Transcendence

Twenty: From Abundance to Famine

Two full years passed by. Two years of Joseph's life spent in the dungeon for absolutely doing not one thing wrong. He had been wrongfully accused. But it didn't stop him from making a name for himself, for doing his best, being honest, fair, and for being faithful to God.  And, that's the thing, those years were not wasted.  God's perfect timing and perfect plan was in place, though Joseph didn't know it. He had no idea what his destiny was. He had no idea why he was taken from his home and placed in a dreary place where he felt he had been forgotten. He assumed he would spend the rest of his life in the dungeon. He didn't know.

God knew. He had a plan.

Then things started to change.

Pharaoh had a dream. He dreamed he was standing by the Nile, when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat. They grazed among the reeds. After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside the others on the riverbank. The cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek fat ones. He then had a second dream. In it seven heads of grain healthy and good were growing on a single stalk. After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted - thin and scorched by the east wind. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the healthy ones.

The next morning Pharaoh was troubled. He sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt in search of someone to interpret his dreams. He was frustrated to find that no one in the entire country could.

It was then that the cupbearer remembered the young Hebrew named Joseph who was in prison with him.  He remembered how he had interpreted his dream and also the baker's dream while they were held in the dungeon. He told Pharaoh the story of how Joseph's interpretations had turned out to be exactly right.

Pharaoh immediately sent for Joseph and he was quickly brought in from the dungeon. Pharaoh explained that he needed Joseph to interpret his dream. Joseph replied, "I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires." (I love how Joseph gives God the glory, it isn't he who interprets the dreams but it is God. Joseph doesn't hold pride, he simply listens to God and obeys. ) 

Pharaoh explained his dreams to Joseph.

When he was done Joseph said, "The two dreams are one and the same. God has revealed to you what He is about to do. The seven cows, and the seven good heads of grain represent seven years of abundance which are coming throughout the land of Egypt. The seven lean, ugly cows that come up afterward and the seven worthless heads of grain represent seven years of famine which will follow. All of the abundance will be forgotten when the seven years of famine ravages the land. The famine will be severe. The reason you have received two dreams with the same meaning is because the matter has been firmly decided by God, and it will happen soon. You should not waste any time. You should quickly look for a discerning and wise man to be in charge of the land of Egypt. Appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. They should collect all the food of these good years and store up the grain under your authority to be kept in the cities for food. All of it should be held in reserve for the country to be used during the seven years of famine to avoid the country being ruined by the severe famine."

Pharaoh replied to Joseph, "Since God has made all of this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you." Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and placed it on Joseph's finger, gave him a robe of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. The promotion from dungeon to second in command was to be immediate. (God can turn your life around in an instant, never ever doubt His power!)

Pharaoh had Joseph ride in a chariot as his second in command. Men shouted before him. "Make way!" they chanted, knowing he was suddenly in charge of the whole land of Egypt. (This chanting signified the respect the people had for Pharaoh. In that time proud Egyptians did not care for Hebrews. In fact they wouldn't even be seen eating near them. Pharaoh wasn't blind to the problem of Joseph being a Hebrew. In order that Joseph's ethnic past be erased as quickly as possible, Pharaoh promptly gave him an Egyptian name, Zaphenath-Paneah.  

Soon there after Joseph married into a prominent Egyptian family. Asenath, daughter of the priest of Oh, was given to him as his wife. Joseph was thirty years old at this time.

Joseph went out from Pharaoh's presence and traveled throughout the land of Egypt. During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. He collected food throughout the land to store up in the cities. He stored huge quantities of grain, so much that he eventually quit keeping records because it was as much as the sand of the sea, beyond measure.

During the abundant years Joseph's wife had two sons, Manasseh ( a name meaning forget- for God had made him forget all his troubles) and Ephraim ( a name that means fruitful- because God made him fruitful in the land of his suffering). Both of his son's names were Hebrew names, indicating Joseph continued to maintain a little bit of his own identity.

The seven years of abundance came to an end and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said it would. The famine became so severe that people began to beg Pharaoh for food. When they came he sent them to Joseph who opened the storehouses and began selling the stored grain. (Famine in the middle east was common, there are records of famine so severe that starving people killed and ate each other. But it was rare for famine to affect both Egypt and Palestine at the same time because they depended on different sources of water. However this famine was world wide, and in a short time people from all over the world went to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph.)

(Life question: If you found yourself in a predicament such as Joseph had when he was imprisoned for years for something he did not do, would you hold on to your faith even if the years crept slowly by? Would you be able to hold your head high and keep your honor and reputation regardless of how desperately lonely you may feel? One example may be that you are working a job you may not like but you continue praying for another door to open. If it takes years rather than weeks or months can you keep the faith that God has a plan in place and you are where you are for a reason? )