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From Prison to Palace - The Book of Genesis · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me.
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  Speaker 1: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. Genesis 41.16
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  Speaker 1: Dear God, through today's reading in Genesis 41, I thank
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  Speaker 1: you that you've given me the keys to any prison
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  Speaker 1: cell I find myself in. Through the keys of obedience,
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  Speaker 1: I thank you that when I use my gifts, my
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  Speaker 1: promotion is within reach. Thank you that, like Joseph, you're
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  Speaker 1: putting me in front of powerful people so that through
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  Speaker 1: your power and ability, I can be used as a
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  Speaker 1: vessel of solutions. I confess that my life will be
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  Speaker 1: a walking billboard for your goodness and faithfulness. As I
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  Speaker 1: reflect on the many times you've come through for me,
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  Speaker 1: I thank you for expanding my future and putting my
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  Speaker 1: life on the fast track. I thank you that all
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  Speaker 1: red tape is being cut when it comes to my destiny.
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  Speaker 1: I declare that open seats of influence are mine because
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  Speaker 1: I choose to honor you in every victory. So I
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  Speaker 1: thank you in advance for promotion, for I know that
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  Speaker 1: my promotion only comes from the Lord. Thank you that
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  Speaker 1: in a moment you take me from prison to a palace.
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  Speaker 1: In Jesus' name.
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  Speaker 2: Amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you for praying with me today. Continue listening for
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  Speaker 1: an incredible Bible story brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 3: From prison to palace. Before this story, we learned about
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  Speaker 3: Joseph's faithfulness in prison. His gifts for interpreting dreams was
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  Speaker 3: shown to Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker in the prison. He
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  Speaker 3: showed them kindness and interpreted their dreams. The cupbearer was
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  Speaker 3: restored to his position with Pharaoh, but the baker was hanged.
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  Speaker 3: The cupbearer forgot Joseph's kindness, and Joseph continued as a prisoner.
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  Speaker 3: Now we learn about Joseph finally being brought out of
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  Speaker 3: prison to help Pharaoh and Joseph's ascent to power, inspired
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  Speaker 3: by the book of Genesis.
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  Speaker 2: Hello, I'm Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible
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  Speaker 2: in a Year podcast. In our last time together, we
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  Speaker 2: heard that Joseph interpreted dreams for two fellow prisoners, and
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  Speaker 2: both interpretations happened just as Joseph said. Though one of
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  Speaker 2: the men was hanged, just as Joseph foretold, the cupbearer
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  Speaker 2: was released and returned to the palace near to Pharaoh.
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  Speaker 2: Though the man promised to remember Joseph and help him
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  Speaker 2: once he was freed, this cupbearer soon forgot about that
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  Speaker 2: promise and Joseph remained in prison. So today we're going
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  Speaker 2: to pick up with Joseph after two more years had
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  Speaker 2: passed as he is imprisoned. He continued to pray to
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  Speaker 2: God each day and to trust in God for his
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  Speaker 2: situation to change. that the time would soon be right.
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  Speaker 2: And yes, God is about to make it happen. This
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  Speaker 2: is what we'll hear today as the Pharaoh is plagued
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  Speaker 2: with a fearful and confusing dream that would rob him
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  Speaker 2: of peace. Listen as Joseph once again turns focus to
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  Speaker 2: the place where it needs to be and see how
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  Speaker 2: God blesses his faithful obedience, perseverance, and faith. Listen now
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  Speaker 2: to find out what happens.
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  Speaker 3: Two whole years had passed. and Joseph continued to faithfully
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  Speaker 3: serve in the prison. That night he prayed to God again,
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  Speaker 3: hoping one day he would be delivered. Miles away, in
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  Speaker 3: the dead of night, Pharaoh writhed in his bed. His
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  Speaker 3: eyes could be seen moving beneath his eyelids, and beads
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  Speaker 3: of sweat dripped from his furrowed brow. Vivid images splashed
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  Speaker 3: around his mind. He dreamed he was standing beside the
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  Speaker 3: Nile River. Out of the water climbed out Seven cows, attractive, plump,
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  Speaker 3: and well-fed. Coming from behind them, seven sickly and ghastly
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  Speaker 3: cows emerged, crawling out from the river. Pharaoh watched as
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  Speaker 3: the seven sickly cows violently devoured the healthy cows. The
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  Speaker 3: Nile filled with blood, and Pharaoh awoke screaming. Pharaoh sat
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  Speaker 3: up in his bed. His short breaths could be heard
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  Speaker 3: cutting through the silence like a razor blade. He calmed
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  Speaker 3: himself and slowly drifted back to sleep. Pharaoh found himself
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  Speaker 3: immersed in a dream once again. Only this time, he
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  Speaker 3: was by an empty field. Brilliantly, seven ears of grain
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  Speaker 3: sprouted from the ground and shot into the sky. The
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  Speaker 3: grain was healthy and ripe. Pharaoh was enraptured by the
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  Speaker 3: grain's beauty when all of the sudden, seven more ears
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  Speaker 3: of blighted grain sprang up like weeds, choking out the
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  Speaker 3: healthy grain's The east wind blew as a tempest, and
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  Speaker 3: the hot air brought Pharaoh to his knees. He awoke
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  Speaker 3: in another panic. In the morning, he called all the
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  Speaker 3: magicians and wise men of Egypt to interrupt his dream.
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  Speaker 3: Yet they tried and failed. Pharaoh continued to be tormented
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  Speaker 3: by what he had seen, not sure why his heart
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  Speaker 3: and mind was consumed by fear. The chief cupbearer saw
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  Speaker 3: Pharaoh's troubled spirit, and it reminded him of the time
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  Speaker 3: he once was troubled with dreams. As he remembered this,
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  Speaker 3: his eyes widened and he gasped, saying, Today I finally
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  Speaker 3: remember my offenses. He turned to Pharaoh and said, When
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  Speaker 3: I was in prison with the baker, we both had
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  Speaker 3: dreams that concerned us. A young Hebrew was there serving,
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  Speaker 3: and he gave us each an interpretation that came true.
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  Speaker 3: Pharaoh sent and called Joseph. and they quickly brought him
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  Speaker 3: out of the pit. Joseph was shaved and given new
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  Speaker 3: clothes before being sent to Pharaoh. Joseph entered the palace doors,
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  Speaker 3: striding with the guards. The palace was more beautiful than
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  Speaker 3: he could ever have imagined. The halls were adorned with jewels,
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  Speaker 3: and the floors hewn from marble and alabaster. Ivory beams
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  Speaker 3: held up the ceiling, and in the center, sitting atop
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  Speaker 3: his throne, stood the most powerful man in the known world.
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  Speaker 3: I have heard you can hear dreams and give their meaning,
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  Speaker 3: he said. His voice was deep, exuding power and nobility.
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  Speaker 2: In each breath.
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  Speaker 3: Yet behind the powerful voice, Joseph could sense fear. He
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  Speaker 3: had compassion on Pharaoh. It is not me. Dreams belong
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  Speaker 3: to God alone. He will give Pharaoh an answer, Joseph said.
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  Speaker 3: Pharaoh recounted his dreams to Joseph. Every detail and image
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  Speaker 3: was given to him After he was finished speaking, Joseph
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  Speaker 3: sat silent for a moment. He looked up to the
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  Speaker 3: king and spoke with confidence.' Your dreams are one,' Joseph said.'
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  Speaker 3: God has revealed to you his plans.' The seven good
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  Speaker 3: cows and the seven good ears of grain 'represent seven
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  Speaker 3: years of great plenty and flourishing.' The seven ugly cows
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  Speaker 3: and blighted grain 'represent seven years of famine that will follow.'
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  Speaker 3: The famine will wreak havoc and destruction— If we are
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  Speaker 3: not prepared, it will consume the land. The news troubled Pharaoh,
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  Speaker 3: yet he remained silent. He looked at Joseph with concern
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  Speaker 3: beaming from his eyes. Joseph sensed this and spoke again
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  Speaker 3: with confidence. You should select a wise man among you
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  Speaker 3: to take care of the land. Appoint overseers and take
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  Speaker 3: one-fifth of the produce you gained during the seven good years.
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  Speaker 3: Store the grain and save it. Then, when the famine comes...
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  Speaker 3: You will have reserves for your land, so nobody perishes.
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  Speaker 3: Pharaoh's once exhausted face turned bright with hope. He stepped
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  Speaker 3: down from his throne to stand before Joseph. He was
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  Speaker 3: taller than he had imagined. He looked around the room
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  Speaker 3: to his advisors and said, Can we find a man
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  Speaker 3: like this who has the Spirit of God? He smiled
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  Speaker 3: and looked at Joseph. Since your God has shown you
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  Speaker 3: all this, there is no one else better fit for
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  Speaker 3: the job. You shall be head over all my people,
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  Speaker 3: and they will all obey your command. Other than me,
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  Speaker 3: nobody will be greater. Listen and look. I have set
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  Speaker 3: you as head over all Egypt. Then Pharaoh took his
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  Speaker 3: signet ring and put it on Joseph's hand and clothed
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  Speaker 3: him in garments of fine linen and put a gold
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  Speaker 3: chain about his neck. Joseph was reminded of the robe
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  Speaker 3: his father once gave him. Pharaoh went into the city
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  Speaker 3: with Joseph, having him ride his second chariot. As they
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  Speaker 3: passed through the city, people cried out, Bow and kneel!
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  Speaker 3: Pharaoh smiled and said to Joseph, No one shall move
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  Speaker 3: without your consent. You are their leader. And Pharaoh renamed
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  Speaker 3: him Zaphonath-Paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the
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  Speaker 3: daughter of Potipharah, priest of On. Joseph once again found
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  Speaker 3: himself lifted from a pit into the blessings of God.
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  Speaker 3: Joseph ruled the land with the same care as Potiphar's
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  Speaker 3: house in the prison. Favor followed Joseph, and the entire
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  Speaker 3: country of Egypt was grateful for him. Joseph, a young
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  Speaker 3: man once rejected by his own brothers, found himself beloved
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  Speaker 3: by an entire nation.
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  Speaker 2: Day after day, Joseph prays that he would be delivered
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  Speaker 2: from prison. And even after praying for two years, he
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  Speaker 2: does not give up hope. He continued to faithfully serve
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  Speaker 2: God in the prison and those in the prison, giving
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  Speaker 2: comfort to prisoners who would cross paths with him. He had,
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  Speaker 2: as the scripture says, a most excellent spirit. So Joseph
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  Speaker 2: is doing enthusiastically what he was assigned to do. And
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  Speaker 2: he pointed people to his ever faithful God, the one
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  Speaker 2: true God of Abraham and Isaac and his father Jacob.
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  Speaker 2: Then suddenly the winds of change blow. As Pharaoh lies
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  Speaker 2: in bed, he dreams a dream that greatly disturbs him,
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  Speaker 2: a terrible dream. Dreams of good and bad cows and grain,
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  Speaker 2: each in groups of seven, half good followed by half bad.
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  Speaker 2: Now Pharaoh himself considered himself a god, was worshipped as
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  Speaker 2: a god on earth, but he nor his magicians and
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  Speaker 2: wise men could make heads or tails of these crazy visions.
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  Speaker 2: It's no surprise that when the Pharaoh is troubled, all
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  Speaker 2: the palace is upset. And so word reaches the cupbearer,
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  Speaker 2: the same man who forgot about Joseph two years ago
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  Speaker 2: after Joseph helped to get him out of prison by
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  Speaker 2: interpreting his dream. But then the man remembers, the cupbearer
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  Speaker 2: remembers that he has forgotten Joseph. So he tells Pharaoh
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  Speaker 2: his story, crediting Joseph for his ability to interpret difficult dreams.
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  Speaker 2: So Joseph is then called by Pharaoh and Pharaoh wants
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  Speaker 2: to know what Joseph thinks about his dreams. Joseph, just
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  Speaker 2: as he did previously, does not take credit for himself. Instead,
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  Speaker 2: he says it is God, the one true God, who
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  Speaker 2: can give Pharaoh the answer that he's looking for. And
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  Speaker 2: here's the meaning of the dream. Egypt will experience seven
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  Speaker 2: years of abundance and then seven years of famine. Now,
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  Speaker 2: this is heavy and hurtful news, and Pharaoh is unsure
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  Speaker 2: as to what he is to do. But Joseph, still
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  Speaker 2: empowered with the wisdom of God, He keeps telling Pharaoh
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  Speaker 2: what he needs to do to prepare for a coming famine.
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  Speaker 2: He is so thorough in his plan given to him
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  Speaker 2: by God that Pharaoh puts him in charge of enacting it.
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  Speaker 2: So now Joseph has moved from the prison to the palace.
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  Speaker 2: In an instant, Joseph finds the freedom for which he
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  Speaker 2: has prayed and trusted God for so long. Not just
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  Speaker 2: the freedom of being the second highest position in all
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  Speaker 2: of Egypt, for he was actually named the prime minister.
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  Speaker 2: Joseph has now moved by God's grace and power from
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  Speaker 2: the prison to the palace. Isn't that the way with
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  Speaker 2: you and me so many times? When we hold fast
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  Speaker 2: to God's promises and wait patiently for him, then he
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  Speaker 2: does things in our lives beyond what we could have expected.
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  Speaker 2: He does them suddenly, often, and we are in a
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  Speaker 2: place that we had prayed for all along. Joseph is
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  Speaker 2: no longer a prisoner. He is the prime minister of Egypt.
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  Speaker 2: He is a man who in all of Egypt, the
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  Speaker 2: Egyptians respected and obeyed him. Other than Pharaoh himself, there
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  Speaker 2: was no one more powerful than this Hebrew man, Joseph.
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  Speaker 2: He's now 30 years of age, and he realizes that
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  Speaker 2: God has delivered him and fulfilled the dreams of his heart. Still,
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  Speaker 2: Joseph does not forget that the real power lies with God,
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  Speaker 2: the God that he serves, the God who is with
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  Speaker 2: him in the pit, when his brothers betrayed him, the
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  Speaker 2: God who was with him in Potiphar's house when Potiphar's
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  Speaker 2: wife falsely accused him, the God who was with him
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  Speaker 2: in prison, and now the God who is with him
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  Speaker 2: in the palace. It's truly one of the great comeback stories,
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  Speaker 2: great stories of the Bible. So the question is, now
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  Speaker 2: that he is in the palace, will he serve God?
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  Speaker 2: Will he continue to be God's man in Egypt? And
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  Speaker 2: will he bring about not only the rescue of Egypt
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  Speaker 2: from a famine, but will he be faithful to his God?
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  Speaker 2: And what to do about those brothers who more than
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  Speaker 2: a decade ago conspired to hurt him, to harm him,
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  Speaker 2: and even to kill him. We're going to find out
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  Speaker 2: what happens with those brothers in the next episode. Dear God,
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  Speaker 2: like Joseph, we pray that we will wait patiently for
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  Speaker 2: you in our circumstances, knowing that sometimes you're not trying
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  Speaker 2: to change our circumstances, but you're changing us. Thank you for,
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  Speaker 2: in your own time, in your own way, fulfilling your
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  Speaker 2: purpose and plan for our lives. Knowing that suddenly, in
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  Speaker 2: your timing, in your perfect plan, your story and our
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  Speaker 2: lives will be fulfilled. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 2: I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download the Pray.com
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• 15:14
  Speaker 2: how to discover God's perfect plan and power for your life,
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: be sure to visit jackgraham.org. This episode is sponsored by MediShare,
• 15:28
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