Does God act more in difficulty or in success? Genesis 41

Does God act more in difficulty or in success? Genesis 41

Preaching

hook

I really like comics

There is a code when you make a comic: the last box at the bottom right must always leave a question mark so that the reader instantly turns the page…

Moses creator of comics?

It doesn’t seem to me that Moses wrote the book of Genesis in comics,

but he left us unsatisfied the last time with this terrible sentence that took us all aback.

Genesis – Chapter 40

23 The senior beverage manager did not remember Joseph. He forgot it.

But it doesn’t stop there, watch with me…

Dream Interpretations

In today’s text we will again be faced with the interpretation of dreams.

The interpretation of dreams was a special science in Egypt.

There were special interpreters for that. They often did this by analogy.

You dream of white bread, it is linked to a happy event;

you dream of hot beers, you will lose your fortune;

whoever pricks himself with a thorn, lies will be spread about him.

In the previous chapter, the butler and the baker are embarrassed because their incarceration does not allow them to have access to these interpreters.

More than the science of dreams, God

On the other hand, what is beautiful is that Joseph could have relied solely on human intelligence by memorizing analogies to give explanations of dreams. But clearly, he says that it is God who gives him this ability.

Genesis 40. 8

They replied, « We had a dream and there is no one to explain it. » Joseph said to them, “Do not explanations belong to God? Tell me about your dream. »

More than diagnoses and treatments, God!

A bit like medicine: we can also do everything by memorizing things that science currently knows or doing like Ambroise Paré « I was treating him God healed him », a quote that we find in a hall of the hospital in Lausanne , the CHUV.

Much more than our capacities

We can all do things with human abilities, but the fruitful ones come from God.

Text written by a connoisseur

There are many other tasty aspects in today’s text which show that we are in the real world of the time.

Normal, it was written by an « Egyptian by adoption » who was raised

in “all the wisdom of the Egyptians” ( Acts 7:22 )
and at the court of princes:
Moses!!!

He too is a Hebrew and has also experienced a dazzling social rise: from condemned slave to Prince of Egypt.

And to help us in what the pharaoh’s dreams can represent, here is some useful information.

Cows: a very strong symbol

One of the main Egyptian deities was Hathor: she was represented by a cow and her influence over Egypt was divided into 7 regions. One could understand that if Pharaoh dreams of 7 cows, it means that all of Egypt is certainly concerned.

The cow was also consecrated to the goddess Isis, representing the Earth and its fertility: there is perhaps a link with the fertility of crops, many symbols when we dream of cows…

Meteoric social rise

That a slave should be elevated to the most prestigious position, just below the pharaoh is not far-fetched, there have been other precedents.

Genesis chapter 41

1 After 2 years, Pharaoh had a dream in which he was standing by the river.

2 Then seven beautiful and fat cows came out of the river and began to graze in the meadow.

3 Seven other cows, ugly and thin, came out of the river after them and stood beside them at the edge of the river. 4 The ugly and thin cows ate the seven beautiful and fat cows.

Then the pharaoh woke up.

5 He fell asleep again and had a second dream:

seven big and beautiful ears rose on the same stalk.

6 Seven thin ears of corn scorched by the east wind sprang up after them. 7 The thin ears swallowed up the seven fat and full ears.

Then the pharaoh woke up.

That was the dream.

8 In the morning Pharaoh was troubled and summoned all the magicians and all the wise men of Egypt. He told them his dreams, but no one could explain them to him.

It is likely that the sages had understood that dreams were not very joyful (even if they had not grasped the exact meaning of them, as the text tells us) and that they did not want to be birds of bad luck. omen that would have hastened their end.

It’s better for someone else to break the bad news; perhaps all the clergy of the sages are silent!

9 Then the chief drinker spoke up and said to Pharaoh:

“I will recall today the memory of my fault. 10 Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and he had me imprisoned in the house of the chief guard, together with the chief baker.

11 We both had a dream during the same night, and each of us received an explanation in relation to the dream he had had.

12 There was a young Hebrew with us, a servant of the chief guard. We told him our dreams and he explained them to us.

13 Everything happened according to the explanation he gave us:

Pharaoh reinstated me and hanged the chief baker.”

14 Pharaoh summoned Joseph.

They rushed to get him out of prison. He shaved, changed his clothes and went to the pharaoh.

15 Pharaoh said to Joseph:

« I had a dream. No one can explain it, and I learned about you that you can explain a dream after hearing it. »

16 Joseph answered Pharaoh,

“It is not me, it is God who will give a favorable answer to Pharaoh.”

17 Pharaoh then said to Joseph:

“In my dream, I was standing on the edge of the river. 18 Then seven fat and beautiful cows came out of the river and began to graze in the meadow.

19 Seven other cows came out after them, thin, very ugly and emaciated; I have not seen such ugly ones in all Egypt.

20 The emaciated and ugly cows ate the first seven cows that were fat. 21 They swallowed them up in their wombs without anyone noticing that they had entered them: their appearance was as ugly as before.

Then I woke up.

22 I also saw in a dream seven full and beautiful ears growing on the same stalk.

23 Seven empty ears of corn, thin, scorched by the east wind, grew after them.

24 The thin ears have swallowed up the seven fine ears. I told the magicians, but no one gave me the explanation.

25 Joseph said to Pharaoh:

“What the pharaoh dreamed corresponds to a single event.

God revealed to Pharaoh what he is going to do. 26 The seven fair cows are seven years, and the seven fair ears also: it is one dream.

27 The seven emaciated and ugly cows that came out after the first are seven years, just like the seven empty ears scorched by the east wind.

These are seven years of famine.

28 Like I just said to Pharaoh, God shows Pharaoh what he’s going to do:

29 There will be seven years of great abundance in all Egypt;

30 seven years of famine will follow them,

and all this abundance in Egypt will be forgotten.

Famine will destroy the country.

31 This famine which will follow will be so severe that there will be no more plenty in the land.

32 If Pharaoh saw the dream repeated, it means that the decision is firm on God’s part and that he will quickly implement it.

There have been precedents for famine in Egyptian history (up to 9 years in a row). The fertility of the harvests depended on the floods of the Nile, if they were not sufficient, it was famine! From where the image of the cows which leave the Nile to show the floods of the Nile fertile for harvests; both the water and the fertile black silt of the Nile served as an essential natural fertilizer.

33 Now, let Pharaoh choose an intelligent and wise man and put him in charge of Egypt.

34 Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the crops of Egypt during the seven years of plenty.

35 Let them gather together all the produce of these good years to come, and let them store up, under the authority of Pharaoh, corn and food in the cities and let them keep them.

36 These provisions will form a reserve for the land, for the seven years of famine which will strike Egypt, so that the land will not be destroyed by famine.”

37 These words rained down

to pharaoh

and all his servants.

38 Pharaoh said to his servants:

« Could we find a man like this, that’s got the Spirit of God in him? »

39 And Pharaoh said to Joseph:

“Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one who is as intelligent and as wise as you. 40 You will be in charge of my household, and all my people will obey your commands. The throne alone will raise me above you. 41 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I give you command over all Egypt.”

It’s « tilt » when you read that, right?!?

Exactly the same type of responsibilities as at Potiphar and in prison. (There is almost the phrasing in the description so that it “tilts” with us).

God had prepared Joseph previously for a greater role, it is often the pedagogy of God!

42 Pharaoh took the ring off his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He gave her fine linen clothes and put a gold necklace around her neck.

These are the three great signs of authority in ancient Egypt.

43 He made him get into the chariot that was following his, and they shouted in front of him, “Kneel down!”

This is how the Pharaoh gave him the command of all Egypt.

44 He said again to Joseph:

« I am the pharaoh, but without your consent no one will raise their hand or foot in all Egypt. »

45 Pharaoh called Joseph Zaphnath-paeneah and gave him Asnath, daughter of Poti-phera, the priest of On, to wife.

Joseph left to visit Egypt.

46 He was 30 years old when he appeared before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. He left the pharaoh and traveled all over Egypt.

47 During the seven years of fertility, the earth yielded abundantly.

48 Joseph gathered all the produce of those seven years in Egypt.

He stored food in the cities by putting inside each city the products of the surrounding countryside.

49 Joseph gathered up wheat like the sand of the sea: in such great quantities that they stopped counting because there was no more number.

50 Before the years of famine, Joseph had two sons by Asnath, daughter of Poti-phera, the priest of On.

51 Joseph called the elder Manasseh, for, he said,

“God made me forget all my sorrows and all my family.”

52 And he called the second Ephraim, for, said he,

“God gave me children in the land of my misfortune.”

53 The seven years of plenty that were in Egypt passed away,

54 and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had foretold.

Famine reigned in all countries, but in all Egypt there was bread.

55 When all Egypt also began to be hungry, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread. The pharaoh said to all the Egyptians:

« Go to Joseph and do as he tells you. »

56 Famine reigned throughout the land.

Joseph opened all the supply centers and sold wheat to the Egyptians, because the famine was strong in Egypt.

57 People came from all countries to Egypt to buy wheat from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere.

Happy ending

Ah, it’s better, this end of the chapter: it looks like the end of a Hollywood film!

In difficulty, God was preparing Joseph

You noticed, we have the same markers as in the two previous chapters:

During the 10-12 years Joseph has just spent as a slave,

God allowed Joseph to take on responsibilities of stewardship of Potiphar’s estate and administration of the king’s prison inmates.

This shows that God was working through Joseph; likewise, God showed through Joseph the ability to accurately interpret dreams. All these events take on meaning during the meeting with the pharaoh.

See how God prepares us

There are sometimes episodes in our lives that seem hollow, even unfair, routine and that make sense later!

A posteriori, beware of unfortunate advisers

It is something that we can see personally and a posteriori, it goes without saying that we must be careful not to make observations of this type to someone who is in the galley and in the test.

We would be annoying advisers, of the same type as the three friends of Job and this observation brings us to the heart of today’s reflection.

Does God work more

in difficulty or in success?

Was God more with Joseph when he was a slave?

Or was God more active when he became second in all Egypt?

He acts when things are going well?!

Is God really with me only when I succeed?

Which would imply that He would be distant when I’m in trouble or that the universe of sin would be stronger than Him at times?

(Much like the Eastern philosophies King Yang, « battle » to the balance between good and evil).

Action of God and social success

Did God act when I succeed socially and materially?

These are the promises of countless preachers!

God acts when His response is immediate

Would God be active when He answers my prayers immediately.

“Amazon or Zalando prayers”, guaranteed next day delivery to the letterbox.

God acts when it corresponds to my request

Does God act when He responds positively to my requests.

Otherwise I return the package or call the after-sales service.

Does “manifesting” make God act?

Should we start « manifesting » for Him to act.

Manifesting: things happen if you really want them and keep harping on them.

In the end, we are straddling the incantation and the Coué method…

How to answer all these questions?

The narrative text in the history of mankind, AT or NT.

Did all the believers who were slaves, who prayed to God, become prime ministers of their countries?

The United States would have had millions of black prime ministers (given the countless number of believing black slaves)!

The question is more general between the AT and the NT.

Can I take the OT success stories as « guaranteed promises on bills » for us who are in the time of grace (after Christ’s death and resurrection)?

Are TA narratives standards for my life?

Yes, if they indicate the same thing in the words of Jesus or in the epistles.

Otherwise, they are circumstantial events where God shows us His person and how He acted with such and such a person.

Biblical principles can emerge from it and are valid for us if they are taken up clearly in the words of Jesus or in the epistles (after the victory of Christ on the cross).

So no, God never promised social or financial success, honors for the most pious believers there are…

Don’t let your mind be polluted any further with all the stupid and childish posts or videos that promise sales pitches.

If God permits in the OT

In OT it is often in response to the contract, covenant

Obedience = blessing

Disobedience = curse.

Or to show everyone that the blessings are a standard that shows that God rules over His people or over a life.

In the NT

God’s presence and action are no longer conditional on obedience or disobedience, but God’s special care is tied to our devotion to Christ.
Note: Obedience is a logical response of love (it is no longer conditional).

God just as present with Joseph whatever the circumstances

Mentions of God’s action are just as present when Joseph is a slave as when he is raised as second in Egypt.

It’s up to you to look in the text of chapters 39 to 41…

Central response

The central answer to all these questions is whether in my view of the world, God reigns.

Or if in my vision of my world, it is me who reigns and that God must help me as I hear it, because He is kind and I am egocentric and capricious.

Psalm No. 115. 3

Our God is in heaven,

he does whatever he wants.

His will is expressed with all the other aspects of His person.

If in my vision of the world, God reigns, it necessarily passes through the fact that Christ reigns in my life, that He is the Shepherd of my life.

John – Chapter 10

1 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but enters it from another place, is a thief and a thief. 2 But he who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The guardian opens to him, and the sheep listen to his voice; he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought them out, he walks before them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”

6 Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what he was talking about.

7 Jesus said to them again:

« Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the gate of the sheep.

8 All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.

9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved; he will go in and out, and he will find something to eat.

10 The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy; I have come so that the sheep may have life and have it abundantly.

11 I am the good shepherd.

The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

12 The simple wage-earner, on the other hand, is not the shepherd and the sheep do not belong to him.

When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and flees; then the wolf grabs them and scatters them.

13 The mere wage-earner flees] because he works for money and does not care for the sheep.

14 I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and they know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and as I know the Father. I lay down my life for my sheep.

16 I have other sheep, which are not of this fold;

those too, I must bring;

they will listen to my voice and there will be one flock, one shepherd.

17 The Father loves me, because I give my life to take it back later.

18 No one takes it from me, but I give it of myself.

I have the power to give it and I have the power to take it back. This is the order I received from my Father.”

Sheep free from difficulties?

Are the sheep of the Good Shepherd’s flock exempt

difficulties,
diseases,
relational problems in the herd,
tired?
No, but they can count on the Shepherd of the flock, Jesus.

What can employees do?

It is better to have Jesus as a Shepherd than to think oneself safe

by philosophies,
by ourselves,
by ideology,
out of personal principle,
by our company, cantons or confederation, institutions, etc.
In the moment of difficulty, all these things fly away.

Basic and fundamental questions

Is Jesus the Shepherd of my life?

Who is the true guide of my life?

In this life or not

Perhaps we will not see positive answers in our eyes, in this life, to certain requests that we make to God.

It does not detract from the fact that God is active and attentive to my life and this well before my first cries!

Promotion greater than Joseph

On the other hand, our active faithfulness to God through Christ, our life, will propel us to offices far greater than those of Joseph, and for eternity!

This is what we saw in the parable of Matthew 25 , « Ready for the return of Christ »

Which ends with:

Matthew 25. 23

‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful in a few things, I will entrust you with much. Come and share the joy of your master.’

To extend the reflection on my real vision of the world, here is an interesting diagram to know where we really are.