WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

An international Sunday school lesson commentary

For Sunday September 13, 2020

 

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OBEDIENT LOVE

(Joseph made ruler over Egypt)

(Genesis 41)

 

   Two years after Joseph was imprisoned by Potipher, the Pharaoh of Egypt, who, according to Egyptian records, at that time (1878-1843 B.C.), was Sesostris III, had two puzzling dreams that concerned him greatly. In the first dream, he saw himself standing on the banks of the Nile River, where he saw seven fat, healthy-looking cows suddenly come up out of the river, and began grazing on the bank. Then, just as suddenly, he also saw seven jaunty, ugly looking cows come up out of the river, and eat all seven of the fat, healthy-looking cows. At that point, the Pharaoh awoke from his dream and was bewildered.

    A short while later the Pharaoh fell asleep again, only to dream a similarly puzzling dream. This time, however, he dreamed he saw seven healthy heads of grain on one stalk, having every kernel well-formed and plump. Then suddenly, he also saw seven other heads of grain, also on one stalk, only these were withered and shriveled by the force of the east wind. Then, just as suddenly, the thin withered heads of grain, swallowed up the plump, healthy heads of grain, and the Pharaoh again was awakened to realize it was only a dream.

    The next morning the Pharaoh called in all of his magicians and wise men, but none of them were able to interpret his dreams to him. Just then the Pharaoh’s cupbearer, who was present, and, who had served time with Joseph in prison, remembered that Joseph had interpreted one of his dreams while in prison, and, that he had promised to put in a good word for Joseph to the Pharaoh upon his release. He suddenly felt convicted that he had forgotten all about Joseph when he got out jail, and instead, blended back into his old job at the palace, and never gave Joseph another thought until that moment. 

    The cupbearer then told the Pharaoh about Joseph’s uncanny ability to interpret dreams, and he sent for Joseph at once, and he was hastily brought before him. When Joseph heard the details of the Pharaoh’s dreams, he said to him, “Both dreams mean the same thing”. The seven healthy cows, and the seven healthy stalks of grain, represent seven years of prosperity in Egypt, while the seven skinny cows, and the seven withered heads of grain represent seven years of famine in Egypt. The seven years of famine would erase the memory of the previous seven years of prosperity. Having the dream twice meant that GOD had decreed it, and that both these events would soon occur. 

    Now here’s where Joseph’s faithfulness is rewarded because GOD gave him the solution to the problem before it physically became a problem. Joseph advises the king to set up a nationwide program by which they would store up one fifth of all the grain collected during the seven years prosperity, so that there would be more than enough food for the people to survive on during the seven years of famine.

   Impressed by Joseph’s GODly wisdom, and now convinced of his being filled with the SPIRIT of GOD, the Pharaoh put Joseph in charge over all of Egypt, second only to himself. Then Pharoah re-named Joseph “Zaphenath-paneah” which is interpreted “Savior of the world” and also “revealer of secrets” (Gen. 41:37-46). He then gave Joseph an Egyptian wife named Asenath, who was the daughter of Potiphera (which means “he who Ra the sun god has given), a priest of Heliopolis. Pharaoh hoped that Asenath would teach Joseph the ways of Egyptian life. She bore Joseph two sons, Manasseh, and Ephraim.

    Joseph’s marriage to Asenath may account for why no tribe of Israel is named for him directly, but instead, two half tribes bear the names of his sons, Manasseh, and Ephraim, who were only half-blood Jews. And in fact, it is only by Jacob’s adopting of Ephraim and Manasseh as his sons (Genesis 48:5-6), were they able to share in the promised allotments of land in Canaan.

    Joseph, who was a direct descendant of the covenant line of Abraham, should not have intermarried with the Egyptians or anyone else who was not a genealogical part of the Israelite community, and so there had to be consequences paid for his indiscretion. By doing so, he disqualified himself from his allotment in the “Promised Land”, but not from salvation.

    Just like for all of us, GOD’s plan for Joseph was to teach him humility through the things that he suffered in prison, and even earlier on in life, through his mistreatment by his brothers. And even though Joseph’s choice to accept Asenath in marriage may have been out of GOD’s perfect will for him, GOD still wanted, an otherwise faithful Joseph, to be able to serve HIM in “HIS wise plan and purpose for the Covenant Promise”. In HIS keeping with Joseph, GOD also gave him the privilege to serve in the eventual “Salvation plan offer” for all mankind that is contained in “the first advent of our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST”. 

    Being in the Will of GOD is always “the right place to be”, and when we abide in that Will, especially when we are under duress from the pressures of the world, the time is even more right for the LORD’s blessings to be rained down upon us, in order to ease our oppressed situations.

    This passage of scripture serves to remind us that, even when we don’t understand the “why” for the unwanted things in our lives, we must still remain confident that GOD is at work in every life situation and experience, especially in those experiences that are most painful to us. And, although we may not be able to see it at that time, it is during those times, that we are in the best position to serve GOD as completely, as we always should.

 

A Sunday school lesson by,

Larry D. Alexander

 

 

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