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: Sunday, January 26, 2020
Chapters: Genesis 40-42
Message: Unexpected Outcomes
Hello My Friend,
The life we live today is surely not what we dreamed of, even if we are living a life that we love, it was not exactly the outcome we expected. For some of us the outcome has been greater than we expected, for others, not so much, and we find ourselves wanting a do over. And yet, there are many of us still working, waiting, and praying that our outcome will at least give us one that, when we stand before Jesus, He says, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” And let me tell you, any good and faithful servant of Christ will come to the same conclusion, “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” – I Corinthians 15:10.
“but I laboured more abundantly than they all:” It is the trials of life that we endure, with or without Christ, that lay out the outcome, but it is only by the grace of God that we can turn any trial into something more than we expected. When Joseph was despised by his brothers so much so that they sold him to slaves, he did not know that the trial he was facing was actually God’s plan. Here he is in prison, accused of a crime he did not commit, but he did not let that discourage him, he made the best out of the situation, and actually was put in charge of the prisoners while he still remained a prisoner. You know, some people get so distraught when faced with trials that they become despondent, wallowing in their own self pity. This was the case with two of the prisoners.
“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. And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers. And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound. And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward. 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 Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad. 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? 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.” – Genesis 40:1-8.
“Wherefore look ye so sadly to day?” Okay, sometimes life is not at all what we expect it to be, but let me tell you, it takes a lot of trial and error to get where we want to be, or rather, where God wants us to be. I swear, every other week I am asking God if I made a right or wrong decision, but I cannot keep dwelling on what was, I must look at now, and what I want to see moving forward (Philippians 3:13-14). “Do not interpretations belong to God?” God speaks to us in many ways, including our dreams, which are not only our subconscious thinking them. Joseph interprets the dreams, one man will be set free, the other will be executed.
“And Joseph said unto him, This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days: 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. 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: For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon. 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. And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand: But he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them. Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.” – Genesis 40:12-15,20-23.
“Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph,” 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. We cannot live life that way either, every time I get discouraged or disappointed in someone I think about Jesus, and what He had to go through. How we was rejected and despised by so many, even though He fed, healed, and loved them. What we need to do is trust Jesus, and keep being that faithful servant, because eventually our good will be remembered. It took two years before the butler remembered that Joseph was in the prison, this was after the Pharaoh himself had dreams.
“And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. 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. Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day: Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker: And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged. 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. 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. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” – Genesis 41:1,5,8-10,13-16.
“and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment,” Joseph made sure to clean himself up before he stood before the king. You know, the second we receive Christ as our Saviour we are washed clean, all of the dirt and grime of sin comes completely off. And as we walk faithfully with Him we no longer want to look rugged and shabby, but represent Him for who He is, our God. After Joseph interprets the dreams something amazing happens, Pharaoh is so impressed that he not only released him from prison, he made him governor.
“Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 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 under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. 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. And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 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. 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. 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.” – Genesis 41:33-40,45-46.
“Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this,” Do you see how Pharaoh credits God? A faithful servant has the resemblance of Christ in them, and even those of the world trust us with their goods. Let me tell you, while the world will never accept Christ, they have no problem putting Christ’s people in charge of their goods as they know they can be trusted. “And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnathpaaneah;” The name Pharaoh gave him has two meanings, in Hebrew it means. Revealer of a secret, in Coptic it means; Preserver of the age. God used Joseph to preserve life not only throughout Egypt, but entire nations. Let me tell you, lots of discouragement, tears, and questions come when we are facing trials. And as long as we trust God, and are faithful to Him, we will see a great outcome, not matter how long it takes, in Joseph’s case, it took twenty-three years. Now, when Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery years ago they never really got over what they had done, perhaps they moved on with their lives, but the thought of him showing up somehow always had to cross their minds. That time was about to come as the famine grew as far as Canaan. Jacob sent his sons, except Benjamin, to Egypt to buy some grain, they had no idea who Joseph was, but he knew who they were. Joseph began to toy with them, first, accusing them of being spies, then having them thrown in jail for three days.
“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. And he put them all together into ward three days. 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. 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. And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. 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. 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. And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence. 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. 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?” – Genesis 42:13,17,21-28.
“and one is not.” Remember, these are adults in their thirties and forties, Benjamin, was maybe twenty-eight or twenty-nine. They knew that Joseph was not dead, or they had hoped he was not, which was why they said one was not with any of them, meaning Joseph. “We are verily guilty concerning our brother,” You see, that guilt never went away, they surmised that they were being falsely accused because of what they had done to their brother. “What is this that God hath done unto us?” It was not the fact that they spent three days in prison that scared them to death, it was that they received food and still had their money. All sorts of things must have gone through their heads, but they finally came to the conclusion that God was judging them. This is a reminder that everything we do comes back to us whether it be for good or bad, no matter how long it takes. The trials we face are not what determines our outcome, it is how we react to them that does. If we go around wallowing in our sorrows, then we can expect that God will not do anything for us, but if we keep our head up, trusting Him, and making the best out of whatever trial we face, we can expect a wonderful end. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” – Jeremiah 29:11-13.
Today’s Prayer: God, 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 us for Your most glorious appearing yet. Lord, When I am discouraged, and have no clue what’s going on, lift up my spirit, and give me that hope of an expected end. You are my strength and guide, without You, I wither and feel dead inside, let me see clearly, by faith, what is ahead, and let me never lose sight of what You have waiting for me at the end of every trial. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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