Genesis 41:14-37 Divine wisdom comes when we put our hopes in God, not in solutions

Genesis 41:14-37 Divine wisdom comes when we put our hopes in God, not in solutions

14 Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh. 15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” 17 So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile; 18 and behold, seven cows, fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass. 19 Lo, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such as I had never seen for ugliness in all the land of Egypt; 20 and the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows. 21 Yet when they had devoured them, it could not be detected that they had devoured them, for they were just as ugly as before. Then I awoke. 22 I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears, full and good, came up on a single stalk; 23 and lo, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them; 24 and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. Then I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”

25 Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same; God has told to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one and the same. 27 The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine. 28 It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29 Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; 30 and after them seven years of famine will come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will ravage the land. 31 So the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very severe. 32 Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about. 33 Now let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers in charge of the land, and let him exact a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance. 35 Then let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh’s authority, and let them guard it. 36 Let the food become as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish during the famine.” 37 Now the proposal seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants.

Background

Years spent in the dungeons did not obliterate the anointing of wisdom and statesmanship within Joseph. The dungeon is in fact a crucible that helped prepare him for this role. At a time of great uncertainty, Joseph rises as a rock bringing hope and wise leadership to the courts of Egypt. Today’s devotion teaches us not to be perturbed in the face of calmity, but to put our hope in God, the source of divine wisdom.

Observation

“It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”

Pharaoh, having heard the cupbearer’s story immediately sent for Joseph. The “dungeon” was used to describe his prison (see 40:15) as well as the place where his brother dumped him (see 37:24). When Joseph was shaven and presented before the Pharaoh, he sought to confirm what he heard from the cupbearer’s testimony: “I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” Joseph caught what could have been an exaggeration on the part of the cupbearer concerning his abilities. In correcting the misplaced confidence of the Pharaoh, Joseph declared that except God, none can determine the wellbeing of the Pharaoh! For Joseph had rightly insisted that he possessed no such skill, but rather it is God whom he trusts to reveal the interpretation.

Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same; God has told to Pharaoh what He is about to do.

The Pharaoh recounted his dream in a more intense manner than the narrator’s (41:1-7). He became exceedingly distraught by the very ugly and gaunt appearance of the second set of cows; They ate the first set of cows, but appeared just as haggard as at the start. After hearing the Pharaoh’s account, Joseph proceeded to provide the interpretation. The interpretation comprises four points. First, both dreams convey the same thing. Second, the seven cows and ears represent seven years. Third, seven years of famine will immediately follow seven years of plenty. Fourth, the repetition of the dream using different symbols spells certain and imminent fulfillment.

Now let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.

At the conclusion of the interpretation, Joseph volunteered practical advice. The ominous and imminent catastrophe though irreversible, will be averted by divine wisdom and able leadership. Joseph matches a doomy outlook with a bold call to action. In so doing, he countered that which was predestined with hope and divine wisdom. Joseph’s proposal was unanimously received by Pharaoh and the officials.

Truth

A truth seeker readily responds at the preaching of the unembellished word

God has by His providence endowed man with the ability to discern truth from falsehood. Because every man is inherently equipped to recognise the truth, man is left with no excuse. The apostle Paul said that as creation carries the unmistakable mark of divine truth, likewise the mind of man possess the ability to distinguish truth from falsehood. Therefore, every man cannot absolve himself from the responsibility of making right decisions.

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. Romans 1:20

The Pharaoh and his servants though unacquainted with the God of Joseph were given the ability to discern the truth at the hearing of Joseph’s interpretation (see Genesis 41:37). Indeed, Joseph delivered the interpretation without embellishment and risked being thrown out. Nevertheless, they unanimously acknowledged Joseph’s interpretation as true.

Likewise, the reading and preaching of the word of God needed no packaging or embellishment. Truth seekers upon hearing the truth will in time come to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Saviour. On the contrary, those who insist on their own selfish ways will reject the truth while seeking another gospel that endorses false commitment with an appearance of religiosity. Some teachers of the word purport that God’s infinite grace and power has circumvent the necessity for wholehearted repentance towards Christ-likeness. They assert that the act of verbal acknowledge of Jesus as Lord and the irreversibility of His sacrifice will suffice to forgive all sins. But they play down the requisite of repentance from sinful inclinations towards Christ-likeness. When churches propagate teachings that justify man’s salvation without the vision of Christ-likeness, they confuse even the truth seekers in their midst. Nevertheless, seekers of the truth possess an anointing that enables them to discern between truth and falsity. The apostle John said, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.” 1 John 2:20.

This anointing is prophesied by Jeremiah in the new covenant, “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord” Jeremiah 31:34

Truth seekers know what the righteous One stands for and will recognise His voice when He calls (see John 10:27). Fortunately, many of these truth seekers recognise the falsehood purported by these churches and turn away. Indeed, anyone regardless of his religious conviction, who goes against the grain of righteousness and love, who harbours bitterness is not born of God. Such does not receive the truth into his heart but he mentally toys with it while excusing and justifying himself.

Divine wisdom comes when we put our hopes in God, not in solutions

In the face of calamity, the Pharaoh was distraught because he did not possess within him a hope in God. On the other hand, Joseph despite the enormity of the task before him was in his element when he heard and delivered the dream’s interpretation with ease. Joseph’s steely composure was immanent by virtue of his hope in God, where he responded to Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” It is through Joseph’s steadfast hope in God that he obtained divine wisdom that became to the Eyptians a rock at a time of great turmoil. The Pharaoh was won not by Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams or his administrative prowess but by his aura of divine peace and wisdom. Therefore, in times of calamity, we must recognise that there will always be from God divine wisdom to match. Thus, we must put aside all fears and still our minds, hearts and bodies in God, the Rock. In the face of imminent threat by the Moabite nations, the prophet Isaiah encouraged the people to trust God and be at peace,

“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace,
Because he trusts in You.
“Trust in the Lord forever,
For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock. Isaiah 26:3-4

When we still ourselves in God, the everlasting Rock, He will provide wisdom to bring us safely through.

Application

Do you pander to people’s fancies? Such that you are unwilling to speak that which goes against the grain of false culture?! An organisation or community that values what is true and rejects what is false builds itself on the Rock of Christ. Such organisations continue to prosper despite storms and economic turmoil. Therefore, as children of God, it is our mission to establish the culture of truth in our family, church and workplace. The apostle Paul said concerning the culture of standing for the truth,

“We are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.” Ephesians 4:14-15

“Speaking the truth in love” means standing for the truth out of the good intention of building up the community towards enduring prosperity. Being imperfect people ourselves, we carry the message of truth and love with patience and humility. In speaking the truth to others, we are in fact speaking to ourselves as one body.

Are you going through a turmoil in your family or workplace? Do not seek for solutions because there is none apart from God, our everlasting Rock. Put aside your fears and your reasonings. Release your anxieties to God and be at ease. Until we come to a state of stillness, we are not ready to obtain divine wisdom. Faith is putting our hope in God, not in solutions!

Dear Lord, I recognise that I am given the mission to establish a kingdom culture in my community. In the face of conflicts and turmoil, grant me divine wisdom to bring peace and wellbeing. Help me to speak the truth out of love, patience and humility. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.