Sermon - October 21, 2012

Genesis 40:5-6; 9-22 NRSV

⁵One night they both dreamed—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own meaning. ⁶When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. ⁹So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “In my dream there was a vine before me, ¹⁰and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms came out and the clusters ripened into grapes. ¹¹Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” ¹²Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days; ¹³within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you shall place Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. ¹⁴But remember me when it is well with you; please do me the kindness to make mention of me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this place. ¹⁵For in fact I was stolen out of the land of the Hebrews; and here also I have done nothing that they should have put me into the dungeon.” ¹⁶When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, ¹⁷and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head.” ¹⁸And Joseph answered, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; ¹⁹within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you! —and hang you on a pole; and the birds will eat the flesh from you.” ²⁰On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants, and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. ²¹He restored the chief cupbearer to his cupbearing, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand; ²²but the chief baker he hanged, just as Joseph had interpreted to them.

Today, we hear of Joseph, sitting in jail.  As you may recall, he was put there by Potiphar, a man who bought him as a slave, put him in charge of his house, but then Potiphar's wife claimed that Joseph came after her.  For this, Joseph sits in prison.  There is much time for reflection. Looking back at one's life, where the twists and turns that life has taken you down to arrive at this very spot.  Yet Joseph came here even though he did not commit the crime.  There was no trial.  No jury. In fact, no one even really got Joseph's side of the story.  But here he is, sitting in jail.  

Oh how the mighty have fallen.  Joseph was the beloved son, his father gave him that beautiful colorful coat, and he could interpret dreams.  But now, he sits in jail.  There are others around Joseph to who he talks, Pharaoh's cup bearer and Pharaoh's baker.  Pharaoh was an important person who ruled over the entire land of Egypt. It makes sense to hear of a baker, someone to make him bread, sweets and ensure that Pharaoh and all his guests would have good food.  But what is a cup bearer?  The cup bearer, was the one who would care for the cup of the Pharaoh.  (Yes, they debated about that job title for many days. I am sure.)  This was a person whose sole job was to watch over the cup and make sure that only good wine was placed within it and it was full.  Often the cup bearer had to taste the drink that was in the cup. To ensure that the wine was good, and also that there was no poison within the drink.

Both of these men were in prison on Pharaoh's orders.  Both of these men were unsure of their future.  Well they had dreams. No I am not talking about dreams as in aspirations I am talking about while they slept.  So often, we have dreams and either we do not remember them or we simply do not understand them.  Yet Joseph knows about dreams.  He hears their dreams and tells them what they mean.  Now some people today think, “Wow, those people are so stupid for listening to Joseph. It's a dream, it doesn't mean anything.”  But here's the kicker, Joseph is RIGHT!  These dreams are not entirely clear until you hear the meaning behind them.  Then they make sense but even more important, they actually happen.  

The cup bearer returns to his duty and serves the Pharaoh but forgets about Joseph until one day when Pharaoh has a dream.  Then he has another dream that seems to have the same message, but it is not completely clear.  He brings in the magicians, scholars, and many other learned men who have studied for years; but none can provide an answer for what the dreams mean.  The cup bearer remembers, two years ago, the young man who was able to interpret his dream and he was right.  And this man was a lowly shepherd, no scholar with credentials that allowed him to speak about dreams but he was RIGHT in his interpretation!  Joseph had to be prepared to go before Pharaoh because a person coming in off the streets could not go before Pharaoh.  They had to wear certain clothes that were worthy to present oneself to Pharaoh.  A person had to act a certain way and probably most important of all, they had to be clean.  

In the presence of Pharaoh, Joseph announced that it was not him who would give Pharaoh the meaning but God.  God is the one who gave Pharaoh the dream and would give Joseph the meaning.  This same God controls everything within the world.  By God's authority and gift, Joseph would share the meaning.  Pharaoh shared his dream with Joseph.  The dream had seven fat cattle that came out of the Nile River and then seven thin cattle came out of the River. The thin cattle consumed the fat ones.  The second dream was of seven ripe and juicy ears of corn near the Nile.  Then seven withered ears of corn overtook the good ears.  Joseph told Pharaoh, that the dreams are one in the same.  The seven fat cattle and the seven ripe and juicy ears of corn mean that there shall be seven years of abundant harvest.  Yet the seven thin cattle and withered ears of corn that overtook the good, meant that there shall be seven years of famine in which the seven years of abundance will be forgotten.  Not only did Joseph interpret the dream, but also advised Pharaoh on what he should do about it.  A man should be put in charge to gather one fifth of the harvest during the abundant years so that there would be enough food for the years of famine.  

It is very interesting that Joseph says that a man should do this and not Pharaoh should do this.  What is even more remarkable is that Pharaoh takes the advice.  He makes Joseph the second in command of all things within the land of Egypt.  The only person that would be higher would be Pharaoh himself.  This power was given through the signet ring that  Pharaoh wore to sign documents and for people to kiss to acknowledge his power.  Remember this was before the age that most people knew how to write, even their own name.  So this would be like a stamp that held Pharaoh's signature.  Yes, with this ring, he would rule them all.  

Joseph did just as he said he would.   In the good years, he gathered 1/5 of the harvest to store for the coming seven years of famine.  How quickly God can turn things around.  From sitting in a prison, waiting two years for someone to remember him.   To becoming the second most powerful person within one of the wealthiest nations of the time.  When the famine came, the stores of food were given to the people, but for a price.  People had to pay in order to receive their own food back.  The people spent all their money on food.  When that ran out, they had to give their livestock.  When they were now the Pharaoh's, they gave Pharaoh their land and themselves.  It took seven years of famine for the people to remember what is truly important.  Money is fleeting, even possessions can be replaced, and we do not give up ourselves until we absolutely have to.  Yet it is here that we see that progression.  This has great meaning even for our spiritual lives today.  For time and money are fleeting,  the possessions, even the land, that you have are something to be enjoyed but should not become the reason you are living your life. When those things are taken away, where will you put your trust? Please know that I am not saying that the world and all that is in it is bad.  For God created this world and all that is in it is good. God even said it was good when he created it. Yet this good world can easily distract us from the one who gave it to us.  

Joseph knew what this was like, sitting in the prison for two years for a crime he did not commit.  Realizing the way he had treated his brothers, and being removed from that father that loved him.  Yet God was still with Joseph.   Joseph still held on to his faith and relationship with God.  Finally God was ready to use Joseph, please note, even Joseph would have liked to be out of prison two years prior.  God revealed his plan to the world for the next fourteen years.  How God would bless the land and then remind them that the gift does come from God and not their own efforts or desires.

The famine had taken place throughout all the lands of the surrounding nations.  When Joseph's brothers travel down to Egypt because they heard that Egypt still had food.  Joseph does not reveal himself immediately to his brothers, he learns how his father is doing and finds out about his younger brother.  His brothers had no idea that this was Joseph.  Joseph had received this ring of power within the land of Egypt. Joseph was dressed and acted like an Egyptian.  Joseph sent them on their way with the food, but also included their money.  Instead of punishing his brothers for the wrong that they had done to him, instead of taking an eye for an eye, Joseph shows mercy and even gives them a gift.  

Eventually their food runs out again, they have to come back again.  This time, Joseph demands to see the youngest son.  He holds a brother in prison to ensure that this will happen.  The other brothers leave and return with the youngest brother even though Jacob did not want this to happen. Jacob wanted to hold on to the son he loved, since he thought that Joseph had been killed. When the brothers appeared with the youngest, they had dinner with Joseph.  Joseph sent them out but places their money back into the bags of food.   Joseph's silver cup was included within the youngest sons bag so that he can be framed and become Joseph's slave.  The oldest brother refuses to let this happen. If the youngest brother does not return to Jacob, his two children shall die. Joseph realized that his brothers had suffered enough and revealed himself to them.  They were overcome. Joseph was back from the dead, a place where they thought they had placed him. How would Joseph react?   Joseph had his entire family move to Egypt.  His father, brothers, and their wives, and their children, and their herds. This was no small group, it included 70 people.  That is one large family reunion. It is about the number of people who are gathered here today.  The family takes over the land of Goshen given to them by Pharaoh.  Goshen was land that was filled with pasture.  Ideal for the herds that the family cared for.  

So how does this relate to our modern day lives?  I mean this happened 4000 years ago.  Things have changed.  However, there is much that we can draw from it.  First look around us, you will find that we are still a people who depend on the land.  We depend on it for our food and weather too still influences how we live our lives.  During this time of harvest we thank God for the harvest which was bountiful.  God blessed us richly, yet what shall we do with that abundance?  Will we share it with others who are in need?  Will we store it up for a time of famine or flood? Where will you put your trust and faith?  During the good times, it is easy to think that you are doing all the work. Because of the work that you have done, that the reward is something that you have earned.  Yet when it comes to those bad times, it is so easy to think that you are all alone, that God has abandoned you, and does not care.  However, this story of Joseph reminds us that God never abandons us.  God cares for us and will use us when God is ready.  

Note that God uses someone who was a foreigner. A person who was thrown into jail to save the land of Egypt. A person who we today would place two strikes against them because they are different, foreign and because they have a past of being in jail.  Need something that hits closer to home?  How about the church we are sitting in?  This church was built by foreigners who came together, most of them from Norway, who did not speak English.  They traveled from a distant land and developed this land into the place that we now live.  Do we remember the land from which they have come from?  Do we remember our heritage?   Or, even how it shapes us into the people we are today?  Do we reach out to our neighbors, finding out what is happening within their lives, encouraging them in their faith?  

We are in a very independent age, we can easily rise to power and think it is because of what we have done.   We may even think that we do not need others.  I have my ipod with my music; I have my cell phone that I do not share with others. Even my own car that I may not even share with my spouse.  We go our separate ways and “you can do what you want to do and I will do what I want to do.  As long as we are not hurting each other, we will get along just fine.”  However, that thinking has a great flaw.  What will we do when we need each other?   What do we do when we find ourselves in a foreign land with no food?  What will we do when we find ourselves face to face with an enemy pointing a weapon at us and our family? What do we do when a loved one dies unexpectedly? If we stay alone, we will find ourselves in a painful world. Lost in a world of questions and doubt.  Yet if we are together, united by God, we will find that we are in a loving family of many.  Surrounded by a people who love us, know our story and even share with us in that burden. Christ died on the cross so that his blood  would spill for all those gathered in Christ's name.  No longer would we be separated by nations, borders, languages, or even blood relations.  For within the family of God, we are called to care for one another, know what is going on within each other's lives and remind each other that we are not alone.  God is still with us and caring for us.  Thanks be to God, that though culture and people may change, the word and love of God never changes. Amen..