Genesis 41:37-57

March 19, 2017

Lord’s Day Worship

Sean Higgins

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The sermon starts at 15:55 in the audio file.

Or, Joseph’s Rise from Prisoner to Prime Minister

When a thing is fixed by God, the thing is fixed indeed. He not only makes bad things better, He has predestined to do so. Genesis 41 has fixes on at least three levels. The first level is the fix of the future abundance and scarcity. Pharaoh dreamed about fat cows and fat grain being eaten up by skinny cows and thin ears. None of his dream-priests could interpret the meaning, but Joseph explained that the dreams were one and that “the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God” (verse 32). Seven years of prosperity would be swallowed up by seven years of famine such that “all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt” (verse 30). The next fourteen years in Egypt were fixed.

The second level of fixed future regards another set of dreams, concerns both a wider geographical context and a more narrow set of characters. Joseph dreamed of himself as an upright sheaf and his brothers and sheaves gathered around and bowing down (Genesis 37:7). He also dreamed of a galaxy wherein his brothers as stars and his mother and father as moon and sun bowed down to him (Genesis 37:9). Such dreams were obnoxious to his brothers and sounded presumptuous to his father. When his brothers sold him for dead that galaxy seemed far, far away. But the ignorance of the magicians was the plan of God for sake of Joseph’s opportunity to shine. The previous 13 years in Egypt had been fixed.

The third level of fixed future regards a vision given by God to Abram. “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions” (Genesis 15:13-14). God predestined to keep His covenant people alive in a foreign land (Genesis 50:20) until the time that He would deliver them by His mighty hand for an everlasting testimony. Centuries previous and coming were fixed by God.

While God always works all things according to the counsel of His will, we don’t always see the convergence of so many levels in such a precise point. The fulcrum of the fix pivoted in about an hour.

As I said, Pharaoh dreamed and was disturbed by the dream but none could tell him the meaning. The chief cupbearer remembered how Joseph had interpreted his dream, and that of the chief baker, and referred Joseph to Pharaoh. All manner of manic effort was made to hurry Joseph before Pharaoh and, when Pharaoh told his dream, Joseph told him the interpretation. Joseph went even further than asked and offered Pharaoh unsolicited counsel on how to prepare for the coming famine. Appoint an overseer of overseers, federal over local, and start banking a national reserve of grain against the years of hardship.

Would Pharaoh accept the interpretation? How would he take being advised by this young, foreign, slave-prisoner?

The first part of the chapter (verses 1-36) which took place all on one day are fulfilled in the second part of the chapter (verses 37-57) which take place on that day and over the next eight-plus years.

The Pharaoh’s Installation (verses 37-45)

Pharaoh did not erupt in anger toward Joseph, nor did he turn to his counselors and immediately begin brainstorming solutions. This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. Somehow there was immediate, unanimous agreement and approval. This consensus may be one of the most miraculous elements in the chapter. And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” The answer was so obvious; the answer was standing in the room. Joseph and Pharaoh may not have been talking about the same God, but Pharaoh recognized divine presence and guidance [...]