Genesis 40-45
January 19, 1997
Introduction
The book of Genesis is the book of beginnings.
That's what the name "genesis" is all about.
It's the beginning of creation.
It's the beginning of man, civilization, and sin.
It's the beginning of redemption and faith.
We've been looking at the life of the young man, Joseph.
We saw that he had been his daddy's favorite son, and that caused him trouble.
His jealous brothers decided one day to get rid of the pesky little brother, and they sold him as a slave to Egypt.
When he resisted his master's wife's advances, she made up a lie about him, and he went from being a slave, to being a slave in prison.
Yet all through his life, God was with Joseph.
(Gen 39:23 KJV) The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.
Genesis 40
:1 the butler
Better, a cupbearer.
One who tasted the wine for the king, one who was a close counselor.
:3 in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison,
Who is the "captain of the guard"?
Isn't it Potiphar? Joseph's old master?
I wonder if Potiphar is over the prison as well?
:4 he served them:
You may think, "of course, he's a slave".
But there's no better training for leadership, than being a servant.
(Mark 10:42-45 KJV) But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. {43} But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: {44} And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. {45} For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
:5 each man according to the interpretation of his dream,
The other translations make it just sound that each dream had it's own interpretation.
But I like the concept in the King James, it sounds as if each man was to receive a message, and so God gave each man a dream that would fit the message.
It's not the dream that's important, it's getting the message.
Does God still speak through dreams?
Yes, He can.
(Joel 2:28 KJV) And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
Just be careful it isn't the pepperoni pizza from last night.
:8 Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you.
The message is from God.
God is the one who can give the interpretation.
Daniel says much the same thing to Nebuchadnezzar in Dan. 2.
:14 But think on me when it shall be well with thee,
Joseph is thinking that perhaps he can get a good word in with the Pharaoh.
:16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good ...
I kind of get the idea that the baker is blind to the fact that the interpretation was good because God had a good message for the butler.
He somehow thinks that he's going to get a good word too.
:19 the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee
Oops. Not so good.
:20 the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday,
This was the common thread in both dreams, this special day, which happened to be the Pharaoh's birthday.
:23 but forgat him.
But God hasn't forgotten.
Genesis 41
:1 at the end of two full years,
For many of us, there are special things in our lives we're waiting for.
It could be for that wife or husband you've been looking for.
It could be for that ministry you've always felt called to.
And we can get close to receiving it at times, when it all slips away.
I remember when we almost started Calvary Chapel of Placentia about eleven years ago.
We had a small Bible study going at our home, and it looked as if we were going to start a church.
At the last minute, it all fell through.
Later I came on staff as an assistant at Anaheim, but it still wasn't what I felt called to.
But God just had a different time than I did.
Hang in there.
:1 Pharaoh dreamed:
Oh no, not another dream!
:2 kine
kine = cows
Yuck! It must have been a nightmare!
The attack of the killer cows!
:7 the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears.
Wouldn't this make a great horror flick?
:14 he shaved himself, and changed his raiment,
After all, he's just spent a few years in prison.
Egyptians were clean-shaven, so it was important that Joseph appear that way in the presence of Pharaoh.
:16 It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer
Joseph is a man who continually gives God the credit.
:17-24 Summarize
Pharaoh simply retells the dreams to Joseph.
:25 The dream of Pharaoh is one:
The two dreams are about the same thing.
:32 the dream was doubled
When testimony was to be received against someone, it had to be by at least two witnesses:
(Deu 19:15 KJV) One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
With Pharaoh, the dream follows the same pattern, being doubled, to show that this is something that's a certainty.
Lesson:
Look for the confirmations.
When we're looking for God's direction in our lives, there are times when we need to wait until we get confirmations.
(2 Cor 13:1 KJV) This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.
:34 Let Pharaoh do this,
Joseph is getting kind of bold, not only interpreted the meaning of the dreams but also advising Pharaoh how to plan for the years of famine.
:41 I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
It's incredible to think that within one day, Joseph is taken from being a slave in a prison, to being the second most powerful man in Egypt, even in the whole world.
When God brings about the answers we're looking for, it can happen fast!
:45 Zaphnathpaaneah;
We saw this in the book of Daniel, where Nebuchadnezzar gave his captives new names, to make them more Babylonian.
Here, to make Joseph more Egyptian, he is given this name, it's meaning is kind of unclear, "treasury of the glorious rest" or possibly "God speaks and he lives"
:46 Joseph was thirty years old
This is another one of those chronological milestones to keep in mind.
He's been in Egypt for thirteen years, as a slave and a prisoner.
Lesson:
God's leadership skills can take time.
When Joseph was a teenager, he seemed kind of cocky, spouting off about dreams of superiority to his brothers.
The dreams might have been correct, but there was no reason to hold them over his brothers.
Could it be that Joseph needed to learn some humility?
Could this be why he ended up as a slave?
Could it be that he needed thirteen years of humility until he was ready for God's use?
Moses was kind of like this.
He was raised in Pharaoh's house, as a prince.
But when he thought he was ready to lead the people, God sent him out to the wilderness for 40 years to learn what it is to be a humble shepherd.
Don't be resentful when you feel like God is delaying your advance in ministry.
Maybe you're not ready yet.
:51 the name of the firstborn Manasseh:
"causing to forget"
The firstborn issue.
:52 Ephraim
"double fruit" (not double mint?)
I think that Joseph is beginning to see how God was using his own affliction for the good.
If Joseph was never sold into slavery, he never would have become Potiphar's servant.
If he had never been Potiphar's servant, he might not have ended up in Potiphar's prison.
If he had not ended up in Potiphar's prison, he might not have interpreted the cupbearer's dream.
If he hadn't interpreted the cupbearer's dream, he might not have interpreted Pharaoh's dream.
If he hadn't interpreted Pharoah's dream ...
But the real story hasn't even begun yet.
Genesis 42
:4 Lest peradventure mischief befall him.
I wonder why Jacob doesn't trust Benjamin to the care of his older brothers.
Could he be in the least suspicious?
:6 Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him
Does this ring a bell somewhere?
Remember Joseph's dream as a young man?
(Gen 37:7 KJV) 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.
It's starting to come true.
:7 made himself strange unto them,
He kind of disguised himself, so they wouldn't recognize him.
One of the things he's doing is speaking through an interpreter (vs.23), so they only hear his voice speaking Egyptian, which they must not know, otherwise there would be no interpreter.
:8 they knew not him.
How long has it been since they've seen him?
It's been 20 years (thirteen in prison, seven years of plenty), Joseph is at least 37 years old and they last saw him at 17.
Keep in mind, they're not expecting to see Joseph, he had been sold as a slave, not as ruler of Egypt.
:9 Joseph remembered the dreams
It seems as if Joseph is going to play a little with his brothers here.
:15 except your youngest brother come hither.
I think it's possible that Joseph doesn't trust his brothers with Benjamin, and he's going to get Benjamin to a safe place, with him.
:16 send one of you
He starts by saying that he's going to keep them all in prison while one goes to fetch Benjamin.
:19 let one of your brethren ...
He now changes the requirements by saying that only one brother has to be left in prison.
:21 We are verily guilty concerning our brother,
Here they are, twenty years later, and they are still carrying the guilt.
Lesson:
Guilt doesn't go away with time.
It only goes away with forgiveness.
If you've sinned against someone, the guilt won't go away until you ask for their forgiveness.
If you've sinned against God, the guilt won't go away until you confess your sin.
:24 he turned himself about from them, and wept;
Joseph is beginning to hear things that he's wondered about these last twenty years.
He realizes that his brothers have suffered with guilt over what they did to him.
:24 took from them Simeon
Why Simeon?
Some suggestions:
Simeon was a man of uncontrollable anger, being one of the two brothers that had slaughtered the inhabitants of Shechem, when the sons of Israel deceived the Shechemites after their prince had raped Dinah.
One Jewish commentator (Jarchi) says that according to tradition it was Simeon who said to the brothers "behold this dreamer cometh", and was the one who suggested that he be thrown into the pit.
The Jewish Targum says that it was Simeon who first suggested that the brothers kill Joseph.
:24 bound him before their eyes.
If the above suggestions are anywhere near correct, it would have been a pretty heavy and awesome thing to the other brothers to watch this man bind Simeon, the one most guilty of Joseph's problems, be bound and carried off before their eyes.
:25 restore every man's money into his sack
This is going to cause problems, but this is really Joseph showing his love toward his brothers.
:28 What is this that God hath done unto us?
Isn't it funny what guilt will do to you?
Here is something good that happens, and the brothers immediately think it's going to turn out horribly, and that God is trying to destroy them or something.
:36 all these things are against me.
We shouldn't pick too much on Jacob here, we've all felt like this, many times.
But what's the truth here? Are all these things against Jacob?
Is the worst yet to come?
The truth is that God is preparing something wonderful for Jacob, a great deliverance from a great famine. He just doesn't see it yet.
:37 Slay my two sons,
Reuben offers his own sons as a kind of guarantee to show Jacob that he will not allow Benjamin to be hurt.
:38 My son shall not go down with you;
Jacob is making his decisions based on fear and self-pity.
And in reality, though he thinks he's playing it safe, in reality he's only delaying the blessing that's waiting for him.
Genesis 43
:6 Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me,
I'm hearing a few to many "me's" in Jacob's language.
Lesson:
Get your eyes off of yourself.
It seems that all that some of us talk about is ourselves.
They say that if you really want to get a person talking, get them to talk about themself.
:9 I will be surety for him;
To me, this sounds a little bit like Jesus, who gave His life a ransom for ours.
Jesus was a descendant from Judah.
Now Judah makes an offer to guarantee Benjamin's safety.
It's interesting to see that Jacob will agree to Judah's offer, whereas he turned down Reuben.
Of the four oldest sons of Jacob:
The first, Reuben, commited adultery/incest by sleeping with Jacob's concubine Bilhah.
The second and third oldest, Simeon and Levi, were the boys with the murderous tempers.
It's not until the fourth boy, Judah, that there will be a hint of blessing. And Judah had his problems too!
What a family!
:11 If it must be so now, do this;
Jacob's ready to give in, but not without a plan!
It sounds a little bit like how he dealt with Esau years ago.
:13 Take also your brother,
Somehow we get the idea that Benjamin must be a little boy, perhaps four years old.
Benjamin isn't a little kid.
He has to be at least twenty years old, possibly closer to thirty.
:26 they brought him the present which was in their hand
I wonder if Joseph thought to himself as he saw the present, "Gee, it's just like Dad to send me nuts ..."
:30 his bowels did yearn upon his brother:
Bowels were considered the place where your emotions were.
We would say his heart was moved towards his brother.
:30 and wept
This is Joseph's only true brother.
The others are half-brothers.
It's hard for Joseph to believe that Benjamin is safe.
:33 and the men marvelled one at another
These are eleven brothers sitting together, all except for Benjamin born within seven years of each other (including Joseph), all around their forties, and now they're sitting in order from oldest to youngest.
They wonder how this could have happened!
:34 Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs.
This doesn't mean Benjamin was five times as messy as the brothers.
It means he was given five times as much food as the others.
Hey, don't blame Joseph, he likes his little brother!
Genesis 44
:5 whereby indeed he divineth?
The idea is that this special silver cup was supposedly one that Joseph used for "divination".
Divination was a practice of trying to get messages from God, or tell the future by looking at birds flying, examining pigs' livers, or looking at the dregs of the bottom of a wine cup (like reading tea leaves).
The Bible FORBIDS divination.
(Deu 18:10 KJV) There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
Some people have had a hard time with this statement, because they have a hard time thinking that a believer like Joseph would be practicing divination.
But who says he actually did?
I think this is simply part of Joseph's whole plan to test his brothers.
After all, the servant had told the brothers that "he had their money" from before, when he hadn't.
The idea is that this is a pretty heavy offense, not just stealing a silver cup, but THE silver cup.
This would have to carry a pretty heavy penalty, not the penalty for simple theft.
Why is Joseph doing all this?
1. He wants an excuse to keep Benjamin with him.
If all else fails, Benjamin will at least be safe with Joseph.
2. He is testing his brothers to see if they've changed.
If they haven't changed, then they'll be glad to see Benjamin go.
Then Joseph will take Benjamin, and they'll never know the truth.
But if they've changed, then Joseph might consider telling his brothers the truth.
:12 he searched, and began at the eldest,
You have to admit, this servant of Joseph certainly has a knack for the dramatic.
:15 such a man as I can certainly divine?
This is still just a part of the story.
I think Joseph has got these guys convinced that he's able to read their minds, especially by the way he seated them at the dinner table.
He's got them scared of him.
:19-29 Summarize
Judah tells Joseph a summary of everything up to here (except the truth about Joseph), and how hard this whole thing has been on Jacob, especially letting Benjamin go to Egypt.
:33 let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord;
This sounds a LOT like Jesus!
Jesus took our place on the cross.
Judah is willing to take Benjamin's place as a servant.
I think this is something that Joseph has been wanting to hear!
Genesis 45
:3 I am Joseph;
I kind of get the feeling that this is the first time that Joseph has turned to address his brothers without an interpreter, in Hebrew.
:3 they were troubled at his presence.
They're either thinking that this great governor of Egypt has gone crazy, or worse yet, it really could be Joseph!
:5 God did send me
Lesson:
Could it be that God is even using the bad things in your life?
Joseph has learned the lesson:
(Rom 8:28 KJV) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Stop complaining about your problems and start moving closer to the end of the story.
We get so caught up in complaining about our problems that we sometimes fail to realize that God is wanting to turn it all around for the good.
Perhaps there's a reason for your troubles.
You're just not at the end of the story of your life yet.
You're still back in chapter 40, a prisoner in jail!
Lesson:
Don't hate the wrong people.
We like to blame our troubles on others.
Perhaps God is using them.
:10-21 Sumarize
Joseph sends his brothers off with instructions to bring back their father so he can take care of the whole family in Egypt.
:22 but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment.
Hey, it's his kid brother.
:24 See that ye fall not out by the way.
or, "Don't fight among yourselves on the trip back ..."
I have to laugh at this. He knows his brothers.
:26 Joseph is yet alive,
I wonder if they're thinking to themselves, "And when Dad finds out how Joseph got to Egypt, are we ever gonna get it!"