The Gifts of Forgetting and Fruitfulness

Introduction

It’s always interesting to hear the reason behind the names people give their kids. Sometimes it’s deeply personal, sometimes the names reflect a hope the parents have for their children, or sometimes the parents compromise because they can’t agree so they go with a name neither one loves!

My name is Ben and my brother’s name is Joe, so I often tell people my parents were big fans of Bonanza growing up! But, in reality, my father wanted to name me after his favorite writer, Ambrose Bierce. My mom wasn’t crazy about my first name being Ambrose, so she agreed to name me after Benjamin Franklin, and my middle name is Ambrose.

My kids are all named after people in the Bible:

Phoebe was a woman who, according to Paul, served the church in Rome. We prayed that she would be a woman who would likewise serve God’s church.

Isaac was named after Abraham’s son Isaac, because it means laughter. April tricked me by telling me she was pregnant a week before we found out she was really pregnant, causing me to make the very brilliant statement that she couldn’t be pregnant 16 months after giving birth! As it turns out, she could. His name is certainly fitting!

Lydia was named for a woman from Thyatira that Paul connected with while in Philippi. She would become the first convert to Christianity on the European continent and would open her home to Paul and his companions. Our prayer was that Lydia would not only bring God’s Word to people, but would also show hospitality to all.

Elizabeth is named after Mary’s relative, who would show incredible faith and resilience in trying times. Additionally, she would care for Mary when others likely judged and rejected her, understanding that God was at work in her through the son she was carrying. We pray that Elizabeth will grow to have a like faith and resilience, but also will continue developing her heart that cares so much for people.

In the OT, Hebrew names always had deep meaning. Most focused on what God had done, was doing, or was going to do. These were a constant reminder, pointing people to the One True God and His continual involvement in the lives of His people.

This morning, as we return to our study of the life of Joseph, we are going to be introduced to Joseph’s sons and learn how their names point to God’s goodness and provision in Joseph’s life.

Body: Genesis 41:41-57

Verses 41-45

Pharaoh’s signet ring...

“Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt...

In essence, Pharaoh is saying, “As you treat me, so you should treat Joseph!”

Pharaoh sets out to turn Joseph into an Egyptian…well, kind of:

New name: Zaphenath-paneah (ZAF ee nath-pan EE uh)

Egyptian wife: Asenath (ASS eh nath), daughter of Potiphera (poh TIH-fih ruh) priest of On.

Does this mean that Joseph was compromising his Hebrew identity, or worse, allowing Egyptian idolatry into his life and home?

No, as we will see later, Joseph continues to hold to his Jewish identity.

However, for Joseph to serve as vizier of Egypt, he needed to fit in with the people around him and the people would need to accept him.

This doesn’t imply, however, that he worshiped to Egyptian gods. I don’t believe that he did.

And there is no indication that Joseph’s Egyptian wife or her father had any real impact on Joseph’s faith in the One True God. In fact, she doesn’t really play a big part of the overall narrative.

Verses 46-49

Second most powerful man in the world and the young age of thirty!

Not surprisingly, the land produces abundance, just as Joseph said.

Notice that Joseph once again does what he is asked to do in this situation. No complaining, no whining. He just got to work!

And God opens the storehouse of blessing to Egypt through Joseph.

In fact, they have so much that they can’t even count it anymore!

Verses 50-52

Joseph is blessed with two sons:

Manasseh - “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.”

Root of Manasseh’s name is “to forget.”

This is fascinating, because up to this point there is no indication of Joseph feeling any sort of longing for his homeland or family, and sadness over his plight. However, because of the name he chooses for his first son, we learn that Joseph was feeling both of these feelings.

Ephraim - “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

Root of Ephraim’s name is “to bear fruit.”

In spite of his plight, Joseph sees that God has made him fruitful.

Notice that Joseph, despite becoming outwardly Egyptian, he still names his son Hebrew names.

This is important because it shows that he is still hanging onto his Jewish heritage despite the fact that he was seventeen when he was taken away from him homeland and he would only ever return to his homeland long enough to bury his father much later in life.

Additionally, both Manasseh and Ephraim would receive a blessing from Israel, becoming the fathers of nations within the twelve tribes of Israel (there is no tribe of Joseph, his “tribe” consists of both of his sons).

Verses 53-57

The famine comes, just as Joseph said it would.

It has widespread effects, but Egypt remains prosperous and strong because of the wisdom and spiritual insight of Joseph.

Egypt has plenty to maintain both their own people and other people who would come to Egypt to get grain.

As we will see next time, this is exactly what God used to save Israel.

Another blessing of God we see here is that seven years later, Joseph is still Pharaoh’s “go-to” guy. Why is that so amazing

Because Pharaoh is impulsive. (Installing a prisoner as the second in command of Egypt because he interpreted a dream is not the actions of a man who analyzes his moves.)

Yet, Pharaoh points the people not to himself, but to Joseph.

Joseph would get the praise of the people, not Pharaoh for this. Yet, Pharaoh cannot deny who is keeping his country humming along!

So What?

Joseph was given a gift in Egypt; one that he certainly wasn’t expecting.

But it’s not simply a high ranking position, authority, wealth, or purpose. All those are part of the gift, to be sure. Joseph also gains and family and a legacy.

But at the core of these gifts we find two very unexpected gifts that Joseph received: the gift of forgetting and the gift of fruitfulness. These are both so important to Joseph that he names his sons as a continually remembrance of what God has done for him. Let’s consider both this morning:

The Gift of Forgetting

Let’s face it, we all hit an age where we are given the gift of forgetfulness! And it rarely seems like a gift.

Forgetting people’s names...

Of course, this isn’t the kind of forgetting Joseph is talking about here.

Look again at verse 51...

Genesis 41:51 ESV

Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.”

God made Joseph forget about his hardship and the sadness of being forced from his father’s house.

But Joseph certainly isn’t talking about not remembering. If Joseph didn’t remember these things he wouldn’t need to name his son in honor of forgetting…he would have forgotten them!

No, the idea here is not dwelling upon something horrible. Not being forever beaten by his hardships and pain, but being able to not only move forward, but to actually grow and develop.

Joseph is not the same man who was taken out of a pit in Dothan. Through his hardship and pain, his suffering and the injustice he’s faced, Joseph has been prepared to fulfill the purposes that God has for him in Egypt. He will save many people, including his own family.

Yes, God has made this all come about. But, through his struggles, Joseph has developed the skills he will need to fulfill the work God has set before him.

Part of the reason Joseph can do all this is because he’s not living in his past hurts. He’s forgotten them in the sense that he’s put them behind himself and he’s moving forward.

This is where we should personalize this part of Joseph’s story: like Joseph, you’ve experienced trials and tribulations in your life. Probably not to the degree that he did (though for some it may even be worse!), but none of us have experienced smooth sailing all of our lives.

For some, they get stuck in the trials and tribulations. Never moving forward. Staying depressed, angry, bitter, and unproductive. They may have been wronged or hurt by a person, a group of people, an organization, or any other number of sources. But, instead of being like Joseph and forgetting, they constantly remember, constantly dwell on, constantly blame, constantly look to have their sense of justice satisfied. And, it very rarely comes. And thus they live a lonely, angry, and fairly unfulfilled life.

But, if we are going to learn for the example of Joseph, we need to seek the gift of forgetting.

But how?

Genuinely pray to God for the gift of forgetting.

Learn the art of forgiveness.

Embrace grace.

Look for ways to be fruitful.

The Gift of Fruitfulness

Part of the reason Joseph was able to move beyond his past was that he had important work to do. Think about it:

He was sold to Potiphar so he could…work;

He ended up in prison where he started to…work;

He was given the number two position in Egypt and guess what he did…worked!

I’m not suggesting that we become workaholics and will therefore forget out troubles. The point is, when we are doing things that our bigger than ourselves, particularly when we are looking for ways to minister and care for others, we aren’t dwelling on our troubles nearly as much.

See, just because Joseph arrived at the highly exalted position in Egypt, didn’t mean that the work was done and it was all golf courses and soap operas from then on out. Nope! Joseph had vitally important work to do that would save the Egyptian people, save many other people, and would eventually save his own people! But he needed to do the work.

At Diana’s memorial service yesterday I shared a text of Scripture from Philippians that fits well here:

Philippians 1:21–22 ESV

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.

As I said yesterday, Paul finds himself hard pressed in prison between the two desires of his heart: to fulfill his calling or to be with Christ in glory. And, while being with Christ is, in Paul’s words, “far better”, Paul understands that every minute Christ has given him on earth is an opportunity for fruitful Gospel ministry. In fact, earlier in Philippians Paul says this:

Philippians 1:12–14 ESV

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Paul’s attitude is the same as Joseph’s: wherever I find myself, I have an opportunity to serve my Lord God.

That’s what the gift of fruitfulness is all about! Not letting our circumstances or our past define our present or our future, but seeking where God is at work around us and meeting Him there, has Henry Blackaby so aptly stated.

Beloved, we are in a time that the church desperately needs men and women who will be fruitful.

Philippians 3:13–14 ESV

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.