Exalted by God

who among all the gods of these lands has delivered their lands out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand.

Then the angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 of his men, and he was murdered by his own sons. Or as we read earlier in the service, remember King Nebuchadnezzar. At one time, he threw men into a fiery furnace saying,

and who is the God who can deliver you out of my hand?

But in the end, from his very lips, the Lord forces the confession.

He is the most high. His dominion is an everlasting dominion. And his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing. And he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. and none can stay his hand or say to him, what have you done?

Time and again, God displays his absolute superiority and control over every earthly king and leader. But today I want us to see that he does so not just to humble, but also to bless. He sends forth his word not just to bring judgment and destruction, but blessing on those who listen and respond. And he does it all especially for the good of his covenant people. To bring each and every one of his promises to pass. You see in today's passage we find a ruler who received God's revelation and believed it. Who took action in accordance with what God's messenger said. And through it God exalts Joseph to protect and provide for his covenant people. which brings great blessing and rescue to the Egyptians as well. So the overarching message for us this morning is this. God rules over all things, from the hearts of kings to the future of empires, in order to fulfill his covenant promises and bless all who believe his word. God rules over all things, from the hearts of kings to the future of empires, in order to fulfill his covenant promises and bless all who believe his word. And as we unpack that together this morning, it should press us to consider questions like, have I truly humbled myself before this God? Do I fear him as the Lord God Almighty, who holds all things in his hands? Do I receive his word as his word? The word of the one who knows all things. The word of the one who spoke the very universe into existence. The word of the one who has the power to declare the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying

my counsel shall stand and I will accomplish all my purpose.

And do I trust and submit to this God gladly? Knowing that he's faithful, knowing that he's good, knowing that he speaks so that blessing might come to those who believe his word. My prayer is that you will walk away today seeing more clearly that God is great and God is good. Now Genesis 41 breaks down into four main sections, so I'd like to walk through those, and then we're gonna step back and consider three main things that this teaches us about God. So the first section of the text is verses one through eight, where we see Pharaoh's dreams. So number one, Pharaoh's dreams. Verse one tells us that two whole years have passed since the events of chapter 40. Verse 46 adds that Joseph is now 30 years old. Now, we were introduced to Joseph back in chapter 37 when he was 17, and then because of the envy of his brothers, he was sold as a slave. He wound up working in Potiphar's house until probably his mid to late 20s when he was falsely accused by Potiphar's wife and thrown into prison. And that's where he met Pharaoh's chief baker and chief cupbearer and interpreted their dreams. And Joseph, of course, had hoped that the cupbearer would remember him and say a word to get him out of prison, but instead he was forgotten. So he's been stuck in prison all this time. But now, two years later, Pharaoh himself has a pair of dreams. And in the first, these seven attractive and plump cows are swallowed up by seven ugly, gaunt cows. But the skinny cows remain just as skinny as before. And then in the second, the same thing is repeated, but with ears of grain. And though Pharaoh doesn't know what these dreams mean, he's convinced that they have great significance. And they're ominous enough that they leave him feeling deeply troubled. And the fact that Pharaoh's troubled is already ironic because this is the most powerful man in the world. He's supposedly a god. He has full authority to command whatever he wants. Yet he wakes up this morning troubled, powerless, not knowing what to do. And when he turns to his magicians and wise men, they're of absolutely no help at all. Verse eight just says

none of them could interpret the dreams to Pharaoh.

One preacher remarked,

you'd think they'd at least come up with something.

It wasn't the interpretation of dreams, you know, what they regularly did. But in this case, they just had a loss. It's as if God has blinded their eyes and just made their minds blank. And this brings us to the next phase of the story, which is number two, Joseph's interpretation. So verses 9 through 36, Joseph's interpretation. And it's at this point that the cupbearer suddenly remembers Joseph. So he tells the Pharaoh, well, when I was in prison, there was this other prisoner who interpreted both mine and the baker's dreams accurately. So verse 14,

then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh.

And in a way, this is almost comical. I mean, this makes Pharaoh and his court look as ridiculous as if the U.S. Congress was at a loss for what to do, so, you know, they have to find, like, a preschooler to come and instruct them. I mean, this is the Egyptian god Pharaoh, all of his magicians and wise men, and all the royal court, and they're all stuck there waiting for this prisoner to be retrieved from a pit, to be shaved, to be given new clothes, to be made presentable so that he can come and tell them what to do. It's amazing how God has made the Egyptian empire suddenly dependent on Joseph as their only hope for what to do next. So Joseph's brought before Pharaoh and Pharaoh says to him in verse 15,

I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it.

And Joseph responds,

it is not in me. God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.

And as much as this shows Joseph's humility, it equally shows his boldness. Because not only does Joseph deflect all the credit away from himself, but notice how boldly and directly he speaks of the one true God in the presence of the king. Bear in mind, this is the court of the Egyptians, where all sorts of deities were worshipped. The Pharaoh himself was regarded as a god. Others would bow and tremble before Pharaoh. But Joseph has the gumption to speak to him of God. And Joseph's saying here, there is one true and living God above all your deities, who not only gives dreams, but will reveal them. Joseph is saying, I'm not here to decipher your dream according to my own wisdom. I'm here to speak to you on behalf of God. There's authority here. And notice the repetition, verse 16, God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer. Verse 25,

the dreams of Pharaoh are one. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.

Verse 28,

it is as I told Pharaoh, God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.

Verse 32,

and the doubling of Pharaoh's dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about.

I mean, when do you think the last time was when anyone spoke so much of God to Pharaoh's face? And here we find Joseph with such great humility and such great courage at the same time. As one commentator put it,

this emphasis on the Lord God would have been remarkable in the courts of Pharaoh. For in Egypt, Pharaoh was a God himself, but not like this God of the Hebrews.

Another commentator adds,

Joseph uses the word God. Joseph began, God may give Pharaoh a favorable answer, not I. He goes from the prison to the throne of the king and this is his first word. This speech is as pious as it is frank. He who is aware of God is humble and fearless at the same time. Even a king is nothing compared to God.

Then the first commentator adds,

those whom God calls to special service must make it a point to inform the unbelieving world that any success or ability that they have comes from God. When they explain God's revelation to the world, they must confront the world with God.

Friends, may we too speak of God wherever we are and whoever we are before with the kind of boldness Joseph shows here. Now in verses 25 through 32, Joseph gives the interpretation. He explains that the two dreams are one, and that God repeated them to emphasize that the thing is fixed and will shortly take place. And Joseph explains that the seven fat cows and the seven good ears of grain represent seven years of plenty, which are about to begin. And the seven thin cows and seven blighted ears represent seven years of famine, which will immediately follow. And just as the seven thin cows and seven thin ears swallow up the seven fat ones without growing any fatter, the famine will likewise be so severe that the years of plenty will be utterly consumed and forgotten. And then in verses 33 through 36, Joseph immediately takes it upon himself to say something which Pharaoh had not asked for. He tells Pharaoh what he should do in response to this interpretation. And it's pretty amazing how quickly and ably Joseph, just off the cuff, delivers a fairly thoughtful and specific plan for how the famine should be prepared for. He says someone needs to be appointed to oversee this, and there need to be other overseers appointed in all the cities, and one-fifth of the grain should be collected every year and stored up in each city during these seven years of plenty, And then this grain can be distributed during the seven years of famine. And this is showing both Joseph's great natural leadership ability, which he had developed in Potiphar's house and then as an overseer in the prison. But even more than that, it's showing that the same spirit of God who enabled Joseph to interpret the dreams is now also imparting to Joseph great discernment and wisdom. And notice how Pharaoh himself recognizes that as we turn to the third phase in the story. So number three, Joseph's exaltation. This is verses 37 through 45, Joseph's exaltation. Verse 37 says,

this proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, can we find a man like this in whom is the spirit of God? Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are.

So notice first how Pharaoh speaks of God, just as Joseph had. And Pharaoh's not only immediately convinced that Joseph has rightly interpreted the dreams, He's pleased with Joseph's proposal of what to do about it. It seems that neither he nor anyone else in his court could think of any better course of action. And so Pharaoh concludes, the spirit of God himself must be in you. And you have such great wisdom and discernment that the future of my empire should be entrusted to you. And so he declares in verse 40,

you shall be over my house. And all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.

And he says,

I have set you over all Egypt.

And then he hands him his own signet ring, representing his authority. He puts royal robes on Joseph and a gold chain around his neck. He gives Joseph his second chariot and everywhere Joseph goes, all the knees must bow to him. He gives Joseph absolute authority over the whole land, saying in verse 44,

I am Pharaoh, and without your consent, no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.

And then he gives Joseph a wife from the aristocracy, and he gives Joseph a new name, naming him Zaphonath-Paneah, which scholars generally interpret to mean God speaks and lives. And this kind of turn of events, I mean, this sort of promotion is the kind of thing you'd expect to read in a fairy tale. I mean, it sounds fantastical. I mean, how do you go from a foreign slave and prisoner to ruling an empire in seconds? How does Pharaoh go to trust Joseph so fully, so quickly? Well, friends, the answer has to be because of the sovereign hand of God. God moved his heart to believe his word through Joseph, to recognize his spirit in Joseph, and to entrust his whole empire to Joseph's care. I mean, just think for a moment about the significance of the Egyptian name that Pharaoh gives him. God speaks and lives. That's what he forever associates Joseph with, the speaking and living God. Now, fourthly and finally, we come to the last section of the story, which is about Joseph's rule. So number four, verses 46 to 57, Joseph's rule. And this covers the first seven and a half years or so of Joseph's reign. And we see that everything unfolds exactly as the dreams predicted. Joseph diligently and faithfully stores up grain during the seven years of plenty. And then when the famine begins, Pharaoh tells his people in verse 55,

go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.

And Joseph begins opening the storehouses and selling grain to the Egyptians. And then people even from other countries begin to come because the famine's severe throughout the earth. And so the whole world is now being blessed through Joseph's preparation. Also in this final section, there's mention of Joseph's family. His wife bears him two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And these are Hebrew names showing Joseph's continued allegiance to Yahweh, and perhaps even his spiritual influence on his Egyptian wife. Both names also have significant spiritual meanings. And that's pointed out in verses 51 and 52. Manasseh means something like, he who brings into forgetfulness. The idea being that Manasseh's birth brought joy, which enabled Joseph to forget his past afflictions and the pain of being separated from his father's house. And Ephraim has a meaning related to fruitfulness. And the idea is that Joseph praises God for making him fruitful, even in spite of affliction. And both of these names testify to the amazing reality that just years before, Joseph was alone, forgotten, stuck in prison, I mean, having no prospect even of escape. Who would have thought that just a few years later, he would be the father of two sons ruling Egypt? What an amazing change. And as I said at the beginning, that the main thing that we should see in all of this is the hand of God. That's what Joseph saw, that's what even to some degree Pharaoh himself saw. This story is meant to lift our gaze to the God who is able, the God who reigns supreme, the God who rules over all things from the heart of kings to the future of empires, and who does so to fulfill his covenant promises and bless all who believe his word. And so in the time we have left, I want to now step back and consider in greater detail three things in particular that this chapter teaches us about God. First, it shows us that God is absolutely sovereign. God is absolutely sovereign. Now theologically, when we use the word sovereign, we're referring to both God's authority as well as his power and control. Authority is having the moral right to command something. And power or control is having the ability to enforce it or make it happen. So we speak of human kings as being sovereign in some sense. A human king has the permission to make laws. and he has the power to use soldiers or police to enforce them. But every human sovereign is limited. There are certain things that no king has any right to command, and there are other things that no matter how hard they may try, they simply cannot control. But God isn't like that. He is absolutely sovereign. There are no limits to his authority. As King Nebuchadnezzar said,

no one can say to him, What have you done?

God is accountable to no one. No one has any right to judge his actions because he is the very foundation and standard of justice and righteousness itself. I mean, to question God is like arguing with a ruler over how long a foot is. God has absolute authority because he defines righteousness, and all other authority comes from him. And secondly, there are no degrees to God's power. The Bible says

nothing is impossible with God.

That means nothing has ever been any more or less difficult for God to do. All is as easy as simply saying the word. Nor has there ever been even the slightest gap between God's will and desire and what actually takes place. He always and effortlessly works all things together according to the counsel of His will. Nothing can frustrate Him. Nothing can interfere with His plans or purposes. Nothing can resist Him or stay His hand. He is all-powerful and absolutely sovereign, ruling over all. And consider for a moment how we see this demonstrated here. See, God exercises His authority in this story the way an author is sovereign over a book. I mean, Pharaoh is the most powerful man on the face of the earth, but he is as powerless before God as a character in a book is to resist the author writing the book. I mean, God can just put dreams in his head to trouble him. God can ensure that none of his wise men or magicians can interpret them. God can arrange for Joseph to be remembered at just the perfect time. And by the way, God's the one who put Joseph there in the prison in the first place and gave him the ability to interpret dreams and made sure the cupbearer knew about it. And then when Joseph's called, God gives him the interpretation. God can make sure that Pharaoh believes it. And God can even move the heart of Pharaoh in such a way that he responds by just immediately exalting Joseph to rule all of Egypt. Like an author writing a script. God is sovereignly orchestrating every detail of this story. And brothers and sisters, consider for a moment what this means for us. It means every king, every president, every politician, every world leader, and every empire is in the sovereign hand of God. Every famine, every hurricane, every earthquake, every detail of every day for every person's life and future is in the sovereign hand of God. As the psalmist declares,

in your book they all were written. The days which you fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

And that's the most terrifying thing imaginable for those who oppose this God or resist this God. But the most comforting thing imaginable for those of us who trust him. This is why the psalmist says in Psalm 118,

the Lord is on my side. I will not fear. What can man do to me?

This is why Jesus says,

don't be anxious about your life. Don't be anxious saying, what shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we air? What shall we wear?

He says,

look around at the birds of the air. They don't sow or reap or gather into barns.

They're not out there farming and worrying about famines.

Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

He says, look at the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don't toil and spin trying to make fancy clothes for themselves.

Yet even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If God sowed close the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Friends, how might our lives, our attitudes, our feelings, our priorities change if day by day, moment by moment, we looked around at the birds, the flowers, every detail around us and took the time to think about and see the sovereign hand of God at work. Would we not more diligently seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness? Would we not more easily let go of worry and anxiety that grabs hold of our hearts? Would we not be more like Joseph? So that no matter who we're called to stand before or speak to, God would be what comes out of our mouths. God would be the one we fear. God would be the one we honor. Listen to what Peter says in 1 Peter 3.

Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy. Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Yet do it with gentleness and respect.

And you know, another thing about recognizing the sovereignty of God, consider how quickly circumstances changed for Joseph. You know, sometimes we say things like, it's too late for America. It's too late for that person, they're too far gone. We become discouraged thinking, I'm never gonna find a spouse. My job situation is never gonna improve. This marital conflict or this sin struggle is just hopeless, it's too late, it's too hard. But then just stop and think about this amazing reversal in Joseph's life. I mean, with God, it's never like the time on the clock's running out. And it's getting too late, too difficult. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. Now, of course, that doesn't mean that it's always God's will to change our situation or fix the problem we're concerned about. But it means he never needs our help to hurry it along. It means we should never panic. We should never despair. We're called simply to be patient, to be faithful to do whatever God has called us to do. and to trust him with the things that are outside our control. We can rest in the absolute sovereignty of God. Now, secondly, this passage teaches us that God is always faithful to his covenant people. God is always faithful to his covenant people. And to see this, it's important that we interpret Genesis 41 in light of the broader Genesis narrative. You see, why does God exalt Joseph? Why does he exert his absolute sovereignty to bring this particular outcome about? Well, primarily, it's to fulfill his word to his covenant people. In Genesis 12, God promised Abraham,

I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing.

And then in Genesis chapter 15, God established his covenant with Abraham. And God takes him outside and says,

look up at the stars and try to number them if you can. So shall your offspring be.

This is to a man who hasn't even been able to have one child. And then God says,

know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for 400 years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace. You shall be buried in a good old age, and they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.

So God promised Abraham that his offspring would become sojourners in a foreign land, but that they would multiply like the stars of heaven, and that after 400 years he would bring them back into the promised land. And pivotal to all of that happening is the exaltation of Joseph. This is why Israel comes to Egypt. This is how they're preserved from the famine. This is where they're given the land of Goshen in which they multiply like the stars of heaven. And this is the foreign land in which they will sojourn for 400 years. And brothers and sisters, the point is this, nothing can stop an absolutely sovereign God from fulfilling His covenant promises. If he has to move empires around, he will do it. If he has to exalt prisoners to prime ministers in a day, he will do it. God will go to whatever lengths to protect his covenant people, to provide for his covenant people and to fulfill his covenant promises to them. And when you couple absolute sovereignty with absolute faithfulness, you get an absolutely reliable God. See, this is why when Joseph dies, he gives instructions concerning his bones. He insists that they be carried and buried in Canaan. Even though he becomes the famed ruler of Egypt, who could have done much to secure his position and the position of his people. Even though Joseph could have done, come up with all sorts of alternate plans and securities. He knew he didn't have to. He knew whom he had believed. He knew where Israel was headed. He knew that God would be faithful and that nothing could thwart his purposes. Joseph could look back on his life and remember the dreams that he had in his own youth that seemed so ridiculous to his brothers. Dreams that seemed even more ridiculous when he was a slave. Dreams that seemed even more ridiculous than that when he was a prisoner. And in the end, he saw that God had brought them all to pass. Because all things are in the hands of a faithful and a sovereign God who always keeps his promises. So brothers and sisters, pause and consider for a moment what this means for us. Because we are God's covenant people now, just as much as Joseph and the Israelites were then. And therefore God is ordering all things to fulfill his promises to us. just as assuredly as he ordered all things to fulfill his promises to them. We can know where our bones will wind up just as assuredly as Joseph. We can know that no prison or pit or grave is too deep for God's hand to reach down and resurrect us on the last day. We can know that there is no sin too strong to prevent us from standing holy and blameless and perfect before God in the end? And that there is no enemy, not even the devil himself, who can prevent our Lord from ushering each and every one of his children into his everlasting kingdom. Friends, all of God's promises are yes and amen in Christ. Not a single one of them will fail. They have all not only been proclaimed by the mouth of God, but sealed as a covenant by Jesus' own blood. So brothers and sisters, rest assured this morning in the faithfulness of the covenant-keeping God, who sovereignly rules over all things, to protect and provide for his covenant people, and to bring each and every one of his promises to pass. Now thirdly and finally, Consider the way that Genesis 41 shows us that God sends forth his word to bless all who believe it. God sends forth his word to bless all who believe it. Because in addition to God's sovereignty, and in addition to God's covenant faithfulness, we need to consider the role of God's word here. The fact that he speaks, and the way he reveals it. You know, consider the situation for the Egyptians. Disaster is coming. Seven years from now, a famine will come that would wipe them out. But God sends dreams to Pharaoh to warn him. Yet Pharaoh can't understand the dream, so God provides a messenger, or even a savior, who not only interprets the dreams, but says, this is how you can prepare and be saved. And if Pharaoh and the Egyptians trust this messenger or savior and believe God's word through him, they will be spared. If they refuse to believe Joseph and ignore God's word, they'll perish. And the point is, by believing God's word, Pharaoh and the Egyptians are blessed. Joseph saves not only God's covenant people, but they as well from this famine. And in this we see another partial fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant. Remember God told Abraham,

I will bless you to be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and through you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

We also see that God is teaching us and setting a pattern that wherever and whenever and by whoever his word is heard and believed, it brings I mean, again and again in Scripture, wherever God's Word is rejected and disbelieved, it brings destruction. Just think, for example, of Lot's sons-in-law. You know, to them, God's Word comes, it sounds like idle tales. But wherever God's Word is believed, it brings blessing. I mean, think of Abraham. He believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. Think even of cases where God's word comes and it seems purely negative. It sounds like just an announcement of judgment. And yet when it's believed, God is amazingly gracious. Think of the Ninevites. I mean, Jonah just said

40 days and Nineveh will be destroyed.

And they believed it. So they put on sackcloth and they fasted and God relented and didn't do it. I mean, think even of King Ahab after Naboth is murdered. God sends Elijah to him just to pronounce judgment, and he believed God's threat. He puts on sackcloth, and God doesn't do it. I mean, again and again, we see God's word. It comes like fire on those who reject it, and yet like water on a parched ground for those who believe it. He sends forth his word to bring blessing. if only we will hear and believe. But consider further how God sends forth his word through a human instrument. I mean, of course, God could have just thundered down his word to Pharaoh from heaven, but he uses dreams and then a human interpreter. Why? Well, obviously, part of it is this is how he brings about Joseph's exaltation, right? I mean, it's just part of his plan. But I think a second reason he does it this way is actually to humble Pharaoh. See, if God just spoke directly and exclusively to Pharaoh, it might have only made him feel more important. But instead, God speaks to him, this mighty ruler, with dreams that confounded him, that troubled him, that made him dependent on a lowly prisoner. As I commented before, it's almost comical how the whole Egyptian court is brought to their knees before Joseph. And I think God regularly works this way because He opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. You remember when Naaman the Syrian comes to Elisha for healing, and he's expecting some sort of grand fanfare, and Elisha doesn't even see him. He just sends a messenger to tell him, hey, go bathe in the Jordan, and Naaman's all offended. I think the way in which God sends His word is often meant to grate against our pride. Think of Jesus' disciples, uneducated fishermen, tax collectors. These are the men he chooses to be his disciples, to proclaim his word. Remember how astonished the Jewish leaders were when they perceived? These are just common, uneducated men. Consider Jesus' own teaching and how he often spoke in parables. which kind of like these dreams of Pharaoh, they're so undeniably plain and clear once you have the interpretation. But without it, they confound even the wisest of men. As if God takes delight in hiding these things from the wise and prudent and revealing them to babes so that all must humble themselves before him. And friends, the amazing thing is that God sends his word out to bless the world and he chooses to do it through us. I mean, we might think, surely the everlasting gospel is better fit for the lips of angels than me. Why doesn't God just declare the gospel from heaven? Well, perhaps it's because, just like with Pharaoh and Joseph, God wants to force the world to humble themselves. and receive his word even from ordinary people like us. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians chapter four,

but we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

So friends, never let your lowliness or position be a reason to keep your mouth shut when it comes to the gospel. Never think, who am I that they should listen to me? Perhaps that's the point. Like Joseph, you would say, it is not in me. God has spoken. God chooses to send forth his word through human instruments. But I think there's one final reason why God reveals his word to Pharaoh through Joseph. And it's to further strengthen the way that Joseph foreshadows Christ. In previous weeks, we've already seen that both Joseph and Jesus were the beloved sons of their fathers. Both were hated and rejected by their own brethren. Both had a time of slavery, Joseph in Potiphar's house and Jesus, as we read earlier from Philippians 2, when

he emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Both were innocent, yet falsely accused and wrongly condemned. Both found themselves in that condemnation surrounded by two others. Joseph by the baker and the butler, one of which was spared and the other perished. And Jesus was crucified between two others, one of which was saved and the other lost. But now in chapter 41, we further see that Joseph was suddenly and dramatically raised up from prison to rule on behalf of Pharaoh. just as Jesus was suddenly and miraculously raised up from the grave and ascended to reign at the right hand of God. Joseph was sent by God to proclaim the word of God and warn of coming disaster. Jesus was sent by God as the word of God who warned of coming judgment upon our sin. But Joseph was also sent to say, this is the way of salvation. This is how you can be spared from the famine. Jesus was sent to say, I am the way of salvation.

Look to me and be saved all the ends of the earth.

And Pharaoh and the Egyptians had to trust Joseph's word and trust him to lead them. And we today must trust Jesus's word and follow him to be saved by him. You see, in God's providence, the story of Joseph points us to the story of Christ. It points us to the God who reveals his word so that we can be saved and blessed, if only we will believe it. To the God who reveals his word, not with fanfares from above, but often through humble means, like ordinary preachers telling you about this man who suffered and died on the cross. And yet it shows us that behind this word is the one true and living God who is absolutely sovereign over every detail of history, who makes promises to his people and never fails to fulfill them. And that even as he fulfilled his promise to Abraham to make a great nation of him and bless the world through him by exalting Joseph in this most spectacular, astounding way, God has ultimately fulfilled that promise in an even greater, more spectacular way, through the humiliation and crucifixion and death of Jesus, followed by his glorious resurrection and ascension and exaltation. Friends, you see, Jesus died on the cross as a substitute for our sins, so that now whoever looks to him and believes in him can receive the blessing of Abraham. which is ultimately forgiveness of our sins and eternal life with God. And so if you're here this morning as a non-Christian, may you look to Christ today, turn from your sins, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be forgiven. You will be welcomed into a relationship with God as his child. You will have the hope of eternal life before you. And may all of us leave today convinced with certainty that God rules over all things, from the hearts of kings to the future of empires. And he does so to fulfill his covenant promises to us and to bless all who believe his word. So may we fear him. trust him and love him and live our lives for the glory of our exalted Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, how we stand in awe of you this morning, that you alone are God, that you hold all things in your hand. And that you orchestrate all things for our good in perfect faithfulness to your promises. And according to this incredible gospel of grace, which extends forgiveness and new life even to sinners like us. So we pray today that Christ will be glorified, that you would stir our hearts and enable us to live our lives in a way that would be honoring and glorifying to him. We pray this in his name, amen.