Genesis 42.6-First Stage of Joseph's Two Prophetic Dreams Is Fulfilled
Tuesday January 30, 2007
Genesis: Genesis 42:6-The First Stage of Joseph’s Two Prophetic Dreams is Fulfilled
Lesson # 272
Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 37:2.
On Sunday morning we studied Genesis 42:1-5, which presents to us the record of Jacob sending his sons to Egypt to buy grain in order to deal with the problem of the famine in Canaan.
Genesis 41:53-57 records for us that there was not only a famine in Egypt but also in the countries surrounding Egypt and the entire earth, thus Canaan where Jacob’s family lived was a victim of famine.
In Genesis 42, the narrator, Moses, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit temporarily departs from the story of Joseph and returns to Jacob who had been in Canaan while Joseph was in Egypt.
The prophecy recorded in Genesis 37:5-11 that was revealed in Joseph’s dream that he would rule over his entire family is about to be fulfilled in the three journeys that Jacob’s family will make to Egypt.
The dream/prophecy recorded in Genesis 37:5-11 was fulfilled in three stages: (1) Joseph’s brothers bowed once to honor him while he was prime minister of Egypt without Benjamin and Jacob (See Genesis 42:6). (2) With Benjamin but without Jacob, Joseph’s brothers bowed down twice to honor him while he was prime minister of Egypt (See Genesis 43:26, 28). (3) All Joseph’s brothers bow down to him along with his father Jacob (See Genesis 46:1-27).
Genesis 42:1-38 records ten of Joseph’s brothers bowing down to him, then Genesis 43:1-45:28 records the same ten again bowing down to him but this time with Benjamin and then all Joseph’s brothers bow down to him along with his father Jacob in Genesis 46:1-27.
After Jacob dies, Joseph’s eleven brothers throw themselves at Joseph’s feet (See Genesis 50:18).
Also, the prophecy that the Lord gave to Abraham in Genesis 15:12-16 that his descendants would be enslaved in Egypt for four hundred years is about to be fulfilled as well.
Genesis 42 begins the “third act” of the tenth and final section in the book of Genesis.
This tenth section in the book of Genesis is contained Genesis 37:2-50:26 and gives us the account of Jacob’s descendants.
The first act was contained in Genesis 37:2-38:30, introducing us to the dysfunctional family of Jacob (37:2-38:30), giving us the account of Joseph being rejected by his brothers and sold into slavery (37:2-36) as well as containing the story of Judah sinning against Tamar and having twins with her (38:1-30).
The second act was contained in Genesis 39:1-41:57 presenting Joseph’s rise to power over Egypt, giving us the account of Joseph in Potiphar’s house (39:1-20), being imprisoned and interpreting the dreams of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker (39:21-40:23) as well as being promoted by Pharaoh to prime minister (41:1-57).
The third act is contained in Genesis 42:1-46:27, giving us the account of the dysfunctional family of Jacob being reconciled in Egypt and contains four scenes.
The first scene recorded in Genesis 42 presents Joseph’s brothers with the exception of Benjamin making their first journey to Egypt to buy grain.
During this trip Joseph imprisons Simeon, promising his release upon their second journey with Benjamin with them.
However, Joseph plants money in their sacks and then gives his brothers a choice of either returning the money, guaranteeing Simeon’s release or of keeping it and thus jeopardizing his freedom.
Genesis 43 contains the second scene where Joseph’s steward returns Simeon to his brothers as soon as, but only after they return the money to him.
At the end of this scene, Joseph tests his brothers by giving Benjamin preferential treatment and without envy the brothers joyously drink together.
Genesis 44:1-14 contains the third scene where Joseph put his brothers to their final test of love for their brother in need by making Benjamin alone appear guilty of secretly placing his silver cup in his sack and counseling the other brothers to return home in peace.
But then, in Genesis 44:15-34, Judah offers himself as a slave in Benjamin’s place, which causes Joseph to reveal his identity to his brothers since they have demonstrated to him that he can trust them completely and this is recorded in Genesis 45:1-15.
People who sell their brother into slavery are not trustworthy and so therefore Joseph retained power over his brothers until he could trust them.
In the fourth and final scene that is recorded in Genesis 45:16-24 we see Jacob’s entire family migrating toward Egypt to live with Joseph.
Beginning in Genesis 42, we see the providence of God at work in bringing about a reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers as well as relocating Joseph’s family to Egypt in order to protect it from the Canaanite influence.
The means by which God brought about this reconciliation and relocation of Jacob’s family to Egypt was the famine that wracked Canaan, Egypt and the entire earth causing Jacob to send his sons to Egypt to buy grain.
Joseph works with this providence to unite his brothers and demonstrates that he not only is the leader of Egypt but also of his family, leading his brothers to repentance and reconciliation.
In the third act that is contained in Genesis 42:1-46:27, we see the spiritual transformation of Joseph’s brothers with Joseph and Judah emerging as heroes.
In this act, we see Joseph’s brothers rallying around Benjamin whereas years before they had conspired to kill Joseph.
Also, in this act, we Joseph’s brothers demonstrating compassion towards their father whereas years before they demonstrated none when breaking the news of Joseph.
Judah emerges as the family leader in this act, which is demonstrated in his willingness to become Joseph’s slave instead of Benjamin.
Lastly, we see Joseph forgiving his brothers for their actions against him in the past.
This first scene that appears in Genesis 42 consists of three sections: (1) Jacob sends his sons to Egypt (42:1-5). (2) Joseph’s brothers have two audiences with him (42:6-26). (3) Joseph’s brothers return to Jacob in Canaan (42:27-38).
On Sunday morning we studied the first section contained in Genesis 42:1-5, which presents to us the record of Jacob sending his sons to Egypt to buy grain in order to deal with the problem of the famine in Canaan.
As we studied in Genesis 41:53-57, there was not only a famine in Egypt but also in the countries surrounding Egypt and the entire earth, thus Canaan where Jacob’s family lived was a victim of famine.
This evening we will study Genesis 42:6, which records the fulfillment of the first stage of Joseph’s two prophetic dreams that are recorded in Genesis 37:5-11 and which revealed that he would rule over his entire family.
Genesis 37:2, “These are the records of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, when seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers while he was still a youth, along with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father.”
Genesis 37:3, “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic.”
Genesis 37:4, “His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms.”
Genesis 37:5, “Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.”
Genesis 37:6-7, “He said to them, ‘Please listen to this dream which I have had; for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf rose up and also stood erect; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.”
Genesis 37:8, “Then his brothers said to him, ‘Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us?’ So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.”
Genesis 37:9, “Now he had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said, ‘Lo, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.’”
Genesis 37:10, “He related it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, ‘What is this dream that you have had? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?’”
Genesis 37:11, “His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.”
Now, please turn to Genesis 42:1.
Genesis 42:1, “Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt, and Jacob said to his sons, ‘Why are you staring at one another?’”
Genesis 42:2, “He said, ‘Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die.’”
Genesis 42:3, “Then ten brothers of Joseph went down to buy grain from Egypt.”
Genesis 42:4, “But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, ‘I am afraid that harm may befall him.’”
Genesis 42:5, “So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also.”
Genesis 42:6, “Now Joseph was the ruler over the land; he was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.”
“Ruler” is the noun shallit (fyL!v^) (shal-leet), which refers to the fact that Pharaoh had delegated to Joseph absolute power and authority over the nation of Egypt and reflects the Egyptian title “Chief of the Entire Land,” which is a title synonymous with “prime minister.”
The statement “he (Joseph) was the one who sold to all the people of the land” refers to the well-known Egyptian office of “Overseer of the Granaries of Upper and Lower Egypt.”
The duties of this office involved the collection of tax payments on field produce (See Genesis 47:24) as well as the storage of the grain of bumper crops for distribution in years of famine.
Therefore, we see that Joseph held two offices since not only was he the prime minister over Egypt but also he held the office of “Overseer of the Granaries of Upper and Lower Egypt.”
Therefore, Joseph managed the sale and distribution of all the grain that was held in reserve.
All foreigners had to meet with Joseph personally as the prime minister of the land of Egypt since he was the only one in Egypt who was delegated authority by Pharaoh to sell to them.
Joseph’s brothers bow down to him, which was appropriate act of respect for a sovereign of a nation.
Unknowingly, by bowing down to him, Joseph’s brothers fulfilled the first stage in the fulfillment of his prophetic dreams that he related to them at seventeen years of age, which are recorded in Genesis 37:5-11.
Now, if you recall, we studied in Genesis 41 that Joseph made extensive trips throughout Egypt and delegated authority to civil administrators in each city in Egypt who would be subordinate to him and would help him execute his plan that he presented to Pharaoh, which is recorded in Genesis 41:33-37.
Therefore, Joseph did “not” personally manage the sale of grain in every detail to each individual who came to buy.
However, undoubtedly, he would give special attention to foreigners.
Especially, Hebrews from Canaan since his family resided there and the famine was severe there as well.
Therefore, Joseph was anticipating the arrival of his family to buy grain and would have given orders to his subordinates in each city to bring word to him when any Hebrew men from Canaan came to buy grain so that he could be present in the hopes of having a reunion and seeing the fulfillment of his two prophetic dreams.
The fact that Joseph’s brothers bowed down to him was according to Joseph’s prediction recorded in Genesis 37:5-11 and demonstrated that his two dreams were inspired by God and were a part of God’s plan and sovereign will from eternity past.
Therefore, these events were a manifestation of the spiritual principle taught in Jeremiah 1:12, that the Lord watches over His Word to perform it.
Jeremiah 1:12, “Then the LORD said to me, ‘You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.’”
It is also a manifestation of the spiritual principle taught in Isaiah 46:8-11 that the Lord will accomplish in time that which He has spoken and planned from eternity past.
Isaiah 46:9-10, “Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.’”
Isaiah 46:11, “Calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.”
The fulfillment of the first stage of Joseph’s two prophetic dreams was also a manifestation of the omnipotence of His Word.
Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
The fulfillment of the first stage of Joseph’s two prophetic dreams teaches us that we must wait patiently upon God.
Hebrews 6:13, “For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself.”
Hebrews 6:14, “saying, ‘I WILL SURELY BLESS YOU AND I WILL SURELY MULTIPLY YOU.’”
Hebrews 6:15, “And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.”
Psalm 37:7, “Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him.”
The fulfillment of the first stage of Joseph’s two prophetic dreams teaches us that perseverance or endurance is essential in order to receive the fulfillment of God’s promises.
Perseverance is the capacity to continue to bear up under difficult circumstances.
Joseph had to continue to bear up under the difficult circumstance of being enslaved in Egypt and unjustly imprisoned in order to finally receive the fulfillment of his two prophetic dreams that he would rule over his family.
Romans 5:3, “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance.”
The Scriptures are designed to produce perseverance in us and to encourage us.
Romans 15:4, “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
Many times, the two prophetic dreams gave encouragement to Joseph while in servitude and while imprisoned.