Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20090208.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Genesis: Explaining The Foundations Of History
Part VII: Explaining God's Plan To Bless Men Regardless Of Apostasy
DD. Thriving By Faith In A Financially Hard Time For The Nations
(Genesis 41:1-57)
    Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

    Individuals around the world face a great economic crisis, and their leaders often seem ill-equipped to be able to handle it properly:

    (1) The February 6, 2009 Republican-American, p. 8A ran an editorial, "Unwarranted spending spree" by John Stossel, co-anchor of ABS News' "20/20" television telling how Nobel winner in economics, Paul Krugman and "other Keynesians" (John M. Keynes was a famous economist) claim the Senate "economic stimulus" bill was too small!

    (2) Then, Stossel noted that, for her part, Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives and third in line for the Presidency, believed "hundreds of millions of dollars" of the Senate bill should go for family-planning services. She told an "incredulous" host, George Stephanopoulos on the "This Week" news program that "contraception will reduce costs to the states and to the federal government." (Ibid.)

    (3) "The White House saw that as a stretch and distanced itself from Pelosi" by having Deputy Press Secretary, Bill Burton respond: "'The principles of what (President Obama) thought should be in the package -- that wasn't part of that.'"

    The President rather affirmed, "'There is no disagreement that we need action by our government, a recovery plan that will help to jumpstart the economy.'" (Ibid.)

    (4) However, John Stossel noted that, opposite this and the view of the Keynesian school, "Last week, the Cato Institute ran a full-page newspaper ad signed by more than 200 economists, including Nobel laureates stating: 'We the undersigned do not believe that more government spending is a way to improve economic performance. More government spending by Hoover and Roosevelt did not pull the United States economy out of the Great Depression in the 1930s. More government spending did not solve Japan's 'lost decade' in the 1990s . . . Lower tax rates and a reduction in the burden of government are the best ways of using fiscal policy to boost growth.'" (Ibid.)

    (5) Last Friday on Michael Savage's talk show, I heard an economist who teaches at Harvard University, Dr. Ferguson, say other nations are quickly printing money as has our Federal Reserve to try to spur people to spend and not save their money to avoid a deeper crisis!

    So, we ask, "In this financial crisis when leaders disagree and seem ill-equipped to solve it, how can I live with blessing?"

    (We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

    Need: "In the current world economic crisis where leaders seem ill-equipped to handle it, how may I function with God's blessing?!"

  1. When Pharaoh had two troubling dreams, he and the nations' leaders around him did not know they faced a big future financial crisis, and that they were ill-prepared to solve it, Genesis 41:1-8:
    1. Pharaoh dreamed two dreams that troubled him, Genesis 41:1-8a:
    2. Neither he nor his men understood them, enhancing his fear, 41:8b,c.
    3. Worse, Genesis 41:25-32 with 41:53-55a, 57 show God had sent these dreams to warn of a severe, 7-year famine that rulers in the world did not know was about to come, leaving them ill-prepared to handle it!
  2. However, Joseph had been readied in trials by God to SOLVE this crisis, so GOD ELEVATED him that he might APPLY this wisdom to help the world in steps that are INSTRUCTIVE for US, 41:9-57:
    1. God had matured Joseph in his trials to develop the wisdom needed to address the crisis, so He led the cup bearer to recall how Joseph had interpreted his dream, and to mention this to Pharaoh, Gen. 41:9-13.
    2. Thus, Joseph was sent to meet Pharaoh, and he told Joseph he had heard Joseph had great ability to interpret dreams, Genesis 41:14-15.
    3. Joseph responded by taking wise steps that we can follow for blessing regardless of financial woes that leaders are ill-equipped to fix for us:
      1. First, Joseph relied on God as his Source of insight, Gen. 41:16: he responded to Pharaoh's compliment of his capacity to interpret dreams by giving GOD the glory as the true Source of this ability.
      2. Second, Joseph relied on God's PAST REVELATIONS, or what would be God's WORD to us, to GUIDE him in the crisis:
        1. Back in Genesis 37:5-10, Joseph had received two dreams from God that foretold his future reign over his brothers and family.
        2. In Genesis 40:1-23, Joseph had been told of another set of two dreams from God to Pharaoh's cup bearer and then to his baker, dreams that also predicted the future, but with a contrast in theme where one man ended up blessed and the other cursed!
        3. In this second set of dreams, the 3 branches yielding grapes and the 3 baskets holding bread predicted 3 days, for the cup bearer and baker would daily give Pharaoh such foods, 40:9-12, 16-18.
        4. Joseph then realized Pharaoh's 2 dreams of lean cattle and grain that ate the fat cattle and grain had one theme -- a contrast in blessing -- as in the case of the 2 dreams of his officials. Yet, he realized the numbered items in Pharaoh's dreams dealt with years, for lean cattle and grain occur in hard years, 41:17-24!
        5. Joseph thus understood Pharaoh's dream by way of precedent: the yield of the next 7 bountiful years would be used up by 7 following years of famine, and the doubling of this theme of contrast via 2 dreams as in the case of the 2 dreams of contrast by Pharaoh's officials meant these events would surely occur soon as in the case of these officials, Genesis 41:25-32!
      3. Third, Joseph urged the SAVING of excess grain produced in the years of PLENTY to offset the years of FAMINE, 41:33-34.
      4. Fourth, Joseph urged the DIVERSIFIED INVESTMENT of the gathered grain for the sake of SECURITY, Genesis 41:35-36:
        1. The word "keep" (KJV, NIV, ESV) in Genesis 41:35 is from the Hebrew verb, shamar, that here means to "guard". (cf. H. C. Leupold, Exposition of Genesis , 1974, vol. II, p. 1031)
        2. The grain was to be kept "in the cities" throughout Egypt, a diversification to minimize loss in any one location, 41:35c!
      5. Fifth, once promoted, Joseph traveled throughout Egypt to LEARN about the land so he could better manage the grain assets in his care, Genesis 41:39-40, 45c.
      6. Sixth, in having to dispense the grain, Joseph SOLD it to its recipients to EXTEND its FUTURE VALUE for Pharaoh: this sale not only to Egypt's people, but to the nations (41:57) shifted wealth to Pharaoh, supplying him greater security in his reign!
      7. Seventh, Joseph opened all the storehouses at once to dispense the grain; this kept it from being exhausted in any one location lest it become vulnerable to harm via centralization and so compromise Egypt's welfare via a local catastrophe , 41:56b!
Application: In the world's financially hard times when rulers seem ill-equipped to help the individual, (1) may we trust in Christ for eternal life and come under His "much more" care, John 1:11-12; Rom. 8:32. (2) Then, may we apply Joseph's example in our lives!

Lesson: To thrive in a big economic crisis when rulers of the nations were ill-equipped to help him, Joseph (1) trusted God and (2) used His Word for insight. (3) Then, he saved his assets, (4) diversified his investments, and (5) educated himself to manage them well. (6) He made expenditures of those assets maximize their future value and (7) expended evenly from all the investment categories involved to prolong their safe diversification!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

One of our members recently had an opportunity to give a free, limited time subscription for the Investor's Business Daily paper to a friend, and he chose to give it to me. I have enjoyed reading this paper.

I noticed that a series of lessons titled, "IBD's 10 Secrets to Success" is appearing in its "Leaders and Success" section. The paper "has spent years analyzing leaders and successful people in all walks of life" and found that "Most have 10 traits that, when combined, can turn dreams into reality." Each day, the paper highlights one of these traits.

Last Tuesday, as I was typing up these notes, I noticed the traits were evident in Joseph's life as we have studied it thus far (as follows):

(1) "How you think is everything." The paper urges us to think in terms of success, not failure. Joseph likewise trusted God's Word of future blessing, thus refusing to become depressed by slavery, slander, imprisonment and being forgotten in prison by an inept official.

(2) "Decide upon your true dreams and goals." God gave Joseph the dreams: all he had to do was to recall and focus upon them!

(3) "Take action." Joseph tried his best in every situation he faced until God finally elevated him to rule in Egypt under Pharaoh.

(4) "Never stop learning." When elevated to rulership, Joseph still educated himself about the land so he could administrate it well!

(5) "Be persistent and work hard." Joseph always did this!

(6) "Learn to analyze details." Joseph's attention to the details of the dreams God had given him and to Pharaoh's officials became critically important for interpreting Pharaoh's significant dreams!

(7) "Focus your time and money." The fact that Joseph did not just give Egypt's grain away, but he sold it shows He was thus focused.

(8) "Don't be afraid to innovate." Joseph's idea of storing grain in bountiful years for the famine crisis was a great one, so he offered it!

(9) "Deal and communicate with people effectively." Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams and word on how to solve the crisis it predicted won Joseph respect from Pharaoh, freedom and a new job!

(10) "Be honest and dependable." Though Joseph's honesty and responsibility to God led him to tell his brothers his dreams, and that led to slavery, God used even his enslavement to prepare him to rule!

May we like Joseph trust God and His Word, and wisely manage ourselves and our resources that God might bless us even in our time of financial crisis that leaders are ill-equipped to solve!