Book of Genesis - Ch. 40, Vs. 1-Ch. 41, Vs. 57 (04/15/2001)

Park Meadows Church

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Well, we're completely unbalanced today. The right hand is weighing heavy.

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Turn to the 40th chapter of Genesis. And it came to pass, after these things, that the butler, the king of Egypt, and his baker had offended their lord, the king of Egypt.

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These were two very important offices. They had hundreds of people under them.

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But the responsibility fell on them. The world stands for the sake of the church and is governed for its good.

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Did you realize that? The world stands for the sake of the church.

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Two of the great officers of Pharaoh's court, having offended the king, are committed to prison.

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And Pharaoh was wroth against his two officers, against the chief of the butlers and against the chief of the bakers.

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He puts them into a ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.

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Joseph is in charge. Do you begin to see God's hand in all of this?

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God works in many wonderful ways to deliver his own. I would have never subjected

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Joseph to that. But God did. And he put them in a ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.

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And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them. And he served them.

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And they continued a season in a ward. A season is usually thought of as one year.

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I think in this case that it was a year. Literally days.

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How long is uncertain. But as they were called to account on the king's birthday, it had been supposed that their offenses had been committed on the preceding anniversary.

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And they dreamed a dream, both of them. And each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker, the king of Egypt, which were bound in prison.

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Do you see now the necessity of Joseph being a dreamer, interpreter of dreams and dreaming himself?

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It's been a long time, hasn't it? Not like dreams in general that are disoriented and lack the control of the mind.

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But these were dreams that had interpretation. That is, they were prophetic.

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And they knew that. Joseph came in unto them in the morning and looked upon them, and they were sad.

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Now, more than being sad for in prison, they were sad because of their dreams.

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They could not figure out what had happened. They concluded that the dreams meant something of great importance, but they could not tell what.

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And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying,

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Wherefore look ye so sadly? And they said unto him,

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We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them,

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Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me,

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I pray you. Now, he knows that the interpretation of it is not his, is not the magician's.

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It belongs to God. God alone, the Supreme Being. If he has said it, then,

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Greg, he can certainly interpret it. And a chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and he said to him,

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In my dream, behold, a vine was before me. And in the vine were three branches.

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And it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth. And the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes.

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And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand. And I took the grapes, pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup unto

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Pharaoh's hand. What do we see here? Do you see anything that would answer a question widely discussed?

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Joy, you see it? Jesse, you see it?

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No. You won't see it unless you slow down and really look.

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David, the Pharaoh's cup was in my hand.

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And I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup. They didn't drink wine.

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They drank grape juice. We find from this that wine, anciently, was the mere expressed juice of the grapes, without fermentation.

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The sackey, or the cupbearer, took the bunch of the juice of the grapes and instantly delivered it to the

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Pharaoh's hand. Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it.

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The three branches are three days. Yet within three days shall

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Pharaoh lift up thine head and restore thee unto thy place.

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And thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand after the former manner when thou wast his butler.

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He is going to return you to your old job. Speaking as the inspired interpreter, he told the butler that within three days he would be restored to all the honors and privileges of his office.

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And while making the joyful announcement, he earnestly bespoke the officer's influence for his own liberation.

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Nothing has heretofore met us in the record indicative of Joseph's feelings, but this earnest appeal reveals a sadness and impatient longing for a release which not at all his piety and faith in God could dispel.

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He was wanting to be out of there, but we don't see it in his actions.

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And this is the only place we find it. But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and show kindness,

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I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house.

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For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also have

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I done nothing that they should put me in the dungeon. When we are called to vindicate ourselves, we should carefully avoid as much as may be speaking ill of others.

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Let us contend to prove ourselves innocent and not fond of upbraiding others with their guilt.

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Joseph could have found all kinds of fault, starting with his brothers. They didn't understand.

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They sold me into slavery, got down here, and I was sold to Potiphar and then put in prison for something

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I didn't do. And he could spend a lifetime in complaining about what he didn't do.

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But he didn't do that. He asked the butler to remember him when he got his liberty, that he wanted his liberty also.

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David, what would have happened if he had gained his liberty? Yes. Well, not what he couldn't do there, but what would he have done?

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If he'd have been absolutely free. That's right.

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He'd have headed for home. That wasn't God's plan. When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto

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Joseph, I also was in my dream, and behold, I had three white baskets on my head, and in the uppermost basket was all manner of baked meats for Pharaoh, and the birds did eat them out of my basket on my head.

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And Joseph answered him and said, This is the interpretation thereof.

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The three baskets are three days. It starts off just like the other one. Yet within three days shall

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Pharaoh lift up thy head from off of thee. And shall hang it on a tree, and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off of thee.

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And it came to pass on the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that's why we thought that it was his birthday in the beginning, that he made a feast unto all his servants.

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And he lifted up the head of the chief butler and the chief baker among his servants.

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This was probably a holiday season celebrated in court with great magnificence.

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Accordingly, the issue happened that the butler and baker, as Joseph had foretold, doubtless he felt it painful to communicate such dismal tidings to the baker, but he could not help announcing what

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God had revealed unto him. Joseph didn't want to say what he did. Did you ever get in a position where you had to say what

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God wanted, not what you wanted? David's been there many times. And it was for honor, for the true

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Godhead, that he should speak plainly. And he restored the butler unto his butlership, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.

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How prone we are to forget and neglect in prosperity. Now, he has a charge from Joseph, but he forgets about it.

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Rightly so, he forgot because God ordered him to forget. Those have been their companions in adversity, but although reflecting no credit on the butler, it was wisely ordered in the providence of God.

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We know, but the butler didn't. He simply forgot.

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But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet did not the chief butler remember

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Joseph, but he forgot him. Now we'll take 41 a little ways.

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And it came to pass at the end of two years, two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed, and behold, he stood by the river.

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Now we're going to get a dream that's going to change history. And behold, there came up out of the river seven well -favored kind.

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What is that, Charlie? Cattle. Well -favored means what?

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Fat. Like Charlie.

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For fat flesh, and they fed in the meadow. Now, this was kind, or cattle, kind,

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K -I -N -E, or cattle. It did not necessarily mean cows. It could be anything from a hippopotamus to a rhinoceros.

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And behold, seven other kind came up after them out of the river, ill -favored, lean -fleshed, like Charlie, and stood by the other kind upon the brink of the river.

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And the ill -favored and lean -fleshed kind did eat up the seven well -favored and fat kind.

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So Pharaoh worked. Charlie, don't ever let anybody real skinny stand next to you. But actually, that's a good point.

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These dreams are symbolic. They're not actually what happened. They're all symbolic.

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Well, you've redeemed yourself. And he slept and dreamed the second time, and behold, seven ears of corn came up on one stalk, rank and good.

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How many of you have ever seen corn growing? And behold, seven thin ears, and blasted with the east wind, sprang up after them.

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And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.

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He was just having dreams one after another. It came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled.

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And he sent and called for all of the magicians. Now we're getting close to the coming of Joseph.

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Magicians of Egypt and all of the wise men thereof. And Pharaoh told them his dream. But there was none that could interpret them unto

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Pharaoh. Why didn't they try? David?

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They didn't get to keep doing it. That's right. So I don't know if I'd have tried either if I was going to be killed if I didn't get it right.

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And spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day.

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I just forgot until now. Pharaoh was rough with his servants.

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Put me in prison, in the ward, in the captain of the guard's house. Both me and the chief baker.

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And we dreamed a dream in one night. I and he, we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

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And there was there with us a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard.

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And we told him, and he interpreted dreams to us. To each man according to his dream he did interpret.

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I just now remembered. And it came to pass as he interpreted to us, so it was.

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It was me he restored into mine office, and him he hanged. A year ago.

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Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. And he shaved himself, changed his raiment, and came in unto the king.

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Why in the world did he stop to shave and change? Greg? That's right.

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Again we see the character of Joseph. In the fact that he wanted to be clean and very presentable when he came into the presence of Pharaoh.

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And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream. And there is none that can interpret it.

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And I have heard say of thee, thou canst interpret a dream to him. Thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.

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And Joseph answered Pharaoh saying, it's not in me. I don't do this.

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God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. What a good example for us to follow.

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We should always give God the credit for whatever happens in our life. For nothing is of us.

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Joseph advised at the very onset of the answer, Pharaoh desired could only come from God.

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I wonder how many times we forget. We take the credit ourselves. Be very, very cautious.

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Pharaoh said unto Joseph, in my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river. And behold, there came up out of the river seven kind, fat -fleshed, well -favored, and they fed in the meadow.

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And behold, seven other kind came up after them poor and ill -fed, ill -favored and lean -fleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness.

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And the lean and ill -favored kind did eat up the first seven fat kind.

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And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them.

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In other words, June, they ate the fat, but they didn't look any different.

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That's important. So I awoke.

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And in my dream, behold, seven ears came upon one stall, full and good.

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Behold, seven ears weathered thin and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.

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Now, an east wind was rather unusual in that country.

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But when God sent it, it blasted everything. I remember in the

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Dust Bowl days, it blasted everything. Even the paint off of a tractor.

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And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears, and I told this unto the magicians. But there was none that could declare it unto me.

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There was not one of them that would even try. And Joseph said unto

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Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one. So he had two dreams, but they're all one.

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God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. And God does nothing but that he shows his people first.

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The seven good kind are seven ears. The seven good ears are seven ears. The dream is one.

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And the seven thin and ill -favored kind that came up after them are seven ears.

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And the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.

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This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh, what God is about to do, he showed unto

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Pharaoh. Now, isn't it remarkable that Joseph knew that God was about to do it?

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We might have told the dream, interpreted it, and not given God a second thought.

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Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt. And there shall arise after them seven years of famine, and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt.

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And the famine shall consume the land. And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following, for it shall be very grievous.

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And for the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice.

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It is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

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Now, therefore, let Pharaoh look out a man, discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.

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Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years, and let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn unto the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.

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Why in the cities? So they could be guarded.

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Alright, but another reason. Easier to distribute.

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And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land perish not through the famine.

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Does Joseph know that his family is going to be affected? His family does not live here.

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And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all of his servants. And Pharaoh said unto his servants,

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Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom the Spirit of God is, that should be little less?

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And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all of this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou.

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Now you must remember this. Even though the translators use capital letters in certain places,

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Pharaoh did not observe Jehovah as Jehovah. He knew the

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God that Joseph served was a great God, but he didn't know him as Jehovah. Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word, shall all my people be ruled.

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Only in the throne will I be greater than thee. And again we go from rags to riches.

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We've taken Joseph out of the dungeon and set him as second in the whole nation.

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Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.

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Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand and put it upon Joseph's hand and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck and made him to ride in the second chariot which he had.

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And they cried before him, Bow the knee. And he made him ruler over the land of Egypt.

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Do you see that a part of the prophecy of his own dream is coming true?

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Bow the knee. Everybody had to bow the knee to Joseph. And Pharaoh said unto

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Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.

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Pharaoh called Joseph's name something, and he gave him to his wife,

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Athena, the daughter of somebody else, priest of Aum. Joseph's name,

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Saphonipanna, and he gave him his wife, gave him to his wife,

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Athena, the daughter of Potiphar, priest of Aum.

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And Joseph went over all the land of Egypt. And Joseph was about thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt.

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Does thirty years ring a bell with anybody? That's right.

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So again, I should have asked you in the beginning to keep a running list of things that spoke of Jesus.

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And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went throughout all the land of Egypt. And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by hands, hands full, handfuls.

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And they gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt and laid up the food in the cities, the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid him up in the same.

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The farmers lived in town, gentlemen farmers. They had their lot outside of town.

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They were all around the town. They all lived in the community, again, for protection and to guard them and everything.

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But they'd go out to their farms. Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering, for it was without number.

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And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which the sin of the daughter of a priest of all bear unto him.

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Joseph called the names of the firstborn, called the name of the firstborn Manasseh.

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You need to remember that. For God, said he, hath made me forget all my soul and all of my father's house.

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And the name of the second called Ephraim, for God has called me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

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So we see in the name of his two sons, the first one caused him to forget his family, the second one made him a resident of the land.

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Unto Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine, which, read that, and the seven years of plentyous that was in the land of Egypt were ended, and the seven years of dearth began to come.

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Now it's spelled dearth here. We have a drought, same word.

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I know the news commentators insist on pronouncing it drought,

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D -R -U -T. I want to sit here and tell you that's wrong.

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It's drought. If you look up the English spelling of it, it's drought. And I don't know why they all went to drought.

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Huh? It's easier. Well, it's harder for me.

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And the seven years of plentyous that was in the land of Egypt were ended. According to Joseph, he said,

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And the dearth was in all lands, but in the land of Egypt there was bread. And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people called to Pharaoh for bread.

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And Pharaoh said unto them all, Said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto

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Joseph. What he says to you, you do. So take all your instructions from him.

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Famine was over all the faces of the earth. Joseph opened the storehouses and sold unto the

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Egyptians. And the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn, because that the famine was sore in all the lands.

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So we see the beginning in now of Joseph.

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Great, great man. Any words from anybody? Then we'll stand.