Genesis 40:1-41:36

 What this passage will show us is that we are called to wait on God as we seek what’s next and then walk with God once he shows us what’s next.

Outline

  • First, Wait on the Lord as you seek what’s next (40:1-23)
    • Wait on the Lord even when you are forced to care for others (40:1-8)
    • Wait on the Lord even when you find yourself forgotten back in the pit (40:9-15)
    • Wait for the Lord even when you face disappointment (40:16-23)
  • Second, Walk with the Lord as you start what’s next (41:1-36)
    • Walk with the Lord as he prepares you to start what’s next (41:1-8)
    • Walk with the Lord as God shows you what’s next (41:9-14)
    • Walk with the Lord as he uses you through what’s next (41:15-16…25-36)

Christ Connections

  • The fates of these two men point toward the two eternal futures faced by every human. Just as both men failed Pharaoh, all of us have failed our true King in heaven. As a result, all of us will die and then face judgment. Each of us deserves punishment like the baker because of our sins, yet, like the cupbearer, some of us will be restored to eternally serve before our King. True restoration comes through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus is the bread of life. In trusting in him, we don’t have to face judgment like the baker. Jesus offers us living water so we can experience restoration like the cupbearer.
  •  Joseph is brought out of the pit and cleaned up to be presented before the king. All of us in our sin are like Joseph, we are in the pit, headed toward death but God in his kindness doesn’t just send his servants to bring us out but his son. Jesus takes our place in the pit so that we can be brought to the palace just like Joseph is cleaned up and given new clothes to be presented before pharaoh, he cleanses us from our sin and dresses us in the robes of his righteousness to present us to the King.

Applications

  • It is incredibly difficult when you are waiting for God to give you clarity while others around you are getting the clarity you long for. We often believe we are waiting on God when he is often waiting on us. God is not preventing us from our future. He is protecting us, he is purifying us, and he is preparing us for our future.
  • Does God still speak through dreams today? Yes and no.
    • No: Pharaoh’s dream and Joseph’s prophetic interpretation are unique in advancing the story of redemption and are not the norm. 
    • Yes: God is still at work making his way known through all sorts of ways. The key is not just where the new insight comes from but what we do with it once we have it.
    • Dreams + discernment = direction