The Life Of Joseph - From Prison To Prime Minister - part 8
Real Promotion At Last! Genesis 41 verses 37-57
About a hundred years ago Arthur Ainger wrote his very telling hymn “God is working His purpose out, as year succeeds to year”. This was as true in the day of Joseph, nearly four thousand years ago, as it is today. Yet, just as we often fail to see God’s hand working behind the scenes, so Joseph had to experience periods of real darkness and possibly despair, before he could enjoy the good times which God had planned. You may recall that he was sold by his brothers to slave-traders when he was only 17 years of age, and passed through a variety of very difficult circumstances during the next 13 years before he had the wonderful opportunity of interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams, telling of seven years of plenty to be followed by seven years of famine. He had then suggested to Pharaoh, King of Egypt, that he should find a wise and discerning man who could so ration the produce during the plentiful years, that there would be sufficient food during the years of famine. Pharaoh had immediately responded that Joseph must surely be that “wise and discerning man”.
So we see this mature man, who left Canaan as a young, seventeen year lad, now promoted to the highest position in the land under Pharaoh. Truly “God was working His purpose out”. Whilst there can be no guarantees that God is going to bless you materially if you trust Him, the whole Bible is full of teaching and of promises assuring us that He can and will “work for the good of those who love Him” (Romans 8 verse 28). Job was able to say “Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him” (Job 13 verse 15). Joseph’s brothers thought that they were totally in control when they sold him into slavery, but “God was working His purpose out”, so that some years later Joseph was able to tell his brothers “it was not you who sent me, but God” (Genesis 45 verse 8). When your day is dark and your pathway is hidden, lift your eyes to the Lord who is on the throne, and trust Him to see you through! We will look at Genesis 41 verses 37 to 57 under three headings, Power, Prosperity and Provision.
Power: Verses 37-45
I’m sure that Joseph could hardly believe his ears when Pharaoh told him “there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people will submit to your orders.” (Genesis 41 verses 39-40). This is the man who was in Pharaoh’s prison only a few hours earlier. How true are the words of the psalmist “No-one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man. But it is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.” Provided we are obedient to His word, we can leave the matter of promotion safely In His hands. Joseph was completely dependent upon God, and the Lord was able to trust him with this special power that Pharaoh had given to him. The Lord knew that he would use it wisely and well. Perhaps you are in a position of responsibility; if so, make sure that you use it for the good of man and for the glory of God. Joseph now had the responsible task of looking after the country’s food supplies in such a way that when the famine came, there would be enough food for all. He knew that he could depend upon the Lord to give him the wisdom he needed, and he was not disappointed. What James wrote to the Christians of his day is also applicable to us: “If any of you lacks wisdom he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1 verse 5).
If God could give a young man “up from the country” sufficient wisdom to control all the food supplies of a great nation, don’t you think He can supply you with the wisdom you need to accomplish His purposes? In a world which is more and more geared to selfish aims and ambitions, our day and generation is crying out for godly men and women who will take a lead for truth and righteousness.
Prosperity: Verses 46-52
For Egypt it was a time of great prosperity. Through Pharaoh’s dream which Joseph had interpreted, God had warned the people that this would be followed by seven years of great famine. In good times people are often forget the possibility of bad times ahead, and Joseph had to exercise all the skill and wisdom which God had given to him to ensure that the bountiful supply of food was not wasted. This is a lesson to us, for when we have more than enough we should not only provide for our own future times of need, but also be willing to help those who are in need of support right now. There are millions of people with more than enough of this world’s goods, whilst there are millions more who don’t know where their next meal is coming from. The Lord Jesus had some challenging words to say on this subject, which are directed to us in our day: “I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me” (Matthew 25 verses 42-43).
These are words we all need to take to heart. Prosperity was followed by …
Provision: Verses 53-57
When the hard times which had been foretold by Joseph came upon the land of Egypt, his wise and prudent management of the country’s food supplies ensured that there was sufficient for everyone. We read that “There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole of Egypt there was food” (Genesis 41 verse 54). As the shortage of food began to affect the area, Pharaoh told all the people to go to Joseph and do whatever he told them. There was great power vested in this young man from the land of Canaan. God had His man in the right place at the right time! Thank God that this is the story of the ages. Throughout Scripture we can trace instance after instance where God raised up His servants to meet the need of the hour. It is often said that God is never without His witnesses. When He wanted to form a nation to bear His name there was an Abraham; when His people were in slavery under their taskmasters in Egypt He provided a Moses; when they needed a leader to take them into the promised land there was a Joshua, and when He wanted a “man after His own heart” to rule His earthly people, Israel, He took the shepherd lad, David, and made him a king. God had His men available to meet the needs of the hour, and He still does. Whilst these were outstanding characters, there is a sense in which we can all be God’s men and women to meet the needs of the day in which we live. There is a little chorus we used to sing as children, which is still true today “There’s a work for Jesus none but you can do”. You may well think that you are not an outstanding person like Joseph. Indeed you may feel that you are unimportant, but the truth is that if you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour He has a work for you to do for Him which is specially provided by Him to meet the very gifts which He has given to you. It is sometimes said that God’s call is His enabling. If He calls you into His service, however insignificant the service may seem to be, He will equip you to do it, and obedience to His call is never unimportant to Him.
As we close this week’s study we will see that Joseph married a wife in the land of Egypt, and the two sons who were born to him give us a good indication of His close walk with God. His first son he called Manasseh, which means “making forgetful”, and Joseph explained his choice of the name by saying “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house” (Genesis41:51). When his second son arrived he named him Ephraim, meaning “fruitfulness”, and Joseph made the comment “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction”. After all the persecution he had endured and the opposition he had faced, he was able to give testimony to the fact that God had been faithful. Is that your experience today? If not, take courage from this story of Joseph, for God is still faithful towards all who put their trust in Him.