's first chariot, but his second chariot, probably alongside Pharaoh and there are people who go before the procession there and call out, bow the knee! my imagination, I just, I see Potiphar and Potiphar's wife in the crowd that day and can you imagine, imagine how the news spread through Egypt like wildfire, have you heard of the Hebrew slave who's become second in command to King Pharaoh, come quickly, there's a procession on and the streets are lined with people there and here comes the clatter of the hooves as the royal horses pound down the pathway there and there's Joseph coming in a cloud of dust and I see Potiphar and Potiphar's wife have to bow before him. That's not there, I just read that between the lines. No, I just wonder. We can ponder on things, we don't make it, we don't say it's the Word of God though, okay? Whatever! Polyphe was still alive at this time, he would have heard. He was the captain of the guard to Pharaoh, he was a high official. Bow the knee. We come to another Joseph pictures the Lord Jesus Christ moment here. Many Bible students again see in this event a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. Joseph goes through this humiliation and shame, then he is highly exalted, brought out of humiliation and shame and highly exalted there by Pharaoh. And in like manner the Lord Jesus Christ made himself of no reputation. the words of Philippians 2 5 through 11, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, the glory of God the Father. Don't you see the picture here? The call goes forth for Joseph, bow the knee. The call goes forth today, bow the knee to King Jesus. The exalted one, the one who went through the humiliation and the shame of death for you and I, the death of the cross. He humbled himself, even unto death, the death of the cross, but now he has been highly exalted. Yes, I think we would agree, Joseph pictures Jesus, Jesus Christ the Lord. There's a second reward here for Joseph, and I call it the reward of a helpmeet. Verse 45. Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-Paneah and it's been variously interpreted, it's hard to know exactly, being an Egyptian word, what it means but the most common understanding is that it means revealer of secrets. Zaphnath-Paneah, he gives him an Egyptian name, interestingly though, you read after this, he never calls him that, he always calls him Joseph. And he gave him to wife Asenath, daughter of Potiphara, kind of sounds like Potiphar doesn't it? Did you know it's the same name? Practically it's the same name in Hebrew and English, it's literally just the addition of that a at the end. So Potiphar is just the abbreviated form, it'd be like saying Jeremy versus Jeremiah. It's essentially the same Egyptian name. Again, I just see so many patterns of providence in Joseph's life. He says no to Potiphar's wife and instead God gives him Potiphar's daughter, another Potiphar, Potiphar, a priest of On. It's just fascinating to see all these patterns of God's providence over Joseph's life. he marries this dear lady Asenath. We're not told any more about her except that she was the daughter of this priest of On. You say, oh no, Joseph married a heathen woman. I think we could be pretty confident with what we've seen of Joseph's life to date, that Joseph was prepared to say no even if it meant death or imprisonment or he was prepared for that. And I do not believe for a moment Joseph would have said yes if she was a woman of evil character. And I like to think, I'm quite sure Joseph led this woman to know his God, quite sure. I don't know for sure but I'm just saying, if you look at the totality of Joseph's life, you look at his character to date, his willingness to take a stand, his willingness to say no to what was wrong and yes to what was right, I submit to you, he would not have said yes to marry this woman even if Pharaoh demanded it. He was prepared, we've seen before, to suffer great loss if he thought he was doing the wrong thing. I can see the hand of God here in Joseph's life. Wasn't it good of God to give Joseph a helpmeet right at the time when his main life's work opened before him? I think we get a sense Joseph had a happy marriage by the names he gave his two children. And there's a certain sweetness that only a woman can bring into a man's life. Think of all the pain and the suffering Joseph had been through. God gives him this dear lady and he has these two precious children during the seven years of plenty, before the famine came. And he says, God's made me to forget all my father's house. God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction. Again, we see a picture of Christ in Joseph. We have Joseph, a Jew, taking a Gentile bride. In like manner, the bride of Christ, you and I, the church, is largely a Gentile bride. You get these interesting pictures through the Old Testament. Boaz takes Ruth, a Gentile. Joseph takes Asenath, a Gentile. Aren't you thankful that Jesus Christ, a Jew according to the flesh, was willing to take us, a Gentile bride? I actually had someone email me this week saying he's come across teaching that you should never marry someone from another race and asking my opinion on that. I said well let me give you some examples from the Bible of Jewish men who took Gentile wives from other nations. Plus the whole concept of separate races is unbiblical anyway. God is made of one blood all nations under the earth and differences are cultural not racial. By the way, Moses married an Ethiopian lady, a black woman. Nothing wrong with that, if it's God's will, God brings you together with someone from a different country, it's got to be God's will because the best of marriages, you can have the pots and pans at times. Why? Because you've just been raised differently, you think differently, you can have big fights in marriage sometimes. No! You know that happens. don't pretend to be innocent. I mean, I'm not, you know, arguments, things that over, usually it's something really silly. I was going to give you an example of one from early, our early married life but I thought, we had only been married a few weeks and it's just again, little things that differences your rate, the way you're raised and my wife is doing the dishes so I thought I'd be a romantic husband and help her with the dishes. And I pulled out the hand towel to dry the dishes and she's like, don't use the hand towel. I said, what do you mean? It's been through the wash. You know the hand towels you hang on the oven, you dry your hands on? She's like, don't use the hand towel. I'm like, why? We always use that back home. No, please don't use the hand towel. Oh, OK. Actually, she didn't say it like that. But yes, there you go. That was a freebie. What did I say all about? I'm just saying, that's right, it's an application to the whole issue of interracial marriage so-called. It needs to be God's will because even if you've got two people from the same culture, you can have problems. If you're going to marry someone from a totally different culture, you just need to know it's God's will because you have some things to work through, differences of thinking, raised in different culture, that sort of thing. So we have the reward of a helpmeet for Joseph and then finally the reward of a heritage Verse 50 and 51, we see two precious sons born to Joseph during the seven years of plenty. And Joseph called the name, verse 51st, and under Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, during that fruitful time, which Asenath, the daughter of Potiphar, priest of Onbear, unto him. And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. What does that mean? It means forgetfulness. means to forget, for God said he hath made me forget all my toil and all my father's house. Then he has the second son named Ephraim, verse 52 meaning fruitful, for God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction, Manasseh and Ephraim. Isn't that an amazing statement? Again, we get a window into the heart of Joseph and his faith in God and he has this little boy, his first son, and he says, Manasseh, forgetting. Does that mean Joseph literally forgot what had happened to him? I submit to you that's not what it means because he was going to cry his eyes out later when his brothers finally get reconciled with him, he knew what had happened, he didn't forget them in the sense of mentally forgetting them. but it means that the pain of those former years just faded into the background. And isn't it amazing, I've no doubt that there are people in this room who've been through some deep waters, you've been through some deep trials, but isn't it amazing how God can so bless you with His goodness and His grace that the suffering of the past can fade? You still remember it, yes, but its significance fades in your life. Because of God's goodness to you in the present, the past sorrows shrink in size and fade in memory. And then fruitful, God had made Joseph fruitful, and if you're in any doubt how Joseph had suffered, he refers to Egypt as the land of his affliction. It was hard. But God made him fruitful in the midst of his afflictions. Actually, I think we could say it was those very afflictions that made Joseph usable. It was those very afflictions that made Joseph a usable vessel, made him a man that God could make fruitful. You want to be fruitful for God? You want to be used of God? Be prepared for the pruning knife of afflictions. God brings to trim back, as it were, to cut us back when it comes to the self-life so that the life of Christ can live through us. I'm nearly done. Griffith Thomas writes concerning these two sons and their names, if the birth of the first son reminded him of the negative side of his life's experiences, enabling him to blot out the memory of the past, The birth of the second son suggested the positive side of his life in the abundant blessing that God had vouchsafed to him. And just listen to this here. How beautiful it is when life is interpreted in the light of God's dealings. And when everything, dark or light, has its own divine significance. Everything in Joseph's experience was illuminated by light from heaven. And so, from the prison to the palace. As we conclude, maybe we could ask ourselves these questions. Have we received God's free gift of salvation through Christ? Joseph suffered much but not nearly as much as the Lord Jesus Christ. who suffered for you so that you could be redeemed, so that you could be forgiven. Think of this question, is there a prominent person in your life you haven't witnessed to yet? I think there's a challenge there for some of us, isn't there? Does your manager know you're a Christian? Or are you more fearful of the potential consequences of telling him or her than being loyal to your Savior? come out to witness on Saturday, not ashamed to speak to someone on the door but you won't say a word to that prominent person, powerful person in your life. You're going through a trial, period of waiting, period of suffering, stay faithful, trust God for the outcome, 1 Peter 5, 6 and 7, humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him for he careth for you. Father we thank you for this lesson this morning. So much was at stake in this one life and we do think of the what-if as the what-if. Lord what if Joseph had ruined his morals? What if he had deviated from the path of faithfulness to you? What could have been? What might have happened? Help us to realise, Lord, that you are working in our lives, not just for our own benefit, and you do because you love us as individuals, but Lord, you have a much bigger purpose. There are others involved, Lord, other people who are going to be touched by our lives, other people who will feel the consequences of our choices. Lord, I pray for any this morning who may be going through trials, tests, Lord, maybe just the trial of waiting. There's no great pain in their lives, but just waiting on you. When's the next step? When do I go forward from here? Lord, help us to embrace all that you're doing in our lives, through our trials, through our time of waiting, and to trust you, Lord, to look to the long term, to look at the big picture, and we thank you for the testament of Joseph's life, dear Father, in Jesus' name, Amen.