Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
I wonder what your dream life is like? How often do you dream as you sleep? What types of dreams do you have? Do they frighten you? Do your dreams have significance to you? What’s the difference between a dream and a nightmare to you?
We’re traveling with Joseph and yesterday we concluded our time watching a remarkable scene. The most powerful man in the world at that time was the Pharaoh of Egypt. He was frightened by dreams he had which no one could interpret for him. He was evidently a superstitious leader feeling perhaps the spirits were trying to communicate with him, so he had inquired of his magicians and sorcerers but none could explain his dreams. Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer had then remembered that three years ago when he was in prison, he had dreams and a fellow prisoner correctly interpreted them. That prisoner was Joseph, and when the chief cup bearer mentioned him to the Pharaoh in only a matter of a few minutes Joseph was found in the prison, cleaned up, shaved, given new clothes to wear and brought before the Pharaoh!
The Pharaoh had said to Joseph “I had a dream and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” (Gen. 41:15) Now friends, put yourself in Joseph’s sandals. He desperately would like to be freed from the dungeon in which he had been unjustly imprisoned for about three years, yet this seems like a no win situation. If Joseph misinterprets the dream, he’s either going back into the dungeon or will be killed. If he by some miracle explains the dream in a manner the Pharaoh believes him, he’s probably still going back into the dungeon, especially if the dream is bad news! So what would you do if you were Joseph? When is the last time you were in a no-win, a ‘lose lose’ situation? Joseph responded: “I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.” Oh my, I’m sure the room fell silent and everyone was shaking their head in fear that Joseph was about to lose his head!
Amazingly the Pharaoh explained his dream to Joseph in great detail. In fact he had two different dreams and he told them both to Joseph and then the Pharaoh paused and looked intently at Joseph. What do you suppose Joseph did, my friends? In my mind’s eye I see Joseph closing his eyes, rubbing his chin, praying silently and listening carefully in the silence, to see if God brings any thoughts to his mind. I wonder how long the silence prevailed? I wonder if the Pharaoh said “SOOO? What do you think, slave? Whatever god you spoke of, what does that god say? Hurry up, I need an answer and it better be good!”
My friends, regardless of where you live in the world, I’m sure you’ve seen the news in recent days about Afghanistan. You know those now in power have a ruthless reputation. As a result many people of all ages and backgrounds are terrified, especially those who are not Muslim. I wonder if it was that type of fear that Joseph was experiencing in this moment? The record says: “Joseph replied, ‘the dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do…Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten and the famine will ravage the land. The abundance will not be remembered because the famine will be so severe. The reason this dream was given to Pharaoh in two different forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.” (Gen. 41:25-32)
Everyone is now looking at the Pharaoh, his eyes are wide, his mouth is open but he cannot speak. His hands first were wringing each other but now are on his head as he contemplates the cataclysmic devastation Joseph has described. No human being, no army, no government can prevent or withstand famine. Man cannot make rain and crops will not grow without rain. Rivers and lakes will dry up. Cattle and animals will die of starvation or thirst. Egyptians by the thousands as well as all others, including many slaves who depend on their masters to supply them with food and water… all will die, and there is nothing even the most powerful man on earth can do about it! The Pharaoh looks around his throne room. To whom can he turn, who will have an answer? Each person he looks at turns their eyes away afraid the Pharaoh will demand a plan of action from them. The tension in the room is turning to despair, hopelessness, fear.
Then Joseph speaks up! What? This is either foolhardy or courageous or inspired by God. “And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man. Put that man in charge of the entire land of Egypt.” Joseph pauses, Pharaoh looks around the room… who, in all his empire, who does Pharaoh trust most to take on such a high stakes responsibility as managing this approaching disaster? The Pharaoh comes up empty, not even he, the great Pharaoh, would want to be responsible for finding a way out of this coming catastrophe!
Pharaoh looks back at Joseph now with a stern but helpless look on his face. Joseph takes a deep breath and speaks again: “Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take one fifth of the harvest of all Egypt during each of the seven years of abundance. They should collect all this food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh… This great amount of food should be stored in reserve for the country, to be used during the coming seven years of famine, so that Egypt may not be ruined by famine.” (Gen. 41:33-36) Joseph had spoken with confidence and boldness as a military general or a high ranking politician or a leading doctor in the face of a pandemic. Joseph had spoken solutions, specific step by step solutions. The Pharaoh was stunned. Who is this young prisoner and why was he rotting in an Egyptian dungeon? While the Pharaoh’s wise men are silent, and his officials have turned their faces away from the Pharaoh in fear, this young man stands boldly proclaiming a plan that if well executed just might work and save their entire nation from annihilation!! Pharaoh stood speechless, mulling over Joseph’s plan.
But who… who did the Pharaoh know who had the leadership ability, the courage, the wisdom, the creativity to develop and lead such a nationwide plan? And there was no time, the clock was ticking. Every day without action would yield death in a few years. Friends, as you have watched history unfold in the part of the world where you live, or via global communications as you’ve watched history unfold all around our world, have you seen a desperate absence of trustworthy, reliable, clear thinking, courageous, effective leaders? Do you now see, in almost every part of our world, failed leadership that is costing many lives as societies are overrun by unstoppable evil, or economies crumble with corruption and greed, or the very moral fabric of cultures are collapsing? Where are they, the men and women who can lead in the face of approaching disasters? That is what Pharaoh was asking and what billions of people in our day are asking! And what billions of people in our day are asking all around the world!
The record says: “The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. So Pharaoh asked them, ‘Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?” (Gen. 41:37) There it is my friends! The Pharaoh declared with great wisdom the central, core, most important criteria for effective leadership when facing a great challenge, anyplace in the world: “…one in whom is the Spirit of God.” You see Joseph had no formal education as far as we know. He had been learning the animal raising, shepherd business but he was only 17 when abruptly sold by his brothers as a slave! His family had been a dysfunctional blended family filled with jealousy and deceitfulness. He’d worked as a slave for a while in Egypt and spent the last 3 years in an Egyptian prison. He had not ONE, not ONE good qualification for consideration by Pharaoh, to have ANY involvement in the development of this nation saving plan. But Pharaoh was a wise man and he had discerned something supernatural about Joseph… Joseph had the Spirit of God guiding his thinking! That one factor made Joseph supremely qualified to be part of this unprecedented challenge of empire wide crop management in view of an approaching 7 year famine!
And so the Pharaoh made a proclamation which shocked everyone in the room, but no one more than young Joseph who 1 hour ago was a forgotten prisoner in an Egyptian dungeon! “Then Pharaoh announced to Joseph, ‘Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. YOU shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you. I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.” (Gen. 41:39-41) Once again we pause right here. History is being made.
The world is about to change… not only Egypt but all that we know as North Africa and the Middle East will never be the same if what Pharaoh has just declared becomes historical fact! So ponder my friends what we have just witnessed. Look what God did in this remarkable moment. And I ask you… no matter what you are facing, no matter where you live, even if you live in Afghanistan, is there anything God doesn’t understand and cannot overcome? I call us to prayer…right now. About COVID and Afghanistan and every other significant situation in our world that you think needs Almighty God’s solutions! And here’s a worship song to help us pray. . .
Today’s Scripture is Genesis 41:14-37.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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