King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Friday, January 26, 2024
Chapters: Genesis Chapters 40-42
Message: The Haunt of Unrepentant Sin
Hello My Brother/Sister/Friend,
Yesterday, I was on my way to my last store for the day, got turned around in another direction and decided to do this one store that has been on my list since I was right there. Well, that decision almost got me put into bad situation, it was unsafe and even though I did not need to go into the store I still needed a picture of it. Right there, I knew that while God’s mercies are great and He watches over me, I still cannot be putting myself in constant danger like that. What does the Bible say about that?
[1 Thessalonians 5:15-23 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. 16 Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19 Quench not the Spirit. 20 Despise not prophesyings. 21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. 23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.]
While we are sent out into the world that does not mean that we are to put ourselves in a position where we endanger ourselves or lead us into temptation. If that gut feeling inside you is telling you to stay away it is likely the Holy Spirit directing you, and many a faithful Christian has fallen into sin by not walking away. And that is why God’s mercy is great, He does give us ample opportunities to repent. Now, when Joseph’s brothers fell into sin when they not only sold off their brother out of envy, but lied to their father and said that he was mauled by an animal, they knew that that sin would come back to haunt them. As we continue in the reading of Genesis, after Joseph had been accused of sexual assault and cast into prison he had been there for some time when two new arrivals came, the chief of bakers and the chief of the butlers.
[Genesis 40:1-5 And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers. 3 And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound. 4 And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward. 5 And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison.]
[and they continued a season in ward.] They were in prison about a year. The story of the butler and baker is told, partly to show the divine intervention of God interpreting dreams for Joseph and partly to observe the remarkable steps in Providence, this would be used towards Joseph’s advancement in Pharaoh’s court.
[Genesis 40:7-11 And he asked Pharaoh’s officers that were with him in the ward of his lord’s house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day? 8 And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you. 9 And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me; 10 And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes: 11 And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.]
[Wherefore look ye so sadly to day?] Really? I mean here you are in prison for something you did not do and you are upbeat and wondering why the other inmates are not? We may not always like the situations that we are in, but we cannot let ourselves get so downhearted about it that we bring that negativity or even worse, pessimism onto others. People need encouragement because quite frankly there is always someone going through something far worse than what we are going through, [2 Corinthians 2:4-5 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. 5 But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.]
[Do not interpretations belong to God?] God does not change, and speaks to us in many ways, including in our sleep, which is not our subconscious thinking them, rather the Holy Spirit. And God’s dreams are not those nightmares that we get in our sleep, they are often His revealing to us the things we need to know, [Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.]
You want to talk about someone being in a far worse situation, here Joseph was put into prison for something he did not do while one of the men discovers that he will be put to death for whatever it is that he did. Once Joseph found out the reason for their despair, he actually tells them what their dreams meant, after all, it was not himself that would tell them the meaning of the dreams, it would be God. First, he tells the butler his dream.
[Genesis 40:12-14,16-17 And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days: 13 Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler. 14 But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: 16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head: 17 And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.]
[But think on me when it shall be well with thee,] Okay, sometimes life is not at all what we expect it to be, and let me tell you, it takes a lot of trial and error to learn what God’s will for us is. I swear, every other day I am asking God if I made a right or wrong decision, but I cannot keep dwelling on what was, we cannot go back to yesterday, and we certainly have no guarantee of tomorrow, so all we can do is life for today, with the eternal vision that we will one day be with Jesus, [Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.]
[When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good,] Now, when the baker heard that the butler’s dream was good, he eagerly told Joseph his dream, only, it was not good news, [Genesis 40:19-23 Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee. 20 And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. 21 And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand: 22 But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.]
[Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee,] Wow, talk about a nightmare come true. I have heard of people being told that they only have so much time to live, but to be told how you would die, I am so glad that God keeps some things from us. Then again, we are told that if we die today without having accepted Jesus as our Saviour that we would be in hell, and that is by far worse than being hung on a tree while the birds eat your flesh. By the way, while no birds ate His flesh, Jesus, sure did hang on a tree, in fact, He was crucified and died for no wrongdoing at all, rather for all of our wrongdoings. Talk about the ultimate sacrifice and having a bubbly attitude, even on the cross, [Luke 23:42-43 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.]
No one wants to hear that they are going to die and end up in hell for their sin, but we must tell them. How often do we rely on people only to be disappointed? It kind of makes you not want to trust or do anything for anyone. What we need to do is trust Jesus, and keep being that faithful servant because eventually our good work and bubbly attitude will pay off. Well, Joseph’s good work and bubbly attitude finally paid off, even though it took two years before the butler remembered Joseph, this was only after the Pharaoh himself had dreams.
[Genesis 41:1-4,8-9 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. 2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow. 3 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. 4 And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke. 8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh. 9 Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:]
[called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men] Of course, he goes to the “magicians” and “wise men”, which were all scientists and physics of their day. We cannot live life thinking that the world has the answer to our problems and yet praising God for saving our soul. Yes, Jesus saved our soul, and if we have trusted Christ with that, I am pretty sure that we can trust Him with everything else as well. Stop worrying or getting angry at things that we have no control over and start trusting that Jesus will see us through, [Matthew 6:25,30,33 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.]
Why did it take two years for God to plant that dream into the Pharaoh’s head? It is all about His timing. This was Joseph’s dream in the making, perhaps God was preparing Joseph for being a ruler in a strange country. Pharaoh called for Joseph, and he immediately cleaned himself up so that he could stand before him honorable.
[Genesis 41:14-16,25-27,31 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. 16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. 25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. 27 And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. 31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.]
[God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.] Let me tell you, God, is not the author of confusion and really has the answers that we are asking Him for, the problem is that we do not always like the answer. Regardless of how we feel about the answer, it is still going to come to pass and there is nothing that we can do about it, but prepare ourselves for it. Whining, crying, or walking around in misery is not going to help the situation, so we might as well do what we need to do to get ready for it. I always love what God said to Joshua when he was whining about Ai defeating them, [Joshua 7:10 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?]
Joseph, goes on to tell Pharaoh what he can do to prepare for the seven years of harsh famine that was about to come to not only Egypt, but surrounding nations as well. Notice how God’s hand is in the words.
[Genesis 41:33-39 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 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. 35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. 36 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. 37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? 39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:]
[there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:] Out of all the people in then land, none of them had the fear of God or could even talk to God the way that Joseph did. He would also be so discreet as to not cause chaos by announcing that a famine was coming. Remember the Covid scare of 2020? People were going nuts, you could not find toilet paper, soap, or common canned goods for months. The Pharaoh knew that Joseph was the only one capable of pulling this off and proceeded to make him the governor of the land.
[Genesis 41:41-46 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. 42 And 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; 43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. 44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. 46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.]
[And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnathpaaneah;] The name Zaph’nath-pa-ane’ah, means; the preserver of the age. God’s, hand was in all of this to send Joseph to preserve life. Joseph, is often referred to as Jesus in that he was able to help sustain life during the famine. Is that not what Jesus is for us? I mean, our soul was in a famine until we learned of Him and accepted Him as our Saviour. And He definitely preserves us while we are here and well into eternity, [John 10:27-30 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and my Father are one.]
[And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh] Joseph, was seventeen years old when he was sold as a salve, so that tells us that thirteen years went by before Joseph’s dream was coming true. For the next seven years, everything was prosperous and flourishing, Joseph built storehouses, produced and gathered food and other provisions for not only Egypt, but the surrounding nations as well. He also got married and had two kids, but when those seven years were up, the famine came quick.
[Genesis 41:48-54 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: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. 49 And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number. 50 And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him. 51 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. 52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. 53 And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. 54 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 the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.] Remember, God, always knows what we are headed for, even His faithful must face some famines in life, but He lets us know ahead of time so that we can be prepared. Jesus will return, and we must be prepared, if we are not, then we are not going to know what hit us, [2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.]
People are going to disappoint us, people are going to turn on us, and people are even going to accuse us, but with Christ seeing us through them all we will always have eternity to look forward to. Now, after twenty years as a slave and prisoner since Joseph’s told his brothers and father his dreams they were coming true. Joseph, wasted no time preparing the land for the seven years of famine, and even had two sons, Manasseh, and Ephraim. Now, those seven years came fast, the famine had now come and stretched as far as Canaan, and Jacob was feeling in, in fact, he called for his sons and urged them to go to Egypt to buy some corn.
[Genesis 42:1-4,7-9 Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? 2 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. 3 And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. 4 But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him. 7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, 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. 8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. 9 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.]
[But Benjamin…Jacob sent not…Lest peradventure mischief befall him.] Now, these men are in their thirties and forties, except for Benjamin who was the baby and in his twenties. Even though Benjamin would have been with his brother’s Jacob feared losing his youngest son. Well, after being accused of being spies they tried to explain who they were, but ended up finding themselves in jail for three days.
[Genesis 42:13-17 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. 14 And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies: 15 Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. 16 Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies. 17 And he put them all together into ward three days.]
[And he put them all together into ward three days.] For three days all they could do was think about how their father was going to react and what they did to Joseph, who they no idea where he was. And that is exactly what they were doing, after three days Joseph came to them and insisted that they bring Benjamin. You can tell by their conversation that they had never forgotten what they did to their brother.
[Genesis 42:21-24 And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. 22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required. 23 And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. 24 And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.]
[And they knew not that Joseph understood them;] If there is one thing that I wish I would have continued from when I was younger and that was to become fluent in the languages that I was learning in school. There is so much more that I could be doing with that knowledge, but just imagine standing there hearing their conversation knowing that they were talking about you. It is no wonder why he turned away from them, but what really got them worried was when Joseph had his men put their money back into their sacks along with the food that they bought.
[Genesis 42:25-28 Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them. 26 And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence. 27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack’s mouth. 28 And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?]
[What is this that God hath done unto us?] It was not the three days in jail that scared them it was that their money was in their sacks. And is that not like us when we have not come to terms with our sin? We blame it on God. Well, God, definitely chastens His people, but our money is no good to God, but our souls are. There is not one soul that Jesus did not die for. Accepting Him is another story, and should we accept Him as our Saviour, then we are fully restored, and able to stand before God as though we never sinned, [1 John 3:2-3 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.]
Jesus Christ Revealed/Magnified: [Genesis 41:39-40,45 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.]
Today’s Prayer: God, You do have a dream for all of us, if we seek You first, we will never need to worry about food, shelter, or where we will be when our souls leave this earth. We may not always see You working in our lives or that Your presence is even with us, but that is when You are preparing to fulfill those dreams. Lord, When I am discouraged, and have no clue what is going on, lift up my spirit, and remind me of the hope of Your kingdom that I know is awaiting me. You are my strength and guide, without You, I am, but filthy rags, by faith, I am white as snow and as wool. I pray these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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