Now today, Friends, our study brings us back to the 41st Chapter of Genesis.  It was a rather lengthy chapter.  We got down to Verse 46 and, if you have your Bible, and we’ll turn there.  And I trust you have our “Notes and Outlines” and, if you do, you’ll want to follow along with them also as well as the text of Scripture.  

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Now as I come to Verse 46, may I pick up the thread of our story!  Joseph is down in the land of Egypt, and he’s had hard luck up to this point.  He’s now been called in to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh, and he interprets those two dreams.  He tells them there are to be seven years of famine and there’s to be seven years of plenty to precede it and that during those years that Pharaoh should gather in all that he can in the granaries of Egypt and prepare for the day that’s coming.  And so Pharaoh, he hadn’t anyone better to put in charge of this than Joseph; and Joseph now becomes what would correspond, I think, to the Prime Minister of Pharaoh.  

Someone’s apt to say, “Well, how in the world did this man get into this unique position?  And why was it that Pharaoh was so willing to accept him?”  Well, primarily, number one, God’s with him.  All the way along, we’ve seen that.  The hand of God by His providence is leading this man.  As Joseph at the conclusion of Genesis says, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.”  It is wonderful to know that!  That’s number one.  

But number two, there’s also a very practical reason by the way, and that is that at this particular period in the history of Egypt, there had come to the throne of the Pharaohs the Hyksos kings.  They were from out in the desert; they were a Bedouin nomadic group, and for a period they came in and took over the throne of Egypt.  And they belonged to the same race, the same human stock that Joseph belonged to.  Actually, these Hyksos kings found it a little difficult to find in Egypt those that would be loyal and faithful to them.  Now that is one thing that characterized Joseph that we mentioned at the beginning.  The fact that this man knew that God was moving in his life, it made him faithful; faithful to whomsoever he was attached; faithful to his task because he knew God was in it, and he was faithful to Pharaoh.  So that explains the reason that this man found such a ready reception from Pharaoh at that time.  

Now he not only at the very beginning proved his ability, but Pharaoh put this chain as we saw about his neck, which gave him the same authority that Pharaoh had, and then gave him for a bride the daughter of the Priest of On.  Her name was Asenath.  Now that means “she who is of Neith,” and Neith is a goddess of the Egyptians.  In other words, she was an idolatress.  That’s what the name means, but Shakespeare said that “a rose by any other name smells as sweet,” but he didn’t call it Romeo and Asenath—Juliet sounded much better.  And she evidently comes right out of heathenism.  She is a Gentile bride for Joseph, and, by the way, there’s a parallel, is there not?  We’ve said this man’s more like the Lord Jesus; parallels Him.  The Lord Jesus is calling out of the world a Gentile Bride today; that’s the Church.  And Joseph had a Gentile bride.

JOSEPH & EGYPT’S PLENTIFUL YEARS

Now we’re told in Verse 46:

And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. 

Now mark that down.  He began his ministry when he was 30 years old.  And I’m of the opinion you’ve already thought of the parallel to the Lord Jesus.  He began his ministry when he was 30 years of age.  And so Joseph took up us work yonder in Egypt.

And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.  (Genesis 41:46)

Now what is he doing?  Well during these seven years of plenty, why he’s gathering the grain in; gathering all the produce of the land.  Because these are years of great abundance.  

And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.  (Genesis 41:47)

In other words, there was a great harvest, a great abundance during those years.  You will recall that after World War II, we began to accumulate in this country a great surplus.  It created a real farm problem.  If you rode the trains in those days, especially through Kansas and Missouri and Iowa, you’d pass bin after bin, silo after silo—literally hundreds, thousands of them—filled with grain that the government had stored.  A great many people said it was rather foolish to store that up.  

Now if you go through that country today, you don’t see that.  You know what has happened?  We’ve been sending it to the needy countries, and right now we don’t have enough to feed the starving millions of the world.  Someone has said that a hundred million people are going to starve.  And somebody says, “Well, why not send them something?”  Well, the reason is we don’t have enough now.  That surplus is pretty much used up, and so a hundred million are going to starve.  Our problem is which hundred million is it going to be that we let starve in the next decade?  Well, I don’t know, but the important thing for us to note here is during these seven years of plenty, and this seems to be the way the earth produces, especially since the curse of sin is upon it, seven years of plenty and then there are seven years of famine that came.  

Now he’s gathering together the grain.  Notice Verse 48:

And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities…

See a good distribution by the way.  During the Depression, they were in lines to soup kitchens in Chicago and New York if you are old enough to remember.  I know as a boy I was in Chicago, and those lines were a block long; fellows, young men in those lines.  And they wanted something; some selling apples.  Out yonder, stored up, there was abundance even then, but the problem was distribution.  That is, that’s what they said; problem of distributing it.  

Well, what you have here is Joseph doing a very practical thing; that he’s laying up the food the cities.  

…the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.  (Genesis 41:48)

In other words, he’s not only gathering together all of this surplus, but he’s putting in areas for ready distribution.

And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.  (Genesis 41:49)

In other words, I tell you, Egypt was the bread basket of the world.  It’s been called that, but under Joseph’s management it seemed to be two or three bread baskets.  

And Verse 50 now.

And unto Joseph were born two sons…So we have to pause for this little family note here…before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.  And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.  (Genesis 41:50-51)

If you want to know, a good name would be “Amnesia” or “He made me forget.”  It was so busy down there.  So much involved that he forgot about his father’s house.  And he’d been a homesick boy at first, but he’s not any more.  

Did you notice that—I called attention to it last time—that it mentions the fact that he shaved.  He arrayed himself.  You say, “That’s not a very important thing.  Only the Gillette Company might be interested in that.”  Well, he shaved himself because the Hebrews wore long beards.  And now that speaks to me of resurrection because he lays aside the old life; now he begins the new life.  Now keep that in mind.  He looks like an Egyptian from now on.  He dresses like an Egyptian; he talks like an Egyptian.  He says, “God’s made me forget.”  So his name is Manasseh and you can call him “Amnesia” if you want to.

And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.  (Genesis 41:52)

He’s fruitful!  And I’ve given these two boys two names—Manasseh/Amnesia and Ephraim, that means fruitful, Ambrosia.  Here we have Amnesia and Ambrosia if you want the English of it.  Somebody says, “Well, that is sure is free translating.”  It sure is, Friends.  But that’s exactly what the two boys’ names mean if you put it in English today; Amnesia and Ambrosia!

And now Verse 53.

And the seven years of plenteousness that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.

Now this takes you through the seven years of the plenty.  Now how old is Joseph now?  Thirty-seven years old.  Keep that in mind because I’m coming to something down here in just a few moments when we get into the next chapter.

WORLD FAMINE YEARS

And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.  And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.  (Genesis 41:54-55)

He was the one that had the bread.  And again, I have to call attention to the parallel.  The Lord Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.”  (John 6:35)  

And notice Verse 56.

And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the 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 so sore in all lands.

Now that brings us to end of Chapter 41.  

CHAPTER 42

Now when we come to Chapter 42, why, we see one of these dramatic incidents that is in the life of Joseph.  In fact, I think you have here one of the most dramatic incidents in Scripture.  The one that’s ahead of this one is in the very next chapter, and we’ll see that when we get to it.  

But here, why we see now what the famine is going to force them to do.  You say to me, “You can begin to see the hand of God now.”  You sure can.  But you must remember when Joseph was way back in that dungeon, he didn’t see all of this.  But he believed God.  Here is a man, because of his faith, he was enthusiastic.  He was always optimistic.  Frankly, I wish my faith got that far down in shoe leather.  Regardless of what happens, regardless of what the circumstances are, I could be optimistic.  I tell you it doesn’t take much rain but just a few dark clouds to make me begin to become just a little less optimistic than I should be.  I’m sure that’s true of many of us today.

Now this man’s in this unique position.  Now what’s going to happen?  I think you can almost see what’s going to happen.  The famine’s over all the earth, and all the earth is coming to Egypt to get grain.  Guess who’s coming for dinner, Friends?  Well, I can tell you.  Let’s get into the 42nd Chapter and we’ll find out.  

We’ll see here that the famine forces Jacob to send ten of his sons into Egypt to buy corn.  Why did he send 10?  Why didn’t he send Benjamin?  He didn’t want to lose him, Friends.  It would have killed him to have lost Benjamin.  And now we’re going to have an audience…these boys are with Joseph.  And Joseph recognizes them, but they do not recognize him.  Why?  Several reasons:  First of all, they thought he was dead; they were not looking for him at all.  Just didn’t expect to see him.  He did expect to see them.  

And the second thing is, you remember, he’s shaved.  And how many years have gone by now?  Well, let’s put it like this.  Joseph was 17 when he was sold into slavery, and it’s now 37 years.  So they haven’t seen him in 20 years plus how many years they were in the famine.  I don’t know.  Let’s say 2 years.  So they hadn’t seen him in 22 years.  Last time they saw him he was a 17-year-old boy.  Now he’s in his 40’s.  They don’t know him at all.  And he’s dressed like an Egyptian; call him an Egyptian.

Now will you notice, Verse 1 again.

Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

You see they were looking at each other, doleful, not knowing where to turn or what to do.

And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt…

And by the way, this illustrates this matter of faith.  A great many people say, “Faith is so mysterious to me, and I don’t know how to believe.”  I had a man in—the fact of the matter is he didn’t want to believe.  “How can I believe?”  Now will you notice here how Jacob believed!

And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.  (Genesis 42:2)

He had heard something.  He believed it, that it would bring life to them, and he acted on it.  That’s what saving faith is.  Somebody says, “How can I believe in Jesus?”  Can you imagine Jacob standing there before these 10 sons and saying, “Well, I’ve heard that there is corn down in Egypt, but how in the world am I going to believe it?”  Well, the way to believe it is to act upon it.  The Lord Jesus said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”  (Acts 16:31)  You hear something; you believe it.  And that’s what this man did.  That’s the way he got corn that brought life to them.  That’s the way we get eternal life is through faith in Christ.

Now notice.

And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.  But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.  (Genesis 42:3-4)

Well, suppose mischief befalls the other ten boys.  Well, they’re older to begin with and, if you want to know the truth, it wouldn’t have hurt him as much to have lost one of them.  Now will you notice that he keeps Benjamin with him, but he doesn’t keep the others.  He sends all ten of the others.  Notice Verse 5 now.

And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

Now we come to this dramatic moment.  Will you notice it?

And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.  (Genesis 42:6)

Now Joseph has been watching for them.  He knew they’d have to come.  And there had been delegations there from all over the inhabited earth of that day.  The famine was worldwide.  And so he watches.  Then, lo and behold, here come boys; ten young men.  And they all bow down before him.  They got right down on their faces before Joseph.  Joseph looks at those boys; he knows them.  You wonder what he thought of.  By the way, what do you think of?  Remember the dream he had, when he said that your sheaves will bow to my sheaf.  Well, here it’s taking place.  They’re all down on their faces.  Now Verse 7:

And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them…

And the minute he did, believe me, he treated them rough.  Why?  Testing them.  And you’ll find out he’s going to test them all the way through.  

…but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.  (Genesis 42:7)

Notice his penetrating questions.

And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.  And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.  And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.  We are all one man’s sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.   And he said unto them (Believe me, Joseph is pouring it on.  He says to them:) Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.  And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.  (Genesis 42:8-13)

But he happened to be the “one is” and not “is not”.  He’s right there before them.  May I say this is quite a dramatic moment, is it not?  And Joseph’s not letting up on them.  He’s getting all the information he can from them.  

And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies.  (Genesis 42:14)

And now he’s going to give them a test.  And he’s going to find out as much as he can about his family without letting these brethren know who he is.  Friends, this is like a continued story, so we’ll just have wait until next time to see what happens.