Gen 41:33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.
Gen 41:34 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.
Gen 41:35 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.
Gen 41:36 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.
Yesterday we talked about the dreams of Pharaoh and those of the butler and baker. We noted that those dreams had a meaning and they needed someone to interpret them. In the Bible we see that God gave both saved and unsaved people dreams at times. He did that to give them a specific message. As we have noticed lost people like Pharaoh did not have the ability to understand the dreams he was given. His counsellors did not understand them either. There needed to be someone who feared the Lord to give the correct understanding of those dreams.
Today people still dream. Some people remember their dreams more than others do. Those dreams are just that. They are just dreams. God is not speaking to us through dreams now. We have His completed Word and He speaks to us through His Word. We need a God-fearing individual to be able to help us to understand His Word properly. The Holy Spirit is most important in helping us to understand His Word. A godly person might give us the correct understanding of God’s Word, but unless the Holy Spirit indwells us, we will not properly understand what is being said. Lost people will understand their need for salvation. They will not understand the deep things of God. They will seem foolish or strange to them.
We noted yesterday as well that God prepared Joseph for the important task of gathering food for the nation of Egypt and the neighbouring nations. The Pharaoh of that time accepted Joseph’s counsel and appointed Joseph as the person who would be in charge of this task.
In verse 34 Joseph counselled Pharaoh to gather the fifth part of the grain from the farmers during the seven years of plenty. This would be a form of taxation. Taxation is not a dirty word if it is done properly.
In our country we have a carbon tax which is a complete waste of effort. It is a form of theft. Man is not causing climate change by driving cars or using farm equipment. Cows and horses are not the cause of climate change either. The scheme our government is using is just a way of crippling the economy and taking money away from the people for no good cause. We do not defy the government and withhold the taxes. Jesus taught us the importance of paying taxes even to a corrupt system.
Joseph was directed by God to prepare the nation of Egypt to be able to sustain the population during the seven years of famine.
During those years of famine, the people needed to purchase the grain that was needed to live. Joseph was in charge of that and as a discreet and wise man, he would not charge more than was necessary for the grain the people needed.
As we read further in Exodus 41, when the seven years of plenty were over, the dearth started. The land did not produce for seven years. The people of Egypt as well as the people of the nations around Egypt came to Egypt to buy grain. God made it known to the other nations that there was grain to be purchased in Egypt.
Unlike our governments today, Joseph was a God-fearing man who had no interest in controlling the people. He had no interest in keeping the people poor and hungry so that he could control them. He was a just man who dealt fairly with the people. Joseph understood what God was doing and he was the vessel God chose to use to help the people to know Who was really in charge.
During those seven years of plenty he had been given the authority necessary to be able to gather the excess grains so that there would be plenty during the years of famine.
It is important to note that God’s way of doing things is a blessing. God does want people to know Him and to serve Him. However, we see that during the seven years of drought, the ungodly received grain just as well as the Godly. From what we read, the price was the same for the rich as well as for the poor.
Our system of government today is corrupt and there is much waste as a result of this. Those who are saved need to pray for our governments and seek to encourage individuals in government to turn to the true God and be saved.
We have a leadership race right now within the Conservative Party of Canada. There is also a leadership race taking place within the UCP Party in Alberta. None of the candidates that are running in these races are God-fearing individuals. One is a Mormon. Some of them might sound like they have some sense when it comes to economics. What we find in government today is that the leader of a party is just one person. Our world is moving toward a one world government system. The leaders of the different countries are determined to move in that direction. The Bible tells us that this will be the case. Those who are saved should understand this.
It is always possible for God to intervene and change the course of any nation. He does not do that in a vacuum. He does that through God-fearing individuals. He has told us in His Word that our world is on course for the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Some may be hoping that things in our country will change for the better for their own sake and for the sake of their children. What we should be doing is making sure we are saved and being involved in a good church that will help us and our children to know God’s truth. The Bible is clear. This world is not our eternal home.
Philippians 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
We have seen God intervene in the past and slow down the pace of things. We have seen times when God’s people have been more humble and more obedient to His Word and He has been able to bless their efforts. We do not seem to see this today. We see a pursuit of materialism and we see a fight for an imaginary freedom that does not include the recognition of the God of Heaven in His rightful place.
As we have noticed in our text, Joseph was just one man, but he was one man who knew the true God and who was willing to speak to the highest human leader of the nation of Egypt in a very clear manner about Who is truly in charge. God had prepared that Pharaoh to receive Joseph’s message, even though we do not read that he turned to God and was saved. The next Pharaoh did not know Joseph and did not respect the God whom Joseph served. The nation of Israel also did not know the true God and they did not have a Godly impact on society of that time.
In any generation it is important for God’s people to heed God’s Word.
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
In our busyness, we should never be so busy that we push God to some secondary place in our lives. He must come first. His way is always right. When His people choose to serve Him humbly and faithfully, He can work through them to show others the importance of knowing the true God. Persecution is a reality when God’s people walk humbly with Him. God also blesses His children in spite of the persecution. That blessing is not calculated in dollars and cents. It is calculated in knowing His peace and glorifying Him in all things. The rewards of the child of God are primarily in Heaven. We are only on this earth for a short time.
As we see the greater depravity of society in general, let us, who are saved, be careful to put God first in our lives. Give Him His rightful place and be ready to testify of His goodness to those He brings across our paths.
Pastor Bartel
