God’s Timeline – Part 48 Joseph Enters Pharaoh’s Service

 God’s Timeline – Part 48

Joseph Enters Pharaoh’s Service

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

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This Document is a Sermon Outline, you may hear the full audio of the actual sermon by following the link Online Audio Files located above for this, and other Full Sermon Audios.  For a complete list of Sermon Outlines, visit TruthDigest.org or Truth Digest on Facebook; for our Official Church website, visit PS127.org, or find us on Facebook at House of Faith Church

 

SERMON TIMELINE (2021 A.D. = 5781 Jewish Calendar Year)

 -         Creation Week (Approximately 3700 - 4000 B.C.)

o   Adam, Eve, and the Fall

-         Cain and Abel

o   Evil Fills the World

-         Noah Did All God Commanded Him

o   The Flood (2348 B.C.)

o   God’s Covenant with Noah

o   Noah’s Sons and Ham’s Sin

o   Nations of Noah’s Sons

-         Tower of Babel (Approximately 2200 B.C.)

 -         God calls Abram (1921 B.C. 75 years old)

o   Abram and Lot part ways (1915 B.C.)

o   Rescue of Lot (1914 B.C.)

-         The Lord’s Covenant with Abram for Isaac

o   Hagar and Ishmael Born (1910 B.C.) Abram 86 years old

o   Sarai and Isaac

o   The Three Visitors

o   Abraham Pleads for Sodom

-         Birth of Isaac (1897 B.C. Abraham 99 years old Sarah 90-Hagar and Ishmael sent away)

o   The Lord tests Abraham (1876 B.C.)

o   Sarah Dies 127 years old (1860 B.C. Abraham is 136)

-         Isaac marries Rebekah (1857 B.C. Isaac was 40 when he married Rebekah)

 -         Jacob and Esau are born (1837 B.C. Isaac was 60 Abraham 159)

o   Abraham dies at 175 (1822 B.C. Isaac was 75)

o   Isaac receives the Birthright and his father’s blessing

o   Esau marries two Hittites at 40 (1857 B.C.)

o   Esau marries a daughter of Ishmael

o   Jacob travels to his grandfather’s family to find a wife (1819 B.C.)

o   Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

o   Jacob marries Leah then Rachel

§  Levi is born (1749 B.C.)

§  Joseph is born (1741 B.C.)

o   Jacob fled Laban and is pursued

o   Jacob Prepares to meet Esau

o   Jacob Wrestles with God & Becomes Israel

o   Jacob Meets with Esau after 20 Years

o   Jacob’s Daughter Raped by Shechem

o   Jacob Returns to Bethel

o   The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac (1716 B.C. Isaac was 180 years old)

-         Joseph’s Dreams (Joseph is seventeen at the time)

o   Joseph Sold by His Brothers (1724 B.C.)

o   Joseph Imprisoned

o   Joseph interprets dreams while in prison

o   Joseph Interprets the Pharaoh’s Dream

o   Joseph enters the service of Pharaoh (1711 B.C.)

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Joseph is made second in command over all of Egypt.

 

What we will see in the following verses is how God, who is in total control, orchestrates a plentiful bounty lasting 7 years to build up storehouses and prepare for the 7-year famine He will send.

 

His purpose may at first elude, but I believe it was just another in a long line of purposes to bring attention to the entire world of God and His ultimate Rule over all.

 

SCRIPTURE READING

Genesis 41:41-57

“So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and people shouted before him, “Make way!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.

 

44 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.” 45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On,[d] to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.

 

46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt. 47 During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. 48 Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. 49 Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.

 

50 Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. 51 Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh[e] and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” 52 The second son he named Ephraim[f] and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”

 

53 The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, 54 and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food. 55 When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.”

 

56 When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. 57 And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere.

 

     I.            PHARAOH PUT JOSEPH IN CHARGE OF THE WHOLE LAND OF EGYPT

a.      The Pharaoh gave power and authority to Joseph (Literal Hermeneutics)

                                        i.      Of the four types of hermeneutics, I always choose literal firstly.

                                     ii.      Sometimes, allegorical hermeneutics may also be applied.

                                  iii.      Many times, in Joseph’s life, this fact is true.

                                   iv.      These events both literally happened, and are also an allegory for Christ the events to come in His Ministry

 

b.     Allegorical Hermeneutics paints a picture of God the Father and Jesus

                                        i.      The Pharoah, king of all the land, gives all authority and power to Joseph

                                     ii.      Stating he is only above him in the throne

                                  iii.      Giving his signate ring to show this fact of power and authority.

                                   iv.      Allegorical hermeneutics shows us a picture of God the Father on His throne, giving all power and authority to Jesus, and the Holy Spirit as the sign and symbol of that.

 

 

c.      Joseph is then given a wife

                                        i.      Asenath is mentioned only briefly in Genesis 41:45, 50; 46:20.

 

                                     ii.      Between 100 B.C. and 200 A.D. an ancient Greek love story was written called Joseph and Aseneth. This is neither true nor biblically accurate.

 

                                  iii.      She was the daughter of Potiphar and the two more than likely got to know each other over the time Joseph served in his household.

 

                                   iv.      As far as the Priest of On, they worshipped the sun god Ra, so by marrying an Israelite, Asenath escapes the pagan practices of the Egyptians. Because Joseph is such a strong man of God, we have reason to believe he had a strong influence on leading her to learn more about Yahweh. She does give birth to two sons who end up becoming heads of tribes of Israel.

 

 

II.            JOSEPH TRAVELED THROUGHOUT ALL OF EGYPT

a.      During the 7 (Complete) years of abundance

                                        i.      Remember, seven in scripture represents complete, full, ordained by God

 

                                     ii.      The abundance was complete, full, and ordained by God

 

                                  iii.      And so was the famine

 

                                   iv.      Without the knowledge of God, or His wisdom, who would prepare for the coming famine?

 

                                      v.      I believe God allowed this to take place globally to show through Joseph, the power, wisdom, and control God has over everything. At one point, everyone in the world would have to seek this man of God’s help to survive.

 

b.     Joseph stored so much grain he stopped keeping records

                                        i.      Seven

                                     ii.      Abundance so great, it was uncountable

 

 

c.      Two sons were born to Joseph during this time

                                     i.      Manasseh, derived from the Hebrew word “forget”

1.      Joseph says in verse 51, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.”

 

                                  ii.      Ephraim, which sounds like “twice fruitful” in Hebrew

1.      Joseph says in verse 52, ““It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”

 

 

III.            SEVEN YEARS ABUNDANCE CAME TO AN END AND THE FAMINE BEGAN

a.      Famine began in all the other lands

                                     i.      But in Egypt there was food

 

                                  ii.      The entire world would soon hear about a man of God who knew, and prepared for this famine

 

                               iii.      The entire world would have the opportunity to seek out this God who did great work to save the people.

 

 

b.     When the famine began to affect the Egyptians, they cried out to Pharaoh

                                     i.      The Pharaoh responded, “See Joseph and do what he says.”

 

                                  ii.      Again, literally, but allegorically, we cry out for God’s help, and He tells us, “go to Jesus”

 

1.      John 17:1-4 “After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.

 

c.      Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians

                                           i.      The allegory here, we, the people of the world, are in a spiritual famine

 

                                        ii.      We call to our Father in Heaven, and He says, go to Jesus.

 

                                     iii.      We go to Jesus, spiritually starving, and He opens the storehouse which is filled abundantly with the Holy Spirit.

 

                                      iv.      Jesus is manna from heaven. Jesus, is the bread of life. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him!

 

 

CONCLUSION –

Verse 56 says the famine was severe, and we know from these verses it was worldwide.

 

Scripture states in verse 54 “…the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands,”

 

And in verses 56-57 “When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. 57 And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere.”

 

A global famine took place between 1704 – 1697 B.C.

 

We see historical data from around the world showing this taking place. Genesis is NOT just a story, an allegory to teach you something, but a record of actual people and events which took place.

 

In Europe during this time, it is recorded starving Indo-Europeans from West Russia migrated to Central Europe and produced bronze weapons to hunt wild game.

 

Minoans migrated from the Island of Crete to mainland Greece during this time.

 

People from Asia-Minor migrated to the coast and built defensive walls around Troy VI to keep the starving Barbarians out of the city.

 

Starving Hittites moved to western Assyria and adopt the Assyrian cuneiform writing style.

 

Eskimos, American Indians, Olmecs, South Americans, have all recorded the famine in their records and lives, and archeology finds evidence of this as well. The global famine did take place.

 

Next week we will read about Joseph’s brothers traveling to Egypt because of the famine.

 

 

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