Genesis and the New Covenant, chapter 37
Friday, August 31st, 2018To: The Family of God, “people being made temples of His spirit” God’s Church 8/31/18, God’s 6th month, Elul 20, 5778 until sunset. It’s worth our attention; “Joseph was Israel’s only one of twelve son’s God revealed Himself to.” He was set apart for God’s purpose before the foundation of the world. The twelve gates of “coming New Jerusalem” are named for the 12 tribes of Israel. God the Father and God the Son’ ways, characteristics and attributes don’t change. The Hebrews writer shares.
(Heb 13:7-9; “Remember your leaders, who spoke God’s message to you; reflect on the outcome of their lives and imitate their faith. (8) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever! Do not be carried away by all sorts of strange teachings. For it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not ritual meals, which have never benefited those who participated in them.”)
(Gen 41:25-32; “Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Both dreams of Pharaoh have the same meaning. God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do. The seven good cows represent seven years, and the seven good heads of grain represent seven years. Both dreams have the same meaning. The seven lean, bad-looking cows that came up after them represent seven years, as do the seven empty heads of grain burned with the east wind. They represent seven years of famine. This is just what I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the whole land of Egypt. But seven years of famine will occur after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will devastate the land. The previous abundance of the land will not be remembered because of the famine that follows, for the famine will be very severe. The dream was repeated to Pharaoh because the matter has been decreed by God, and God will make it happen soon.”)
Many things are about to come on this and a future generation, that are “decreed by God.” Study Matthew 24: & corresponding scriptures, such as Daniel 12:. May we be gifted with perseverance to stay true, “overcome our sin nature and Satan’s deceptions to the end.”
Believers IN Jesus” are gifted to understand the hold Satan has on unbelievers. Believers are blessed with knowing faith regarding God’s promises and “love times holy to Him.” When presented with truth, “hostile unbelievers scoff and ignore.” (Through gifted knowing faith, “followers of Jesus believe IN His return, the resurrections, Satan’s fate and peace on earth.”) (Jesus promises judgment, a second death to hostiles and New Jerusalem’s coming down with God the Father.) Followers of Jesus’ prayer focus is on “His kingdom’s soon coming, “His will being done and that we’re led from evil and the false way.” It’s indicated that before Jesus’ return, supernatural miracles will be done through His followers. (See Revelations 11:)
Understand too “Satan does miracles.” Jesus revealed to John that Satan is on the ready to give power to demonic rulers and do deceiving miracles. All allowed by God for His ultimate purpose.
(Rev 13:1-9; “Then I “John” saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns were ten diadem crowns, and on its heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast “ the one in whom Satan gives power” that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The dragon “Satan” gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority to rule. One of the beast’s heads appeared to have been killed, but the lethal wound had been healed. And the whole world followed the beast in amazement; they worshiped the dragon because he had given ruling authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast too, saying: “Who is like the beast?” and “Who is able to make war against him?” The beast was given a mouth speaking proud words and blasphemies, and he was permitted to exercise ruling authority for forty-two months. So the beast opened his mouth to blaspheme against God – to blaspheme both His name and His dwelling place, that is, those who dwell in heaven. (7) The beast was permitted to go to war against the Saints and conquer them. He was given ruling authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation, and all those who live on the earth will worship the beast, everyone whose name has NOT been written since the foundation of the world in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was killed. If anyone has an ear, he had better listen!”) Those to whom God reveals Himself will be able to persevere. Those belonging to Jesus.
Healings Jesus did and those through His apostles were instantaneous. God also created our bodies with natural healing mechanisms. Healing mechanisms by use of drugs, chemical and surgery aren’t what’s considered. Such can aid the body in healing itself. (When Jesus did miracles & those through His apostles, “they were instant and usually He gave advance knowing faith.)
The Lord God Jesus revealed Himself to Joseph and “he was given to understand that he was His instrument.” After God revealed Pharaoh’s dreams, Joseph gave Pharaoh advice and God gave Pharaoh the mind to trust Joseph.
(Genesis 41:33-39; “So now Pharaoh should look for a wise and discerning man and give him authority over all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh should do this – he should appoint officials throughout the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. They should gather all the excess food during these good years that are coming. By Pharaoh’s authority they should store up grain so the cities will have food, and they should preserve it. (36) This food should be held in storage for the land in preparation for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout the land of Egypt. In this way the land will survive the famine.” (37) This advice made sense to Pharaoh and all his officials. So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find a man like Joseph, one in whom the Spirit of God is present?” So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has enabled you to know all this, there is no one as wise and discerning as you are!”) Had God not been intervening, “officials of Pharaoh’s would have been jealous and would have accused Joseph of looking out for himself.” None of them were believers IN Joseph’s God.
(Gen 41:40-44; “You will oversee my household, and all my people will submit to your commands. Only I, the king, will be greater than you. “See here,” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I place you in authority over all the land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his own hand and put it on Joseph’s. He clothed him with fine linen clothes and put a gold chain around his neck. Pharaoh had him ride in the chariot used by his second-in-command, and they cried out before him, “Kneel down!” So he placed him over all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission no one will move his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.”)
Ultimate authority with loving concern is what’s needed to rule fleshly minded people “for their own good.” Same with rearing children! In this latter age “parents are hindered by erroneous concepts and government interference.” Fleshly nature yields to “what’s appealing and self serving. It’s why “democracies left to themselves always fail.” God sustains some beyond what would be their natural fall. Some are probably being sustained now.
(Gen 41:45-49; “Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah. He also gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, “priest of the city of On” to be his wife. “So Joseph took charge of all the land of Egypt.” Now Joseph was 30 years old when he began serving Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph was commissioned by Pharaoh and was in charge of all the land of Egypt. During the seven years of abundance the land produced large, bountiful harvests. Joseph collected all the excess food in the land of Egypt during the seven years and stored it in the cities. In every city he put the food gathered from the fields around it. Joseph stored up a vast amount of grain, like the sand of the sea, until he stopped measuring it because it was impossible to measure.”)
Nothing is impossible with God. Pharaoh too “was being used by God for His purpose.” God also allows Satan to use rulers and clergy types for His purpose.” They deceive all, “whose names aren’t written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Remember “the deceived don’t know they are.”
(Gen 41:50-57; “Two sons were born to Joseph before the famine came. Asenath, daughter of Potiphera “priest of On,” was their mother. Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, “Certainly God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s house.” (“The name “Manasseh” is a participle, suggesting the meaning “he who brings about forgetfulness.” A particular Hebrew verb may have been used to provide a closer sound play with the name. The giving of this Hebrew name to his son shows that Joseph retained his heritage and faith; and it shows that a brighter future was in store for him.)
Joseph named the second child Ephraim, saying, “Certainly God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.” (The name “Ephraim” means “to bear fruit.” The theme of fruitfulness is connected with this line of the family from Rachel (30:2) on down (see Gen 49:22, Deut 33:13-17, and Hosea 13:15). But there is some difficulty with the name “Ephraim” itself. It appears to be dual in meaning “double fruitfulness.” Many, however, simply connect the name to the territory of Ephraim and interpret it to be “fertile land” In this account it refers to Joseph’s God-given fruitfulness. (Later we’ll see that the special blessings given to the Patriarchs “are passed to these two sons.”
(Gen 41:53-57; The seven years of abundance in the land of Egypt came to an end. Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted. There was famine in all the other lands, but throughout the land of Egypt there was food. When all the land of Egypt experienced the famine, the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh said to all the people of Egypt, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you.” (56) While the famine was over all the earth, (Or “over the entire land”; “over all the face of the earth.” The disjunctive clause is circumstantial-temporal to the next clause.) Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians. The famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt. People from every country came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain because the famine was severe throughout the earth.”)
God blessed Egypt through Joseph, and “God was in the process of teaching Joseph, his brothers and Jacob.”
(Genesis 42:1-2; “When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you looking at each other?” He then said, “Look, I hear that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy grain for us so that we may live and not die.”) In the interim Jacob must have given aid to and released his servants as food supplies ran out. Only 70, “Jacob’s immediate family” went to Egypt.