An Unusually Gifted Man

Can We Find a Man Like This?

(Genesis 41:37-57, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, August 16, 2015)

[37] This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. [38] And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” [39] Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. [40] You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” [41] And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” [42] Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. [43] And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. [44] Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” [45] And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

Joseph not only brought Pharaoh the true message of Pharaoh's dreams, Pharaoh saw that Joseph was more than a messenger. As Potiphar and the keeper of Pharaoh's jail saw before him, Pharaoh knew that Joseph had a gift from God for ruling.

[46] Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. [47] During the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly, [48] and he gathered up all the food of these seven years, which occurred in the land of Egypt, and put the food in the cities. He put in every city the food from the fields around it. [49] And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured.
[50] Before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore them to him. [51] Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house.” [52] The name of the second he called Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
[53] The seven years of plenty that occurred in the land of Egypt came to an end, [54] and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. [55] When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.”
[56] So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. [57] Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.

Despite all of the honors that Joseph received, he knew that Egypt was not home. God had enabled him to forget what was best forgotten, and to be fruitful in the land of his affliction.

Put the Word to Work: The Son of God shall be the ruler of the whole resurrection kingdom. Our King is full of the Holy Spirit. He has chosen to forget what is best forgotten. He is most fruitful throughout this dying world as He calls His kingdom from death to life.

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 132:14 – “This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it.”

Gospel Reading—Matthew 24:32-35 – The lesson of the fig tree

(37-45) Joseph not only brought Pharaoh the true message of Pharaoh's dreams, Pharaoh saw that Joseph was more than a messenger. As Potiphar and the keeper of Pharaoh's jail saw before him, Pharaoh knew that Joseph had a gift from God for ruling.

In the previous passage, Joseph had not only revealed the Lord's perfect interpretation of Pharaoh's dream, he also told Pharaoh what should be done next. He spoke of the need for the supreme ruler of Egypt to select a “discerning and wise man” to be “set over the land of Egypt.” That man would not work all alone. He would have an administration that followed his orders in gathering and distributing food so that “the land may not perish through famine.” This plan “pleased Pharaoh and all his servants.”

But who would be the man in charge? Pharaoh was convinced that only Joseph could really do this important job. Why? Because of the workings of God through him. “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” Joseph was then given all of the signs of authority and dignity that would help him in moving ahead with what needed to be done.

He also gave Joseph a new name and a well-connected wife. Joseph “went out over the land of Egypt” to do the work that God had appointed for him.

(46-57) Despite all of the honors that Joseph received, he knew that Egypt was not home. God had enabled him to forget what was best forgotten, and to be fruitful in the land of his affliction.

This spiritually and administratively gifted man began to put the Lord's plan into action as God granted seven years of great bounty. Meanwhile the Lord blessed Joseph and his wife with two sons. The boys' names reinforced the fact that Joseph really did remember his old life. Yet he did not hang on to any bitterness. He was able in this sense to forget the sins of his brothers. This was tested later when the truth came out, and Joseph's godliness was shown to be genuine. [Think of their horrible sin... Are you able to forgive others? This is what Christ commands.] The progress of Joseph's life was not only found in his freedom from the bitterness of the past. He knew that the God who had made him forget had also made him very fruitful for life.

Joseph was a great man in the land of Egypt. Nonetheless, he knew that Egypt remained a land of affliction for him. Still, Joseph was just where the Lord needed him to be. The stage was set for this gifted servant to meet his brothers again and to lead them forward in repentance and faithfulness in an era that would ultimately last for centuries as the Lord's people waited in Egypt for the fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The Son of God shall be the ruler of the whole resurrection kingdom. Our King is full of the Holy Spirit. He has chosen to forget what is best forgotten. He is most fruitful throughout this dying world as He calls His kingdom from death to life.

There was no better man than Joseph to serve at this key juncture in the history of the Lord's dealings with His chosen people. The days of Israel in Egypt would not come to an end until the Lord raised up Moses to lead them out of bondage. But neither Joseph nor Moses could have ruled over the resurrection kingdom where Jesus reigns forever. “Can we find a man like this?” There is none who can compare.

We are called to see His unique qualities as the greatest of all rulers. Only He could have saved us from death and hell. Only He knows how to bring about a kingdom that will never end. We follow Him best when we forget offenses against us and serve others with joy that will not fade.