We talked about peace on Sunday night and the Lord still has me thinking about it. So tonight we’re going to be in Genesis 41, a record we’re very familiar with. Pharaoh has a dream and he needs someone to interpret that dream.
I think one of the reasons for this whole issue of peace has been laying on me so heavily is because there seems to be so much lacking of peace in the Body of Christ right now. And I know part of that has to do with the upcoming Presidential elections. What the President election does is magnify what’s already there. The unrest, the lack of peace is just being magnified.
One of the things I hope I am able to communicate tonight is that for us, sons and daughters of God, peace is a decision. I’m getting ahead in my notes as I typically do. When we were born again everything we needed to have a peaceful life was deposited into us. We must start accessing it. And the story of Pharaoh plays a role in how I want to present this.
So, here in Genesis 41, Pharaoh has a dream and the way he tells the dream in the beginning of the chapter is different than the way he tells it beginning in verse 17. We’re going to pick the record up in verse 14.
The butler has told Pharaoh that when he was in prison a couple of years ago, he met a man who interpreted his dream and the dream of the baker and both interpretations were true. So he tells Pharaoh, “Maybe this guy can interpret your dream too.”
So Pharaoh sends for Joseph. Joseph cleans himself up. He shaves. He pulls out his brand new Amani suit and heads to Pharaoh’s court. Let’s pick the record up with verse 15.
(15) And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou can’t understand a dream to interpret it.
(16) And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”
What did Pharaoh want? He simply wanted someone to interpret the dream for him. He didn’t realize the interpretation of the dream would also include “peace”.
The thing that interests me so far is that Joseph tells Pharaoh “God is going to give you an answer of peace.” Joseph knew his God and he knew how to hear his God. Joseph had a sin nature, ladies and gentlemen. We have God’s life and nature. And sometimes many of us don’t know God is talking to us. We can’t hear him. He’s talking but we have not learned to hear him. Joseph had learned to hear God when he spoke to him.
“God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” In the Hebrew culture, the word “peace” was used to describe a person’s coming or going. In other words, “peace” was used to describe a person’s lifestyle. That’s very important.
Let me give you an example. I walk up to Jamie and ask her “How is your peace?” Today that would mean “How are you?” For us as sons and daughters of God, we should only have one answer. My peace, which I received the moment I said yes to Jesus, goes with me everywhere I go.
If peace is not where you live, it’s on you. Because Jesus has given you that peace. He deposited on the inside of you and if that is not where you live, then that tells you a lot about your relationship with Jesus. Do you hear what I’m saying? There is nothing in this world that should affect your peace. Nothing!
Let’s pick the record up with verse 17.
(17) And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:
(18) And, behold. There came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:
(19) And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:
(20) And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:
(21) And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
(22) And I saw in my dreams, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good.
(23) And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:
(24) And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.
(25) And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
(26) The seven good kine are sever years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.
(27) And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east shall be seven years of famine.
(28) This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.
(29) Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt.
(30) And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;
(31) And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.
(32) And for the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
What we see so far is that God is telling Pharaoh that Egypt is going to experience a surplus of surpluses in the seven years of plenty. But after that seven years, the people will not remember the surplus of surpluses.
An “answer of peace” did not stop the seven years of famine. Do you see this?
So how then is this an “answer of peace” if it did not stop the famine? Go back to verse 25. “And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.”
The “answer of peace”, partly, is knowing what is about to happen for the next 14 years. The “answer of peace” also includes instructions for the seven plenteous years and instructions for the seven years of famine. And you can read this in verses 33-36.
Now put yourself in Pharaoh’s shoes as he’s listening to Joseph. Joseph is giving Pharaoh the interpretation of his dreams. He hears Joseph say “God is going to give you an answer of peace.” So Pharaoh is sitting there thinking “This is going to work out fine. We’re going to get an answer of peace.”
So Joseph starts talking about the plenteous years and Pharaoh thinks, “Yes, we’re going to get through this!” Then he gets to the seven years of famine when the seven years of plenty are forgotten. I can see Pharaoh looking at his advisors. I can see his thinking shift: “We’re not going to make it. There’s simply no way to survive this.”
The neat thing about what happens is this: God not only tells Pharaoh what is coming, but he gives him the instructions he’ll need to deal with it.
For many of us, in our way of thinking, “an answer of peace” is an answer that means “an absence of hardship or suffering”. We don’t see that in this record. For many of us, “an answer of peace” is our getting what we want. Isn’t this where the church is today?
“An answer of peace” was the wisdom Pharaoh would need to properly lead Egypt during the coming crisis. The answer of peace was wisdom.
Look at verses 32-38.
(32) And for the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
(33) Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wide, and set him over the land of Egypt.
(34) Let Pharaoh do this and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.
(35) And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
(36) And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.
(37) And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
(38) And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
Isn’t that neat? “A man in whom the Spirit of God is”. Today, who is this describing? Us! We have the spirit of God in us! Joseph didn’t have the spirit in him. God placed his spirit upon Joseph so that he could get the instructions to Pharaoh.
Our “answer of peace” is in our new born again nature. We have access to all the wisdom we need for any situation.
Turn to John 14. We’re going to read verses 26 and 27.
(26) But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
(27) Peace (quietness, rest) I leave with you, my peace give I unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled; neither let it be afraid.
Think about peace that Jesus walked in. It was completely based on his relationship with God. Their relationship was seamless. That’s where all of us should be headed.
If Jesus gives us something is that enough? No, it’s not. Jesus can give it but we’ve got to take it and use it. It came with our new nature! We don’t lack anything. Colossians 2:10 says we are complete in him and that word “complete” means we filled to the brim with everything God can possibly give us. Peace is part of that completeness.
Because we are born again and because we have peace on the inside of us, we can do things on a person in God’s family can do.
Look at James 1:5, 6
(5) If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God; that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
How does God give the wisdom? Through that born again nature that we have on the inside of us.
(6) But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
In Proverbs 3, look at verse 13. “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that gettest understanding.”
Now turn with me to Jeremiah 28:11, a verse we’re all familiar with. I’m going to read it out of the Amplified Bible. “For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.”
A man or woman who is walking in Godly peace is unmanageable by Satan.
God can give you “an answer of peace” about your future that Satan, on his best day, cannot derail. And it starts by believing Jesus when He says: “Peace I leave with you.” We need peace to hear the mind of Christ.
When we get to the point in our lives when what people say or do does not determine how we respond, we are walking in the peace Jesus has deposited into each one of us. Satan will do everything he can to keep us agitated, on edge, off balance, and out of sorts. He knows that a quiet mind lives in victory because it listens to and follows the leading of the new nature.
Remember the record in I Kings 19 where God came to Elijah but he didn’t do it through a strong wind or earthquake or fire? It says the Lord came as a still small voice. For us today, that’s John 16:13. This is our last verse and I’m going to read it from the Amplified.
“But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].”
My point tonight: when you are walking in peace, you are not really concern about what is going to happen. Why? Because you will seek the Lord’s face to find out what you need to do when it happens. You will have a plan to deal with whatever comes. He will give you the wisdom to “ride this out” – whatever it is.
But we have to pick up the “peace” that Jesus has given us. We have a lot of things that Jesus paid for on the cross that are available to us. They are not automatic ladies and gentlemen. If they were automatic, spiritual maturity wouldn’t matter. Changing how you live wouldn’t matter if they were automatic.
I want to suggest something to you and I’ll close with it: if you want to increase your peace then dramatically increase your private worship time. You will be amazed at the peace that come when you worship. The emotions get pushed aside. The negative thoughts of the enemy get pushed aside.
If private worship is not something you’re doing right now, I beg you to do it.
When Pharaoh sent for Joseph, he only wanted to know what the dreams meant. But God wanted him to know how to deal with “what they meant.” God will give us the wisdom we need just like He gave to Pharaoh, a pagan king.
