God’s Appointed Savior

Introduction

Well, good morning.

If you have your Bible — and I hope that you do — go ahead and open it with me to Genesis chapter 41. We’re gonna walk all the way through the end of this chapter this morning.

Now before we jump in, let’s just pause for a moment and let us feel where we are in the story — because Genesis never tells isolated stories. It keeps pulling us forward toward something God’s been doing for a very long time, since the garden.

Joseph’s journey’s been a long descent.

He was the favored son… then the hated brother. He was the dreamer… then the betrayed. He went from a robe to a pit, from a pit to slavery. From slavery to false accusation. And then from false accusation to prison.

And along the way, every door that looked like it might open… slammed shut.

Meanwhile, Judah’s story’s been unraveling in the background — reminding us just how broken and sinful God’s people really are, and how desperately this family needs a Savior, right?

And that’s really what Genesis has been doing for thousands of years. It keeps exposing human sin… and at the same time quietly advancing God’s redemptive plan. Every few generations, God’s moving the story forward, preserving the line, protecting the promise, making sure that when Christ finally comes, He comes at exactly the right time.

And now, in Genesis 41, something shifts again.

Joseph’s been buried — not literally, but symbolically. He’s hidden. He’s forgotten. He’s locked away in a cell where no one else sees him, and no one else speaks his name.

But listen, this chapter, its actually all about resurrection. In a single day, God brings him up out of a pit. And He sets him before the throne.

Joseph moves from prisoner to ruler. From suffering to salvation. From rejected to exalted. And Moses wants us to see that pattern — because it’s the same pattern God uses to bring about a greater Son later on.

A rejected servant. A suffering servant. A buried servant. And then a risen, exalted Savior through whom many will live.

Genesis 41, its not about Joseph finally getting what he deserves. It’s about God showing us how He saves His chosen people. It’s showing us how a faithful God keeps His promises.

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And so this morning, as we walk through this chapter, we’re gonna see three important movements that drive this entire story:

We’re gonna see how God prepares the moment. How God executes His plan. And then we’re gonna see how God saves His people.

For some of us, I think that might be exactly what we need to hear this morning — because some of us, we feel buried…or we feel stuck or forgotten. Like nothing’s changing and God’s gone quiet.

Listen, Genesis 41 reminds us that God does His greatest work while His servants are waiting…while they’re trusting! And when He’s ready… everything moves…JUST AS HE INTENDED.

And so with all that in mind, let’s turn our attention to Genesis chapter 41, and let’s watch what God does when He raises up His appointed Savior.

You can remained seated as we start in verse 1:

Genesis 41:1–57 ESV

After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. And behold, 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. And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke. And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind. And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh. Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my offenses today. When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation. 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 man according to his dream. And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.” Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. 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.” Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile. Seven cows, plump and attractive, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass. Seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt. And the thin, ugly cows ate up the first seven plump cows, but when they had eaten them no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke. I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good. Seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them, and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.” Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine. It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, but 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, and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.” This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah (Zaa-Fa-Nath...Pan-Knee-A). And he gave him in marriage Asenath (Az-za-nath), the daughter of Potiphera (Poe-Tea-Fe-A) priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. During the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly, and he gathered up all the food of these seven years, which occurred in the land of Egypt, and put the food in the cities. He put in every city the food from the fields around it. And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured. Before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph. Asenath (Az-za-nath), the daughter of Potiphera (Poe-Tea-Fe-A) priest of On, bore them to him. 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.” The name of the second he called Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” The seven years of plenty that occurred in the land of Egypt came to an end, and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.” So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.

[Prayer]

Our three points this morning as we walk through this text…number 1, God prepares the moment…number 2, God executes His plan…and then number 3, God saves His people.

And so, if you’re there with me…you’ve got your Bible, your notes, let’s look at this first point together.

I. God Prepares the Moment (vv. 1-16)

God prepares the moment.

Now, that’s not something we actually like to admit sometimes. Because when we say God prepares the moment, what we’re really saying is that God doesn’t just control the good parts of the story — He also governs the painful delays, and the silence, the suffering that leads up to the good parts.

Look at how Moses opens up this chapter. Verse 1:

“After two whole years…”

Those four words should land heavy on us.

Two whole years since chapter 40 ended. Two whole years since Joseph faithfully interpreted dreams. Two whole years since the cupbearer said nothing. Two whole years of waiting…in a prison…for something God could’ve changed instantly.

And guys, Moses doesn’t rush past this. He puts it right at the front because he wants us to feel the weight of it. God didn’t forget Joseph. God didn’t lose track of time. God chose this timing.

That’s uncomfortable — because it forces us to reckon with the reality that God’s delays, they’re intentional.

Psalm 115, verse 3 says, “Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases.” That means if Joseph stayed in prison for two years, it wasn’t because God lacked power — it’s because God had a purpose.

And this is where the doctrine of God’s sovereignty stops being theoretical and it starts being deeply personal. Because notice what God does next.

Verse 1:

“Pharaoh dreamed…”

Not Joseph. Pharaoh.

The most powerful man in the world, at that time, all of a sudden, he’s unsettled, he’s disturbed, shaken — not by an army or rebellion…by a dream he can’t understand.

And what we see here, its that Pharaoh does everything humanly possible to solve the problem.

Verse 8:

“He called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men…”

The best minds. The religious experts. The cultural elites. And Moses tells us plainly — no one could interpret it.

Why? Because God’s orchestrating a moment where human wisdom collapses so that divine wisdom can be displayed.

Listen, that’s how God so oftentimes works in Scripture. He creates a crisis that no one else can fix…so that when deliverance comes, it’s unmistakably His.

1 Corinthians 1 says God delights in shaming the wisdom of the world. And that’s exactly what’s happening here. Egypt has power. Egypt has resources. They have intelligence. But Egypt doesn’t have the answer — because the answer’s locked away in a prison cell.

And church, this is where we need to pause — because this is where the tension hits us.

God could’ve spared Joseph the prison. He could’ve softened Potiphar’s heart. He could’ve reminded the cupbearer immediately.

But He didn’t.

And not because He couldn’t — but because He wouldn’t. Because God’s not just interested in saving Joseph — He’s preparing a Savior-like servant through whom many will live.

Verse 9 — finally — the cupbearer speaks:

“I remember my offenses today…”

That’s not coincidence. That’s providence.

The memory doesn’t return because the cupbearer suddenly grows a conscience. It returns because God decides the moment’s ready.

And then verse 14:

“Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit.”

Guys, don’t miss how fast everything moves once God decides it’s time.

Two years of silence…And then suddenly — immediately — Joseph’s lifted up. The pit to the palace in a single day.

And listen, Moses intentionally uses language here that mirrors Joseph’s earlier suffering.

He was thrown into a pit by his brothers. Now he’s raised up out of a pit by God.

That’s resurrection language. That’s reversal. That’s God showing us how He saves — through humiliation first, and then through exaltation.

Philippians 2 tells us that this is the very pattern of Christ: Humbled. Obedient. Brought low. And then highly exalted at the proper time.

Joseph stands before Pharaoh — shaved, cleaned, clothed — and Pharaoh says in verse 15: “I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”

And this is where we see something very important. Joseph doesn’t claim credit. He doesn’t say, “Finally, my gift’s been recognized.” Or, “I told you so.”

Verse 16:

“It’s not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”

Guys, that’s the heart of a servant God can trust. It’s been 2 years! And yet, Joseph understands that his suffering wasn’t wasted — it was shaping him into someone who knows where power actually comes from.

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And so listen — let’s just deal with this section honestly for a second:

God allowed betrayal. He allowed injustice. He allowed false accusation. He allowed imprisonment.

And yet — not one of those things escaped His control.

Acts 4 tells us that even the crucifixion of Jesus happened according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. The most evil act in human history was simultaneously the most redemptive. And that means something for us today — something difficult. If God’s sovereign enough to stop suffering…And wise enough to use suffering…Then sometimes the suffering He allows is the very means by which He brings salvation.

Now, that doesn’t make the suffering good. But it does mean it’s never meaningless.

Listen, the application for us here isn’t easy — but it’s necessary.

Some of you, you’re in a “two whole years” season right now. You’re waiting. You’ve been forgotten. Praying. Obeying. And nothing’s changing. And the temptation is to assume God’s absent — or worse — indifferent.

But Genesis 41 says something very different. It says God’s oftentimes most active when He appears most silent. And the delay you resent, it may be the preparation you desperately need.

The question isn’t “Is God sovereign?” The question is “Do we trust Him enough to believe that even what He permits, He governs?”

Because the same God who allowed Joseph’s suffering…He’s the same God who raised him up at exactly the right moment — And He’s the same God who later sent a greater Joseph…Rejected, buried, and raised… So that many might live. That’s the God who’s still preparing moments today — even when we can’t see it yet.

Like Joseph, we might find ourselves in unimaginable, horrific situations…but do you trust that God’s sovereign and that God’s working?…That’s what this passage forces us to wrestle with.

The question this morning…even though you might not have all the answers…even though your heart might be breaking because of whatever it is you’re walking through…the question, do you have the heart of a servant God can trust? A heart that’s been made new…a heart that’s filled with the Holy Spirit…a heart that says, “I might not like my circumstances…but not my will, your will be done.”

Amen?

II. God Executes His Plan (vv. 17-45)

Point number 2…God executes His plan.

This is where the story begins to widen a bit. Because up until to this point, the focus, its been on timing — waiting, silence, preparation. But now Moses shifts our attention from when God acts…to how God acts once the moment arrives.

Look at verse 17 with me again. Pharaoh recounts his dreams in detail — not because Joseph needs clarification, but because Moses wants us to see something very clearly.

This famine’s not accidental. It’s not some environmental chance or poor agricultural planning.

Verse 25 — Joseph says it very plainly:

“God’s revealed to Pharaoh what He’s about to do.”

Not what might happen. Or what could happen. It’s what God’s about to do.

Church, famine doesn’t just happen — God sends it. Having plenty doesn’t just arrive — God ordains it.

Amos 3:6 says, “Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD’s done it?” That’s a verse we tend to avoid — but Joseph doesn’t. Joseph has no problem attributing both abundance and famine to the hand of God.

And notice this — Joseph doesn’t soften that truth for Pharaoh. He doesn’t say, “Well, God allows this.”…He doesn’t say, “God’s responding to circumstances.”

Verse 28:

“God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do.”

That’s strong sovereignty language. I love it!

John Calvin, commenting on this passage, he said: “Nothing’s more absurd than to imagine fortune to reign in the world, when God everywhere declares that He governs all events.”

Joseph believes that. Deeply.

And because Joseph believes God governs the future, he also understands something else — God doesn’t just reveal His plan…He accomplishes His plan through means.

That’s why Joseph doesn’t stop at interpretation.

Verse 33:

“Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man…”

Guys, this is so important — because Joseph isn’t freelancing here. He’s not being arrogant…He’s acting in wisdom because God’s revelation demands faithful obedience.

God reveals the future so that His people can act wisely in the present.

And listen — this is one of the great errors we see today. Some Christians use God’s sovereignty as an excuse for passivity.

“Well, God’s in control, so I don’t need to plan.” “God’s sovereign, so preparation doesn’t matter.” “God’ll provide, so wisdom’s just optional.”

Joseph, in this case, would say — “Absolutely not!”

God’s sovereignty doesn’t eliminate human responsibility — it establishes it.

Proverbs 21:31 says, “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.”

And so, you prepare — but God provides. You act wisely — God brings the outcome.

And Pharaoh recognizes that immediately.

Verse 38:

“Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?”

Now let’s just stop there for just a moment — because this is remarkable.

Pharaoh doesn’t say Joseph’s talented. He doesn’t say Joseph’s intelligent. He says the Spirit of God is in him.

A pagan king recognizes what Joseph’s brothers missed — what Potiphar’s wife ignored — what the cupbearer forgot.

God’s been executing His plan this entire time.

And then verse 41:

“See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”

Guys, don’t miss that — Joseph doesn’t climb his way to power. He’s placed there by the hand of God.

Psalm 75 says: “For not from the east or from the west…comes lifting up, but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.”

That’s exactly what’s happening here.

Joseph doesn’t campaign, or manipulate, or demand justice. God executes His plan — and in a single moment, everything changes.

The signet ring. The fine garments. The gold chain. The second chariot. The command — “Bow the knee.”

That language should sound familiar to us. Because it’s the same language Paul uses in Philippians chapter 2 — that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow.

Joseph’s being exalted not for personal comfort — but for public service. For God’s people.

And then Moses gives us this simple but crucial detail in verse 46: “Joseph was thirty years old…”

Listen, that’s not random.

David was thirty when he began to reign. Jesus was about thirty when He began His ministry.

Moses is showing us a pattern here — God raises His appointed servants at the exact moment they’re ready…not when they’re eager.

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And so listen — here’s the hard application this point presses in on us.

God’s plan oftentimes moves forward without consulting our preferences.

Joseph’s exaltation doesn’t erase his trauma. It certainly doesn’t undo his betrayal. Or bring back his family immediately.

God uses Joseph as he is — scars and all.

And that’s uncomfortable for us — because we like the idea of God using us…after we’re healed, after things make more sense, after life settles down. But Scripture says something very different.

God doesn’t wait for perfect circumstances — He works through surrendered servants.

Some of us, we’re waiting for clarity before we obey. Waiting for healing before we serve. Waiting for certainty before we trust. Waiting for life to slow down before committing.

And Genesis 41 says — obedience comes first. Trust comes first. Faithfulness comes first.

God executes His plan not through flawless people — but through humble servants who believe He’s sovereign even when the plan costs ‘em something.

The question this passage forces on us is this: If God chose to execute His plan through you — right now — as you are — with your history, your wounds, your limitations — would you trust Him enough to step forward?

Because Joseph did.

And through his obedience — God’s plan moves forward…not just for Egypt — but for the entire world.

Which leads us into the final part of this chapter…because God doesn’t just execute His plan — He does it for a purpose.

And that purpose it was for salvation now, and its also for salvation later.

III. God Saves His People (vv. 46-57)

Which brings us to point number 3…God saves His people.

And that’s the reason for everything that’s happened so far.

The prison. The waiting. The dreams. The exaltation.

None of it exists for Joseph’s comfort. It exists for God’s salvation.

Look at verse 47 with me again.

“During the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly…”

Exactly as God said it would.

And then verse 53:

“The seven years of plenty…came to an end, and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said.”

Guys, Moses wants us to see that God’s word doesn’t fail. Not a single detail. It wasn’t a year early. It wasn’t a year late.

Isaiah 46 says, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all My purpose.”… Genesis 41 is that truth put on display.

And now, for the first time in this chapter, the story turns outward.

Verse 54:

“There was famine in all lands…”

And so, not just Egypt. All lands. This isn’t just a local crisis — it’s a global one.

And then Moses gives us this contrast:

“But in all the land of Egypt there was bread.”

Why? Because God raised up a savior — lowercase “s” — a savior to preserve life.

Verse 55:

“When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread.”

That word cried here, it’s the same word used later on in Exodus when Israel cries out under oppression. It’s the cry of desperation. Of helplessness. Need.

And Pharaoh’s response is fascinating. He doesn’t say, “Come to me.” Or “Figure it out yourselves.”

Verse 55:

“Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.”

That’s the center of this whole chapter.

Go to Joseph. Listen to Joseph. Live because of Joseph. That’s not accidental — that’s typology.

Calvin said that Joseph here, he’s “a living image of Christ, in whom alone the church finds nourishment in famine.”

Joseph opens the storehouses…Joseph provides bread…Joseph becomes the mediator between life and death.

And then verse 57:

“Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain…”

All the earth.

Gentiles. Foreigners. Enemies. Strangers.

The blessing promised to Abraham back in Genesis chapter 12, it’s starting to ripple outward. “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Pay attention here — the famine, its severe. Moses repeats it again and again. The need is real. The danger’s unavoidable. But listen, so is the provision, right?

And guys, that’s where we need to slow down for just a second — because this passage, its teaching us something essential about how God saves.

God doesn’t remove the famine immediately. he doesn’t prevent the hunger or shield the world from suffering. He saves through it.

The same famine that threatens to destroy the world, that same famine becomes the very instrument God uses to draw the world to His appointed savior. That’s hard theology — but it’s biblical theology.

Romans 8 says creation is subjected to futility — not willingly — but in hope.

God uses brokenness to reveal His grace. God uses need to direct people to His provision. God uses hunger to show where true bread’s found.

And listen — this salvation isn’t automatic. The storehouses are full…but the people still have to come. The grain might be abundant…but they still have to bow.

Pharaoh’s command here is clear:

“Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.”

There’s no other way.

And that points us forward, doesn’t it?

Jesus says in John chapter 6: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger.”

Not to Moses. Or to Egypt. Not self-sufficiency…Christ alone.

Joseph can’t save by himself — he saves because God appoints him, and empowers him, and works through him. And that’s the Reformed heartbeat of this passage.

Salvation belongs to the LORD. He plans it. He provides it. He applies it.

The famine reveals the need. Joseph reveals the means. God reveals His mercy.

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Listen, some of us, we want salvation without surrender. We want provision without obedience. Or comfort without repentance…Bread without bowing the knee. But Genesis 41 doesn’t allow that.

The only people who live are the ones who go where God says life’s found. You can’t ignore Joseph and survive the famine. Just as you can’t ignore Christ and survive judgment.

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And listen — this isn’t just about eternal salvation.

This passage confronts how we respond to desperation right now.

When life collapses… When resources dry up… When control disappears…

Where do you go?

Do you go to Christ? Or do you go to Pharaoh?…To systems? To distractions? To self-reliance?

Because famine reveals faith. It exposes what we really believe will save us.

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And listen, don’t miss the final part here either.

Joseph’s family isn’t here yet. That’s coming in chapter 42. Which means God’s saving the world long before Joseph ever saves his brothers. Grace always outruns expectation. And that’s the kind of Savior God appoints.

One who was rejected. One who suffered. One who was raised up. One through whom many — from every nation — will live. And God wants us to see that through Moses’s writing here…Long before we ever see it at a cross. That’s the heartbeat of God. He’s no different today then He was in Genesis.

Closing

And so listen, as we step back and look at this chapter as a whole, we need to see what Moses has been showing us this whole time.

This chapter isn’t just about Joseph finally getting vindicated. It’s about God saving His people through a chosen servant.

When famine comes — when death threatens — Pharaoh doesn’t tell the people to look inward…or to trust themselves…or to work harder.

Verse 55:

“Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.”

That’s the only way they live.

Bread doesn’t come from Pharaoh. Salvation didn’t come from Egypt. Life, it came through the one God had appointed.

And church, that’s not just Joseph’s story — that’s the gospel. Because centuries later, when the world was starving again — not for grain, but for righteousness — God raised up a greater Joseph.

A Son who was rejected by His own. A Servant who was falsely accused. One who was stripped, and humiliated, and buried. And yet, at the appointed time, God raised Him up and seated Him at His right hand.

And now the message is the same — but clearer.

Jesus says in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Guys, there’s no other storehouse. There’s no other mediator. No other name by which we can be saved.

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And so, let me just speak to two groups of people as we close this morning.

First — to the believer.

Genesis 41, it forces us to ask some hard questions. Do you actually trust God’s timing? Do you believe God’s sovereign in the waiting? Are you willing to obey when obedience feels slow, or unseen, or costly?

Joseph didn’t know how God would use his suffering — he just stayed faithful. And maybe that’s where some of you are right now. You’re hidden. You’re tired. You’ve been waiting. You’re feeling like obedience hasn’t paid off.

This text reminds us: God never wastes faithfulness. What feels like delay, it may actually be preparation. And what feels like silence may be God setting the stage.

And so — keep trusting. Keep obeying. Keep serving. Because when God moves, He does so perfectly and decisively…all for His glory.

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To those of you who aren’t in Christ.

The famine’s real. It’s not just out there — its in here. A famine of meaning… of peace…of righteousness. And listen, there’s no amount of success, or morality, or religion, or effort that’ll save you.

Guys, there’s bread — but it’s only found in Christ. There’s life — but it’s only found through repentance and faith.

The command still stands: Go to the one God’s appointed.

Turn from your sin. Stop trusting yourself. Stop delaying obedience. Come to Christ — today.

Because the same God who saves…He also judges. And the same Jesus who offers life…He’ll also one day return as King…Understand who you are, that you fall short of God’s glory…that you’re sinner, that you deserve death and punishment…and respond to the good news of the gospel!

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Would you bow your head and close your eyes with me.

This isn’t about emotion. This is about reflection. This is about honesty before God.

Believer — ask Him: “Lord, where am I resisting Your timing?” “Where am I tempted to stop trusting You?”

Unbeliever — hear this clearly: Today’s the day of salvation. Repent. Believe. Come to King Jesus.

Listen, as the praise team comes and leads us in worship again…Respond! Because God’s still sovereign. Christ is still Savior. And there’s still bread enough — and more than enough — for all who will come.

Amen?

You come…I’ll be the back if you need me…We’ll have some pastors up front as well. You take this time and then I’ll close us in a moment.

[Prayer]