Joseph In The Palace

Introduction

We come now to the successful conclusion of Joseph's journey. Joseph trusted the Lord through the Pit, Potipher's House and the Prison. The Lord never left His faithful servant.

I. In The Palace Joseph Prophesies

A. Pharaoh Has A Disturbing Dream

Read Genesis 41:1-7, "And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine  and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow. And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favored and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. And the ill favored and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favored and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke. And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them. And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream."

B. Pharaoh Becomes Disturbed

Note Genesis41:8, "And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh."

C. Pharaoh's Dream Is Deciphered

Through Joseph, the dream of the Pharaoh is explained. Read Genesis 41:28-31, "This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh. Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous."

D. Through Joseph, A Plan Of Action Is Devised

Read Genesis 41: 35-36, "And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine."

Someone once said, "Preparation often beats determination" (Source Unknown).

Joseph wisely counseled the Pharaoh to prepare for what was to come.

II. In The Palace Joseph Receives A Promotion

A. Joseph Was Given A Great Trust

We read this great trust given to Joseph in Genesis 41:39-41, "And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt."

B. Joseph Was Given Real Treasure

He received great riches.

Genesis 41:42, 45b, "And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;...and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt."

Joseph received great respect.

Read Genesis 41:43-44, "And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt."

C. Joseph Received A Great Title

Note Genesis 41:45a, "And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah..."

This name had great significance. In this name was the explanation of what God had performed through Joseph, the servant of God. To the Egyptians the name would mean "Savior of the world," which is exactly what Joseph was to them. To the Hebrews the name would mean "Revealer of secrets," which is what he had been to his brethren in the days of his dreams and what he would be to Asenath in the days to come. In all this, of course, Joseph speaks of Jesus. John Phillips, Exploring Genesis, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois, pg. 323.

III. In The Palace Joseph Discovers His Purpose

A. He Would Be Caused To Forget

Genesis 41:50-51, "And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On bare unto him. And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house."

Whether we realize it or not, there are some things that, in one sense, God wants us to forget. God does not want us to be constantly living in the past, forever bemoaning our hardships and  tribulations. Speaking from a practical standpoint, if we are always living in the past, we'll have a hard time laboring in the present.

Joseph could ill-afford to wallow in self-pity over past troubles and mistreatment; otherwise, he might have missed God's purpose for his life. Had he not learned to forget the past, he may have never made it to the palace, where God had a great ministry in store for him. In actuality, Joseph practiced the truth of Paul's words in Phil.3: 13a, where he said, "...forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before."

B. Joseph Was To Be Fruitful

Note Genesis 41:52, "And the name of the second called he Ephraim: for God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction."

Fruitfulness for God's glory is the ultimate goal of all that God sends or allows to come into our lives. As a matter of fact, the trials and troubles of life have a tendency to make God's children more fruitful. This is brought out in principle by the fact that, after Joseph's death, the Egyptians put the Israelites under hard bondage. Their plight became so bad in fact, that Pharaoh ordered all their male babies be put to death. But what happened under these conditions? The children of Israel flourished. In the midst of this horrible situation, the Bible says, "...and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty" (Ex.1: 20b).

Jesus said, "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit" (John 15: 2).

C. Joseph Was To Provide Food For The Famishing

God used Joseph to minister to the heathen.

We read this in Genesis 41:55-56, "And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. 56 : And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt."

God used Joseph to minister to the Hebrews.

Genesis 45:4-5; 7-8a reads, "And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God..."

Note also, Genesis 50:20, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."

God is by His very nature, a God of purpose. He does nothing that is pointless. Since this is true, every pain, predicament and problem that Joseph endured, was calculated by God to prepare him for his place in the palace of Egypt, that he might effect the preservation of God's people.

As an outgrowth of Joseph's ministry of preservation, the Egyptians also benefited. They were not only kept alive, but were permitted a demonstration of the character and power of the one true God. This is another of the parallels between Joseph and Jesus. Though Jesus was sent to "save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21b), we, who were "aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise" (Ephesians 2:12), were also the beneficiaries of Christ's ministry to preserve His people from the wrath of God's judgment.

This also reminds us of our purpose in this world as God's blood-washed children. We are to be like "watchmen on the wall" (Ezekiel 33:1-6), warning men and women, boys and girls, of God's coming judgment (1 Thessalonians 1:10; Revelation 20:15). Since God is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9b) Jesus says to us, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). Our purpose, like that of Joseph, is that of preservation. That is why Christians are referred to as "the salt of the earth." (Matthew 5:13a).

As we have studied the life of Joseph, with all of it's jolts and joys, we have seen how every problem was merely preparation for the palace of Egypt, where Joseph would fulfill God's purpose of preservation. Life's difficulties will either develop us or destroy us. The deciding factor is how we choose to respond to them. Facing life's pitfalls in our own strength and understanding will only result in frustration and failure. But if we face the trying times of life focused on God in faith, we can expect victory and joy. I realize that what I've told you is easier said than done. However, that makes it no less true. May God help us today, to begin to face the tests of life with total trust in Him.