Life at the Top

Life at the Top

Genesis 41:42-57

Joseph stood alone and above everyone in the world in his understanding of God.

No one on earth saw God as he did or believed in God as he did. That’s why he was so wonderful during the brief span when he was yanked from the pit, shaved and dressed, and thrust before Pharaoh.

Certainly, his God-focus rendered him the same man both in the pit and in the palace as he declared to Pharaoh (who himself was thought to be a god) that the true God would provide the answer to his dreams.

And then when Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams, he three times named God as the source and sovereign arbitrator of those dreams.

Pharaoh, Egypt’s god-king, was so overwhelmed that he reflexively praised Joseph and his God, asking in amazement, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?”

Unwittingly Pharaoh had lifted God’s name up over the gods of the Nile. And with that he exalted Joseph, saying, “‘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.’”

Let’s get into our text.

Genesis 41:42–45 ESV

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. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

In these verses we see:

Joseph’s Installation

On the spot Pharaoh bestowed upon Joseph the things of power.

· First, the king removed the signet ring from his own hand and slipped it onto Joseph’s. The signet bore the name of Pharaoh. The ring was used to press Pharaoh’s seal on official documents, therefore delegating to Joseph the ability to operate with Pharaoh-like authority.

· Second, Joseph was decked out in garments of “fine linen,” an almost transparent linen that was worn by court officials. From now on, Joseph would be clothed in fine linen, the garments of the powerful and well-connected.

· Third, a gold chain was hung around his neck as a gift and a symbol of highest distinction. Because the gold was of great value, it served as Pharaoh’s reward for the interpretation as well as a symbol of honor.

Having put on the visible signs of power, Joseph was then treated to an inaugural parade as Pharaoh made him ride in his second chariot, with runners preceding him and calling out “Bow the knee!”

In present-day terms, “chariots were the limousines of the day, so it is arranged that Joseph will ride in style. The men going before him clearing the way are the equivalent of the Secret Service protection that is offered to important dignitaries and officers in the United States.”

What a rush that must have been for Joseph.

He had been bowing and scraping to everyone for the last thirteen years of his life. He had been the “Hey, you” guy both in Potiphar’s house and most recently in prison where he had served Pharaoh’s servants. Now he rode in a royal chariot that plowed through masses that divided before him like a sea on bended knee.

And on top of all of this, Joseph received Pharaoh’s formal words of installation: “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” That is, “no action will be taken without you okaying it.”

Think of it. In the morning he was in a dirty, stinking pit. But by nightfall he was sitting in the palace, dressed in designer clothes, servants fanning him, being fed grapes and the best food Egypt could offer, while his limo waited in the stable, ready to take him wherever he desired.

It’s evident that Pharaoh was intent on Egyptianizing Joseph because he gave him a new name and a wife. “Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah” which is generally understood to mean “God speaks and lives.” But despite the fact that the name was Egyptian, it was an ongoing testimony to the superiority of Joseph’s living, speaking God.

Now an Egyptian name is one thing, but an Egyptian wife is quite another—because we see how thoroughly Pharaoh intended Joseph to become identified with Egypt. Asenath was of aristocratic blood, “the daughter of Potiphera priest of On.” She was of such high-born lineage that the Pharaohs sometimes chose wives from this family.

The city of On, which is also known by the Greek name Heliopolis (“Sun City”), lies today about ten miles northeast of Cairo and was the center of worship of the sun-god Re. As priest of On, her father presided over the temple-city and officiated at all major festivals and supervised the other priests.

This ultra-aristocratic wife left Joseph well-connected and ominously in danger of Egyptianization.

· His clothing was Egyptian

· his name was Egyptian

· his language was Egyptian

Joseph’s soul was in greater peril than at any other time in his life. It’s one thing to remain believing, God-centered and faithful in the pit; it’s quite another to be faithful at the top.

The pit instilled dependence upon God. Days, months, and years in the pit filled Joseph with an ever-deepening sense of need and dependence upon God. There was only one way to look while in the pit, and that was up—to God.

On the other hand, the pinnacle of Egyptian life inclined toward pride and independence. At the top, looking up to God wasn’t so natural. It was far easier for Joseph to look down on people and depend on servants to meet his needs. And the fact that Joseph’s name, speech, clothing, and wife were all Egyptian encouraged him to forget where he came from.

Also, the undeniable brilliance of his interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams and his plan to spare Egypt could well have begun to give him a sense of superiority. As economist and former ambassador John Kenneth Galbraith once said, “Wealth, in even the most improbable cases, manages to convey the aspect of intelligence.”

That’s so true.

Life at the top can make people imagine themselves so original and so wise—a one-of-a-kind that deserves all they have.

Extended time at the top of society can work an incredible ugliness of soul, as it did in the proud English Duke of Somerset who gave commands to his servants by hand signals because he could not bring himself to speak to such lesser beings.

Today we especially see this kind of ugliness in those who have had a meteoric rise—pro athletes, prodigies, media personalities, and children of the rich and famous. So, young Joseph, second only to Pharaoh at age thirty, recently risen from nowhere and suddenly living in luxury, was in great danger.

Joseph’s Faithfulness

But Joseph responded well. He didn’t assume the lazy lifestyle of the Nile’s rich and famous. Instead, he responded with the obedience that characterizes true faith. That is, he believed that Egypt would have just seven years of plenty to gather up grain for seven years of famine.

So, we see that his rise to power did not dull his response to God’s word because he gave himself completely to hard work. The hectic pace of Joseph’s activity is emphasized by the repetitions in the verses that describe Joseph’s work:

Genesis 41:46–49 ESV

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.

The agriculture of the Nile is not based on rain that falls in Egypt because very little rain ever falls in the Nile Valley. Instead, the growing cycle is based on spring floods that come from rains faraway in the Upper Nile Basin.

So, Joseph quickly went out and surveyed the agricultural scene and the storage facilities (no doubt constructing new ones as needed) and then annually, for seven consecutive years, presided over storing 20 percent of the crops. The result was an immeasurable supply of grain in every strategic city. Joseph’s work ethic was apparent to all. But what was not apparent is that it came from his deep belief in God’s word.

Joseph’s faith had not shrunk with his rise to power. His belief remained constant and unwavering.

Joseph Blessed

Those seven years were also fruitful for Joseph in other ways, with the establishment of a family through the birth of two sons.

Genesis 41:50–52 ESV

Before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera 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.”

Manasseh means “he who causes to forget” and the birth of that little boy helped Joseph to forget the terrible hardships of his initial thirteen years in Egypt. And it also eased his longing for his father and siblings. Baby Manasseh brightened his life.

Ephraim means “fertile” and broadly celebrated not only the birth of his second son but the bounty Joseph was experiencing professionally in the collection of Egypt and in all of life. Joseph had been celebrating his blessings and was filled with gratitude, optimism, and hope.

But here is the great thing (and you mustn’t miss it): Joseph declared his allegiance to God and his faith in God’s word by giving his boys Hebrew names!

Remember, Joseph had been renamed with an Egyptian name—Zaphenath-paneah—and his wife was Asenath, which means “she who belongs to the goddess Neit,” referencing her idolatrous Egyptian ancestry. But the names of their sons amidst the aristocracy of the Nile were blatantly Hebrew!

Again, when all foreigners sought assimilation and welcomed Egyptianization, Joseph reasserted his ethnic, spiritual origin. And here, at this moment in history, Joseph not only understood the greatness of God as no other living person, but he also believed as no other person on earth!

Significantly this was at the beginning of seven years of famine.

Joseph’s Success

The Nile’s agribusiness has always depended on flooding, as Nahum Sarna explains:

Lower Egypt, the northern area of the country, is virtually rainless. Its entire economy, of which agriculture was the core in ancient times, has always depended upon the Nile floods caused by the river’s periodic rise during three summer months. The swelling of the river results from the torrential rains in the Upper Nile Basin being carried down to the Delta by the Blue Nile.

In ancient times an elaborate series of artificially constructed irrigation works controlled the distribution and utilization of the flood waters. The measurements of the maximum levels of inundation, as recorded by the Nilometers placed at strategic points along the river, were noted in the royal annals. Normally, the floods come with remarkable regularity.

But there are years when the rainfall in the southern Sudan provides an insufficient volume of water. A shortfall of only a few inches could deny irrigation to the arid areas of the north, deprive the arable land of its productivity, and bring famine to the inhabitants of Egypt.

So, the monstrous seven cows and seven ears of grain were ready to cannibalize the seven plump cows and ears of grain.

The seven years of famine were as terrible as the seven years of bounty were wonderful. The Genesis description reiterates “famine” five times, twice saying that it was severe.

Genesis 41:53–57 ESV

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.

Whenever the Nile failed to rise, misery ensued.

Egyptian records twice indicate that cyclic famine had become so bad that the Egyptians had resorted to cannibalism. Now the Egyptian famine was rendered even more severe by the unusual combination of rains failing to fall in Palestine and surrounding lands. The crisis involved everyone in “all the earth.” And had it not been for the implementation of Joseph’s great plan, mass death would have followed.

What success had come to Joseph!

Not only did Joseph engineer the saving of Egypt, but “all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.” Money readily poured into Egypt’s coffers, so that not only did the people have plenty to eat, but everyone actually prospered during the famine. And though he cared little about fame, Joseph became the hero of the Nile.

Again, there are glimmers here of the ultimate fulfillment of God’s word to Abraham: “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

And who can’t help but see, in Joseph’s faith in God’s word and in his commitment to do God’s work, glimpses of the Savior of the world? And, of course (though Joseph had no idea), the coming of all the earth to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain set the scene for the fulfillment of his dreams.

And on top of that, there would come a day when his father Jacob would call for his Hebrew grandsons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and would kiss and embrace them and lay his aged hands on their hands and bless them to carry on his line as the progenitors of the tribes that would bear their names.

For those who believe, life at the top is a perilous pursuit.

Many people forget God in the heights of prosperity and success.

As the Puritan Cotton Mather said in his own day, “Religion begat prosperity and the daughter devoured the mother.” But Joseph not only survived life at the top, he prospered.

Why?

The answer is found in thirteen years of testing in which his soul was tempered in the downs and ups of life:

· down in the pit at Shechem,

· down in slavery,

· up in Potiphar’s house

· down in the pit in Egypt,

· down further when he was forgotten

· and then up to the pinnacle in Egypt.

Through these extremes Joseph maintained at least three distinctives.

At the base he had a belief in the greatness of God. Joseph’s understanding of God was that he controlled all of life, including the day-in, day-out events of life.

He believed that God was at work in the richness of sinful life. In his day, Joseph maintained the greatest concept and understanding of God of any living soul. And he heroically declared that to Pharaoh (the would-be god man)—telling the king that God, not Pharaoh, controlled the destiny of the Nile.

Along with this Joseph believed God’s word that had been revealed to him through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

He believed in God’s promises. He also believed in his God-given dreams. And he believed all this without exception as he stood alone in Egypt, in complete opposition to everyone around him.

That’s how Moses would stand before Pharaoh, that’s how Daniel would stand before the King of Babylon, and that’s how the Apostle Paul towered before the courts of Rome. That’s how Martin Luther stood before the world. They all believed God’s word. Joseph believed God’s word as did no one else in his day did.

On top of that, Joseph believed that God was with him both in the pit and at the pinnacle. That’s why in the face of every political, social, and spiritual force in Egypt, he gave his boys Hebrew names.

Joseph’s belief in God’s greatness, more than any other man, Joseph’s belief in God’s word, as no other man at the time, Joseph’s belief that God was with him, more than any of his contemporaries is a pattern for every who would follow.

Today is the age of prosperity. And it’s possible for a middle-class person to live with greater ease and independence than the Pharaoh in Egypt, insulated from the economy, insulated from the changes of nature, insulated from illness, so much so that they never look to God for anything.

So, be warned and made wise by the God-given example of Joseph.