The Crow's Nest

Saturday, July 15, 2023

“Israel Goes Down to Egypt” Part I.

“Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?” (Genesis 42:1)

Egypt and all the surrounding tribes have entered a period of famine.

Everyone is starving, except Egypt. Under the guidance of Joseph they have put up stores of grain to not just feed Egyptians, but to also gain profit by selling grain to the tribes that are starving.

There are eleven son’s of Israel that still live with him. He sends ten of Joseph’s brothers to obtain food. He keeps Benjamin, the youngest, at home to keep him safe. (Gen 42:2-5)

Israel’s sons leave Canaan and travel to Egypt to buy Corn.

There are terms that are not what we in the modern world understand. Corn, as described in ancient Egypt is not the Corn we have come to know in the modern world. Grains, such as wheat and rye come from a grass that produces seeds at the top of the grain. Some people call them berries.

To grow wheat requires the right nutrients and the right amount of water. Before the advent of irrigation, wheat was sown in fields that were near a water source. Some of the wheat would grow quickly and strong. Some of the wheat would wither from lack of water, or drown because of too much water. The Nile region would go through cycles of flood or drought.

Predicting when an area would flood or be dry was impossible in ancient times. In fact, predicting it today suffers the same problem. People in ancient times had to sow the wheat where the water would most likely be. When they did it right they had plenty. When they did it wrong they had nothing.

Grains were not just for people to eat directly. Grains and grasses were important to keep their livestock alive. When a primary source of food is scarce, all of the sources of food become scarce.

Pharaoh’s dream from God and interpreted by Joseph through God predicted exactly when there would be plenty and when their would be famine. Joseph, through the guidance of God, created a means to put up excess food for the times of famine. It would allow Egypt to become rich in lean times.

This is what happens to us. When our lives are easy and there is plenty, we lose sight of God. Praising God’s grace is ignored when things are good. When things go bad it is often people blaming God for what they don’t have.

Israel is starving as Egypt grows stronger in times of famine. When we pray God always provides us with what we need. Israels prayers will be heard.

Stay tuned for part II…

Sunday, July 9, 2023

“The Pharaoh’s Dream”

“And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed:…” (Genesis 41:1)

The Pharaoh stood by a river and saw seven large fat cattle come out of the river and stand in a meadow.

Then Pharaoh saw seven small skinny cattle come out of the river behind the first.

The skinny cattle ate up all of the fat cattle. Pharaoh was disturbed by this so he awoke.

He went back to sleep and this time he saw seven ears of corn come up on one stalk. It was tall and good.

Then seven thin shriveled ears of corn came up after the first.

The seven shriveled ears ate up the seven good ears.

The Pharaoh woke up and realized it was a dream, but he was troubled by this dream the whole day. He called all of his magicians and wise men, but none of them could interpret his dream.

The Chief Butler remembers Joseph and tells the Pharaoh how Joseph had interpreted his dream.

Pharaoh tells Joseph that he had heard Joseph can interpret dreams. Joseph said, “It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”(Gen 41:16)

The Pharaoh tells Joseph his dream. God interprets the dream, “25And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.

26The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.

27And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.

28This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.

29Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:

30And 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;

31And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.

32And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.” (Gen 41:25-32)

Joseph followed the direction of God at to what the pharaoh should do. Joseph told the Pharaoh to put officers in charge of putting a fifth of the grain into storage for when famine hit. Joseph’s abilities in economics were evident to the Pharaoh and all his servants.

Pharaoh appointed Joseph as the second in command of all Egypt. At 30 years old Joseph was the second most powerful person in Egypt.

Joseph had been humbled by his brothers and was delivered from a pit into slavery. Again he was elevated in the house of the Captain of the Guard. By the deception of the Captain’s wife he was again humbled into the dungeon. Then through the grace of God he was elevated to the second most powerful man in all of Egypt.

The seven plentiful years Joseph put up the grain for the lean times. And a famine hit Egypt and all of the land around it. People from outside Egypt comes to buy grain.

Stay tuned…

“The Basic Concept of History”

My education consisted of lots of math. Before math resulted in a Computer Science (CS) degree, history has been a primary interest.

My advisor in school saw that I had more than enough credits for the CS degree, but I also had more than enough for a History degree. My focus was on Chinese, Mid-East, Roman, Britain, North and South America, and of course the United States.

The study of anything is not a single level of thinking. You can not understand physics until you understand arithmetic. You can not understand Chinese history until you have the context of the whole world. For instance, Marco Polo didn’t discover China…he plotted a trade route to and from China.

When you study history, pick a time. Time is what you will understand best. Time periods depend on what you want to study. There are geologic periods, social periods, etc… Although there are hundreds of social periods, the most common have to do with building materials.

The Stone Age, Copper Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age are just a few. To put this in perspective, when Spanish Explorers were in the midst of the Middle Ages when they arrived in South America. South America included Stone, Copper, and Iron ages. All North American people were in the Stone and Copper Age at that time.

The basic concept of what people were doing at a time and place, requires you to understand what other people near them were doing at the same time and place. This will allow a much greater understanding of the sphere of influence history has.

In today’s world, there is a movement of people who have no interest in history. The live for today alone. How lonely they must be.

“The Butler and the Baker”

“And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of the bakers.”(Genesis 40:1)

The Pharaoh was the King of Egypt. The political division of Egypt includes those that are in charge of the economy, those in charge of the military, and those in charge of magic. Everyone was serving at the whim of the Pharaoh. This includes those who took care of the Pharaoh. Two important servants of the Pharaoh was the Chief Butler and Chief Baker.

If the wine tasted bad, or the bread was like a brick. The Pharaoh would be angry. As is so happens, bad things happened.

The Pharaoh was so angry at the Butler and the Baker he had them both thrown in to prison. As is so happens, Joseph was in the same prison. The Captain of the Guard put Joseph in charge of the Butler and the Baker.

Joseph took care of the two, after a few months the Butler and the Baker both had a dream that worried them. They both looked sad, and Joseph asked them, why are you so sad?

They both answered Joseph and said, we had a dream but there is no one to tell us what it means.

The Chief Butler told Joseph his dream, “

“…and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me;

And in the vine were three branches: and it was as though it budded, and her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes:

And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.” (Gen 40:9-11)

Joseph interpreted the dream, “The three branches are three days:

Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh’s cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.

But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:

For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.” (Gen 40:12-15)

The Chief Baker had heard this interpretation and hoped his was just as good. So he told Joseph.

“I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head:

And in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.” (Gen 40:16-17)

Joseph interpreted the dream, “The three baskets are three days:

Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.” (Gen 40:18-19)

That doesn’t look good for the Baker.

After three days it was the Pharaoh’s birthday. Of course he had a big party and even had a feast for all of his servants. The Pharaoh pulled the Butler and the Baker out of the prison. He gave the Butler his old job back. He hung the Baker.

Now did the Butler remind Pharaoh about Joseph? No, the Butler was not going to mention something that might make the Pharaoh angry again.

Stay tuned….

“The Prison”

There are few stories from ancient times that have been repeated in clay tablets, papyrus, radio, or television than this one.

Joseph was taken to Egypt where he was bought by his master. God had multiplied Joseph’s abilities and power to the point he was the promoted to the overseer of his master’s house. Joseph had skills that were from God.

Everyone liked and respected Joseph’s abilities. Especially his master’s wife.

You guessed it, she tried her best to cast a web on Joseph. Every time she saw him she begged him to come to her bed. But Joseph was a godly man who knew better and did his best to keep his distance from her.

One day Joseph had business to do in the masters house. Looking around he saw there were no men in the house. The masters wife saw him and grabbed his robe begging him to lie with her. Jacob ran out of the house leaving only his robe in her hands.

“A woman scorned”, as the saying goes. The masters wife told the men that the master had brought a Hebrew into the house and he had tried to have his way with her. Her screams, she said, had frightened the Hebrew away.

Joseph’s master did not have him killed, as you would expect. Instead he had him put in prison. Prisons, even in modern times, can just be a place to linger and eventually die.

God was with Joseph in the pit of his brothers and promoted to the overseer of a highly placed Egyptian. Now he is in the lowliest prison in Egypt. What happens next will amaze you. Stay tuned.