DECEMBER 8, 1918 JOSEPH MADE RULER OF EGYPT Golden Text.— “He, that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.” Lu. 16:10. LESSON t e x t Gen. 41:33-44. (Additional material, Gen. chaps. 39-41).
F o r a s m u c h a s G o d h a s s h e w e d th e e a l l t h is , t h e r e is n o n e s o d is c r e e t a n d w is e a s th o u a r t : ( 4 0 ) T h o u S h a lt h e o v e r m y h o u s e , a n d a c c o r d in g u n t o t h y w o r d s h a ll a l l m y p e o p le b e r u le d : o n ly in t h e th r o n e w i l l X b e g r e a t e r th a n t h o u . ( 4 1 ) A n d P h a r a o h s a id u n t o J o s e p h , S ee , I h a v e .s e t th e e o v e r a l l th e la n d o f E g y p t . ( 4 2 ) A n d P h a r a o h t o o k o f f h is r i n g f r o m h is h a n d , a n d p u t i t u p o n J o s e p h ’s h a n d , a n d a r r a y e d h im in v e s t u r e s o f fin e lin e n , a n d p u t a g o ld c h a in a b o u t h is n e c k ; ( 4 3 ) A n d h e * m a d e h im t o r id e in t h e s e c o n d c h a r io t w h ic h h e h a d ; a n d t h e y d r ie d b e f o r e h im , B o w th e k n e e : a n d h e s e t h im o v e r a l l th e la n d o f E g y p t . (4 4 ) A n d P n a r a o h s a id u n t o J o s e p h , I a m P h a r a o h , a n d w i t h o u t th e e s h a ll n o m a n - . f t u p h is h a n d o r f o o t in a l l th e la n d o f E g y p t . night, and each was troubled by his dream. Joseph interpreted the dreams for the two men: that the butler should be restored to his office, while the baker should be hanged-—and the matter fell out accordingly. Joseph charged the butler as he was being released, to re member him, which the butler, courtier like, promised to do and forgot. Are there not others besides the Egyptian butler guilty of this kind of thing? It was not until two years afterwards that the butler found it convenient to remem ber Joseph. Pharaoh, the great king, had a dream, or rather two dreams, which none of his wise men were able to interpret for him, to the disappoint ment of the monarch. This was the opportunity for Joseph. God’s clock had struck the hour. The butler re membered what Joseph had done for him when he was in a somewhat similar dilemma, and suggested him to the king. It is worth noting here that Joseph was called to the throne because of the reputation he had established of being able to do things that nobody else could
( 3 3 ) N o w t h e r e f o r e l e t P h a r a o h lo o k o u t a m a n d is c r e e t a n d w is e , ■ a n d s e t h im o v e r t h e la n d o f E g y p t . ( 3 4 ) L e t P h a r a o h d o t h is , a n d le t h im a p p o in t o f f ic e r s o v e r t h e la n d , a n d t a k e u p th e f i f t h p a r t o f th e la n d o f E g y p t in th e s e v e n p le n te o u s y e a rs . ( 3 5 ) A n d l e t h im g a t h e r a l l th e fo o d o f th o s e g o o d y e a r s t h a t ^ c o m e , a n d la y u p c o r n u n d e r th e h a n d o f P h a r a o h , a n d l e t t h e m k e e p fo o d in t h e c itie s . ( 3 6 ) A n d th e fo o d s h a ll b e f o r a s t o r e to th e la n d a g a in s t th é s e v e n y e a r s o f fa m in e , w h ic h s h a ll h e in th e la n d o f E g y p t ; t h a t th e la n d p e r is h n o t t h r o u g h th e fa m in e . ( 3 7 ) A n d t h e t h i n g w a s g o o d in th e e y e s o f P h a r a o h , a n d in th e e v e s o f a l l h is s e r v a n t s . ( 3 8 ) A n d P h a r a o h s a id u n t o h is s e r v a n t s , C a n w e f in d s u c h a o n e a s t h is is , a m a n in w h o m th e S p i r i t o f G o d is ? ( 3 9 ) A n d P h a r a o h s a id u n t o J o s e p h , Intervening Events. Comparing Gen. 37:2 with 41:46 we find that 13 ,years have elapsed between our last lesson,and this one. That was a long course of training, but the man who was to be ruler of LESSON one of the greatest EXPOSITION nations, if not the greatest nation, of the world at the time, had need of a long course. The teacher will do well to have his class recall the events of Joseph’s life in Egypt between these two lessons. I. Joseph Chosen to a High Position. 1. How He came to be Chosen. Joseph’s being called to the position of second ruler in Egypt was not a mat ter of chance or good luck. From being a servant in the household of Potiphar, Joseph had advanced, because of his faithfulness, to the position of a trusted servant. Then, as suddenly, he had been cast into prison,— for that lay in the path to the throne. In the same prison were Pharaoh’s chief butler and chief baker. Each of these two func tionaries had a dream on the same
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