The Pulpit Commentary — Genesis — Section 512

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. 01· xl.-The inspire~ man. J?seph is already supreme in the narrow sphere of the prison: "all was comnutted to his hand." The narrow sphere prepares him for the wider. The spiritual supremacy has now to be revealed. "Do not interpretations belong to God ? " The dreams are partly of man and partly of God, Each man dreamed of things connected with his life. The butler of the wine coming from the grape-clusters, pressed into Pharaoh's cup, given into his hand. The baker of the white baskets and bakemeats, plucked from him while upon his head by the birds of prey. To a certain extent the interpretation was natural, but as at once communicated to Joseph it was inspired. The sphere of inspiration is concentric with the sphere of the natural intelligence and wisdom, but goes beyond it. The request of Joseph, that his spiritual superiority should be recognised and rewarded, was not fulfilled by the ungrateful man; but, as an act of obedience to the Spirit of God, it was committed to him who seeth in secret and rewardeth openly. Joseph is still being tried by the word of God. It is committed to him o.s a messenger and witness for the covenant people. It tries his fo.ith and patience. The whole is a parable, setting forth-I. The order of the world, as resting on the Divine foreknowledge and appointment in connection with the elect instrumentalities, bringing the things of Egypt under the dominion of the kingdom of God. 2. The providential hiding of gracious purposes. Joseph the seer in the prison, waiting for the hour of redemphon, sending forth messages of truth to do their errands. 3. Invisible links between the rulers of this world and the representatives of the kingdom of God to be revealed in due time. 4. Discipline in the lives of God's people fruitful in blessed results, both for them and for all.-R Ver. 8.-The interpreter of God's message. We cannot but not_ice the importance often assigned in the Bible to dreams, as channels of revelation from God. The dreams of Jacob and of Pharaoh, and passages such as Deut. xiii. 1 and Joel ii. 28, show this. It may be that in the absence of the written word, which in ite com- pleteness is our heritage, God's message was. thus given to them in portions .. Ap- plying this thought to the circumstances of the text, we see men who had received a message from God which they believed was of importance ; but they ccmld not understand it, and they are sad because there is no interpreter, I. THE DEEP IMPORTANCE OF Gon's MESSAGE. How many questions does life pre- sent ! What and where are we? Whither going? What lies beyond the present? I see that all things decay; yet on all sides life from death. Is there such revivo.l for me? Can the active, thinking spirit be as though it _had never be~n-passed from existence ere the frail body began to decay? And 1f there be a hfe beyond the present, what ia its nature? and w~at the preparation for it?_ Ve.inly does human wisdom try to answer these quest10ns. He who made all thmgs alone. can explain his works (Ps. xciv. 9-12), and the Bible is his answer to our qu~st1ons, wherein he tells us what we are, for what created, and how to fulfil the obJect of our being (Ps. cxix. 105). II. But WE NEED AN INTERPRETER. It may be asked, Why? The Bible is open. Its words are such as any one can understand. This is true, us fur ~ regards fe.cts, 'l.lld precepts, and doctrines. There is a knowledge of the wo•'l which the natural OH, XL. 1-23.] THE BOOK OF GENESIS. 459