What can we learn from Joseph? (Genesis 41:1-36)

How are y’all doing? If y’all could, turn in your Bibles to Genesis 41. Today we’re gonna be continuing our series looking at the life of Joseph. Now when I initially read this passage, I was struggling to figure out what there is to learn from it. But as I began to read this in the context of what we have been reading and peeling back the layers, it began to be more clear what the point of this passage is.

What has happened to Joseph up to this point? (His brothers sold him into slavery, he was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, and even though he used the gifting God gave him to interpret dreams, he was still forgotten)

Up until this point, Joseph has had a rough go of it.

Today we’re gonna look at how Joseph has responded as a result of everything that has happened:

Let’s take a look at verses 1 through 36...

Genesis 41:1–36 NLT

1 Two full years later, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing on the bank of the Nile River. 2 In his dream he saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass. 3 Then he saw seven more cows come up behind them from the Nile, but these were scrawny and thin. These cows stood beside the fat cows on the riverbank. 4 Then the scrawny, thin cows ate the seven healthy, fat cows! At this point in the dream, Pharaoh woke up. 5 But he fell asleep again and had a second dream. This time he saw seven heads of grain, plump and beautiful, growing on a single stalk. 6 Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were shriveled and withered by the east wind. 7 And these thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, well-formed heads! Then Pharaoh woke up again and realized it was a dream. 8 The next morning Pharaoh was very disturbed by the dreams. So he called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. When Pharaoh told them his dreams, not one of them could tell him what they meant. 9 Finally, the king’s chief cup-bearer spoke up. “Today I have been reminded of my failure,” he told Pharaoh. 10 “Some time ago, you were angry with the chief baker and me, and you imprisoned us in the palace of the captain of the guard. 11 One night the chief baker and I each had a dream, and each dream had its own meaning. 12 There was a young Hebrew man with us in the prison who was a slave of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he told us what each of our dreams meant. 13 And everything happened just as he had predicted. I was restored to my position as cup-bearer, and the chief baker was executed and impaled on a pole.” 14 Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once, and he was quickly brought from the prison. After he shaved and changed his clothes, he went in and stood before Pharaoh. 15 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream last night, and no one here can tell me what it means. But I have heard that when you hear about a dream you can interpret it.” 16 “It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.” 17 So Pharaoh told Joseph his dream. “In my dream,” he said, “I was standing on the bank of the Nile River, 18 and I saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass. 19 But then I saw seven sick-looking cows, scrawny and thin, come up after them. I’ve never seen such sorry-looking animals in all the land of Egypt. 20 These thin, scrawny cows ate the seven fat cows. 21 But afterward you wouldn’t have known it, for they were still as thin and scrawny as before! Then I woke up. 22 “In my dream I also saw seven heads of grain, full and beautiful, growing on a single stalk. 23 Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were blighted, shriveled, and withered by the east wind. 24 And the shriveled heads swallowed the seven healthy heads. I told these dreams to the magicians, but no one could tell me what they mean.” 25 Joseph responded, “Both of Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing. God is telling Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do. 26 The seven healthy cows and the seven healthy heads of grain both represent seven years of prosperity. 27 The seven thin, scrawny cows that came up later and the seven thin heads of grain, withered by the east wind, represent seven years of famine. 28 “This will happen just as I have described it, for God has revealed to Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do. 29 The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout the land of Egypt. 30 But afterward there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten in Egypt. Famine will destroy the land. 31 This famine will be so severe that even the memory of the good years will be erased. 32 As for having two similar dreams, it means that these events have been decreed by God, and he will soon make them happen. 33 “Therefore, Pharaoh should find an intelligent and wise man and put him in charge of the entire land of Egypt. 34 Then Pharaoh should appoint supervisors over the land and let them collect one-fifth of all the crops during the seven good years. 35 Have them gather all the food produced in the good years that are just ahead and bring it to Pharaoh’s storehouses. Store it away, and guard it so there will be food in the cities. 36 That way there will be enough to eat when the seven years of famine come to the land of Egypt. Otherwise this famine will destroy the land.”

So we see here the cup bearer finally remembers to tell Pharaoh about Joseph.

Based on how we see Joseph acting in this passage, how would you say he has reacted to everything that has happened? (trusting God, putting God first)

Let’s take a look at three things I believe we can learn from Joseph here...

Joseph lived with eternity in mind

Joseph knew that even though he was going through a lot, this was only a small part of his story. He knew that eventually he would be spending eternity in heaven, so he lived out his life on this earth serving God in light of that day.

This is not an easy mindset to maintain. I have wanted to be a pastor for a long time. And for a while I ran away from that calling. I was told that being a pastor was hard and that I could get a job where I would be paid very well, and I listened to those people for a while. I cycled through jobs looking for what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a civil engineer, a financial advisor, a sales executive, a real estate agent, and none of them felt like what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. A year ago, I finally took my call to ministry seriously when I realized none of the earthly things like money, status, and power mattered. I finally realized that if I’m doing what I’m called to do, God will be there with me through it. And there are still many days where I forget to live with eternity in mind because it isn’t a battle that we win, its a war that we fight for the rest of our earthly lives.

Joseph modeled that by trusting God even when he was at his lowest.

The best way I can think to express this is Joseph lived in surrender to God’s will.

What do y’all think that means? (He sacrificed what he wanted to give glory to God)

Joseph didn’t live to get what he wanted, he lived to glorify God because he knew what the purpose of his life on earth was. So instead of seeking material earthly things, money, power, fame, he was in prison. Granted it wasn’t really his choice to be put in prison, but we don’t have a chapter here about Joseph’s meltdown or him using his power for selfish gain. And he still interpreted Pharaoh’s dream knowing he may just get sent back to prison or sentenced to death.

Romans 12:1–2 NLT

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

So we see that surrender isn’t just glorifying to God, it is how God changes our hearts to be more like His. It’s how we understand what God’s will for us.

And surrender may not always look like giving up what you want for the glory of God, it may just look like accepting the circumstances you’re in and continuing to thank God for the things you do have.

Joseph used the gifts God gave him to accomplish God’s will

What spiritual gift have we seen Joseph use? (interpret dreams)

We see here God used Joseph to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh which would eventually lead to Egypt not collapsing from famine. This also ensured the survival of Jacob and all of Joseph’s brothers which would go on to be the 12 tribes of Israel. So God used Joseph’s gifts to ensure the safety of what would eventually be the entire nation of Israel.

God also calls us to function in a similar way as the church.

1 Corinthians 12:14–21 NLT

14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? 18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

1 Corinthians 12:27 NIV

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

So as the church, we all have different spiritual gifts that allow us to function as a body with Christ as the head of it. And here in verse 27 of this passage in 1 Corinthians it says each one of us is part of this body. So we can’t just show up to church and take take take when we are also called to help the body function. And all parts of the church body are important. The left thumb is important to pick things up, the nose is important to smell, even the pinky toes provide the body with stability to be able to stand and walk.

Now the nation of Egypt here isn’t exactly the church, but Joseph was still obedient to God when he was called to use the gifts God had given him and His will was accomplished as a result.

Joseph gave God the glory

What does glory mean? (a way to express the worth of someone)

In verse 16, we see Joseph didn’t forget who gave him the gifts that he possesses. He even goes so far as to say that it is beyond his power to do what Pharaoh has asked of him.

In my life, I have often been tempted to take the glory from God when He does something through me and sometimes I have done that. It’s so easy when someone says, “You killed it on that song!” or “That was very well said.” to get a big head and be prideful. But I can guarantee you that I would not be able to do anything without God giving me the ability to do it. Isaiah 42:5 says that God gives breath to everyone, so if God even gives me the breath I breathe, how could I take the glory for a powerful work that He has done through me?

1 Corinthians 1:4–9 NIV

4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge—6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Jesus is the reason that we’re able to be here today as children of God. God desired for us to be with Him in heaven so much that He sent His Son to die for our sins. Because of what Jesus did for us, we can use the gifts that God has given us to give Him glory for the incredible thing He did for us on the cross.

As you walk this earth as a disciple of God, you’ll be using the gifts God has given you to accomplish His will. It is so important as you do this that you give God the glory for what He has given you and for what He has done through you.

And if there is anyone tonight that hasn’t accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, I would strongly recommend you do that tonight so that you can be in this with us and spend all eternity in heaven.

Let’s pray...