“When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile, when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. He fell asleep again and had a second dream: 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 seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream.” (v1-7)
All of the wise men and magicians in Egypt are unable to interpret the dreams for Pharaoh, at which point the cupbearer remembers Joseph had correctly interpreted his dream (and the chief baker’s). He tells Pharaoh, who sends for Joseph to be brought from the prison. Joseph then shares God’s meaning behind the dream: there will be seven years of abundance in the land, followed by seven years of severe famine. God instructs them to put a wise person in charge to store up extra food over the next seven years so they have enough for the following seven years. Since God had granted Joseph this great wisdom and insight, Pharaoh decides to put Joseph in charge of all of Egypt, second only to the throne (Pharaoh). (v25-45)
So Joseph enacts God’s plan, storing up so much extra food that they had to stop keeping records because they could no longer count it (now that’s the abundance of the Lord for you!). After seven years the famine hits, and Egypt becomes incredibly wealthy selling their extra food to neighboring nations because of God’s wisdom and guidance through Joseph. (v46-57)
This chapter really shows the abundance of the Lord’s provision. There are several verses in scripture that speak of God blessing people with far more than they need. Examples include: 2 Cor 9:6-11; Eph 3:14-21; Luk 6:38; Mat 6:25-34; Pro 3:9-10; Pro 65:11.
In one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, the author of Hebrews lists many of the great founders of the faith (including Joseph), summarizes a few of their high points, and then sums it up with this statement: “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (Heb 11:39-40) If Joseph, who had the entire wealth of Egypt at his disposal was still lacking “something better”, then clearly abundant physical provision was not the entirety of God’s the ultimate plan.
God’s abundance in physical provision is merely a symbol of His abundant eternal provision for our spiritual well-being. By that, I mean the ultimate provision was God sending His son, Jesus, to die and be raised again to provide freedom from sin and death, and enable us to receive the provision of eternal life – there was no greater provision before Jesus, and there will not be any greater provision after Jesus (until He comes again and we join God in eternity).
I’ll conclude today with a blessing from scripture that parallels the account of Joseph’s faithfulness in Egypt: “If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in obedience to him. Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you. The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity – in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground – in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you. The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The LORD will make you the head, not the tail… you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.” (Deu 28:1-14 abr)
~ Conqueror in Training