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In the last article we took a look at how Joseph would finally begin to see things in his life, go his way. We also learned that Joseph had now been promoted to the second highest position within the land of Egypt, which would be considered "prime-minister of state". And on top of this, we began to see how Joseph's dream interpretations for Pharaoh would start to come to pass as well. Now we have now reached the point within this Sacred Account that confirms the second half of Joseph's interpretation to Pharaoh's dream. Know that the Holy Scriptures had already confirmed the first part of Joseph's dream interpretation, which started with the "seven years of abundance". We're now entering into the second half of that "dream interpretation" that is now dealing with the "famine of seven years": "The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There were famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food." -- (Genesis 41:53-54) And with the confirmation that came from this passage, we are beginning to see that Joseph is prospering in spite of the "famine" that is now surrounding the land of Egypt. This "favor" came about, because of his obedience and the strong faith that he had, when it came to following the ways of the Lord while he was in the midst of a "season of suffering." Make no mistake, Joseph has now found himself, being personally rewarded with a "season of recompense and abundance." Understand that God was able to trust Joseph when it came to him following His ways. And Joseph did this even though he was going through a period in his life that was filled with unfairness, disgrace and affliction. And of course their were times that Joseph had become concerned and somewhat disappointed - but he never wavered in his beliefs and duties, when it came to the One True God. Because of this, the Lord was able to elevate him to a higher level, knowing that Joseph would stay humble and obedient to His ways. And like always, the Lord was right. Being that Joseph would not lose sight of what the Lord had shared with him through the dream interpretations that Joseph had given to Pharaoh. Joseph had shown great wisdom and stayed focused as he managed the land of Egypt well, during its "seven years of abundance." Now things have changed and the land of Egypt has entered into a period that is now dealing with the "famine of seven years." Keep in mind that Joseph had predicted this seven years earlier. And thanks to Joseph and the instruction and direction that he'd followed from the Almighty God - the Egyptian kingdom was fully prepared to sustain the full blunt of it. Know that there's a great lesson that we can gain from Joseph's experiences, and it deals with the preparation of one's self for the task at hand. Understand that there will be many different "seasons" that we will experience through life that will forever be, constantly changing. Also keep in mind that we will have "seasons" where we're prosperous, while finding ourselves in a "state of easement," and then there will be some "seasons" that will bring some type of loss while we find ourselves in a "state of suffering and affliction." Know that often times suffering and affliction will come first, and through "faith," which affords us the ability to rely on God - we're able to make it through a period of such challenges. The Sacred Record teaches us to have a high level of confidence in the Almighty, so much so, we should be able to keep our head held up high, no matter what we are going through in life. We must also learn to stay true to who we are in the Lord, regardless of the challenges we may face at times, and know by doing this, we will earn His trust in return. And if God is able to trust us, He will add more to us as He continues to build us up - just like He did Joseph. Understand that going through a process of such, allows us to enter into a period within our lives with added wisdom and insight. Because of this, we're now able to make better decisions, without the "emotion of fear" paralyzing us - when it comes to taking the necessary steps that will help us to succeed and profit greatly, when God presents us with a new and unfamiliar opportunity. This is crucial, for what good comes from a "season of abundance," if the increase is wasted through poor decisions and foolishness, when it comes to us doing our parts as stewards over the blessing that God has given us? Keep in mind that although the "seven years of abundance" had came before the "famine of seven years" Joseph had already gone through a season of great suffering and hardship, in which he was constantly being tested. Joseph would eventually pass everything he'd endured and now he would find himself being trusted with a promotion (thanks to God) within the Egyptian kingdom that he was once a prisoner of. And immediately, Joseph in his new position would be faced with a chaotic situation when it came to the foreign rule that was now controlling the middle to lower parts of Egypt. But he handle it well, because God had fully prepared him for the task that was now at hand. Moving forward... "When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, 'Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.' When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph open the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. And all the countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the world." -- (Genesis 41:55-57) Like I stated earlier, Joseph had been well prepared for what the Lord had brought him into. And depending on what type of perception one might have, it would seem that Joseph had received another promotion after he was promoted to "prime-minister of state?" Now I know a statement of such would cause one to ask: "What promotion could be greater than the position he currently held, for he couldn't surpass Pharaoh - right?" And this is true, for Joseph couldn't go higher than Pharaoh, but we must understand that the whole Egyptian empire had been elevated because of this famine. Also keep in mind that now, other surrounding countries were now forced to go and purchase grain from the Egyptians, or else starve from the "famine of seven years." Because of this, during this period in history Egypt would become very powerful, and so therefore the position that Joseph held would further grow in responsibility, since he now had to deal with the neighboring countries as well, and not just Egypt. One may wonder that if a man who did not follow the ways of the Lord, had held this position that Joseph had gained - he would have probably used this power in the wrong kind of way. Make no mistake that this type of person would have been found to be wicked in the eyes of the Lord. But with Joseph, the other countries will find relief during this time of great dearth and so therefore, Joseph became a blessing not only to the land of Egypt, but to the other surrounding countries as well. The famine was wide spread, far beyond the borders of Egypt. Joseph's father's household was now feeling the effects of this famine as well. Joseph's father Jacob - would be forced to send his sons (Joseph's brothers) to Egypt to buy grain. Remember that Joseph's brothers had sold him into slavery some twenty years before. Now one must wonder what kind of reception they will get, when they come before that same person who now holds a position of great power and authority, from within a land that they now need help from?
Jacob - The Path of Uncertainty **YOUR CURRENT BIBLE STUDY ONLINE SERIES WOULD BE HERE** 84) Joseph's Dark Dreams Interpretation 85) Joseph the Overseer of Egypt 86) Joseph the Revealer of Secrets 88) The Seven Years of Abundance 89) <-CURRENT PAGE-> 90) Joseph the Egyptian Prime Minister 91) Joseph's Temptation of Revenge 93) The Confessions of the Ten Tribes 
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