S. SEKOU ABODUNRIN
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed 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. Gen 41:39 – 41
As you read through Genesis 37 – 41, there is a recurrent theme that marks out Joseph. Joseph was envied by his brothers, set up by Potiphar’s wife and subsequently reduced to the standing of a common felon. A casual glance shows that at the onset Joseph was the son of a wealthy Jacob, and then we see him become a slave in Potiphar’s house after which he becomes a prisoner of Egypt. That is one way of looking at it, but is that the eternal perspective on things?
I want you to notice what Pharaoh said to Joseph - he set Joseph over all the land of Egypt. This means that back of Joseph was the throne of Egypt and back of that throne is Pharaoh himself. The more you delve into Joseph, the more you see that this thing is not a unique event in the life of Joseph. This elevation before Pharaoh did not drop out of thin air.
I want you to pay close attention to the verses below:
For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. Gen 37: 7 - 8
Joseph tells his brethren a dream. Somehow his brothers knew the meaning of the dream without Joseph having to interpret it to them. I want you to notice that we are not told that Joseph interpreted the dream to them. He told them the contents of his dream and their response showed that they knew its meaning. I want you to see that the dream implied that Joseph would rule over his brethren.
And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. Gen 37: 9
As soon as Jacob heard this dream, he knew its significance. Again we are not told that Joseph did any interpretation. Joseph’s dream is expanding in its scope. In the earlier dreams we see no reference to his parents coming under his dominion. It seems that the more he dreamt, the wider the scope of his dreams. It should dawn on Joseph that what he was to function in was not just on family level.
The brothers responded to Joseph’s dream out of their flesh. A casual reader will assume that Joseph was loosing significance with each step he took. This is because of the way we often measure things. A fleshly interpretation of things will say that Joseph moved from son to slave and then to prisoner.
The implication of his dreams was that he carried a governmental anointing, something kingly, and something by which he will walk in high authority where human lives are concerned. Joseph learnt how to handle people by his early contact with his brothers. It seems that the greatest area of challenge that Joseph had was with people.
In reality, his dreams showed him that people were going to be committed to his charge.
And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Gen 41: 46
Joseph wasn’t 31 or 29, but 30 when he stepped into that which he was born for. A rough calculation shows that Joseph was about 17 when he got sold into slavery. Since he was 30 by the time that he stood before Pharaoh it implies that he had 13 years between being sold into slavery and standing in Pharaoh’s presence. Again, that’s 13 years! What could Joseph have mastered in those 13 years? Was there a way by which Joseph could have observed what the future held for Joseph?
I am convinced that Joseph’s life turned out to be the logical conclusion of a pattern that was discernable all through his life. This pattern stands out to us because we have the advantage of seeing his whole life played out in a few chapters of Genesis. You need to be aware that God keeps patterns with us. One hopes that Joseph recognised these patterns. These are patterns of God’s workings. The patterns that God keeps with us are to aid us in intelligently preparing for the future. Why didn’t Joseph avoid the tough relationships that he was faced with? It is likely that sometime during his life in Egypt Joseph came to recognise the meaning of the patterns.
A strange fact of life is that tough relationships are great turning points in our lives. There are tough relationships that we shouldn’t avoid but develop our muscles in and there are others that we should move out of – we have to learn the difference.
Moses became aware of God’s plan at age 40. He had a ministry to Pharaoh, but mistakenly tried to bring about the plan by killing an Egyptian on the street. He was on the run for another 40 years and he had a wonderful testimony of leadership for the last 40 years of his life. Clearly there is a numerical pattern in Moses’ life. Should Moses base his predictions on this? I think it should aid us in standing in faith as we go through periods of intense change.
But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:
And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days:
Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.
And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.
And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand:
But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them.
Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.
Gen 40: 14, 18 – 23
Joseph actually was designed to stand before Pharaoh. While it might not have been obvious to him at the beginning, we can see this pattern. He first met an important army officer in Pharaoh’s army. Then he meets people that have ministered daily to Pharaoh. Potiphar didn’t stand before Pharaoh, but the chief baker and the chief butler did. The chief butler directly puts the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.
Joseph interpreted the dreams of the chief butler and the chief baker. These were high officials close to Pharaoh’s throne. His interpretation prepared the chief butler for restoration to high office and also prepared the baker for death. He had done both men great favour – they each had information on what loomed ahead and so could prepare adequately. Joseph leans on the chief butler returning a favour by mentioning him to Pharaoh.
By now it is clear to Joseph that he should stand before Pharaoh. You note that like many of us, Joseph tries to bring about fulfilment through political means - in this case the well tested method of "name dropping". It does take a lot not to resort to this. There are very few men who develop the capacity not to try to bring to pass these things that they have already sensed within. It is one thing to see something ahead and a totally different thing to resist trying to administer its fulfilment by our own ability and means. The closer Joseph got to "graduation", the stronger the urge to resort to this. He was very close to standing finally in the full dream of God.
I am convinced that Joseph was an outstanding administrator. Imagine what would have happened to the prison system of Egypt as a result of Joseph’s activity there. He could easily have started a revival in that place for whatever he said governed the place. In reality he was physically in the prison, but had assumed greater administrative duties than the one he had while in Potiphar’s house. Administratively he had made tremendous progress! He was in charge of the life or death of tens of thousands of prisoners. He would have learnt how to handle the toughest of men.
Joseph, when he stood before Pharaoh could expect the pattern to continue. He had managed Potiphar’s house in Egypt. He had managed the prison system of the whole of Egypt, and now he was to manage the whole of Egypt. I have deep respect for this guy - it took him 13 years.
Often I meet Christians who are sweating over trying to discover God’s purpose for their lives. They are waiting for some gruff heavenly voice and all the while missing the opportunity to discover the patterns of God already present in their lives.
… to be continued
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed 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. Gen 41:39 – 41
As you read through Genesis 37 – 41, there is a recurrent theme that marks out Joseph. Joseph was envied by his brothers, set up by Potiphar’s wife and subsequently reduced to the standing of a common felon. A casual glance shows that at the onset Joseph was the son of a wealthy Jacob, and then we see him become a slave in Potiphar’s house after which he becomes a prisoner of Egypt. That is one way of looking at it, but is that the eternal perspective on things?
I want you to notice what Pharaoh said to Joseph - he set Joseph over all the land of Egypt. This means that back of Joseph was the throne of Egypt and back of that throne is Pharaoh himself. The more you delve into Joseph, the more you see that this thing is not a unique event in the life of Joseph. This elevation before Pharaoh did not drop out of thin air.
I want you to pay close attention to the verses below:
For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. Gen 37: 7 - 8
Joseph tells his brethren a dream. Somehow his brothers knew the meaning of the dream without Joseph having to interpret it to them. I want you to notice that we are not told that Joseph interpreted the dream to them. He told them the contents of his dream and their response showed that they knew its meaning. I want you to see that the dream implied that Joseph would rule over his brethren.
And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. Gen 37: 9
As soon as Jacob heard this dream, he knew its significance. Again we are not told that Joseph did any interpretation. Joseph’s dream is expanding in its scope. In the earlier dreams we see no reference to his parents coming under his dominion. It seems that the more he dreamt, the wider the scope of his dreams. It should dawn on Joseph that what he was to function in was not just on family level.
The brothers responded to Joseph’s dream out of their flesh. A casual reader will assume that Joseph was loosing significance with each step he took. This is because of the way we often measure things. A fleshly interpretation of things will say that Joseph moved from son to slave and then to prisoner.
The implication of his dreams was that he carried a governmental anointing, something kingly, and something by which he will walk in high authority where human lives are concerned. Joseph learnt how to handle people by his early contact with his brothers. It seems that the greatest area of challenge that Joseph had was with people.
In reality, his dreams showed him that people were going to be committed to his charge.
And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Gen 41: 46
Joseph wasn’t 31 or 29, but 30 when he stepped into that which he was born for. A rough calculation shows that Joseph was about 17 when he got sold into slavery. Since he was 30 by the time that he stood before Pharaoh it implies that he had 13 years between being sold into slavery and standing in Pharaoh’s presence. Again, that’s 13 years! What could Joseph have mastered in those 13 years? Was there a way by which Joseph could have observed what the future held for Joseph?
I am convinced that Joseph’s life turned out to be the logical conclusion of a pattern that was discernable all through his life. This pattern stands out to us because we have the advantage of seeing his whole life played out in a few chapters of Genesis. You need to be aware that God keeps patterns with us. One hopes that Joseph recognised these patterns. These are patterns of God’s workings. The patterns that God keeps with us are to aid us in intelligently preparing for the future. Why didn’t Joseph avoid the tough relationships that he was faced with? It is likely that sometime during his life in Egypt Joseph came to recognise the meaning of the patterns.
A strange fact of life is that tough relationships are great turning points in our lives. There are tough relationships that we shouldn’t avoid but develop our muscles in and there are others that we should move out of – we have to learn the difference.
Moses became aware of God’s plan at age 40. He had a ministry to Pharaoh, but mistakenly tried to bring about the plan by killing an Egyptian on the street. He was on the run for another 40 years and he had a wonderful testimony of leadership for the last 40 years of his life. Clearly there is a numerical pattern in Moses’ life. Should Moses base his predictions on this? I think it should aid us in standing in faith as we go through periods of intense change.
But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:
And Joseph answered and said, This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days:
Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.
And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.
And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand:
But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them.
Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.
Gen 40: 14, 18 – 23
Joseph actually was designed to stand before Pharaoh. While it might not have been obvious to him at the beginning, we can see this pattern. He first met an important army officer in Pharaoh’s army. Then he meets people that have ministered daily to Pharaoh. Potiphar didn’t stand before Pharaoh, but the chief baker and the chief butler did. The chief butler directly puts the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.
Joseph interpreted the dreams of the chief butler and the chief baker. These were high officials close to Pharaoh’s throne. His interpretation prepared the chief butler for restoration to high office and also prepared the baker for death. He had done both men great favour – they each had information on what loomed ahead and so could prepare adequately. Joseph leans on the chief butler returning a favour by mentioning him to Pharaoh.
By now it is clear to Joseph that he should stand before Pharaoh. You note that like many of us, Joseph tries to bring about fulfilment through political means - in this case the well tested method of "name dropping". It does take a lot not to resort to this. There are very few men who develop the capacity not to try to bring to pass these things that they have already sensed within. It is one thing to see something ahead and a totally different thing to resist trying to administer its fulfilment by our own ability and means. The closer Joseph got to "graduation", the stronger the urge to resort to this. He was very close to standing finally in the full dream of God.
I am convinced that Joseph was an outstanding administrator. Imagine what would have happened to the prison system of Egypt as a result of Joseph’s activity there. He could easily have started a revival in that place for whatever he said governed the place. In reality he was physically in the prison, but had assumed greater administrative duties than the one he had while in Potiphar’s house. Administratively he had made tremendous progress! He was in charge of the life or death of tens of thousands of prisoners. He would have learnt how to handle the toughest of men.
Joseph, when he stood before Pharaoh could expect the pattern to continue. He had managed Potiphar’s house in Egypt. He had managed the prison system of the whole of Egypt, and now he was to manage the whole of Egypt. I have deep respect for this guy - it took him 13 years.
Often I meet Christians who are sweating over trying to discover God’s purpose for their lives. They are waiting for some gruff heavenly voice and all the while missing the opportunity to discover the patterns of God already present in their lives.
… to be continued
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