~~~~~Lesson: Genesis: Chapter 42 (part 2) (reading below lesson)

 One area that I glossed over below is that Joseph is given a new name by Pharaoh: Zaphnath-paneah. He is also given a wife and has two sons. The name "Zaphnath-paneah" means "God speaks, He lives." Pharaoh giving him this name is a small, but telling thing!
Pharaoh, who has for his whole life worshipped multiple Gods, is listening to a Hebrew man who is bold enough to tell the Pharaoh of Egypt about his God. And Pharaoh listens to the obviously good advice, follows it, and elevates the man who gave him the good advice.

This is not the view of Egypt that we will come to take later....we must remember, when looking at a country, area, or time period, that much of the general attitude of the day is determined by the leaders of those areas. This Pharaoh is open to the idea of the one true God, and elevates a foreigner to high position.

Also note: Joseph's two sons, despite being born of an Egyptian wife, become two of the greatest tribes of Israel....what a change from later in Israel's history, when a foreigner is basically unwelcome, and certainly, unclean!

Questions: Joseph allows God to lead him, and he causes changes. In what area have you allowed God to lead you?  Even if you didn't see any changes, are you setting a good example in your everyday life?

While we must always respect one another, is there a time you have "stood up" for God?

~Reading: Genesis: Chapter 41 (part 2)

(33-42) [Joseph said] "Therefore, let Pharaoh seek out a wise and discerning man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. Pharaoh should also take actions to appoint overseers, so as to regiment the land during the seven years of abundance. They should husband all the food of the coming good years, collecting the grain under pharaoh's authority, to be stored in the towns for food. This food will serve as a reserve for the country against the seven years of famine that are to follow in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish in the famine."

This advice pleased Pharaoh and all his officials. "Could we find another like him," Pharaoh asked his officials, "a man so endowed with the spirit of God?" So Pharaoh said to Joseph: "Since God has made all this known to you, no one can be as wise and discerning as you are. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people shall dart at your command. Only in respect to the throne shall I outrank you. Herewith," Pharaoh told Joseph, "I place you in charge of the whole land of Egypt," With that, Pharaoh took of his signet ring and put it on Joseph's finger. He had him dressed in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck.

(47-48) During the seven years of plenty, when the land produced abundant crops, he husbanded all the food of these years of plenty that the land of Egypt was enjoying and stored it in the towns, placing in each town the crops of the fields around it.

(53-57) When the seven years of abundance enjoyed by the land of Egypt came to an end, the seven years of famine set in, just as Joseph had predicted. Although there was famine in all the other countries, food was available throughout the land of Egypt. When the hunger came to be felt throughout the land of Egypt and the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread, Pharaoh directed all the Egyptians to go to Joseph and do whatever he told them. When the famine had spread throughout the land, Joseph opened all the cities that had grain and rationed it to the Egyptians, since the famine had gripped the land of Egypt. In fact, all the world came to Joseph to obtain rations of grain, for famine had gripped the whole world.