Joseph: Being Prepared
It seemed appropriate to me as I was putting this series together to preach this Sunday on being prepared since it is the day after the amazing BBC Holiday Fair. The preparation and the work that goes on for months and culminates this past week when many people move into the church, at least it probably feels that way to folks like those on the Steering Team, and the Area Leaders and many others. I truly can’t name all the people who deserve our thanks, so please know if you were on the Steering Team, an Area Leader, if you volunteered or contributed in any capacity or way, or simply came and spent money, we are truly thankful and so are the Homeless Prevention Council and Homeless, Not Hopeless when we are able to give each of them a check for $15,000! What a great response from our church with so many dozens and dozens of people contributing in such an incredible variety of ways. Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard to help our neighbors here on Cape Cod.
November 6, 2011
Genesis 41:1-40, Joseph: Being Prepared
Doug Scalise, Brewster Baptist Church
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Part of why the Holiday Fair is so successful is because of good preparation and planning that continues to be refined each year as the team learns from experience and adjustments are made. That is wise not only in planning special events large and small; it is also true in life.
When we left Joseph last week he had been thrown in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. While in prison, he flourished as he had working for Potiphar. In prison Joseph interprets the dreams of the cupbearer and baker of Pharaoh and his interpretations are exactly correct. Unfortunately, the ungrateful cupbearer, who promised to remember Joseph, forgot all about his promise as soon as he was free, and Joseph had to cope with yet another setback, with another blow to his hopes. The definition of luck is when preparation meets opportunity. It takes a while for the opportunity, but when it comes, Joseph is prepared.
“After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, 2 and there came up out of the Nile seven sleek and fat cows, and they grazed in the reed grass. 3 Then seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 The ugly and thin cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. And Pharaoh awoke. 5 Then he fell asleep and dreamed a second time; seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. 6 Then seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them. 7 The thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Pharaoh awoke, and it was a dream. 8 In the morning his spirit was troubled; so he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my faults today. 10 Once Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard. 11 We dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own meaning. 12 A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each according to his dream. 13 As he interpreted to us, so it turned out; I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.”
14 Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was hurriedly brought out of the dungeon. When he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not I; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” 17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile; 18 and seven cows, fat and sleek, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass. 19 Then seven other cows came up after them, poor, very ugly, and thin. Never had I seen such ugly ones in all the land of Egypt. 20 The thin and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows, 21 but when they had eaten them no one would have known that they had done so, for they were still as ugly as before. Then I awoke. 22 I fell asleep a second time and I saw in my dream seven ears of grain, full and good, growing on one stalk, 23 and seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouting after them; 24 and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. But when I told it to the magicians, there was no one who could explain it to me.”
25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, as are the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind. They are seven years of famine. 28 It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt. 30 After them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; the famine will consume the land. 31 The plenty will no longer be known in the land because of the famine that will follow, for it will be very grievous. 32 And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. 33 Now therefore let Pharaoh select a man who is discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land, and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plenteous years. 35 Let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and lay up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36 That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to befall the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.” 37 The proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. 38 Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find anyone else like this—one in whom is the spirit of God?” 39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command; only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”
We all can learn a lot for our own lives from Joseph. Joseph is patient through numerous setbacks and deep suffering. He maintains his dignity in the midst of severe trials and temptations. People of faith are not fatalists who believe everything that happens is determined and that human action plays no role in what happens. What we do or what we fail to do makes a difference. If the cupbearer had continued to forget Joseph, none of the rest of what happened would have unfolded the way it did. That human act of remembering changes the future for everyone concerned. There are few things in life as painful as feeling like we’re forgotten. When we share in the Lord’s Supper, we hear the words of Jesus, “Do this in remembrance of me.” In other words, “Do this and remember me.” Jesus does not want to die on the cross and be forgotten. In prison a person can look down and fear that he or she has been forgotten. The cupbearer was Joseph’s great hope, and he let him and down and forgot him. Joseph is patient through numerous setbacks and deep suffering. How do we do when face similar circumstances? Andy Rooney who was so beloved for his work on 60 Minutes, died Friday at the age of 92. He said, “I’ve learned …. That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.” Joseph had to languish two more years in the dungeon, but he did not grow bitter. He was patient and kept his dignity and his faith.
Joseph is loyal to God throughout his life. The scripture makes it clear that Pharaoh’s dreams come from God. God is revealing and showing what is coming in the future; however, action can and needs to be taken. Pharaoh has the dreams, but they don’t mean anything without someone to interpret them. Joseph’s faith is strong and regardless of what he has been through, he doesn’t reject God or his faith. He tells Pharaoh before he even hears the dream, “It is not I; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” Then Joseph basically says to Pharaoh, “Seven years of bumper crops are on their way
Years of plenty, endless wheat and tons of hay
Your farms will boom, there won’t be room To store the surplus food you grow
After that, the future doesn’t look so bright
Egypt’s luck will change completely overnight
And famine’s hand will stalk the land With food an all-time low
Noble king, there is no doubt What your dreams are all about
All these things you saw in your pajamas
Are a long-range forecast for your farmers
And I’m sure it’s crossed your mind What it is you have to find
Find a man to lead you through the famine
With a flair for economic planning But who this man could be I just don’t know.”[1]
Joseph speaks with conviction even in the presence of the supreme power in the land and reveals his integrity and courage. He acts wisely and in a discerning manner in his dealings with people and their problems. Joseph treats other people with respect. This includes people from a different nation, religion, and culture than his own. Both Joseph and Pharaoh are wise and discerning. Pharaoh doesn’t care what Joseph’s background may be or that he’s been in prison for two years. He can see that God is with Joseph and he is the man with the flair for economic planning that Pharaoh and Egypt need. By listening to Joseph and taking appropriate action, Pharaoh helps to shape the future, save lives, and build his power and respect.
Like Joseph, we can learn to be open to the truth that God works through people we may not expect. This story reflects some of the various ways God can and does work through people outside of faith communities, spirituality and religion. God also can move in areas like economics and government. God’s work in the world is either helped through wise and discerning leaders or hindered by inept and ineffective leaders because leadership affects every sphere of life. Sometimes people of faith mistakenly think God only communicates with or works through the chosen or the elect, that isn’t true, as this scripture clearly demonstrates. God’s work of blessing in Genesis 41 extends to all kinds of people. God is working in Pharaoh’s life in ways Pharaoh doesn’t fully grasp, but he knows something is going on that he needs help to understand. God communicates with Pharaoh in a dream, just as God does with Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus in Matthew chapters 1 and 2. The Joseph of Genesis through his interpretation, wisdom, and discernment provides an entry point for God to come into the life of Pharaoh. Pharaoh actually uses theological language when he says, ““Can we find anyone else like this—one in whom is the spirit of God? Since God has shown you all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you.”
The interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams won’t matter unless the interpretation is acted upon in a wise and timely manner. Joseph makes it clear to Pharaoh that the economic policies adopted during the years of plenty will make a huge difference as to whether the land and the people will be consumed or survive and even thrive. A natural disaster, like a famine, does not have predetermined effects; wise human planning and preparation can lessen their negative impact. This was true then and it is true today.
Joseph is prepared for the challenges that come to him in life and thinks not only of himself, but also of others. Joseph is a model for the godly life which is lived not just in church or faith community, but in the midst of the full range of human problems and the complexities of human existence. At thirty years of age, Joseph becomes prime minister of Egypt. Joseph carries out the economic policies that will save lives in future years and lead Egypt to become the bread basket of the world (Genesis 41:54-57). Pharaoh gives him an Egyptian name Zaphenath-paneah that means, “God speaks and lives” and gives him an Egyptian wife from the nobility. What a great name to have. Imagine a person wants to talk with you and she says, “Hey, God speaks and lives…” In a sense that is also supposed to be true of us. God can speak and live through us as well. What a great way that would be to be known. Joseph and his wife have two sons. They name the first Manasseh which means “making to forget” because their child helped Joseph to forget all the troubles and hardship he’d been through. The second son is called Ephraim which means “to be fruitful” because God has continued to be with Joseph and made him fruitful and successful. Imagine when Joseph’s wife called them in for dinner, “God who speaks and lives, made me forget, fruitful, dinner!” It would be cool if we all had names like that.
We all can learn a lot for our own lives from Joseph. Joseph is patient through numerous setbacks and deep suffering. He is loyal to God throughout his life. He treats other people with respect, including those of nations, religions, and cultures that are different than his own. He maintains his dignity in the midst of severe trials and temptations. He speaks with conviction even in the presence of the supreme power in the land and reveals his courage and integrity. He acts wisely and in a discerning manner in all of his dealings with people and their problems. He is prepared for the challenges that come to him in life and thinks not only of himself, but always of others. Joseph is a model for the godly life which is lived not just in church or faith community, but in the midst of the full range of human problems and the complexities of human existence.
We need more people like Joseph today. Be a woman or man through whom God speaks and lives.
[1] Lyrics from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat , song, Pharaoh’s Dreams Explained.