Genesis 41:37-57
READING
Joseph’s Rise to Power
37 So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and
in the eyes of all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his
servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the
Spirit of God?”
39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has
shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. 40 You
shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your
word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 And
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”
42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand
and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and
put a gold chain around his neck. 43 And he had him ride in the
second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So
he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph,
“I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot
in all the land of Egypt.” 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s
name Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of
Poti-Pherah priest of On. So Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
46 Joseph was thirty 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. 47 Now in the seven plentiful
years the ground brought forth abundantly. 48 So 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; he laid up in every city the food of the
fields which surrounded them. 49 Joseph gathered very much
grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was
immeasurable.
50 And to Joseph were born two sons before the years
of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to
him. 51 Joseph
called the name of the firstborn Manasseh:[a] “For God has made me forget
all my toil and all my father’s house.” 52 And
the name of the second he called Ephraim:[b] “For
God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
53 Then the seven years of plenty which were in the
land of Egypt ended, 54 and the seven years of famine began to come, as
Joseph had said. The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt
there was bread. 55 So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the
people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go
to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do.” 56 The
famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the
storehouses[c] and
sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt. 57 So
all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine
was severe in all lands.
BOARD –
What is a Powerful
life (The Christian Life)?
From
mostpowerfullife.com –
More Peace of Mind?
Better Health and
Well-Being?
Work that is Meaningful and
Fulfilling?
Relationships that are Empowering?
PROMOTION
PROCLAMATION
PRESENCE
PARTICIPANTS
PROMISE
John 10:10
Promotion
Based on wisdom from God –
are we under God and look for His wisdom and direction?
· 37-38 Favor in God and in Man
· 39 Wisdom comes from God
· 40-42 – All of Egypt just not the throne
Do we not just give credit
but understand that all that comes to us is from God?
How would you explain what
has happened to you in light of what God has done in your life? Both at Salvation and during your
Sanctification?
From Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life - It All Starts with God It's not about you. The
purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your
peace of mind, or even your happiness. It's far greater than your family, your
career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you
were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his
purpose and for his purpose. The search for the purpose of life has puzzled
people for thousands of years. That's because we typically begin at the wrong
starting point--- ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like, 'What do I
want to be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, my
dreams for my future?' But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life's
purpose. The Bible says, 'It is God who directs the lives of his creatures;
everyone's life is in his power.'
Job 12:10 - The
life of every living thing is in His hand,
as well as the breath of all
mankind.
Proclamation
· 43-All knew he was put above them
· 44- Pharaoh said no one can do anything without Joseph
saying so
· 45 – Joseph had a new name, a wife, and went all over
Egypt
What was Jesus proclaimed by
God to do?
What are we proclaimed by God
to do? If you don’t know is it because
you don’t want to know? Is it because
you don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus to ask in prayer and study?
What have you been proclaimed
to do? Write that down.
Presence
In Plenty – Had a job to do
· 46 – Leaving the presence of Pharaoh
· 47 – Ground brought forth the plenty – notice the
credit is not with human items
· 48 – He had a job to do which was to lay up food
· 49 – What God gives was immeasurable – note that he
did count until no longer necessary
Do we have a job to do when
things are going well?
Sometimes we only focus on
God when we need something. What is your
job when things are going well?
Question:
"I am a new Christian. What is the next step?"
Answer:
Congratulations! If
you are a new believer, you have just experienced the beginning of your new,
eternal life (John 3:16; 10:10). Your sins have been forgiven and you have been given a
fresh start (Romans 4:7). You have now been given
inexpressible, glorious joy (1 Peter 1:8-9).
In
addition to the wonderful blessings of knowing Christ, you are probably
thinking, “Now what? What is the next step?” The Bible offers some important
principles for those who have begun a relationship with God.
First,
as a new Christian, begin reading the Bible. There are many translations and numerous places to
start. While there is no perfect translation, we recommend you choose a Bible
that is easy for you to understand and is faithful to the original text of the
Bible. To sample some of today’s popular translations, you can go to websites
such as BibleGateway.com or YouVersion.com. We recommend that you begin your
reading with the Gospel of John or one of the other Gospels to read for
yourself what Jesus taught and did during His time on earth. Other articles on
GotQuestions.org will help you answer the practical questions you have about
God and spiritual issues. The Bible teaches, “Do your best to present yourself
to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly
handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
Second,
as a new Christian, begin praying. Prayer is simply talking with God. Many believe prayer must
include a formal set of words that can only take place during a church service.
However, the Bible teaches us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We are instructed to praise God
day and night. If we desire to know God more deeply, we must communicate with
Him regularly.
Throughout
each day, you can give thanks to God, ask Him to answer your daily needs, and
pray on behalf of others. It’s also important to pray together with others who
follow Christ, encouraging each other, praising God, and seeking answers to
everyone’s requests. For ideas on how to pray, you can begin with the Lord’s
Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13).
Third,
as a new Christian, be baptized. Baptism symbolizes your new life in Christ and proclaims
that you are now committed to Jesus. Even Jesus was baptized (Luke 3:1-22), and He calls His followers to also be baptized.
Baptism was practiced by the very first followers of Jesus in Acts 2:41.
Usually,
the leaders of a local church perform baptism. A local church pastor or church
leader should be glad to speak with you about baptism if you express your
interest.
Fourth,
as a new Christian, build friendships with others Christians. The Christian life is designed to
be enjoyed with others. Jesus invested much of His ministry with 12 disciples
as His closest friends. He likewise calls us to live in community with one
another. The New Testament has over 50 “one another” verses that refer to
loving one another, serving one another, encouraging one another, and praying
for one another. Each of these commands requires relationships with other
Christians.
Fellowship
with other believers is one of the purposes of a local church. If there’s a
Bible-teaching church in your area, it’s a great place to get involved. If you
live in a community without a church, you will need to pray for God to open
opportunities for you to meet other Christians in your area.
Fifth,
as a new Christian, help others. As you begin your new life as a Christian, you will find a
new love inside you giving you a desire to help others. The Holy Spirit will
lead you in ways to help. You might serve the poor in your community, assist a
neighbor with yard work, or visit a sick friend in the hospital. The Spirit
will clearly call you to show God’s love (1 John 3:17-18).
Sixth,
as a new Christian, tell someone about your faith. Becoming a Christian is not a
secret; it’s a celebration! Tell all who will listen about Christ’s work in
your life. In some cases, other people will come to faith in Jesus through the
example you share. Just before Jesus ascended to heaven, He commanded His
disciples to make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:18-20). Today, Christians are still
called to share the hope within us with others (1 Peter 3:15-16).
Finally,
these are simply helpful tips on how to grow in your new faith; they are not
a list of requirements to become a Christian or to stay a Christian. You have
been saved by grace through faith, apart from any works of your own (Ephesians 2:8-9). God started the work in you, and
He promises to finish it (Philippians 1:6). God bless you as you continue to
mature in your faith!
Participants
Do others come and go in
plenty and in want in your life? Family
even?
· 50 – Family – note that both of these came from a
daughter of a Priest of On
· 51-52 – Named sons – to be two tribes of Israel – so
that the Levites could be the priests – Notes the meanings
Do you think Joseph had to
remind his wife and Sons of what God had said?
Do we have recorded anything
else He told Joseph? NO! He had to live on what was already said.
James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my
brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the
testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work
so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” This is the very
first thing James writes in his letter after his salutation. Why? Because of
its import. Many Christians think once they’ve made that decision for Christ
that everything will fall into place and life will be that proverbial bowl of
cherries. And when trials and tough times come upon them or continue, they
begin to question, “why?” Wondering how they could possibly endure horrible
circumstances and consider it joy.
Peter
also tackles this subject of joy through trials. “In this you greatly rejoice,
though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of
trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which
perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in
praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen
him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him
and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving
the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:6-9).
Question:
"Who were the priests of On? Was Joseph wrong to marry the daughter of a
pagan priest (Genesis 41)?"
Answer:
In Genesis 41, we
read that Joseph married the daughter of the priest of On. Verse 45 says,
“Pharaoh . . . gave [Joseph] Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be
his wife.” This seems to go against the Old Testament directive not to
intermarry with pagans (Nehemiah 13:27). Was Joseph sinfully embracing
Egyptian culture? Or is there more to the story?
First,
it is clear that Joseph was “given” a wife by Pharaoh. Joseph had just come
from prison to interpret a prophetic dream for Pharaoh. When the dream was
interpreted, the king honored Joseph with a high-ranking office in Egypt and
placed him in charge of preparing for a future famine. Joseph’s rewards
included a new position, a new Egyptian name (“Zaphenath-Paneah”), and an
Egyptian wife. Joseph was not given a choice regarding whether to take Asenath
as his wife.
Second,
God permitted Joseph to take this wife. Through Asenath, Joseph had two sons,
Manasseh and Ephraim, who became two tribes in Israel. The two tribes from
Joseph meant that the Levites could serve as priests and spiritual leaders and
not be given a tribal land. Thus, there were still only 12 portions of
inherited land in Israel.
Third,
God used this marriage to strengthen Joseph’s new position as a national
leader. The city of On was also known as Heliopolis, “The City of the Sun.” It
was the center of worship of the sun god, Ra, and was located 10 miles
northeast of modern Cairo. The high priest in On held the title of “Greatest of
Seers.” When Joseph married into this family, he joined a social class
befitting a national leader. Also implied in the marriage arrangement was
Pharaoh’s confidence that Joseph, too, was a “seer,” or prophet, of the highest
caliber.
Certainly,
the Bible teaches separation from the world and that Christians are to marry a
believing spouse (1 Corinthians 7). However, Joseph’s situation did not allow
for this choice. Instead, God used this situation to accomplish His will in
ways Joseph could not understand at the time.
When
a Christian today is married to an unbelieving spouse, the New Testament
encourages him or her to remain in the marriage unless the spouse leaves (or,
if they do divorce, to stay unmarried): “To the married I give this charge (not
I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she
does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and
the husband should not divorce his wife” (1 Corinthians 7:10-11). The Bible speaks elsewhere
regarding the issue of adultery or sexual immorality as grounds for divorce (Matthew 5:32). The death of a spouse also allows the opportunity
for remarriage to another believer (1 Corinthians 7:39).
Joseph
did not sin by taking Asenath as his wife. He was given no choice in the
matter. Further, the Old Testament Law had not been given, and the New
Testament teachings regarding marriage did not yet exist. In addition, God
worked through Joseph’s marriage to serve as a blessing to many and to become
an important part of the history of God’s people.
Promise
· 53-Plenty ends – so seven years have gone by
· 54 – Famine wasn’t just Egypt so this wasn’t localized
and affected all regions
· 55 – Pharaoh knew that Joseph was right and counted on
him again
· 56 – He sold the grain that was gathered
· 57 – All countries came to Joseph – it was important
because this is how God brought Joseph’s brothers and father to him in Egypt
So
back to Journaling – When bad times come do you remember the promises made?
2 comments:
Andy - you mentioned that there may be an event that scholars could point to in the past that corresponds to the famine, any more information you can provide?
I will get those links and publish them here. Sorry for the delay...
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