All right, let's take our Bibles
and turn to the book of Genesis 41. Genesis 41. I'd like to deal with verses
15 through 36. But before I do that, you know,
we often quote Romans 8, 28. 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. Now we rest, we trust in the
surety, in the truthfulness, and the purity of the scriptures
in the revelation of our Lord's counsel and purpose to work everything
for the good of God's people, for the glory of the Lord and
the good of God's people. Now Joseph is standing before
Pharaoh, the only man in Egypt, according to the good purpose
of God, who is able to just speak the word and have Joseph just
immediately brought out of prison, and then to exalt him to a position
of being an overseer that we'll, Lord willing, consider here in
the next week or so. That place that was needful for
the sustaining of God's people. We behold in how he got there
to be such a mysterious and a marvelous thing. Now remember in Romans
8 28, Joseph was hated by his brethren. Now here's a picture of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Just look at how this is gloriously
set forth in honoring our Lord. He was hated by his brethren. Joseph was sold unto a band of
Midianites who later sold him to a man named Potiphar. And Potiphar was the captain
of the guard of the prison, had the authority. And Joseph, who
was innocent of all charges, was accused by Potiphar's evil
wife of attempting to lie with her when all the while it was
her idea. And that resulted in Joseph's
imprisonment. And Joseph's path was then crossed
with two men that were out of Pharaoh's court who had made the king mad. He was outdone
with them. Didn't say what they did, but
they were those that offended Pharaoh. And they're in prison
now. with Joseph. Now think about
how Joseph got there. Started back in his family, his
brethren hated him, and then the Lord sent a dream to each
of those two men, the butler and the baker, that were in prison
with Joseph, and then gave Joseph wisdom to know the interpretation
of those dreams. The Lord being pleased, according
to his sovereign will, to deliver one of the men back into the
king's court with favor. The other man was hanged. But
then the one that was delivered back into the court of Pharaoh
forgot a promise that he had made to Joseph. to mention Joseph's
name to the king, and Joseph remained in custody for another
two years. And when it pleased God, Pharaoh's
heart was troubled. God sent a dream to Pharaoh,
troubled him with a dream that he couldn't understand. And the
Lord withheld the knowledge of any understanding of that dream
to the magicians of Pharaoh's court. I mean, I was reading
that and I thought, man, I can understand that. I mean, how
many dreams do you have and they make absolutely no sense when
you think back on them? You think on these things, you
know? I was, I dreamed a dream a couple of nights ago, I was
in a barn. And it was a long way down, and it was just a little
rope, just a little thin rope, and I was gonna have to climb
down that rope. And I was thinking, how am I
gonna get out there? I'm old. I thought, how'd I get here?
It just, it made no sense. But they dreamed a dream, and
Pharaoh's heart was troubled with it. And so, here's these
magicians, and the Lord, hid those things from the wise and
prudent, because according to the prayer of our Lord, it seemed
good in the Father's sight to hide these marvelous things of
God from those that think themselves to be wise and prudent. So these
magicians, they didn't know anything. But in time, according to the
good pleasure of the Lord, was remembered by the butler. And the butler immediately told
the king and then the king sent, had Joseph brought out of the
prison into his presence there. We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are called
according to his purpose. As a lesson to all of us, let
us remember these things, these minute details in our lives that
are being divinely orchestrated for God's glory and the good
of God's people. I just read out of Zechariah
4, verse 10, who hath despised the day of small things, things
that we think are so insignificant. It just happened. It was something that just happened.
And we probably didn't even think about it. What was going on? Here's the comfort of every believer. Though these things are brought
our way and they appear to be insignificant, small. Brethren,
The master builder of his church is directing everything, everything
in our lives, every minute detail, everything that has happened.
There was a reason, there was a reason, there was a reason
for it. Who hath despised the day of
small things? He's not gonna fail. He's not
gonna be discouraged. The scripture says, the pleasure
of the Lord shall prosper in his hands, and his works are
never without the care of his people, on his heart. All these things are perfectly
timed, perfectly. So whenever something happens,
and just whatever it is, we'll probably forget. There's no way
in the world that we'll grasp hold of these little insignificant
things, but everything that happens in our lives, it was ordered. It was ordered. Nothing is out
of order. All things, all things. He worketh all things after the
counsel of his own will. It is our calling to wait on
the Lord. to thank the Lord in all things. Oh, how we fail. How we fail. In all things, Lord, thank you. Thank you for ordering my steps
the way you did today. Lord, in my ignorance, I didn't
even know what was going on. Steps of good man are ordered
by the Lord. You think that means everyone?
Everyone? Every one of them. We trust him. His will is going to be brought
to pass. Everything that Joseph suffered
was directed by Almighty God. To cause him to conclude, and
Lord willing, we'll get to this chapter, Genesis 45, five. He
says, now therefore, he talked to his brethren after he revealed
himself to them. Be not grieved nor angry with
yourselves that you sold me hither. for God did send me before you
to preserve life. Don't be mad at yourself because
you sold me. That was the hand of God moving
me, putting me where God wanted me to be, to get me to this place,
to throw me in prison, make me stay there, be forgotten by the
butler. Two years later, finally, get
me out, put me in that position. God sent me here. Back in Genesis 41, verse 15,
Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I've dreamed a dream, and there's
none that can interpret it. And I have heard say of thee
that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. My margin says
when thou hearest a dream, thou canst interpret it. And being in Pharaoh's presence,
Joseph being a man that knew God, believed God, trusted God,
honored God, he was careful as a type of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the humble servant of Jehovah, to give all the glory unto the
Lord. He says in verse 16, Joseph answered
Pharaoh saying, it's not in me. God shall give Pharaoh an answer
of peace. Was this not the way Our Lord,
turn, hold your place here, but turn to John 12. John 12, verse
48 to 49. Is this not the way John 12,
48, the way our Lord spoke? Now, you talk about humility,
humbling himself, making himself of no reputation. Here's humility. Here's wisdom himself. Here's
God himself. God Almighty, who never, never
ceased to be God Almighty, but as a man, as a man, as the humble
servant of Jehovah. Listen to what he says. John
12, 48, when, when, when Jacob, uh, Joseph said, it's not in
me, it's not in me to say what I'm going to say. God, God will
give you the interpretation. God, God will say what God wants
to say. John 12, 48. He that rejecteth me and receiveth
not my words hath one that judges him. The word that I have spoken,
the same shall judge him in the last day for I, because I, for
I have not spoken of myself, but the Father which sent me. He gave me a commandment, what
I should say and what I should speak. Now you think about that. Here's the Lord. Joseph is a
type of Christ. When Pharaoh said, I hear say
that you interpret dreams. Joseph says, not me. I don't
interpret dreams. God interprets dreams. It's the
Lord that does. And the Lord Jesus Christ said,
you reject me. You reject my words? You're rejecting
the one that sent me because I speak what I've heard of him.
I speak what he says. That's submission. Well then,
Pharaoh related his dream. Now I'm going to go ahead and
read 17 to 36. I said a few weeks ago that this dream happened
and Pharaoh related it. to the magicians, and I said,
now, this is gonna come up again, and here it is, it's gonna come
up again. I'm gonna read the account of what happened. I'm
gonna read verses 17 to 36. Scripture says, and Pharaoh said
unto Joseph, in my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the
river, and behold, there came up out of the river seven kind,
fat-fleshed, well-favored, and they fed in a meadow. Behold,
seven other kind came up after them, poor and ill, and very
ill-favored, lean-fleshed, such as I never saw in all the land
of Egypt for badness. And the lean and the ill-favored
kind did eat up the first seven fat kind. And when they had eaten
them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them, but
they were still ill-favored as at the beginning. So I awoke,
and I saw in my dream, and behold, seven ears came up in one stalk,
full and good, and behold, seven ears withered, thin, blasted
with the east wind, sprung up after them. And the thin ears
devoured the seven good ears. And I told this unto the magicians,
but there was none that could declare it to me. And Joseph
said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one. God has showed
Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good kind are seven
years. And the seven good ears are seven years. The dream is
one. And the seven thin and seven favored kind that came up after
them are seven years. And the seven empty years blasted
with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. This is the
thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh, what God is about to
do, he showeth unto Pharaoh. Behold, there comes 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. And for that dream, the dream
was doubled unto Pharaoh twice. It's because the thing is established
by God and God will shortly bring it to pass. Now, therefore, let
Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise and set him over the
land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this. Let him
appoint officers over the land and take up the fifth part of
the land of Egypt in seven plenteous years 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 seven years of famine
which shall be in the land of Egypt that the land perish not
through the famine. Now, here the spirit of God is
pleased to relate through Joseph the interpretation of the dream. And so we're left to no speculation
as far as what the dream meant. Joseph said, this is what it
means. He said, you dreamed about some cattle and you dreamed about
some corn. It's the same dream. And God's
doubled the dream, but he's telling you the same thing, just two
different kinds of meanings of it. Cattle is the corn. You're
going to have seven years of plenty. You're going to have
seven years of fruitfulness. You're going to have seven years
of abundance. And then you're going to have
seven years of famine. And in that seven years of famine,
Everything's going to be so bad that you're going to forget about
how good everything was back when all the stuff was growing.
That's what's going to happen. Now what you need to do is you
need to look out for somebody that's wise and discreet and
let them take this under their authority and let them oversee
this thing because I'm telling you that seven years when all
the corn is growing, and there's plenty of food, you need to take
a fifth part of all the land, 20% of the land, and let 20%
of the land, one fifth of this land, let this be for the gathering
and the storing of food against the day of famine, because it's
coming. And get somebody that knows what's going on and somebody
that's responsible to do this and let them oversee it. and
let him have some officers under him that will go out into the
different cities and let them make sure that this is done so
that the people that need to eat in your kingdom are going
to have some food. That was the dream. But while
we have the divine interpretation of that dream. That's what's
gonna happen, and Lord willing, we'll watch it. It'll develop,
and that's what's gonna happen, and you know how it's gonna,
over the next few chapters, it's gonna get to where Joseph's brethren,
there's someone's coming, but right now, this is where we'll
just stay for right now tonight, but while we're dealing with
the divine interpretation of this dream, And like I said,
Lord willing, we'll see in the following chapters, you know,
how all this comes about, but would it not be profitable for
us tonight to behold the gospel in what we've just read? And
let us see the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ in the preserving
of his people. Now, Joseph, in verses 31 to
36, had said something to Pharaoh
that was very, very significant. He said, verse 31, Genesis 41,
31, and the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason
of that famine following, for it shall be very grievous. That the dream, that for that
the dream was doubled. It's gonna be so bad. God is
told you double The same thing. It's because the thing is established
of God. It's going to shortly be brought
to pass. It's gonna bring it to pass.
Now therefore, let Pharaoh look out a man discreet, wise, and
set him over the land. Let him do this. Somebody that
can be trusted. Somebody that's worthy. Let's
see what, what we can do. The king is gonna have to find
him somebody that can handle this grave responsibility. Now,
has our Lord the antitype, the revelation of the type, that
Joseph is a type, our Lord is the antitype, is not the antitype,
has not the Lord Jesus Christ been the one sent. Joseph was
sent to Pharaoh to declare the dream and show him this is what
God's going to do. There's going to come some plenty,
but then there's going to be a famine. And I'm telling you,
you need to search somebody out. Has the Lord himself not been
sent of God to tell us what shall shortly Come to pass. Hold your
place and turn to Revelation chapter 1. Revelation 1, 1 to
3. Revelation chapter 1. Joseph was the one that told
Pharaoh, this is coming and this is coming soon. Revelation 1,
1 to 3. The revelation of Jesus Christ,
which God gave unto him to show unto his servants. things which
must shortly come to pass. And he sent and signified it
by his angel unto his servant John, who bear record of the
word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ and of all things
that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and
they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things
which are written therein, for the time is at hand. Brethren, We are in the last
days. You say, well, that was written
hundreds and hundreds and hundreds in light of eternity. We are
in the last days. We're in the last days. Joseph told Pharaoh, these things
are going to shortly come to pass. Now, the Lord was going
to deal not only with Egypt, also the lands that surround
Egypt, But Egypt is a type of this world, a world in which people were
found to be imprisoned, captured. And the Lord of heaven and earth
is gonna deal with, in this world, as he's showing us, as he was
dealing in Egypt, there was a place where some of God's people were
gonna be found. And that's where God's people
are found. That's where God's gonna make
provision. And this world, Egypt was promised by God through a
dream interpreted by Joseph. He said, there's gonna be some
plenty. There's gonna be a famine too.
Almighty God had created man, made him upright, put him in
a garden. Gave him everything. All of this is yours to till,
to dress. Man was born in a perfect environment. But something happened. Man fell
in that perfect environment. Deceived, lied to by Satan. And from that one act of disobedience,
the Lord had told Adam, of all these trees you can eat, but
of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now he could
eat of the tree of life, but there was a tree that was
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Set forth God's
law, the knowledge of good and evil. This is what God says,
good and evil. This is what God says, good and
evil. You try to find your sustenance by taking that yourself and eating
of that tree, you're gonna die. You try to find your fulfillment
and eat from that tree, that tree that set forth, here's God's
law, and you're gonna die. And from that moment that Adam
took of that tree, This world has been in a famine. A famine
according to the scriptures of hearing the gospel. Amos chapter 8 verse 11. Behold, the days come, saith
the Lord, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of
bread nor thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. You know, It's a dreadful thing
where we behold a place where there's a famine of natural bread
and water, where people are starving. They're right on the verge of
just dying. They're just hanging on. They're
hanging on. It's pitiful, pitiful. But what
hopelessness there is for an eternal soul if the Lord withholds
His Word. If there's a famine of the Word
of God, what hope is there if God does not send the light of
the Gospel? To be faithfully proclaimed by
a preacher of the Gospel If he doesn't sin the truth, what is a man, what is a woman
going to do? Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word
of God. God has been pleased to call
out a people and call them by our gospel. That's what Paul
said to the church at Thessalonica. He's called you by our gospel.
It's the gospel, it's the power of God and salvation. If God
withholds the gospel, If there's a famine of the hearing of the
gospel, what hope do we have but thanks be unto God that the Lord's been pleased
in places to raise up the candlestick of life eternal in the person
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Joseph told Pharaoh, he said,
there's going to be plenty, but then there's going to be a famine.
And you're going to forget about how plentiful it was. There needs
to be a setting aside, a provision made for people to eat. And in the midst of what Joseph
was used to express to Pharaoh, it's coming, it's coming. God
said it's coming. In the midst of that, the Lord
made provision. for food, but it was a type,
it was a picture. The Lord has made provision,
as he did in Pharaoh's dream, for food to be had by those that
needed to eat. He was doing this in the land
of Egypt because God had a people there. There was Isaac and his
family, and all of Joseph's brothers, and they were gonna come there,
and God was gonna sustain them there. And God was going to,
he was going to send a famine because a famine was deserved
because of disobedience. But in wrath, he was going to
remember mercy. I find myself kneel praying that
all the time. God almighty. I look at what's going on around
me. All of us. I said, Lord, we deserve exactly
what we're getting. We deserve what we're getting.
We deserve this, but Lord, please, in wrath, please remember mercy. Please have mercy on us. In wrath,
God was gonna remember mercy throughout this world. This world's
in a spiritual famine. I mean, I don't have to go far.
You don't have to go far. I can just look right around
in this area right here. You just pick a mile, pick five miles,
take 20 miles. Just take whatever you wanna
pick, just pick. And let me ask you this, where are you gonna
go? Where are you gonna go? Where are you gonna go with here? The word of God faithfully proclaimed. And I understand what people
say, Marvin, you're just arrogant. No, I'm not trying to be, I'm
just truthful. I'm truthful. Where are you gonna go? What
are you going to do? The Lord was pleased in the midst
of this place called Egypt. to send plenty, because he was
gonna send a famine. And everybody was gonna have
to come to Joseph. That's what, verse 55 of this chapter right
here. I don't wanna get ahead of it, but Pharaoh set Joseph
up, and he said, if anybody wants something, you gotta go see Joseph.
You don't go to Joseph, you don't eat. Oh, what a picture. Come
unto me, all ye that labor heavy laden, I'll give you rest. But
here's Joseph and he's telling Pharaoh, this is what God's gonna
do. But as the Lord was gonna make provision to have corn in
Egypt, in the land where there was gonna be famine, the Lord
has been pleased to raise up the gospel of God's grace. And
he maintains these places as long as he's pleased to do so. In all of northern West Virginia, there's a Katie. I thank God
for that. God has raised up a place. The
Lord gave Joseph wisdom to interpret the dream of Pharaoh, and then
he gave Pharaoh a heart to listen to wise counsel. And the Lord
had promised an abundance of food for seven years, Joseph
without putting himself in a position of leadership, but rather waiting
upon the Lord. He spoke concerning the need.
That's what he told Pharaoh. He said in verse 33, now, therefore,
let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise. and set him over the land of
Egypt. Oh, under that wise, discreet
man. He said, let him have some officers.
Let him have some under him and let them make sure that they
go into the cities and that the cities are taken care of and
that every place that the food needs to be. Oh, how obvious
is the beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let one who
is wise, who is wise like wisdom himself.
That's what the Lord said, Proverbs say, I wisdom, I wisdom himself. Let one be set out, look out
a man discreet and wise and set him over the land of Egypt, what
the Lord say. Father, Thou has given me power
over all flesh. They were in Egypt. Let him get
a man wise, discreet over Egypt. He can handle this, the authority
to do it. Thou has given me power over
all flesh. He should give eternal life to
as many as the Father has given him. Somebody's wise and discreet
that can handle the administration of this. He upon whose shoulders
the very government of God's church rests. He who rules in
and for his bride. He's God. He's God doing as he
will. Ruling authority. And Joseph
said, let one that's discreet and wise and let him set over
the land in Egypt and then let some officers, verse 34, Let
him appoint officers, some overseers over the land and take up the
fifth part of the land in the seven plenteous. Let them gather
all the food of the good years to come and lay corn under the
hand of Pharaoh and let them keep the food in the cities and
let them go and let them handle the administration of it. The Lord says that, he said,
I'm gonna be pleased to send pastors after my heart. He's the overseer. He's the wise
one. He's the discreet one. And he's
been pleased to raise up these officers, my margin said overseers,
overseers. Ones that have been given the
delegated authority. Obey them that have the rule
over you, the pastors. Any authority that I have is
delegated authority. I didn't call myself to this
office. God called me to this office. God raised me up. He's the wise, discreet one.
He's the one that sends officers. He's the one that sends men that
are given the authority to watch for the souls of God's people.
Joseph told me, he said, get some guys that goes out in these
cities and take care of the people. Make sure that that's where the
corn is. They're gonna have to have something to eat. Put it
where it needs to be. These men are pictures of God's
preachers. Those that watch for God's people's
souls. It must do it as they give an
account and do it with joy, not with grief. Oh, what a beautiful
picture here is being set up, set forth. concerning the Lord's
provision for His people. Food was going to be found in
Egypt for the entirety of the famine. You know how long there's
going to be a famine in this world? Before it comes back. There'll be a famine throughout,
generally speaking, throughout the world of the hearing of the
words of the Lord. But there was going to be food
in Egypt for the entirety of that famine, and there's going
to be food, spiritual food, for the people of God until the Lord
comes back. God Almighty is going to take
care of His people. As long as this world stands
in its present state, the Lord has promised. He said, I'm never
going to leave you. I'm never going to forsake you. The bread
of heaven shall be by faith our feast in this life until we see
him no more by faith and see him then all together by sight
and are with him forever.