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44 - Commentary on The Book of Genesis · Philosophy and Faith

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Speaker 1: Chapter forty one. Two things Providence is here bringing about
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Speaker 1: one the advancement of Joseph. Two the maintenance of Jacob
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Speaker 1: and his family in a time of famine. For the
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Speaker 1: eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the earth,
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Speaker 1: and direct the affairs of the children of men, for
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Speaker 1: the benefit of those whose hearts are upright with him.
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Speaker 1: In order to these we have here one Pharaoh's dreams
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Speaker 1: Verses one to eight. Two the recommendation of Joseph to
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Speaker 1: him for an interpreter Verses nine to thirteen. Three, the
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Speaker 1: interpretation of the dreams and the prediction of seven years
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Speaker 1: of plenty and seven years of famine in Egypt, with
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Speaker 1: the prudent advice given to Pharaoh thereupon Verses fourteen thirty six. Four.
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Speaker 1: The preferment of Joseph to a place of the highest
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Speaker 1: power and trust in Egypt Verses thirty seven to forty five. Five,
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Speaker 1: the accomplishment of Joseph's prediction and his fidelity to his
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Speaker 1: trust Verse forty six et ce Pharaoh's portentous dream b. C.
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Speaker 1: Seventeen fifteen, Verses one to eight. And it came to
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Speaker 1: pass at the end of two full years that Pharaoh
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Speaker 1: dreamed and behold, he stood by the river, and behold,
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Speaker 1: there came up out of the river seven well favored kind,
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Speaker 1: and fat fleshed, and they fed in the meadow, And behold,
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Speaker 1: seven other kind came up after them out of the river,
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Speaker 1: ill favored and lean fleshed, and stood by the other
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Speaker 1: kind upon the brink of the river. And the ill
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Speaker 1: favored and lean fleshed kind did eat up the seven
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Speaker 1: well favored and fat kind. So Pharaoh awoke, and he
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Speaker 1: slept and dreamed the second time, and behold, seven ears
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Speaker 1: of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good,
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Speaker 1: and behold, seven thin ears, and blasted with the east
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Speaker 1: wind sprung up after them, and the seventh thin ears
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Speaker 1: devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke,
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Speaker 1: and behold, it was a dream. And it came to
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Speaker 1: pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled. And
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Speaker 1: he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt
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Speaker 1: and all the wise men thereof, And Pharaoh told them
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Speaker 1: his dreams, but there was none that could interpret them
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Speaker 1: unto Pharaoh. Observe one. The delay of Joseph's enlargement, It
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Speaker 1: was not till the end of two full years Verse one,
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Speaker 1: so long he waited after he had entrusted the chief
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Speaker 1: butler with his case, and began to have some prospect
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Speaker 1: of relief. Note we have need of patience, not only bearing,
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Speaker 1: but waiting patience. Joseph lay in prison until the time
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Speaker 1: that his word came some one hundred and five, verse nineteen.
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Speaker 1: There is a time set for the deliverance of God's people.
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Speaker 1: That time will come, though it seemed to tarry, and
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Speaker 1: when it comes, it will appear to have been the
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Speaker 1: best time. And therefore we ought to wait for it
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Speaker 1: haback a cha two verse three, and not think two
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Speaker 1: full years too long to continuating two. The means of
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Speaker 1: Joseph's enlargement, which were Pharaoh's dreams, he related, if we
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Speaker 1: were to look upon them as ordinary dreams, we might
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Speaker 1: observe them from the follies and absurdities of a roving
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Speaker 1: working fancy. How it represents to itself tame cows as
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Speaker 1: beasts of prey, nay even more ravenous than any eating
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Speaker 1: up those of their own kind, and ears of corn
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Speaker 1: as devouring one another. Surely, in the multitude of dreams,
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Speaker 1: nay even in one dream, there are divers vanities. Ecclesiastes,
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Speaker 1: Chapter five, verse seven. Now that God no longer speaks
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Speaker 1: to us in that way, I think it is no
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Speaker 1: matter how little we either heed them or tell them.
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Speaker 1: Foolish dreams related can make no better than foolish talk.
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Speaker 1: But these dreams which Pharaoh dreamed carried their own evidence
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Speaker 1: with them that they were sent of God. And therefore
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Speaker 1: when he awoke, his spirit was troubled verse eight. It
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Speaker 1: cannot but put us into a concern to receive any
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Speaker 1: extraordinary message from heaven, because we are conscious to ourselves
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Speaker 1: that we have no reason to expect any good tidings.
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Speaker 1: Thence his magicians were puzzled. The rules of their art
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Speaker 1: failed them. These dreams of Pharaoh, it seemed, did not
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Speaker 1: fall within the compass of them, so that they could
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Speaker 1: not offer at the interpretation of them. This was to
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Speaker 1: make Joseph's performance by the spirit of God the more admirable.
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Speaker 1: Human reason, prudence, and foresight must be nonplussed, that divine
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Speaker 1: revelation may appear the more glorious in the contrivance of
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Speaker 1: our redemption. First Corinthians, Chapter two, verses thirteen fourteen. Compare
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Speaker 1: with this story Daniel chapter two, verse twenty seven, Chapter four,
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Speaker 1: verse seven, and chapter five, verse eight. Joseph's own dreams
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Speaker 1: were the occasion of his troubles, and now Pharaoh's dreams
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Speaker 1: were the occasion of his enlargement. Joseph brought before Pharaoh
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Speaker 1: be seventeen fifteen, verses nine to sixteen. Then spake the
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Speaker 1: chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults.
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Speaker 1: This day. Pharaoh was wroth with his servants and put
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Speaker 1: me in ward in the Captain of the Guard's house,
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Speaker 1: both me and the chief baker, and we dreamed a
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Speaker 1: dream in one night, I and he We dreamed, each
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Speaker 1: man according to the interpretation of his dream. And there
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Speaker 1: was there with us a young man, a Hebrew, a
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Speaker 1: servant to the Captain of the guard. And we told him,
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Speaker 1: and he interpreted to us our dreams to each man
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Speaker 1: according to his dream. He did interpret, and it came
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Speaker 1: to pass as he interpreted to us. So it was
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Speaker 1: me he restored under mine office, and him he hanged.
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Speaker 1: Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him
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Speaker 1: hastily out of the dungeon, and he shaved himself and
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Speaker 1: changed his raiment and came unto Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said,
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Speaker 1: unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is
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Speaker 1: none that can interpret it. And I have heard say
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Speaker 1: of thee that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.
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Speaker 1: And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying it is not me. God
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Speaker 1: shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. Here is one
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Speaker 1: the recommending of Joseph to Pharaoh for an interpreter. The
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Speaker 1: chief butler did it in more compliment to Pharaoh to
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Speaker 1: oblige him, than in gratitude to Joseph, or in compassion
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Speaker 1: for his case. He makes a fair confession verse nine.
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Speaker 1: I remember my faults this day in forgetting Joseph note,
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Speaker 1: it is best to remember our duty and do it
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Speaker 1: in its time. But if we have neglected it, it
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Speaker 1: is next best to remember our faults and repent of them,
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Speaker 1: and do our duty at last, better late than never.
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Speaker 1: Some think he means his faults against Pharaoh for which
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Speaker 1: he was imprisoned, and then he would insinuate that though
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Speaker 1: Pharaoh had forgiven him, he had not forgiven himself. The
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Speaker 1: story he had to tell was, in short, that there
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Speaker 1: was an obscure young man in the king's prison who
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Speaker 1: had very proper, properly interpreted his stream, and the chief
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Speaker 1: baker's the event, corresponding in each with the interpretation, and
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Speaker 1: that he would recommend him to the King his master
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Speaker 1: for an interpreter. Note. God's time for enlargement of his
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Speaker 1: people will appear at last to be the fittest time.
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Speaker 1: If the chief butler had at first used his interest
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Speaker 1: for Joseph's enlargement and had obtained it, it is probable
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Speaker 1: that upon his release he would have gone back to
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Speaker 1: the land of the Hebrews again, which he spoke of
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Speaker 1: so feelingly Chapter forty, verse fifteen. And then he would
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Speaker 1: neither have been so blessed himself nor such a blessing
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Speaker 1: to his family as afterwards he proved. But staying two
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Speaker 1: years longer and coming out now upon this occasion at
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Speaker 1: last to interpret the King's dreams, way was made for
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Speaker 1: his very great preferment. Those that patiently wait for God
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Speaker 1: shall be paid for their waiting, not only principal but
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Speaker 1: interest Lamentations Chapter three, verse twenty six two. The introducing
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Speaker 1: of Joseph to Pharaoh. The King's business requires haste. Joseph
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Speaker 1: is sent for out of the dungeon with all speed.
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Speaker 1: Pharaoh's order discharged him both from his imprisonment and from
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Speaker 1: his servitude and made him a candidate for some of
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Speaker 1: the highest trusts at court. The king can scarcely allow
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Speaker 1: him time, but that decency required it to shave himself
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Speaker 1: and to change his raiment verse fourteen. It is done
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Speaker 1: with all possible expedition, and Joseph is brought in, perhaps
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Speaker 1: almost as much surprised as Peter was Acts Chapter twelve,
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Speaker 1: verse nineteen. So suddenly is his captivity brought back that
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Speaker 1: he is as one that dreams Psalm one hundred and
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Speaker 1: twenty six. Verse one. Pharaoh, immediately, without inquiring who or
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Speaker 1: whence he was, tells him his business that he expected
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Speaker 1: he should interpret his dream verse fifteen, to which Joseph
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Speaker 1: makes him a very modest decent reply verse sixteen, in
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Speaker 1: which one he gives honor to God. It is not me,
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Speaker 1: God must give it. Note great gifts appear most graceful
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Speaker 1: and illustrious when those that have them use them humbly,
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Speaker 1: and take not the praise of them to themselves, but
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Speaker 1: give it to God. To such God gives more grace.
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Speaker 1: Two He shows respect to Pharaoh and hearty goodwill to
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Speaker 1: him in his government, in supposing that the interpretation would
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Speaker 1: be an answer of peace. Note those that consult God's
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Speaker 1: oracles may expect an answer of peace. If Joseph be
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Speaker 1: made the interpreter, hope the best. Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dream b. C.
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Speaker 1: Seventeen fifteen, verses seventeen two thirty two. And Pharaoh said,
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Speaker 1: unto Joseph, in my dream, behold, I stood on the
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Speaker 1: bank of the river, and behold, there came up out
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Speaker 1: of the river seven kind, fat, fleshed and well favored,
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Speaker 1: and they fed in a meadow. And behold, seven other
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Speaker 1: kind came up after them, poor and very ill favored,
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Speaker 1: and lean fleshed, such as I never saw in all
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Speaker 1: the land of Egypt for badness. And the lean and
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Speaker 1: the ill favored kind did eat up the first seven
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Speaker 1: fat kind, And when they had eaten them up, it
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Speaker 1: could not be known that they had eaten them, but
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Speaker 1: they were still ill favored as at the beginning. So
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Speaker 1: I awoke, and I saw in my dream, and behold,
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Speaker 1: seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good.
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Speaker 1: And behold seven ears withered, thin and blasted with the
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Speaker 1: east wind sprung up after them, and the thin ears
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Speaker 1: devoured the seven good ears. And I told this unto
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Speaker 1: the magicians but there was none that could declare it
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Speaker 1: to me. And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, the dream of
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Speaker 1: Pharaoh is one. God has showed Pharaoh what he is
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Speaker 1: about to do. The seven good kind are seven years,
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Speaker 1: and the seven good ears are seven years. The dream
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Speaker 1: is one, and the seventh thin and ill favored kind
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Speaker 1: that came up after them are seven years. And the
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Speaker 1: seven empty ears, blasted with the east wind, shall be
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Speaker 1: seven years of famine. This is the thing which I
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Speaker 1: have spoken unto Pharaoh. What God is about to do,
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Speaker 1: he showeth unto Pharaoh. Behold, there comes seven years of
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Speaker 1: great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, and there
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Speaker 1: shall rise after them seven years of famine, and all
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Speaker 1: the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt,
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Speaker 1: and the famine shall consume the land, and the plenty
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Speaker 1: shall not be known in the land by reason of
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Speaker 1: that famine following, for it shall be very grievous. And
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Speaker 1: for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice. It
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Speaker 1: is because the thing is established by God, and God
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Speaker 1: will shortly bring it to pass. Here Roman one Pharaoh
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Speaker 1: relates his dream. He dreamt that he stood upon the
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Speaker 1: bank of the river Nile, and saw the kind both
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Speaker 1: the fat ones and the lead ones come out of
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Speaker 1: the river. For the kingdom of Egypt had no rain,
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Speaker 1: as appears Zechariah, chapter fourteen, verse eighteen. But the plenty
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Speaker 1: of the year depended upon the overflowing of the river,
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Speaker 1: and it was about one certain time of the year
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Speaker 1: that it overflowed. If it rose to fifteen or sixteen cubits,
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Speaker 1: there was plenty. If to twelve or thirteen only or
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Speaker 1: under there was scarcity. See how many ways Providence has
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Speaker 1: of dispensing its gifts. Yet whatever the second causes are,
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Speaker 1: our dependence is still the same upon the first cause,
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Speaker 1: which makes every creature that to us that it is,
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Speaker 1: be it rain or river roman iiO Joseph interprets his
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Speaker 1: dream and tells him that it signifies seven years of
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Speaker 1: plenty now immediately to ensue, which should be succeeded by
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Speaker 1: as many years of famine. Observe one. The two dreams
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Speaker 1: signified the same thing, but the repetition was to denote
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Speaker 1: the certainty, the nearness, and the importance of the event
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Speaker 1: verse thirty two. Thus God has often shown the immutability
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Speaker 1: of his council by two immutable things Hebrews, chapter six,
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Speaker 1: verses seventeen eighteen. The covenant is sealed with two sacraments,
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Speaker 1: and in the one of them there are both bread
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Speaker 1: and wine. Wherein the dream is one, and yet it
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Speaker 1: is doubled, for the thing is certain two. Yet the
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Speaker 1: two dreams had a distinct reference to the two things
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Speaker 1: wherein we most experience plenty and scarcity, namely grass and corn.
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Speaker 1: The plenty and scarcity of grass for the cattle were
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Speaker 1: signified by the fat kind and the lean ones, the
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Speaker 1: plenty and scarcity of herb for the service of man
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Speaker 1: by the full ears and the thin ones. Three. See
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Speaker 1: what changes the comforts of this life are subject to.
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Speaker 1: After great plenty may come great scarcity. How strong soever
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Speaker 1: we may think our mountain stands, if God speak the word,
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Speaker 1: it will soon be moved. We cannot be sure that
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Speaker 1: tomorrow will be as this day, next year as this,
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Speaker 1: and much more abundant. Isaiah, chapter fifty six, verse twelve.
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Speaker 1: We must learn how to want, as well as how
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Speaker 1: to abound. Four. See the goodness of God in sending
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Speaker 1: the seven years of plenty before those of famine, that
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Speaker 1: provision might be made accordingly. Thus he sets the one
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Speaker 1: over against the other. Ecclesiastes chapter seven, verse fourteen. With
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Speaker 1: what wonderful wisdom has Providence, that great housekeeper ordered the
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Speaker 1: affairs of this numerous family from the beginning hitherto great
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Speaker 1: variety of seasons there have been, and the produce of
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Speaker 1: the earth is sometimes more and sometimes less. Yet take
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Speaker 1: one time with another. What was miraculous concerning the manna
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Speaker 1: is ordinarily verified in the common course of Providence. He
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Speaker 1: that gathers has much nothing over and he that gathers
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Speaker 1: little has no lack. Exodus chapter sixteen, verse eighteen five.
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Speaker 1: See the perishing nature of our worldly enjoyments. The great
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Speaker 1: increase of the years of plenty was quite lost and
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Speaker 1: swallowed up in the years of famine. And the overplus
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Speaker 1: of it, which seemed very much, yet did but just
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Speaker 1: serve to keep men alive Verses twenty nine to thirty one.
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Speaker 1: Meets for the belly, and the belly from Mos meets.
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Speaker 1: But God shall destroy both it and them. First Corinthians
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Speaker 1: chapter six, verse thirteen. There is bread which endures to
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Speaker 1: everlasting life, which shall not be forgotten, and which is
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Speaker 1: worth while to labor. For John chapter six, verse twenty seven.
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Speaker 1: Those that make the things of this world. Their good
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Speaker 1: things will find but little pleasure in remembering that they
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Speaker 1: have received them. Luke, Chapter sixteen, verse twenty five. Observe
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Speaker 1: God revealed this beforehand to Pharaoh, who, as king of Egypt,
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Speaker 1: was to be the father of his country, and to
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Speaker 1: make prudent provision for them. Magistrates are called shepherds, whose
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Speaker 1: care it must be not only to rule, but to feed.
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Speaker 1: Joseph's exaltation b. C. Seventeen fifteen, Verses thirty three, two
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Speaker 1: forty five. Now, therefore, let Pharaoh look out a man
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Speaker 1: discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.
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Speaker 1: Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over
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Speaker 1: the land, and take up the fifth part of the
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Speaker 1: land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. And let
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Speaker 1: them gather all of the food of those good years
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Speaker 1: that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh.
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Speaker 1: And let them keep food in the cities. And that
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Speaker 1: food shall be for store to the land against the
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Speaker 1: seven years of famine which shall be in the land
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Speaker 1: of Egypt, that the land perish not through the famine.
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Speaker 1: And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh
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Speaker 1: and in the eyes of all his servants, and Pharaoh said,
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Speaker 1: unto his servants, can we find such a one as
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Speaker 1: this is a man in whom the spirit of God is?
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Speaker 1: And Pharaoh said, unto Joseph, forasmuch as God hath showed
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Speaker 1: THEE all this, there is none so discreet and wise
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Speaker 1: as thou art. Thou shalt be over my house, And
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Speaker 1: according unto thy word, shall all my people be ruled
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Speaker 1: only in the throne. Will I be greater than thou.
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Speaker 1: And Pharaoh said, unto Joseph, see I have set THEE
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Speaker 1: over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off
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Speaker 1: his ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand,
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Speaker 1: and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put
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Speaker 1: a gold chain about his neck. And he made him
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Speaker 1: to ride in the second chariot which he had, and
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Speaker 1: they cried before him, thou the knee. And he made
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Speaker 1: him ruler over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said,
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Speaker 1: unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without THEE shall no
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Speaker 1: man lift up his hand or foot in all the
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Speaker 1: land of Egypt. And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zephnath Pania,
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Speaker 1: and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potiphara,
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Speaker 1: priest of Ann, and Joseph went out over all the
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Speaker 1: land of Egypt. Here is Roman won the good advice
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Speaker 1: that Joseph gave to Pharaoh, which was one that in
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Speaker 1: the years of plenty he should lay up for the
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Speaker 1: years of famine, buy upcorn when it was cheap, that
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Speaker 1: he might both enrich himself and supply the country when
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Speaker 1: it would be dear and scarce. Note fair warning should
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Speaker 1: always be followed with good counsel. Therefore the prudent man
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Speaker 1: foresees the evil that he may hie himself. God has
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Speaker 1: in his word told us of a day of trial
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Speaker 1: and excidence before us, when we shall need all the
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Speaker 1: grace we can get, and all little enough. Now therefore
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Speaker 1: provide accordingly. Note further times of gathering must be diligently improved,
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Speaker 1: because there will come a time of spending. Let us
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Speaker 1: go to the Aunt and learn of her this wisdom.
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Speaker 1: Proverbs chapter six, verses six to eight. Two. Because that
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Speaker 1: which is everybody's work commonly proves nobody's work. He advises
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Speaker 1: Pharaoh to appoint officers who should make it their business,
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Speaker 1: and to select some one person to preside in the affair.
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Speaker 1: Verse thirty three. Probably, if Joseph had not advised this,
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Speaker 1: it would not have been done. Pharaoh's counselors could no
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Speaker 1: more improve the dream than his magicians interpret it. Therefore,
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Speaker 1: it is said of him Psalm one hundred and five,
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Speaker 1: verse twenty two, that he taught the senator's wisdom. Hence
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Speaker 1: we may justly infer with Solomon Ecclesiastes, Chapter four, verse thirteen.
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Speaker 1: Better is a poor and wise child than an old
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Speaker 1: and foolish king. Roman too. The great honor that Pharaoh
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Speaker 1: did to Joseph. One, he gave him honorable testimony. Here
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Speaker 1: is a man in whom the spirit of God is,
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Speaker 1: and this puts a great excellency upon any man. Such
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Speaker 1: men ought to be valued verse thirty eight. He is
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Speaker 1: a none such for prudence. There is none so discreet
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Speaker 1: and wise as thou art verse thirty nine. Now he
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Speaker 1: is abundantly recompensed for the disgrace that had been done him,
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Speaker 1: and his righteousness is as the morning light Psalm thirty seven,
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Speaker 1: verse six two. He put him into an honorable office,
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Speaker 1: not only employed by him to buy up corn, but
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Speaker 1: made by him prime minister of state, comptroller of the household.
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Speaker 1: Thou shalt be over my house, chief justice of the kingdom.
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Speaker 1: According to thy word, shall all my people be ruled
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Speaker 1: or armed? As some read it, And then it bespeaks
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Speaker 1: of him general of the forces. His commission was very ample.
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Speaker 1: I have set THEE over all the land of Egypt
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Speaker 1: verse forty one. Without THEE, shall no man lift up
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Speaker 1: his hand or foot verse forty four. All the affairs
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Speaker 1: of the kingdom must pass through his hand, nay, verse
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Speaker 1: forty Only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
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Speaker 1: Note it is the wisdom of princes to prefer those,
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Speaker 1: and the happiness of people to have those preferred to
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Speaker 1: places of power and trust in whom the spirit of
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Speaker 1: God is. It is probable that there were those about
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Speaker 1: the court who opposed Joseph's preferment, which occasioned Pharaoh so
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Speaker 1: often to repeat the grant and with that solemn sanction
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Speaker 1: verse forty four, I am Pharaoh. When the proposal was
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Speaker 1: made that there should be a coorn master general nominated,
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Speaker 1: it is said verse thirty seven, Pharaoh's servants were all
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Speaker 1: pleased with the proposal, each hoping for the place. But
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Speaker 1: when Pharaoh said to them, Joseph shall be the man
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Speaker 1: we do not read that they made him any answer,
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Speaker 1: being uneasy at it and acquiescing only because they could
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Speaker 1: not help it. Joseph had enemies, no doubt, archers that
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Speaker 1: shot at him and hated him Chapter forty nine, verse
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Speaker 1: twenty three, as Daniel Chapter six, verse four three. He
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Speaker 1: put on him all the marks of honor imaginable, to
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Speaker 1: recommend him to the esteem and respect of the people,
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Speaker 1: as the King's favorite and one whom he delighted to honor. Peren. One.
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Speaker 1: He gave him his own ring as a ratification of
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Speaker 1: his commission, and in token of peculiar favor, or it
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Speaker 1: was like delivering him the great seal. Peren Too, he
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Speaker 1: put fine clothes upon him instead of his prison garments,
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Speaker 1: for those that are in the king's palaces must wear
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Speaker 1: soft clothing. He that in the morning was dragging his
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Speaker 1: fetters of iron before night, was adorned with a chain
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Speaker 1: of gold. Peren. Three. He made him ride in the
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Speaker 1: second chariot to his own, and ordered all to do
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Speaker 1: homage to him, vow the knee as to Pharaoh himself.
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Speaker 1: Per En. Four. He gave him a new name to
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Speaker 1: show his authority over him, And yet such a name
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Speaker 1: as bespoke the value he had for him Zephnath Pania,
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Speaker 1: a revealer of secrets peren five. He married him honorably
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Speaker 1: to a prince's daughter. Where God had been liberal in
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Speaker 1: giving wisdom and other merits, Pharaoh was not sparing in
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Speaker 1: conferring honors. Now, this preferment to Joseph was sub one,
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Speaker 1: an abundant recompense for his innocence and patient suffering, a
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Speaker 1: lasting instance of the equity and goodness of Providence, and
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Speaker 1: an encouragement to all good people to trust in a
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Speaker 1: good God. Sub two. It was typical of the exaltation
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Speaker 1: of Christ, that great revealer of secrets John chapter one,
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Speaker 1: verse eighteen, or as some translate Joseph's new name, the
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Speaker 1: Savior of the World. The brightest glories of the upper
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Speaker 1: world are put upon him, the highest trust is lodged
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Speaker 1: in his dead hand, and all powers given to him,
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Speaker 1: both in heaven and earth. He is gatherer, keeper and
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Speaker 1: disposer of all the stores of divine grace, and the
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Speaker 1: chief ruler of the Kingdom of God among men. The
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Speaker 1: work of ministers is to cry before him, vow the knee,
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Speaker 1: kiss the sun. The famine in Egypt and Canaan Verses
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Speaker 1: forty six to fifty seven, and Joseph was thirty years
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Speaker 1: old when he stood before Pharaoh, King of Egypt. And
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Speaker 1: Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went
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Speaker 1: throughout all the land of Egypt, and in the seven
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Speaker 1: plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls, and he
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Speaker 1: gathered up all the food of the seven years which
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Speaker 1: were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the
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Speaker 1: food in the cities. The food of the field, which
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Speaker 1: was round about every city, he laid up in the
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Speaker 1: same And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea,
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Speaker 1: very much until he left numbering, for it was without number,
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Speaker 1: And unto Joseph were born two sons uns before the
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Speaker 1: years of famine came, which Asiaeth, the daughter of Potipharah,
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Speaker 1: Priest of Awn, bore to him. And Joseph called the
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Speaker 1: name of the first born Manassah, for God said he
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Speaker 1: hath made me forget all my toil and all my
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Speaker 1: father's house. And the name of the second he called Ephrium,
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Speaker 1: for God hath caused me to be fruitful in the
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Speaker 1: land of my affliction. And the seven years of plenteousness
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Speaker 1: that was in the land of Egypt were ended, and
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Speaker 1: the seven years of dearth began to come, according as
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Speaker 1: Joseph had said. And the dearth was in all lands,
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Speaker 1: but in the land of Egypt there was bread. And
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Speaker 1: when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people
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Speaker 1: cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said, unto all
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Speaker 1: the Egyptians, go unto Joseph what he saith to you do.
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Speaker 1: And the famine was over all the face of the earth.
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Speaker 1: And Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold unto the Egyptians.
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Speaker 1: And the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt,
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Speaker 1: and all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy corn,
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Speaker 1: because that the famine was so sore in all lands.
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Speaker 1: Observe here Roman I the building of Joseph's family in
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Speaker 1: the birth of two sons, Manassa and Ephrium, Verses fifty
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Speaker 1: two fifty two. In the names he gave them, he
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Speaker 1: owned the divine providence, giving this happy turn to his affairs.
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Speaker 1: One he was made to forget his misery job Chapter eleven,
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Speaker 1: verse sixteen. We should bear our afflictions when they are present,
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Speaker 1: as those that know not, but Providence may so outweigh
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Speaker 1: them by after comforts, as that we may even forget
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Speaker 1: them when they are past. But could he be so
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Speaker 1: unnatural as to forget all his father's house. He means
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Speaker 1: the unkindness he received from his brethren, or perhaps the
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Speaker 1: wealth and honor he expected from his father with the birthright.
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Speaker 1: The robes he wore now made him forget the coat
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Speaker 1: of divers colors which he wore in his father's house. Two,
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Speaker 1: he was made fruitful in the land of his affliction.
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Speaker 1: It had been the land of his affliction, and in
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Speaker 1: some sense it was still so, for it was not Canaan,
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Speaker 1: the land of promise. His distance from his father was
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Speaker 1: still his affliction. Note. Light is sometimes sown for the
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Speaker 1: righteous in a barren and unlikely soil, and yet if
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Speaker 1: God sow it and water it, it will come up again.
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Speaker 1: The afflictions of the saints promote their fruitfulness. Ephrium signifies fruitfulness,
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Speaker 1: and manassa forgetfulness, for these two often go together. When
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Speaker 1: Jeshurin waxed fat, he forgot God his maker, Roman too
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Speaker 1: the accomplishment of Joseph's predictions. Pharaoh had great confidence in
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Speaker 1: the truth of them, perhaps finding in his own mind
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Speaker 1: beyond what another person could. An exact correspondence between them
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Speaker 1: and his dreams, as between the key and the lock,
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Speaker 1: and the events showed that he was not deceived. The
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Speaker 1: seven plentius years came verse forty seven, and at length
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Speaker 1: they were ended Verse fifty three. Note we ought to
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Speaker 1: foresee the approaching period of the days, both of our
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Speaker 1: prosperity and of our opportunity, and therefore must not be
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Speaker 1: secure in the enjoyment of our prosperity, nor slothful in
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Speaker 1: the improvement of our opportunity. Years of plenty will end. Therefore,
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Speaker 1: whatever thy hand finds to do, do it, and gather
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Speaker 1: in gathering time. The morning cometh, and also the night
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Speaker 1: Isaiah chapter twenty one, verse twelve. The plenty and also
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Speaker 1: the famine, the seven years of dearth began to come
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Speaker 1: verse fifty four. See what changes of condition we are
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Speaker 1: liable to in this world? And what need we have
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Speaker 1: to be joyful in a day of prosperity and in
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Speaker 1: a day of adversity? To consider Ecclesiastes chapter seven, verse fourteen.
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Speaker 1: This famine, it seems, was not only in Egypt, but
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Speaker 1: in other lands, in all lands, that is all the
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Speaker 1: neighboring countries. Fruitful lands were soon turned into barrenness for
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Speaker 1: the iniquity of those that dwell Therein Psalm one hundred
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Speaker 1: and seven, verse thirty four, it is here said that
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Speaker 1: in the land of Egypt there was bread, meaning probably
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Speaker 1: not only that which Joseph had bought up for the king,
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Speaker 1: but that which private persons, by his example and upon
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Speaker 1: public notice of this prediction, as well as by the
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Speaker 1: rules of common prudence, had laid up. Roman three the
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Speaker 1: performance of Joseph's trust, he was found faithful to it
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Speaker 1: as a steward ought to be. One, he was diligent
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Speaker 1: in laying up while the plenty lasted Verses forty eight
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Speaker 1: and forty nine. He that thus gathers is a wise son. Two.
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Speaker 1: He was prudent and careful in giving out when the
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Speaker 1: famine came, and kept the markets low by furnishing them
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Speaker 1: at reasonable rates out of his stores. The people in
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Speaker 1: distress cried to Pharaoh, as that woman to the King
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Speaker 1: of Israel. Second Kings, Chapter six, verse twenty six, help
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Speaker 1: my Lord, o King. He sent them to his treasurer
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Speaker 1: and go to Joseph. Thus, God, in the Gospel directs
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Speaker 1: those that apply to him for mercy and grace to
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Speaker 1: go to the Lord Jesus, in whom all fullness dwells.
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Speaker 1: And what he saith to you, do, Joseph, no doubt,
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Speaker 1: with wisdom and justice, fixed the price of corn he sold,
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Speaker 1: so that Pharaoh, whose money had bought it up, might
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Speaker 1: have a reasonable profit. And yet the country might not
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Speaker 1: be oppressed, nor advantage taken of their prevailing necessity. While
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Speaker 1: he that withholdest corn when it is dear, and in
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Speaker 1: hopes it will yet grow dearer, though people perish for
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Speaker 1: want of it, has many a curse for so doing.
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Speaker 1: And it is not a curse causeless blessing shall be
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Speaker 1: upon the head of him that thus seleth it Proverbs,
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Speaker 1: chapter eleven, verse twenty six. And let the price be
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Speaker 1: determined by that golden rule of justice, to do as
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Speaker 1: we would be done. By end of chapter forty one,