The dream came true (Gen 41:37-45)

1. Intro

- We know Joseph had had two dreams through which God revealed His plan.

- God revealed that Joseph would be a leader in a high position.

- In today’s text, Joseph finally meets Pharaoh.

- Interestingly, it was because of a dream that Joseph could meet Pharoah.

- 웃기죠? Joseph was sold by his brothers because he told them his dreams.

- However, in today’s story, Joseph met Pharaoh because of dreams.

- Today, this text gives us two messages.

~ I hope we pay attention to these two messages and apply to our lives.

2. Brief Story Telling

1) Interpreting others’ dreams in prison

- We know Joseph was taken to prison with a false accusation.

- There, he met two men. One was the cupbearer of the king who was in charge of the king’s drinks. The other was the baker of the king who was in charge of the king’s food.

- In the prison, the two men dreamed at the same night. When they agonized about the dreams, Joseph says to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God?”

- Then, Joseph interpretted the dreams, and it came true as Joseph interpreted.

- The cupbearer restored his position so he could serve the king again. He promised to Joseph that he would help him come out of the prison.

- But he forgot Joseph, and two years passed. For the two years, Joseph would have waited for some good news, but there was nothing. Again, hopeless!

2) Interpreting Pharaoh’s dream

- After two years, the king Pharaoh had a very weird dream.

- Pharaoh wanted to interpret the dream, and the cupbearer who suddenly remembered Joseph introduced Joseph to the king.

- So, finally, Jeseph meets Pharaoh.

- Joseph who stands before the king says to him like this.

<< Gen 41:16

- He had two dreams. In the first dream, seven fat cows and seven ugly cows appear, but the seven ugly cows ate the seven fat cows.

- In the second dream, there are seven good heads of grain and seven thin heads of grain, but the thin heads swallow the good heads of grain.

- After listening to this dream, Joseph says to the king,

<< Gen 41:25

- And with the help of God, Joseph interpreted the dream clearly. It was not the end. Joseph also suggested the answer of how to handle what’s gonna happen.

3) Joseph becomes in charge of Egypt

- Pharaoh and his officials admired Joseph’s interpretation and suggestion.

- Look at Pharaoh’s response!

<< Gen 41:38

- Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of the whole land of Egypt.

- It means that he becomes Number 2 like vice president or prime minister.

- As the symbol, the king takes his ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger.

- And the king gives Jeseph the prime minister’s cloth, golden necklace, vehicle, and so on.

- In addition, the king had Joseph marry.

<< the last verse, Gen 41:45

3. 요셉의 마음

- At the moment, Joseph would have come up with the dream he had when he was 17 years old.

- Just as Pharaoh dreamed similar dreams twice, Joseph had also dreamed twice.

- It was not a silly dream. It was really God’s revelation that Joseph would be a leader.

- Although his life progressed differently from his expectation, finally, the dream came true according to God’s plan.

Message 1: God’s plan is surely accomplished.

!! This is because God is the one who reigns over the whole universe and our whole lives. He is Creator. He is the real King. Pharaoh was just a human king who had a little power. But God’s power and sovereignty are infinite and perfect.

- Although the process in which God accomplishes the plan is different than our thought, God does it in His amazing way and His timing.

- Such sovereignty of God is beyond our power, wisdom, will, weakness, wickedness, problem, our everything.

- So He always fulfills His plan and is glorified.

!! This God has plans for you guys, for each of you, too. And the plan will be also accomplished surely. <PPT>

- As He wants, God will drive your life. Your entire life and every moment is being driven by God. All things happening in your life now is being driven by His plan.

And in His timing, the plan for you will be perfected.

>> Therefore, acknowledge the sovereignty of God! Look forward to the plan and the picture that will be perfected in the future! Trust in the God every day!<PPT>

>> Especially, when you face difficultes as Joseph did, don’t be anxious! Just consider God’s sovereignty and plan!

>> When you are facing important matters, consider God’s sovereignty and be free from anxiety and fear! Because God’s will and plan will be accomplished. Enstrust the result to God! And just do your best!

- EX: Amy is participating in the golf competition from Monday. It’s very big and important event. So Amy may feel nervous a little bit.

- But I want to say to Amy. “The game is also the process where God is driving your life according to His plan. Entrust all your anxiety, uneasiness, fear of the result to God. Just trust in God and believe His plan is always good for you. Just do your best with free and peaceful mind.” This is acknowledging God’s sovereignty.

- Remember who Joseph says in today’s text!

- “interpretations belong to God!” All matters belong to God!

- “It is not in me. God will give the answer” God will do that, not I.

Message 2: Through the process, God transforms us into those who reveal God like Jeseph

- When we see Joseph’s words in today’s story, we can notice he is unceasingly mentioning God.

- Joseph always reveals God in his conversations with others. In the conversations, he depends on God and exalts God.

- EX: Are there such people around you? Those who say of God in almost every conversation. Those who mention God too much. 하나님.. 하나님..

- If it is too much, they can look weird, right?

- Some people do like that even when they are with non-Christian. We sometime think that that is not wise behavior.

- By the way, Joseph was like that. Those who Jeseph was conversing with in the text were cupbearer and Pharaoh and his officials. They are not those who believe in God. Joseph did not need to mention God. Rather, It can be disadvantage to him in that situation. Nevertheless, He continuously reveals God.

<< Gen 40:8; 41:16, 25, 32

- I also think that we need to be wise in our conversation. Sometimes, we need to control the expression of our faith in God to empathize with others.

- But Joseph didn’t do like that. How was the result? God helped him and made others also confess God in their mouth. “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?”

!! When one actively reveals God in his life and conversation, God helps him/her. <PPT>

- Through the long process of harships, Joseph was shaped into God-centered person who reveal God in his life.

>> How’s your life? How’s your conversation?

- Do you reveal God in your life or in your conversation?

- We are not doing that. Even in conversations with Christians, God is not mentioned a lot.

- If our thoughts and mind are full of God, we will naturally say God and reveal God in our words and behaviors. And people will say, “Oh, 성현 is really God’s man. 유은 is God’s woman.”

>> I hope your thoughts and words are full of God so God may flow out in your conversation and life. How pleased God would be! He will help you when you reveal God! <PPT>

~ God will shape us into these people. And when we become this kind of people who reveal God in our life, we will see that God’a plan for us is perfected just as Joseph sees the moment in today’s text.

4. Conclusion

- 두가지 메시지 정리

<기도제목>

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