Remembered

Few can fully relate with God’s servant Job… all physical possessions gone overnight, sickness, pain, wrongful statements and accusations from friends, and ten children dying in the midst of all this… HE HAD NOTHING and he states these words in Job 23:3-10

Job 23:3–10 NASB95

“Oh that I knew where I might find Him, That I might come to His seat! “I would present my case before Him And fill my mouth with arguments. “I would learn the words which He would answer, And perceive what He would say to me. “Would He contend with me by the greatness of His power? No, surely He would pay attention to me. “There the upright would reason with Him; And I would be delivered forever from my Judge. “Behold, I go forward but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him; When He acts on the left, I cannot behold Him; He turns on the right, I cannot see Him. “But He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

“When He has tried me,”… it is a refining process, it takes time, trials, and time, hardships, and it takes time!!! but in the end… “I shall come forth as gold.”

Gold is NOT the externals… RATHER it is the internal work and VALUE

Joseph had grown well acquainted with this refining process:

Rejected by family, sold, forgotten, hardship after hardship

God had bad days planned for him

God allowed lies to be believed

God had kept him in the dungeons of life

While God through all of this was b his side, Never forgot him even when others did

And TIME… kept passing, day after day in the trial, day after day in the pits of life, day after day feeling forgotten…

God Had Not Forgotten!

Joseph did not know about Genesis 41. Joseph did not know what had occured the night before as two full years would come around… It was just another day where the sun came up in that dungeon in the Egyptian desert. Waiting faithfully on God… AND GOD WAS WORKING!!! Genesis 41:1-8

Genesis 41:1–8 NASB95

Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile. And lo, from the Nile there came up seven cows, sleek and fat; and they grazed in the marsh grass. Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and gaunt, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. The ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. He fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good. Then behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. The thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Now in the morning his spirit was troubled, so he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

God gives Pharaoh a dream, two dreams in fact! YET… no one can help him understand! (even the wisest most discerning men in the land)

Two full years later… the cup bearer REMEMBERS! Genesis 41:9-14

Genesis 41:9–14 NASB95

Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, “I would make mention today of my own offenses. “Pharaoh was furious with his servants, and he put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, both me and the chief baker. “We had a dream on the same night, he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. “Now a Hebrew youth was with us there, a servant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we related them to him, and he interpreted our dreams for us. To each one he interpreted according to his own dream. “And just as he interpreted for us, so it happened; he restored me in my office, but he hanged him.” Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh.

Joseph wakes up starts his day, not having any idea the craziness going on in Pharaoh’s court, nor knowing that someone finally remembered him… is suddenly told your presence is requested, clean up, shave, change your clothes and prepare to be in the presence of Pharaoh!

WHY? No time just get ready, go he has requested you!

Refining does something to the heart…

We don't see Joseph planning how he can take advantage of the situation

We see him humble, patient, and willing to WAIT on God… he had been learning to wait for thirteen years so far.

The following verses will explain why I see this in Joseph… Genesis 41:15-16

Genesis 41:15–16 NASB95

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”

There is no here is my chance to get in good with Pharaoh… in fact he says “It’s not in me” the NIV translates it “I cannot do it”!!!

I wonder if there was dramatic pause just to see the cup bearer sweat a little… probably not, in fact we don’t see bitterness or revenge anywhere in Joseph’s heart. More of that another time.

“GOD will give Pharaoh” the answer, the desired interpretation that none can give, God will bring you peace Pharaoh!!!

Joseph had Learned to Trust God

The dream is repeated to Joseph and Pharaoh states he has sought out all the wise of the land and none can interpret…

Notice in Joseph’s narrative in explaining the dream it is to GOD that he gives the credit and glory

Trials and refinement humble us… we begin to realize that we need to be smaller and HE needs to be GREATER!

Look at what Joseph shares… Genesis 41:25-32

Genesis 41:25–32 NASB95

Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same; God has told 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 and the same. “The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine. “It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do. “Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; and after them seven years of famine will come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will ravage the land. “So the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very severe. “Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about.

On the heals of delivering God’s Interpretation of the dream, Joseph delivers some recommendations that follow to prepare for what God is going to do! Genesis 41:33-37

Genesis 41:33–37 NASB95

“Now let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. “Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers in charge of the land, and let him exact a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance. “Then let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh’s authority, and let them guard it. “Let the food become as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish during the famine.” Now the proposal seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants.

When Joseph is done sharing the message from God he is silent and waits for Pharaoh’s response… as Joseph is trusting God and his timing he has learned to wait…(NLT) Proverbs 25:6-7 is a great example of what Joseph does here in his waiting and humility

Proverbs 25:6–7 NLT

Don’t demand an audience with the king or push for a place among the great. It’s better to wait for an invitation to the head table than to be sent away in public disgrace. Just because you’ve seen something,

Pharaoh’s response is something else! Joseph in his pointing to God has Pharaoh giving credit to God!!! Genesis 41:38-49

Genesis 41:38–49 NASB95

Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is a divine spirit?” So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are. “You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you.” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put the gold necklace around his neck. He had him ride in his second chariot; and they proclaimed before him, “Bow the knee!” And he set him over all the land of Egypt. Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Though I am Pharaoh, yet without your permission no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, as his wife. And Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt. Now Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. During the seven years of plenty the land brought forth abundantly. So he gathered all the food of these seven years which occurred in the land of Egypt and placed the food in the cities; he placed in every city the food from its own surrounding fields. Thus Joseph stored up grain in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped measuring it, for it was beyond measure.

Coming Forth as Gold!

Joseph started his day in the pit… by the end he was second in command of the most powerful nation in the world

A chariot, a wife, a signet ring (VISA), ALL POWER!

At age 30 God had worked in this man’s life, humility wisdom, grace

God works in all ages… young and old (maturity is NOT marked by years)

God had chosen a man who knew hardship and trials to lead a nation through one of the greatest trials it would ever face

God had prepared him for this very moment!!!

A slave in no ordinary home but Potiphar… Captain of the guard… royalty/conversations

Wonder what the dinner conversation was that night in Potiphar’s home???

A prisoner in the kings dungeon… grumblings, politics, inside perspective

AND prior to all this 17 years in a home (although not perfect, one that taught the One True God and His promises)

I love the example of verse 36… Joseph gets straight to work at the task God has set before him, there is no time for bitterness and revenge!

Joseph had been tried and refined by God… brokenness, disappointment, loneliness, unrealized dreams

But Joseph also comes forth as GOLD… a person of integrity, forgiveness, humility, and inner peace that can only come from God!

How are you allowing God to refine you? He is no stranger to hardship… REMEMBER He faced the cross for you and me!