(Genesis) Genesis 41 Introduction

We are coming to this 41st chapter, and last time we left poor Joseph down in jail, forgotten, forlorn, forsaken. Poor boy, he's in a bad, bad way. And yet all of this is happening to him for God's purpose in his life.

And this boy could recognize that, and if you and I could only recognize that today, it would give us a different outlook on life, I'm sure. Now in chapter 41, we're going to see Joseph is released from prison when he interprets the dreams of Pharaoh. And then Pharaoh makes him overseer of the entire land of Egypt, and then he marries Asenath, the daughter of the priest of On who bears him Manasseh and Ephraim.

Now this is a story here from rags to riches. I do not suppose that any Horatio Alger story is more thrilling than this episode in the life of Joseph. And now when we get to this chapter, we can certainly see clearly the hand of God in his life.

Now Joseph was conscious of this in the days of adversity, and it developed in him many virtues which are the fruit of the Spirit. And one of these that we mentioned before is patience. Tribulation or trouble worketh patience.

Well that was demonstrated in the life of Joseph. We find that this boy now is brought into the presence of Pharaoh, the Gentile king, just as later on Daniel is brought in before Nebuchadnezzar. Both of them to interpret dreams.

Now what purpose of God now is going to be accomplished by the famine? The famine comes to the world. Anybody say, well what good could there be in that? Well there's good in it, friends. God accomplished a very real purpose, and that was to get that family out of the land of Canaan down in Egypt and place them in the land of Goshen.

That's one of the things. And I'm sure that in the lives of other people of that day, the hand of God was evident. And I think this is a chapter that you ought to read rather carefully, chapter 41 of Genesis, and note in the many ways in which Joseph is actually like the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now we are going to be making that comparison from time to time. We won't have time, I'm sure, to do it today, but it certainly is something to recognize here and something for us to pay attention to. Now poor Joseph, we left him in jail last time forgotten.

Let's see what takes place. And it came to pass after these things that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord, the king of Egypt. Now that is back in chapter 40, and you remember the butler was put in jail.

Then Joseph interpreted their dreams, for the baker wasn't good, and he was taken out and hanged. But the butler was restored to his position, and Joseph had begged him to remember him, and he hadn't.