This is Connect with Skip Heitzig, and we're so glad you've joined us for today's program. Connect with Skip Heitzig is all about connecting you to the never-changing truth of God's Word through verse-by-verse teaching.
That's why we make messages like this one today available to you and others. Before we get started with the program, we want to invite you to check out connectwithskip.com. There, you'll find resources like full message series, weekly devotionals, and more. While you're at it, be sure to sign up for Skip's weekly devotional emails and receive teaching from God's Word right in your inbox each day. Sign up today at connectwithskip.com.
That's connectwithskip.com. Now, let's get started with today's message from Pastor Skip Heitzig. You'll notice in verse 8 that he was troubled, but it says, No one could interpret these dreams for Pharaoh. Now, this is puzzling. It's not puzzling that they couldn't interpret it because it was a dream from God, but you would at least think they would make something up.
You know, give it a try. Well, yes, actually, what this means, Pharaoh, is just sort of like, I've got to guess because I don't want to die. Those who interpreted dreams in ancient times were of the priestly cast. Now, it was believed in ancient Egyptian thinking that the gods gave people dreams, but would not give them the interpretation. They had to figure it out. There were clues, and so these dream seekers would read the hieroglyphics and tombs in ancient dream literature for keys on dream interpretation. It was quite a science. They couldn't figure it out.
It's a setup. Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying, I remember my faults this day. Like, oh, yeah. When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker, we each had a dream in one night, he and I. Each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. There was a young Hebrew man with us there, a servant of the captain of the guard, and we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us, to each man he interpreted according to his own dream.
When it came to pass, just as he interpreted for us, so it happened. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him. Now Joseph, meanwhile, is back in jail. He doesn't know this is happening. His whole world is about to change. You know, Joseph got up that morning, maybe looked around the walls of his cell, and thought, yep, another day in the dungeon. He had no clue what was coming. Now his story so far has been from riches to rags.
Now it turns from rags to riches. Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon. And he shaved, changed his clothes, and came to Pharaoh. Now why did he do that? You might say, well, he just was an upstanding man. He's a man of personal hygiene.
He's a prisoner. They don't afford him personal hygiene. They did it because according to Egyptian custom, men were completely shaven. No beards, no mustaches, no goatees, no soul patches, no hair on the head, completely shaved.
Cue ball. Joseph never would have shaved as a Hebrew, as Hebrew custom goes, never would have shaved the corners of his beard or his beard. It's a sign very unique to the Hebrews, even according to the law, that will be given later by Moses. But he's in Egypt, and he's a prisoner. And when you're in Egypt, you walk like an Egyptian, you dress like an Egyptian, you kind of do the, he appeared like an Egyptian, clean shaven.
Cue ball. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I've dreamed a dream, or I've had a dream, and there's no one who can interpret it, but I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream to interpret it. Listen to his answer. Joseph answered Pharaoh, it is not in me, God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace. I'm always amazed at Joseph's answers. I'm amazed that the first words out of his mouth aren't words of blame. He didn't say, first of all, let me tell you, I don't deserve to be here.
That Potiphar creep, and his wife, and then that butler, I'd have been here a lot earlier if that butler would have remembered. And the words to Pharaoh are honest, but there's a hint of boldness. He's standing before the ruler of the world at that time, and he goes, no, really, it's not me at all.
The Lord, the Lord, this is his gig. Somebody once said, if you kneel before God, you can stand before anybody. I think those two years in prison solidified the rock solid trust in God that is exhibited here. He didn't care who Pharaoh is, he cares who God is. He didn't care what Pharaoh thinks about him, he cares what God thinks about him. It's the same kind of tenacity that John the Baptist had with Herod, same kind of tenacity Paul the Apostle had with Felix, Festus, and Agrippa, same kind of tenacity that Elijah the prophet had with King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. If you kneel before God, you can stand before anyone.
What a great answer. It's not in me. God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, behold, in my dream I stood on the banks of a river. And he retells the whole story that we just read.
Pick it up now in verse 24 at the end. So I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me. Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, the dreams of the Pharaoh are one. God has shown Pharaoh what he's about to do. Pharaoh got two dreams, they meant the same thing. Joseph got two dreams, they meant the same thing.
He's on very familiar ground as he's speaking to the Pharaoh about this. He said, the seven good cows are seven years. And the seven good heads are seven years, the dreams are one.
The seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years. And the seven empty blighted by the east wind, the heads of grain, are seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh.
God has shown Pharaoh what he's about to do. Indeed, seven years of great plenty will come throughout the land of Egypt. But after them, seven years of famine will arise. And all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. And all the famine will deplete the land. So the plenty will not be known in the land because the famine following.
For it will be very severe. And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God. And God will shortly bring it to pass.
Now he's going to give him some helpful advice. Number one, you need good management. Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this and let him appoint officers over the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. So it's time to start saving, Pharaoh. Not spending, saving. You need to save because the future looks really bleak. So you need to save 20% and store it up.
Because when this country really goes through an economic downfall, you will have been prepared for it. Good counsel, good advice. Let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh and let them keep food in the cities. Then that food shall be a reserve for the land for seven years of famine, which will be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine. So the advice was good in the eyes of the Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. Joseph is very forthright, very honest, gives the interpretation and then gives him advice. And it's pretty wonderful advice. The advice he's giving isn't, well, you know, have you ever thought I do have some experience in Potiphar's house?
He never sold himself. A good servant, a good employee is always thinking of what's best for his boss or the organization. That's what's easiest for him. Moreover, there's a great scriptural principle. If you're faithful in something small, that you'll also be faithful in something big and that will be given to you. Luke chapter 16, that's the thought there. The advice is good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of the servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, can we find such a one as this? A man in whom is the Spirit of God? And the Pharaoh said to Joseph, in as much as God has shown you all this, there's no one as discerning and as wise as you.
Here's a pagan king who looks at this godly young man and sees something special in him and is willing at that point because of the situation and the setup of the dream, the crisis he's facing, maybe at this time he learns a little history on Joseph, he's willing to put Joseph in charge. Good strategy because if Joseph is wrong, then he's going to be the first guy that's going to get judged by the Pharaoh. Good plan, you're the guy. I employ this strategy. I like it when somebody says, I have an idea for our fellowship. How about if we did this or that ministry?
I go, great, go do it. Start it. Start organizing it. Get people to pray about it. It looks like it's coming together and it keeps the right values. Great, then we'll announce it and we'll do it.
So Joseph came up with the interpretation by the Spirit of God so Joseph is put in charge over Egypt. You know, I read this and I think the idea of unbelievers looking at believers and saying, there's something special in that guy and that girl. There's something wonderful about that person. I want to entrust more of my business to that person.
Quite often, however, unfortunately it's the opposite. I've had people say, I really am not interested in hiring Christians. They always want the bro deal. Hey bro, can I have a special break because I'm your bro.
Can I have a special deal because after all we're brothers and sisters in Christ so treat me specially and differently than anybody else and they say they take advantage of us. You're listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. Before we get back to Skip's teaching, the 1960s promised us an explosion of love and brotherhood but instead they delivered a nation in turmoil, confusion and moral decline. Fortunately, God has the solution for our damaged families and in Beyond the Summer of Love, Relationships in the Real World, Pastor Skip Heitzig gives a biblical guide for marriage and families that can help restore relationships which have been damaged by sin. Beyond the Summer of Love is our thanks for your gift of at least $25 today to help share biblical teaching with more people around the world through Connect with Skip Heitzig. Go to connectwithskip.com slash offer or call 800-922-1888 and request your resources when you give $25 or more today to help reach people around the world with the good news of Jesus through Connect with Skip Heitzig.
Let's continue with today's teaching with Pastor Skip. You saw something special in Joseph and must have heard the reports. So he's given this place. Now watch what he does.
This is incredible. Probably only have time to read a few more verses. Verse 40, you shall be over my house and all my people shall be ruled according to your word. Only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.
You are number two to me. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, see I have set you over this land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand, put it on Joseph's hand, clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.
And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had and they cried out before him, bow the knee. So he set him over the land of Egypt. Pharaoh also said to Joseph, I am Pharaoh and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
It's as if for all intents and purposes Pharaoh gave Joseph carte blanche. He had financial control. You're in charge of Egypt. Geographic control. You're in charge of Egypt. Financial control.
You're in charge of this plan. The third thing he gave him was an upgraded wardrobe. Fine linen, Egyptian linen with a little bling, gold. His own private limousine, personalized chariot. Of course his license plate would have read number two.
Pharaoh's would have been number one. But talk about an upgrade in life to go from prison to prime minister, second in command. People have read this and said this is impossible. And here's another reason why many of us intelligent people don't believe the Bible because you don't have this sudden elevation of somebody from such a low status. I beg to differ with you. There have been plenty of records in Egyptian papyri and in hieroglyphics found in tombs that give examples of people of a low status positioned almost instantaneously to a high position. One was a guy named Sunuhe who was a runaway in exile for a number of years, degraded from the court, was brought back after exile, returned to the throne, brought back into the court, and given a high position. And then people will say, well, that may be, but when that happened, those were Egyptians. They weren't of any other race, but the Egyptian race, certainly a Semite like Joseph, wouldn't be elevated to this position in a place like Egypt.
Again, I beg to differ with you. Some years ago there were some letters found called the Amarna letters. It was correspondence written by Canaanite scribes about the relations between Canaan and Egypt as far back as the 14th century BC. And one of the letters describes a Semite who was elevated to a high position in Egypt and called the greatest mouth, quote-unquote, the greatest mouth or spokesman in all the land of Egypt, in all the world.
So given quite a high authority just under Pharaoh. So both in the Bible and outside the Bible, this practice is confirmed. Verse 45, Joseph gets married.
Oh, I didn't read verse 44. Pharaoh also said to Joseph, I am, oh, I did read that. Verse 45, Pharaoh called Joseph's name, here's his name, Zaphnath Panea. That's his new name. Can you say that 10 times? I can't even say it once. Zaphnath Panea.
I like Joseph better. It is thought to mean savior of the world. Interesting name, savior of the world. That's one of the interpretations that are given in Egyptian. And he gave him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of Potipharah, priest of On. So Joseph went over all the land of Egypt. So he's married into a very high ranking family of this priest. The priest of On was the priest who was in charge of all the other priests, officiated at all the festivals.
And there's a temple, the remains are in Hierapolis even to this day. This priest officiated at that huge temple. So Joseph is married into this family. Now people have objected to this. Why would Joseph do that? He didn't have a choice. This is conscribed to him by the king. It's what he's going to do. You're in our territory. You're going to marry this girl.
She's your wife. You're given this task. It says Joseph was 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went throughout the land of Egypt. 30 years old. Once a prisoner, 30 years old. J. Oswald Sanders said, Very few men can hold this full of a cup and do it well. It's one thing to go through adversity. It's quite another temptation to handle prosperity and not get taken in full of pride because of the sudden elevation.
I have watched people put in places of authority or status or sudden wealth. They win the lottery. It ruins them. They can't handle it. They can't hold the full cup steady enough.
It gets to them. Now the seven plentiful years, the ground brought forth abundantly. So they gathered all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, laid up the food in the cities, laid up in every city the food of the fields, which surrounded them.
I'm reading fast because the time's almost up. Joseph gathered very much grain in the sand of the sea until he stopped counting for it was immeasurable. And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potipharah, the priest of on board him. Joseph called the name of the firstborn forgetful, Manasseh. For God has made me forget, I love this, all my toil and all my father's out.
Here's a guy instead of holding on, but I've been slighted and I've been forgotten and my brothers and they just like forget about it. I'm going to forget about it. I'm going to even name my son, forget about it. Forgetful, Manasseh, or if you like amnesia.
I've forgotten the bad stuff. And the name of the second he called Ephraim, which is doubly fruitful or twice fruitful. For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.
This is similar to Paul the Apostle. Forgetting those things which are behind, I press forward to those things which are before me. There comes a time when you just got to let go of the past hurts. Get over it.
If you can't learn to get over it, get some help to get over it, but get over it. And like Sangster, count your blessings. This has happened, but I'm counting my blessings. God made me fruitful. I'm forgetting the past.
So two boys, amnesia, ambrosia. The seven years of plenty which were in the land of Egypt ended. And the seven years of famine began to come as Joseph said, the famine was in all the lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, go to Joseph. That's his job. Do whatever he says to you.
Whatever he says to you, do it. The famine was over all the face of the earth. Joseph opened up all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians, and the famine became severe in the land of Egypt. Stop for just a moment and consider what Joseph's first order as second in command might have been. Well now that I'm in this position as the prime minister, the second in command over Egypt, my first command is to bring Potiphar out, and his wife who accused me, and that idiot butler who forgot me, and I'm going to hang them all.
This could have been payback time. Not a word, no pettiness, no bitterness. He has let it go. Can I just say let God handle your butlers, your Potiphar's, people who forget you, or people who lie about you. Just give it to the Lord. You know that God is better at handling them than you are.
He's more effective. There are times when I've been tempted to lash out and do something in vengeance, but I realize that God is so much better. Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. I will repay. Great. It's your job. Go for it. I'll just kick back and trust you and forget about the whole situation.
Now I've been told this, and I believe this. If you want to defend yourself, God will let you. Or you can just say, Lord's my defense. Move on. Forget about it. Move forward. And he does that.
So all the countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain because the famine was severe in all the lands. As we close, I want you to put this thought and walk away with it. Put it in your mind. Put it in your heart.
Walk away with it and mull it over. I don't know what you're going through tonight. Some of you I know because of the crowd this size are going through some very difficult waters. You feel forgotten. Maybe Joseph even felt forgotten by God.
He could have been tempted at least in that regard. Who knows what God is right now preparing for you in the next couple months, in the next few years, and he's using this time to shape you. We all know Romans 8.28. All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose.
We all know that one. But I wonder how many of us remember Romans 8.29, that we are predestined by God to be conformed to the image of Christ. The reason God allows all of those things is for that shaping, that conforming.
And you know what? As I read it, there's a lot more stuff, trials, shaping, that I'm going to go through because I'm not yet in the image of Christ. There's a lot of molding and shaping yet to go. But I'm also cognizant that it's all in preparation for something else. I can live with that.
I'll go a step further. I can rejoice in that. And you'll never rejoice until you start seeing God's hand and let God handle your Potiphar's, let God handle your butlers, and move on. Thanks for listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. We hope you've been strengthened in your walk with Jesus by today's program. Before we let you go, we want to remind you about this month's resources that will help you understand and follow God's plan for your relationships.
Beyond the Summer of Love, Relationships in the Real World by Pastor Skip Heitzig is our thanks for your support of Connect with Skip Heitzig today. Request your copy when you give $25 or more. Call 800-922-1888.
That's 800-922-1888. Or visit connectwithskip.com slash donate. And did you know that you can get a weekly devotional and other resources from Pastor Skip sent right to your email inbox? Simply visit connectwithskip.com and sign up for emails from Skip. Come back next time for more verse-by-verse teaching of God's Word here on Connect with Skip Heitzig. Connect with Skip Heitzig is a presentation of Connection Communications, connecting you to God's never-changing truth in ever-changing times.
