20251109_IWillNotLeaveThee

[0:00] I ask God to bless his word, but I do realize that he says, look, no word drops from my mouth and falls idly.

[0:13] ! It accomplishes everything whereunto I send it. So I'm thankful for that promise. The God who cannot lie says that.

[0:25] Okay, Genesis chapter 41. And while I recognize what I've just said, if I was in Joseph's place at this point, it'd be harder to see, wouldn't it?

[0:46] A little bit harder to see God's blessing at work, but he is. And we're going to see how that form, how God is planning that out. So we left Joseph in prison.

[0:59] He has just talked to the butler and, or the cupbearer, if you will, the butler and the baker. They both have three days.

[1:13] One of them is going to be restored to his position. The other one is not. He's going to die.

[1:23] So, it came about just as God had told Joseph it would. And Joseph had said to the butler, by the way, when you're restored to your position, would you remember me to Pharaoh because I shouldn't be here.

[1:43] The butler presumably says, sure, I will. But he didn't. And so, well.

[1:59] Now, I know it's not you, but you know someone who has seen God's hand work in their lives as far as graciously, and they've been blessed.

[2:22] And then they go through a period of time when they're not, or things kind of smooth along. And it becomes, yeah, I know what God did before, but what have you done for me lately kind of a thing, you know.

[2:42] Well, the butler's kind of this way. Once he got out of the hot water and he was restored, he forgot the promise.

[2:55] So, we begin with verse 1 here in 41, if you will, please. Now, as you're reading down through there, chapter 41, verse 1, and we're reading down, the first questions are going to be in the first seven verses.

[3:17] So, if you read down through there. How long has it been now, at this point, since the butler was restored and Joseph is still in prison?

[3:32] A couple of years, anyway. Two full years. So, what happens?

[3:49] Okay, dreams, who? Pharaoh dreams a dream. Now, what are the details of Pharaoh's dream?

[4:02] Now, I was taught this when I was a little kid. So, I know we here know this.

[4:16] Just real quickly, what did Pharaoh see in his dream? Okay, he saw cattle. Seven cattle. Fat, well-fleshed cattle.

[4:32] And they're, and what? And then the yuglians. And what happened with the yuglians? They ate the fat cattle.

[4:45] These are weird cattle. But then this is a dream. Okay. Okay. And it bugged him. Okay.

[4:55] Then he, but he goes back to sleep. And what happens? He has another dream. What's he dream this time? Corn grain?

[5:12] Specifically. Let's get specific. What's he see? Seven rank ears or big ears. Okay.

[5:25] And then the uglians. Right? The seven scrawny, bad-looking ears. And what happens?

[5:44] Okay. The poor ears ate up the good ones. Now, I thought it was bad when the cattle were eaten. Eaten cattle.

[5:56] But the corn eating corn is even stranger. So, this, he doesn't decide that this is a bad meal that he had the night before.

[6:09] This is, this is a portent. Okay. So, what does Pharaoh do? If you're following, by the way, we're by verse 8 now.

[6:27] What does Pharaoh do? He calls in what? Wise guys. Wise men. He calls in wise men and magicians.

[6:40] And he asks them, hey, what's this mean? And they tell him what? They couldn't interpret it.

[6:59] Now, by the way, who's doing is this? This is God's doing.

[7:11] We'll see that in just a moment, specifically. But we know, we'll get in our time machine and we'll go a number of years ahead.

[7:26] And we know that God's going to allow magicians and sorcerers in Egypt to do what? They're going to give false signs.

[7:40] Aaron's going to throw down his rod and it's going to what? Okay, we're getting ready to leave for Egypt or leave Egypt for Canaan.

[7:51] Aaron's going to throw his rod down before Pharaoh. And what happens? It becomes a serpent. What did God allow the magicians to do?

[8:04] They threw their rods down. Of course, the difference was that Aaron's ate theirs. We'll go way further ahead in our time machine now.

[8:21] Closer to our own time. And we're in Israel. And they are being faced with the overthrow. Well, Judah is being faced with the overthrow by Babylon.

[8:35] What? Yes. Yes. Right. Right.

[9:02] It's not specifically said. But we do know this. God allowed them to do it because here he doesn't allow them to interpret the dream. But he is going to allow false prophets to interpret dreams later on.

[9:20] So some, whatever God, however God is leading this plan to bring them out of Egypt, he did allow it. Yes.

[9:30] He allowed them to have a lot of time to figure out it. It's the thing that's finally going on. And it's the thing that's all going to be in the future. And I can do that, please.

[9:44] Or if God has to make them do that for them. So the parents of people who can go straight into the Lord. Well, God is going to demonstrate.

[10:00] He says, I'm going to judge Egypt and I'm going to judge the gods of Egypt. Yes. That much we know.

[10:11] Now, did God do it? Did Satan do it? And is this a cosmic wrestling match? And maybe God will win and maybe not? Not at all. God is not risking anything.

[10:27] Our God saw, he says time and again, I see the end from the beginning. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning.

[10:39] In eternity. God alone dwells in eternity. He sees it all. Now, the big question becomes with theologians, whether professional or not, the big question becomes, okay, if God sees it all, then does that mean that he predestined everything?

[11:04] And, well, we can't say that because we have free will. And we can't say that because if I have total free will, then can God be thwarted?

[11:15] I can't answer those questions. Theologians for thousands of years haven't. True.

[11:29] He knows everything. He knows that. In fact, our salvation, and here's the important thing for anyone thinking about God.

[11:45] Number one, I need to think rightly about him. But number two, for my eternal state, I am relying on the veracity and the knowledge and the promises of Almighty God.

[12:04] And, well, yeah, his mercy. But there is nothing. What am I going to do that's going to make God change his mind about me?

[12:20] Now, God, he says time and again, well, not time and again.

[12:31] He says several times, maybe 20 or 30, that, well, I've changed my, I, if you repent, I'll change my mind about what I had planned to do.

[12:42] But I think that's an anthropomorphism. That's a, that's a, giving me as a, as a small human a picture of what God's thinking.

[12:59] It's not, it's not theology proper. That is, God makes propositional statements that he has everything under control. It is long after the fall, by the way, that he's going to cause David to write, the earth, you know this verse, the earth is the, and the, and what?

[13:24] The fullness thereof. The worlds and they that dwell therein.

[13:35] That's long after the fall. Long after. Paul's going to reiterate that. In this dispensation.

[13:48] That earth, the earth belongs to God. And Paul in several places is going to say, by the way, your salvation is established in God's mind before the foundations of the world.

[14:00] He didn't reveal it. It was a mystery. But it was established long before. So, did God cause it or did he allow it?

[14:14] I don't know. May Satan win? Absolutely not. He can't. I don't know.

[14:35] I don't know that that's his greatest attribute. All of his attributes are perfections. But, he is long-suffering.

[14:46] He's also just. He is merciful. He also will present his wrath. He is perfect in all of his parts or attributes, if you will.

[15:07] So, I don't know the answer to that one. Did God cause him to do that so that he could have errands? I don't know.

[15:18] He allows certain things to happen for his will and his glory. By the way, the demoniac who, in the Gadareans, when Jesus came, he said, what have you to do with us?

[15:43] And he rightly called him son of God, didn't he? What are you doing? So, they recognize him, but he still has authority over them.

[15:59] They still have to obey him. They don't have a choice. And the demon-possessed girl that the guys were making money off of, when Paul was, I forget where he was, she was following him around.

[16:18] And she was saying, this guy's talking about Jesus. And there was nothing she said that was wrong as far as the words.

[16:34] But Paul said, come out of her. And she lost that ability. And then there was trouble. So, is Satan able to resist God in a way that will cause God's plan not to be fulfilled?

[17:03] No. That can't happen. Otherwise, we have no hope. No real long hope. Right. Well, he does, God will, God saves us.

[17:32] And I didn't have these verses ready in my head. But I think it's in Ephesians where he says, it's not only in Ephesians, but that's the one that pops to my mind, where he is going to show his manifold wisdom and purpose in the church, and he's going to show it before all the creation.

[17:59] The powers, the majesties, the principalities. Angelic beings are going to see the manifold wisdom of God because of his grace that he has given to us.

[18:11] That's pretty impressive. So, he is going to display time and again, we are saved for the glory of God.

[18:26] That's, he's merciful, but it is for his glory. He's going to show his attributes. Yes. Well, yeah.

[18:48] There is a foot, some teaching that says, well, God's risking everything.

[19:00] But he's not. He didn't risk. In fact, when, you know, God risked that maybe Jesus would not be crucified.

[19:22] Well, that's not what the scripture says. When Peter is going to preach in Acts chapter 2 amongst the Israelites there, he's going to say he was, you handed him over to be killed by these ungodly Gentiles with the express purpose and plan of God.

[19:44] And Jesus is going to tell his disciples, look, no, no, no, no, no. This is why I came. This is why I came.

[19:59] So, the plan's an eternal plan and it will succeed because God is instituting it. And God alone has the complete supremacy.

[20:11] So, yeah, people reject God. People obstruct God's work. People, Satan, wars against God.

[20:26] But all of them will not avail because God alone is omnipotent. So, when he is called the Lord God Almighty, he means it.

[20:43] He means it. So, we'll go on then. So, Pharaoh doesn't get an answer from the wise men and the magicians.

[21:00] So, his cupbearer pipes up. What does he say? I forgot to tell you.

[21:11] Yeah. By the way, Pharaoh, I remember my faults. And when I was put in, when I, the baker and I were put into prison, what?

[21:36] He said there was a young Hebrew there who was the steward of the jailer. And he interpreted the dream and it came about just like he said.

[21:49] Excuse me. So. No.

[22:01] So, the butler tells Pharaoh about this. What does Pharaoh do? He summons.

[22:12] He said, go get this guy. Go get this guy. So, Joseph appears before Pharaoh. And.

[22:27] We are not told specifically why. But what's interesting about that? When he is brought from the jail to go to the Pharaoh's court.

[22:40] See, we're just asking these to see if we're actually reading details. Okay, when you say cleaning up, what do you mean? He shaved.

[22:52] And different clothes. Apparently, before he was looking like a Hebrew. Like a Semite out in the desert. But now he's going to the Egyptian court.

[23:05] He's not going to look like that. So, they dress him up. So, he appears before Pharaoh. What does.

[23:17] What does Pharaoh say to him? Okay, that's pretty important.

[23:38] Joseph here says, it's not me that can do this. Who is it? God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

[23:51] And that word is literally peace. I think our new American standard renders it favorable answer. But the word is actually the same word as they get Jerusalem, Salem, or Shalom, I think is how I hear it pronounced so often.

[24:15] But he says, God will give you the answer, the appropriate answer, I think is what he's probably saying. So, Pharaoh then does what?

[24:32] He rehearses his dream. He rehearses his dream. Well, I had this weird dream, Joseph. I saw these fat cattle and then the ugly ones.

[24:42] Okay, now. What does Joseph tell Pharaoh about the dreams?

[24:52] By now we're at verse 25. What does Joseph tell Pharaoh about the dreams? Who's about to do?

[25:08] Okay. Listen, Pharaoh. God has shown you what God himself is about to do. All right.

[25:18] Now, is this dependent upon what Pharaoh does? Is it dependent upon what Joseph does? It's dependent upon what God says.

[25:32] He says, I'm going to do this. Okay. What's the interpretation of the dream? Okay. Okay.

[25:50] The seven cattle are seven years. They're good years. Not the tire. They're good years. What does it mean when he says good years?

[26:04] Plenty. Plenteous crops. It's going to be a bumper years. Seven in a row. Now, what are the uglians?

[26:18] Seven years of famine. And he says, it's going to be so bad, what? You're not going to remember the seven good ones.

[26:34] You see that? It's going to be so bad in the famine that the good years aren't going to be remembered. Okay. Okay. Then he tells him.

[26:48] What else does he tell him about this? okay okay he said the reason you got the the two dreams is because god has said this is going to happen, and it's going to happen soon. All right. So, what does Joseph do after he interprets?

[27:36] He gets a little, if we go just by what's written, it looks a little presumptuous, doesn't it? He makes a suggestion. So, Pharaoh, my suggestion is this. What is it?

[27:55] What is it? Specifically to do what? He's going to be in charge of the Department of Agriculture.

[28:14] What's he going to do? Now, specifically what he's going to do. He says, specifically, this is what you should do. During these seven good years, this guy that you trust, he's going to do what? He establishes a 20% income tax. Now, hang on here.

[28:44] No. That's what he's doing. Here's the prophet. What are you going to do? You're going to take a fifth of it. And what are you going to do with that fifth? Store it. Put storehouses all over Egypt in the big cities and guard the food. No looting. Or, as one person said, no justice shopping. Okay. So, what is, what happens about this suggestion?

[29:34] Sounded good to Pharaoh. Who else did it sound good to? His household servants, his counselors.

[29:51] Okay. Those who served Pharaoh. Sounded good to them. So, what do they do? They go out and find a guy? Okay. So, we're in Egypt. A Hebrew has just given counsel to Pharaoh. Pharaoh and his counselors say, you're the man. In fact, Pharaoh's going to say what? You're going to be number two. Number two to what? To him. Only in the sovereignty of the land. Only in the kingship will I be above you. So, Joseph is sold as a slave to Potiphar.

[31:04] Potiphar makes him complete steward of all his house. Joseph runs the place. Potiphar tosses him into prison. Joseph becomes the steward of the jailer. And the jailer leaves everything in Joseph's hands. Now, Joseph interprets Pharaoh's. See, God's working. Now, Pharaoh is going to make him essentially steward of all of Egypt. So, he says, okay, Joseph, you're in charge. So, he does something to proclaim this to the people. What's he do? He gives him his signet ring, the official stamp, if you will, the seal of Egypt. What else? Okay, gives him royal garments.

[32:15] And? Okay, he rides in Pharaoh's second chariot. So, they're going to haul him around Egypt and say, this is your ruler now. You want to do something, you want to get permission for something, who do you go to?

[32:38] Joseph. All right. All right. Now, he's going to do one more thing. Yeah, yeah. He changed his name and I can't pronounce it. Right. And? He marries him.

[32:55] He marries him to, interesting. He marries him to a woman whose father's name is, I'd be worried about this.

[33:12] Now, and Potiphar was an important guy. He was, it says in King James, priest of on, or it's a city apparently, or it may be prince. It's used both ways in the scripture, that word is. So, either way, he's important. But, you notice he was given an Egyptian name, one that I never remember. Who else do we know that were given different names when they became important in their government? Daniel?

[33:59] Yeah. In fact, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are their new names. They're Babylonian names. I never remember their Hebrew names.

[34:13] But, he renames him. He marries him off. He presumably gives him a palace. I mean, Joseph's well off now.

[34:31] So, what's Joseph going to do with all this authority? He's going to do what he said he would do. What is it?

[34:49] He's going to store grain. Now, by the way, how old is Joseph now? Now, he's 30 years old. He's been here a while.

[35:04] So, he's 30 years old now. And, he gathers up, he starts taxing the people, gathering up the food stores, and putting it in store around Egypt.

[35:21] Now, what's he doing at home? He has two sons now.

[35:34] What does he name them? Ephraim and Manasseh.

[35:47] See, you already know this, but just a hint, when the children of Israel leave Egypt, Joseph's going in a sarcophagus.

[35:59] He's going in a box. He's not, he's not actually going to be named as one of the fathers of the tribes.

[36:11] It's going to be his sons that are going to be half-tribes, if you will. Manasseh and Ephraim. Okay. Well, what's he say about them?

[36:24] God has put me in a place where I've forgotten all the struggles, all the troubles that I had.

[36:45] And, what about Ephraim? What's he say about him? He's caused me to be fruitful or prosperous in the land of my affliction.

[36:59] He's talking about Egypt. All right. So, the seven years of famine begin. And this is a famine which stretches out to far beyond Egypt, isn't it?

[37:14] how do we know this? It affected Canaan. Well, what's it say in verse 54?

[37:30] It was in all the lands. Now, but in Egypt, what?

[37:47] There was food. There was bread in Egypt. Now, there was bread in Egypt, but not everybody was eaten well.

[37:57] because what's the next verse say? When the Egyptians became famished, what did they do?

[38:10] They cried out to Pharaoh. They went to the government. They said, he said, go to Joseph. Do whatever he says. And what did Joseph do?

[38:24] He gave it away, right? He sold it to them. See, God's plan's working to get ready. So now, not only, and here I thought this kind of business was all new.

[38:46] The government has taxed him. So you've paid 20% income tax. And now, when you get your service, the government's going to make you buy it.

[38:59] Pay for it. All right. I thought this was a new thing. Storage fee. Yeah. Well, that's true.

[39:11] I mean, I'm being partly facetious, I realize that. But, God is working this plan to get ready for a bigger, bigger finish to this story.

[39:29] This story is not going to finish for a few hundred years. But it's going to be a big finish. So, he sells it.

[39:40] Now, remember that he's beginning to sell this to the Egyptians too. Right? So now, they're giving up monies, or whatever it is, for food.

[39:57] Remember this, if, when we see a little later, how this is going to pan out.

[40:10] So, all the countries, by the way, it's going to make Egypt rich. How? people from all around came to buy grain.

[40:29] And, we're going to stop with that because, we're going to find out that people from Canaan that we've heard of are going to come to buy grain.

[40:43] And, this will be quite an interesting story in itself. Right. A story within the story. Have a wonderful week.