Bible Study - Overcome (4) - Overcome Hard Times - Genesis 41:28-36, 46-49 - November 9, 2014

Bible Study – Overcome (4) – Overcome Hard Times – November 9, 2014

This is lesson four (4) in our series entitled “Overcome: Living beyond Your Circumstances.”

Our focus scripture is Genesis 41:28-36, 46-49.

GOD has a plan to see you though any crisis. The key is to be obedient and put into action what GOD reveals that needs to be done.

We have the opportunity to see GOD’S hand in directing circumstances as HE guided Joseph to the place that HE wanted him to be. If Joseph had given up, he would have likely died in prison. But that was not the case since Joseph remained faithful to GOD and worked as unto GOD.

Genesis 41:1-27: (Review and lead-in to our focus scripture)

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams

1 Two years later Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile, 2 when seven healthy-looking, well-fed cows came up from the Nile and began to graze among the reeds. 3 After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside those cows along the bank of the Nile. 4 The sickly, thin cows ate the healthy, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. 5 He fell asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, came up on one stalk. 6 After them, seven heads of grain, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up. 7 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, ripe ones. Then Pharaoh woke up, and it was only a dream. 8 When morning came, he was troubled, so he summoned all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him. 9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I remember my faults. 10 Pharaoh had been angry with his servants, and he put me and the chief baker in the custody of the captain of the guard. 11 He and I had dreams on the same night; each dream had its own meaning. 12 Now a young Hebrew, a slave of the captain of the guards, was with us there. We told him our dreams, he interpreted our dreams for us, and each had its own interpretation. 13 It turned out just the way he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged.” 14 Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they quickly brought him from the dungeon. He shaved, changed his clothes, and went to Pharaoh. 15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said about you that you can hear a dream and interpret it.” 16 “I am not able to,” Joseph answered Pharaoh. “It is God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” 17 So Pharaoh said to Joseph: “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18 when seven well-fed, healthy-looking cows came up from the Nile and began to graze among the reeds. 19 After them, seven other cows —ugly, very sickly, and thin—came up. I’ve never seen such ugly ones as these in all the land of Egypt. 20 Then the thin, ugly cows ate the first seven well-fed cows. 21 When they had devoured them, you could not tell that they had devoured them; their appearance was as bad as it had been before. Then I woke up. 22 In my dream I had also seen seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, coming up on one stalk. 23 After them, seven heads of grain —withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind—sprouted up. 24 The thin heads of grain swallowed the seven plump ones. I told this to the magicians, but no one can tell me what it means.” 25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing. God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven ripe heads are seven years. The dreams mean the same thing. 27 The seven thin, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven worthless, scorched heads of grain are seven years of famine.

GOD made it clear, through Joseph to the king, what would happen over the next 14 years in Egypt and the surrounding area. The king had a choice. Was the king willing to take the information seriously from a slave/prisoner and take the necessary action? Let’s Explore!

Let’s read Genesis 41:28-32:

28 “It is just as I told Pharaoh: God [elohim, the general word for “god” or the One True GOD of the Hebrews. It carries the idea of GOD as the creator Who interacts with HIS creation and reveals Himself to HIS creation. GOD will reveal Himself to Pharaoh and the Egyptians.] has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt. 30 After them, seven years of famine will take place, and all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will devastate the land. 31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered because of the famine that follows it, for the famine will be very severe. 32 Since the dream was given twice to Pharaoh, it means that the matter has been determined by God, and He will carry it out soon.

Joseph reiterated the facts revealed by the dream that Pharaoh had. Notice the wisdom of Joseph. He directed his attention to the fact that GOD had revealed this extraordinary event that was about to take place to Pharaoh. Joseph wanted Pharaoh to be the person to whom GOD had revealed this information.

The fact that the dream was given to Pharaoh twice, the skinny cows and the thin heads of grain, meant that what GOD revealed was close at hand and he needed to take action quickly. This was no time to procrastinate. Pharaoh was to be the decision maker. Pharaoh was in charge of this project. Joseph took the lead and outlined a plan for the king, as we read in our next scripture.

Let’s read Genesis 41:33-36:

33 “So now, let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh do this: Let him appoint overseers over the land and take a fifth of the harvest of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 Let them gather all the excess food during these good years that are coming. Under Pharaoh’s authority, store the grain in the cities, so they may preserve it as food. 36 The food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine that will take place in the land of Egypt. Then the country will not be wiped out by the famine.”

Do you think that Joseph knew he had been called by GOD to head up this project but it had to Pharaoh’s idea? The way Joseph handled this vital matter reveals the wisdom which comes from GOD. Joseph was in right relationship with GOD and with that confidence he gave Pharaoh a wise plan. Some kings would have rejected such a plan coming from someone who he had gotten out of prison but this king did not. He listened and saw that Joseph had revealed a good plan and was gifted by GOD. It is likely the king had done his homework and gotten background information on Joseph. That is why whatever we do, do it as unto the LORD.

Let’s read Genesis 41:37-45:

37 The proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. 38 Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find anyone like this, a man who has God’s spirit in him?” 39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as intelligent and wise as you are. 40 You will be over my house, and all my people will obey your commands. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “See, I am placing you over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, clothed him with fine linen garments, and placed a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, and servants called out before him, “Abrek!” So he placed him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but no one will be able to raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt without your permission.” 45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah and gave him a wife, Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest at On. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh liked Joseph’s plan, as well as, Pharaoh’s servants. Pharaoh posed the question “Can we find anyone like this, a man who has God’s spirit in him?” So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as intelligent and wise as you are. You will be over my house, and all my people will obey your commands. Only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”

It seems as Pharaoh was thinking out loud, when it dawned on him the very person qualified to implement such a plan. A duh moment was turned into eureka! Who else should implement the plan other then the person to whom GOD had revealed the interpretation of the king’s dream? Do you think the wine steward might have whispered into the kings ear, Joseph is wise, faithful, well organized, has implemented his duties impeccably and possible other accolades. The king may have had good reasoning and saw the value in Joseph’s leadership for this project. After all, if Joseph was in charge and it failed, Joseph would have no excuse such as “Oh, so-and-so did not carry out the plan as GOD intended.” The fact is that Pharaoh chose Joseph.

Pharaoh gave all the necessary credentials to Joseph for him to have all the authority, he needed, to represent the king as second in charge in Egypt. Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, clothed him with fine linen garments, and placed a gold chain around his neck. He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, and servants called out before him, “Abrek!””  

“Abrek!” was likely an Egyptian word meaning “attention” or a Hebrew word meaning “knell.” It was to show Joseph’s authority and respect as the king’s second in command.

Pharaoh gave him an Egyptian name and an Egyptian wife.

Let’s read Genesis 41:46-49:

Joseph’s Administration

46 Joseph was 30 years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh King of Egypt. Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout the land of Egypt. 47 During the seven years of abundance the land produced outstanding harvests. 48 Joseph gathered all the excess food in the land of Egypt during the seven years and put it in the cities. He put the food in every city from the fields around it. 49 So Joseph stored up grain in such abundance—like the sand of the sea —that he stopped measuring it because it was beyond measure.

Joseph did not waste any time. He went to work immediately. Joseph had all the excess food gathered and stored in cities near the areas in where the harvests were produced. For seven years the harvests were extremely bountiful.

What do we do when we have plenty? Often, we think the supply of good fortune will never end. Likely those storing the food, laughed and thought this was a foolish thing to do. Even the king might have thought it. But as the old saying goes “there will be payday some day.” All good things often come to an end and when we do not plan for that rainy day, it can leave us in bad circumstances.

Just think in our lifetime, the recession we have experienced many poor souls lost their jobs. Many had purchased houses that required two incomes and a low permanent interest rate. Many had the idea that they needed their slice of the American dream and accumulated things and stuff. That is often a formula for trouble.

Let’s read Genesis 41:53-57:

53 Then the seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end, 54 and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in every country, but throughout the land of Egypt there was food. 55 Extreme hunger came to all the land of Egypt, and the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh told all Egypt, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.” 56 Because the famine had spread across the whole country, Joseph opened up all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. 57 Every nation came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, for the famine was severe in every land.

Famine came to Egypt and the surrounding area. People were hungry and came to Pharaoh for his help. Pharaoh directed them to Joseph and Joseph had the storehouses opened and sold the grain to those in need.

When this took place, the GOD of Joseph was Glorified.

Are we, as Christians, obedient to what GOD reveals to us? Are we bold enough put it into an action plan or do we procrastinate? I know recently, I procrastinated and missed a blessing or at least put it on hold. But the LORD teaches us in all things.

Hard times come into most of our lives. When they do, where or to whom do we turn? Is GOD our refuge and strength? Joseph was in relationship with GOD and it showed. Joseph trusted GOD, as a result, he was elevated to second in command and GOD was Glorified.

Blessings!!!