Genesis 41:14-36
The Thing is Established By God
Introduction: Nothing exists without a cause, and nothing changes without a cause. If there was ever nothing, there would still be nothing now. There wouldn’t be a debate about existence because it wouldn’t exist. But here we are and so we can debate the fact that we are here and how we got here.
And in this world where we are, things are constantly changing. Nothing stays the same. A bar of gold may sit for a thousand years and look like it hasn’t changed, but in fact, if nothing else it has gotten a thousand years older. Changes are coming to the land of Egypt and something must be the cause of those changes.
But what we think might be the cause is suspect when we are told in advance that the changes will happen. I mean, people can say the weather is going to change based on observable patterns or other phenomena, but there are other things which we’re told about which can’t happen that way.
When we are told that future events will occur and there is nothing to assign that change to in this natural world, then we are either lacking knowledge about the natural world, or the change has come about by something super-natural.
Pharaoh has dreams; Pharaoh’s dreams mean something specific; the dreams, their interpretation, and their fulfillment are not natural and so they must have a supernatural cause.
Text Verse: I will lay waste the mountains and hills,
And dry up all their vegetation;
I will make the rivers coastlands,
And I will dry up the pools. Isaiah 42:15
God speaks again in again in the Bible about what He will do – to people, through people, to the land, to the world, and so on. He tells us sometimes thousands of years in advance and He says, “Pay attention! I will prove that I am here and so you should probably pay attention because of that.”
And then He gives us the choice. We can pay attention, or we can ignore Him. My thought is that if He is there, and He’s proved it, it certainly is worth paying attention to what He has to say. And what He has to say is found in only one place, the Bible.
It has enough past evidence to support itself so that we have every confidence in what it tells about the future. And so let’s take time again today to search it out and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.
I. The Interpreter of Dreams
14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh.
Upon hearing about of Joseph’s abilities by the cupbearer, Pharaoh is in anticipation of finally finding an answer to his dreams. Joseph is called and brought out of the dungeon. Once out, he is shaved, has his clothing changed, and he is brought to Pharaoh.
According to ancient literature, Egypt is believed to be the only country in the Middle East at that time to regularly practiced shaving. There they shaved both the head and the face. This is seen in the hieroglyphs as well. Before he is brought to Pharaoh, he is cleaned up in this manner and is also given clean clothing.
In this verse, we see a return to pictures of Jesus and His work. Pharaoh means “Great House.” Joseph is called out of the pit which is the Hebrew term ha’bowr; the same term used already several times to picture the tomb of Christ. Jesus is called out of the tomb by the ruler of the Great House, God.
This is reflected in Acts 10:40 which says, “Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly…”
Joseph’s being shaved brings in a concept which we’ve seen in the past. Hair, throughout the Bible, has several undertones. It denotes awareness, such as man being sentient aware being. This takes us back to Jacob and Esau. Jacob was smooth skinned, Esau was hairy. Jacob pictured Christ, Esau pictured Adam.
Barley, the hairy crop brings in the thought of awareness as well. In one use of it, it is to bring sin to reminder. This is found in Numbers 5. There when speaking of the rite concerning jealousy of a possibly unfaithful wife, it gives this direction –
He shall bring the offering required for her, one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it, because it is a grain offering of jealousy, an offering for remembering, for bringing iniquity to remembrance. (15)
The study of hair in the Bible could go on and on, but here Joseph, picturing Christ, is shaved. Shaving is something that would occur after an Israelite would complete a vow known as a Nazirite vow. In Numbers 6, these instructions are given –
“Then the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and shall take the hair from his consecrated head and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offering.” (18)
Whether Jesus had the same appearance of hair after the resurrection or not isn’t known, but two of his disciples walked and talked with Him and didn’t recognize Him until He broke bread. In the book of Revelation, John says that His hair is like white wool, as white as snow.
The shaving of Joseph’s hair is certainly showing us this type of change in Jesus. And finally, we see Joseph given a change of clothing. When Jesus was crucified, He was stripped and his clothes were taken by the Romans.
When He was taken down from the cross, he was laid in strips of linen along with burial spices. But he was clothed after the resurrection. Unless there was a wardrobe in the tomb or an open store down the road, then these must have been prepared specifically for the resurrection.
What seems like an innocuous verse about Joseph being prepared to meet Pharaoh is actually a nifty picture of Christ coming out of the tomb, having been accepted by God.
15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.”
Joseph’s deliverance from the pit is because of His unique ability which was told to Pharaoh by the cupbearer. No one else possessed the ability, but he is told that Joseph can.
16 So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me;
Joseph doesn’t say he won’t give an answer. Instead he uses a term, biladay, “not in me,” to say that if he interprets the dream, that interpretation will have come from God and not from him. It is independent from his opinion.
In essence, he will speak and it will be God who speaks through him. What a beautiful picture of Jesus.
16 (con’t) God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”
Joseph is so confident that he is there to meet the Lord’s will that he openly states that the answer is forthcoming and that it would be sufficient to give peace to Pharaoh after his night of disturbed sleep and his morning of frustration at obtaining no answer.
II. The Dream is Repeated
17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “Behold, in my dream I stood on the bank of the river. 18 Suddenly seven cows came up out of the river, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. 19 Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such ugliness as I have never seen in all the land of Egypt. 20 And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat cows. 21 When they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were just as ugly as at the beginning. So I awoke. 22 Also I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven heads came up on one stalk, full and good. 23 Then behold, seven heads, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. 24 And the thin heads devoured the seven good heads.
Pharaoh’s recounting of the dream is essentially the same as what he said to his wise men and magicians, but there are a couple small differences. One is that he tells Joseph that the cows were so ugly that he had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt.
A second is that after that bad cows ate up the good ones, no one would have known that they had eaten them and that they were just as ugly as at the beginning.
In the last sermon, we saw that these cows eating each other was contrary to nature for several reasons. One was that a herbivore wouldn’t eat another of its own kind as if it were a carnivore.
Although this is a dream which symbolizes real things, the symbolism is explained very clearly. The cows and the stalks symbolize years; years of abundance and years of famine. The cows don’t actually eat each other. They never have and it will never happen.
If you read a commentary that says that the famine was so bad that cows actually ate other cows, go ahead and put a line through it. God has given us the meanings and we can stick with them.
Finally, while Pharaoh is speaking, an extra term is used to describe the thin heads on the stalks, calling them withered, meaning they were barren or the fruit was dry. By telling the story a little bit differently the second time, it shows that what we’re reading isn’t just a fable, but an actual account.
This is similar to what we see in the first three gospels. They tell the same story, very closely in some ways, but with differences. Because they are so similar, some liberal scholars say they can’t be true because they simply copy each other.
But because they are so different in other ways, other liberal scholars say they can’t be true because the stories don’t match. Two things are certain, the first is that the stories are exactly what God intends. And secondly, never listen to liberal scholars of the Bible.
The account here as relayed by Moses is accurate and supports itself because of the similarity and because of the differences. You have every reason to trust that it is true, accurate, reliable, and worthy of looking into because God included it in His word.
This happens not just here and in the gospels, but throughout the Bible. From time to time, God gives the same story from different viewpoints. They are similar, but they have differences. And every time this happens, there is some scholar who then writes a commentary about how the Bible is filled with error.
Just ignore them. Every difference has a reason and every story which is given two or three times gives us better insights into the truth of the word, whether we understand why or not.
24 (con’t) So I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
Pharaoh finishes his words to Joseph with the note that none of his wisest assistants were able to help. Including this shows us that it is beyond the finest minds in the world at that time. If the dream is from God, then God must intend for the dream to be explained.
If the dream can’t be explained then it isn’t from God. But if it is, then it is now in Joseph’s hands. Thus it means that Joseph is the one who is able to divine the mind of God. This is the intent of Pharaoh’s comment to him now.
III. The Dream Explained
25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh,
There is no note of hesitation, there is no delay, there is no need to pray first or otherwise seek an answer from God. God has revealed the dream to Joseph and He has done so immediately. Joseph proves himself to be the lord of dreams.
In this, we see that the failure of the wise men to interpret the dream is the needed proof that Joseph is speaking now by God’s divine counsel.
25 (con’t) “The dreams of Pharaoh are one;
This verse is translated a variety of ways.
“The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same.” NIV
“Both of Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing.” NLT
“The dreams of Pharaoh are one;” ESV
“Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same;” NASB
The dream of Pharaoh is one: KJV
“Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing.” Holman
“Pharaoh’s dreams are identical,” ISV (BAD TRANSLATION)
“Both dreams of Pharaoh have the same meaning.” NET
“Pharaoh had the same dream twice.” God’s Word (NOT GREAT)
The king’s dream is one: Douay (SHOULD SAY PHARAOH)
There are a couple reasons I read these for you. One is to show how much difference in translation a single verse can produce. Secondly, to show that two entirely different translations can mean exactly the same thing – such as “The dreams of Pharaoh are one”, and “The dream of Pharaoh is one.”
The third is to show you that you will learn a lot more by reading several versions. And finally, to show you that some versions are just wrong. The ISV said, “Pharaoh’s dreams are identical.” They weren’t identical. One had cows and one had wheat. They were identical in meaning, not content, and they should have said that.
The word used for “one” in this verse is echad. Echad means one, but it can mean one comprising many. A cluster of grapes is one, but it is made of many grapes. And so, saying either the dreams are one, or the dream is one is essentially the same thing (because of echad). There were in fact two dreams, but they comprise one unit.
So you’re sitting there wondering why I’m bringing this up. And maybe you will never remember this. But if you do, it bears on similar statements made elsewhere which can have the most theological importance of all.
When asked what is the greatest commandment of all, Jesus turned to the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy and quoted this –
“The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.'” Mark 12:29
What Jesus cited is called the Shema or “Hear.” In Hebrew it says Sh’ma Yisrael Y’hovah elohaynu Y’hovah echad. The word echad is used to describe the Lord. He is One, but one here can mean one with a plurality, just like Pharaoh’s dreams.
If One meant only one, then the word yachid could have been used. This means one and only one. In the Greek, the word Jesus speaks in Mark for “one” is heis. It can mean the same thing as echad. Paul uses it in Galatians 3:28 to speak of our position in Christ –
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
The importance of the translation of Pharaoh’s two dreams concerns the importance of the meaning of words and concepts which help us understand what we are being told. Understanding that two dreams can be one dream is helpful for us to understand that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit can also be one God. You wouldn’t think this verse is that important, would you?
Oh God, the Bible is such a wonderful treasure
Even the smallest detail can be amazingly profound
In this book is wisdom beyond measure
In it the answers to our difficult questions are found
25 (con’t) God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do:
The Greek philosopher Aristotle taught that there were four types of causes to all things. There is the material cause, the formal cause, the efficient cause, and the final cause. Whether we understand this or not, they are there. Joseph is now instructing Pharaoh on the cause of things.
There will be a famine. Aristotle would say that the material cause of the famine is the weather – water and wind. The weather is the cause of environmental conditions. The formal cause of the famine is the change in the weather. This includes the drying up of the Nile and the change of the wind that it comes from the east. These causes will bring about a change in Egypt.
But in this verse, even before the material and formal causes are introduced, Joseph gives us the efficient cause and the final cause. He says, “God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.” Pharaoh may be the ruler, but his kingdom is subject to the One who is behind the movement of the wind and the water.
God is the Efficient Cause. He is the one who directs both the flow of water and the changes in the wind. As the Efficient Cause, He is behind the changes which will occur. And the reason Pharaoh is given the dream hints at the final cause, which is to bring about the purpose of the famine.
The final cause isn’t given directly, but we will see it as the story unfolds. And actually, there are several final causes that will be seen. There is the purpose of making Joseph ruler. There is the purpose of bringing Israel down to Egypt. There is the purpose of fulfilling Joseph’s dreams.
There is the purpose of freeing Israel from future bondage. There is the purpose of bringing about the Passover. There is the purpose of showing that there is one God and that He controls both the weather and the future. Because the weather of the future is being revealed before it comes about.
There is the purpose of picturing Christ in all of these things. And in all of these thing there is the ultimate purpose, one ultimate final cause, it is that of bringing glory to God. In other words, each final cause is directly related to the Efficient Cause – God.
God causes so that God may be glorified. If you can see this in everything found in the Bible, then you will be able to see it in everything in your own life as well. This is one reason why we are given the Bible. It shows us the state of humans and of humanity.
Humans have a material cause. It is the stuff we’re made of. But we’re made of the same stuff as other animals. Our formal cause is what makes us humans and what makes other things monkeys, or dogs, or wallabies.
The Bible tells us that our efficient cause isn’t evolution, but God’s creative effort. But what is our final cause? Why did God make man? King David wanted to know –
“Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?
Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?” Psalm 144:3
This final cause eludes us until we understand who God truly is. He is the self-existent all-glorious Creator. God created so that we could share in His glory and thus bring more glory to Him. This isn’t a conceited self-seeking glorification, but the sharing of Himself which should naturally lead us to glorify Him.
And this is hinted at in Joseph’s words to Pharaoh. For the ultimate purpose of bringing glory to God, Joseph says these words to Pharaoh – asher ha’elohim oseh higgid le’pharaoh – “what the Elohim is doing he caused to be seen by Pharaoh.”
Out of 2600 times that the word elohim is used when speaking of God in the Bible, less than 400 are used in the way Joseph does here. He calls him ha’elohim – the God. In other words, “There is no other God and this God is showing that to you now.”
The God is causing Pharaoh to see the future as a demonstration of who He is and that the future is known to Him. Because it is known to Him, then nothing that will happen will change what He already sees. Whatever we do is already figured into the future, and nothing we do can change the future that He sees.
You are the God who knows and sees all things
Every wave which beats upon the shore’s sandy beach
How many fish are in the ocean, and every bird that sings
Into eternity does your wisdom and knowledge reach
26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years; the dreams are one.
We don’t need to speculate if the cows will eat one another or not. The interpretation is given and the cows symbolize something else, not real cows. The seven good cows are seven years. Likewise the seven good heads are seven years. The two dreams are one.
27 And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are seven years of famine.
So, following the first seven years, there will be seven more years; years of famine. These are represented by the thin ugly cows and the empty blighted heads.
28 This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.
In complete confidence of the interpretation, he says that what he has said he stands on. And he repeats his title for God – ha’elohim has shown Pharaoh. The God has revealed through Joseph what He is about to do.
29 Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt;
This is the first time that the true significance of the first seven years is noted. They aren’t just seven years, but seven years of saba gadol, great plenty. And this won’t be an isolated boom, but it will be throughout all the land of Egypt. All of Pharaoh’s domain will be blessed as the Nile delta floods and the winds are favorable.
30 but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land.
Following on the heels of the seven good years, there will be seven terrible years; years of famine which will be so bad that all the abundance of the preceding seven years will be utterly forgotten. Everything which has flourished will be reduced to less than a memory of a memory.
31 So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe.
Nothing which was gained will remain. The earth will crack and the land will mourn. It will be so bad that the term Joseph uses in Hebrew doesn’t have a direct equivalent in English. He says khaved hu meod – it will be “very heavy.”
The concept of heaviness is given to show that the strain of the weight of those years and the crushing burden they bring will be too much to bear. Thus we translate this as “very severe.”
32 And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
Two more times in a row, Joseph says that it is ha’elohim, the God, who has established and purposed what is coming. The term elohim is mentioned 9 times in this chapter, but each time He is mentioned in relation to the direct interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams by Joseph, he calls Him “the God.”
It is the God who has doubled the dream to Pharaoh and the reason for doing so is that the matter is firmly decreed by the God and so the God will hasten what He has decreed. Like a wave rolling toward a shore, nothing will stop the tide of the prophecy.
IV. Joseph’s Wise Counsel
33 “Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt.
Without a hint from the Bible as to whether he was asked for advice or not, he goes directly from an interpreter of dreams to a counselor of remedies. He was the revealer of disaster and now he is the imparter of hope – because of this, now therefore that.
As the Geneva Bible says here, “The office of a true prophet is not only to show the evils to come, but also the remedies for the same.” Joseph shows himself to be a man whom God trusts with His mysteries and one whom God has endowed with His wisdom.
And so as easily as he relayed the interpretation, he now submits counsel – “…let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt.” Just as the interpretation came from God, this counsel must be His work as well.
Pharaoh could have taken offence at Joseph’s advice, as if he were saying he was incompetent. Instead he allows Joseph to continue. The words are taken as they were intended – to protect and continue Pharaoh’s kingdom, not usurp it. He recommends a governor who will have authority over the affairs of the land.
34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years.
Under the governor of the land, Joseph next recommends officers be appointed. It’s obvious that they would be subordinates who would handle given areas and tasks within those areas in order to secure one fifth of the produce.
We don’t know how this was collected. It could have been a tax, or it could have been bought. The idea though is that there are seven years of more-than-normal abundance. One fifth of this superabundance would be enough to cover each of the seven years of famine.
35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
What Joseph is suggesting has no down-side. If the famine doesn’t come about, Pharaoh will still have all of the produce at his disposal and under his authority. If it does come about, there will be more than double gain for every year of the famine.
For Pharaoh, Joseph’s words can only be taken as wise counsel. He will lose nothing, but could gain everything.
36 Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine.”
Joseph repeats that there will be a famine and that what is coming will require this action so that Egypt won’t completely perish. Again, if the dream was from God, then God intends for the dream to be interpreted. If Joseph was given the interpretation, then God is speaking through Joseph.
The obvious conclusion for Pharaoh is that Joseph is correct and that God’s word has been spoken to him and that he must now pay heed to the advice. This is the last verse of the day and it is the perfect spot for us to consider that last premise.
If the Bible is from God, then God intends for the book to be researched. If the research is proper, then it is intended to be applied. Why would God give Pharaoh a dream and then tell him something contrary to what the dream says? He wouldn’t.
And why would God give us His word and then allow us to live in a manner contrary to the word He has given? He wouldn’t. If Pharaoh’s dreams are true and Joseph’s interpretation is correct, then Joseph’s advice is sound.
If God’s word has proven itself true (and it has), and if proper handling of it is demonstrated, then the advice of the handler should be listened to. Pharaoh now has a choice concerning God’s word. We will see how he acts upon it next week.
We have a choice concerning God’s word and only time will tell if we act upon it properly or not. I would hope you do. In fact, it is the driving desire of my life. Don’t put God on a shelf when you get home, but apply His word moment by moment as you store up heavenly grain in anticipation of future famines.
Applying the word to your life can only be done after getting right with God. And the way to get right with God is to be right with His Son, Jesus. God did something wonderful for us when He entered humanity. Let me tell you about that now…
Closing Verse: “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God,
“That I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine of bread,
Nor a thirst for water,
But of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 They shall wander from sea to sea,
And from north to east;
They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord,
But shall not find it. Amos 8:11, 12
Next Week: Genesis 41:37-45 (Prophet, Priest, and King; the Savior of the World) (102nd Genesis Sermon)
The Lord has you exactly where He wants you and He has a good plan and purpose for you. Call on Him and let Him do marvelous things for you and through you.
Joseph’s Wise Counsel
Then Pharaoh sent and called
Joseph, and they brought him in a hurry
Out of the dungeon in which he was walled
In a rush they made him scurr
And he shaved, changed his clothing too
And came to Pharaoh after the hullabalo
And Pharaoh said to Joseph “I have had a dream
And there is no one who can interpret it
Quite a dilemma it would see
But I have heard it said of you
That you can understand a dream
To interpret it, this you can do
As easily as eating vanilla ice cream
Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying “It is not in me
God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace
He will provide an interpretation, you will see
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: Behold, in my dream
I stood on the bank of the river and saw this theme
Suddenly there came up out of the river
Seven cows, fine looking and fat
And they fed in the meadow
On the land which was green and flat
Then behold, seven other cows came up after them
Poor and very ugly and gaunt
Such ugliness as I have never seen
In all the land of Egypt, my dream they did haunt
And the gaunt and ugly cows up they ate
The first seven, the fat cows I was shown
When they had eaten them up, I now state
After they had eaten them no one would have known
For they were just as ugly as before
So I awoke from the dream so sore
Also I saw in my dream and suddenly seven heads came
Up on one stalk, full and good, heads of acclaim
Then behold, seven heads, withered, thin, and blighted
By the east wind, sprang up after them
These are what I sighted
And the thin heads did eat…
The seven good heads as if they were a tasty treat
So I told this to the magicians, but there was none
Who could explain it to me, no not a single one
Then Joseph to Pharaoh said
“The dreams of Pharaoh are one
God has shown Pharaoh what lies ahead
What He is about to do, here under the sun
The seven good cows are seven years
And the seven good heads are seven years too
The dreams are one, have no fears
This is what God is showing you
And the seven thin and ugly cows
Which came up after them that you noted
Are seven years, as time allows
The time set by God as I have quoted
And the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind
Are seven years of famine, times when life is thinned
This is the thing, Pharaoh, which I have spoken to you
God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do
Indeed seven years of great plenty are at hand
They will come throughout Egypt, throughout all the land
But after them seven years of famine will arise
And all the plenty will be forgotten
In the land of Egypt there will be demise
The famine will deplete the land from which previous abundance was begotten
So the plenty will not be known
In the land because of the famine which will follow
For it will be very severe as you have been shown
I know it’s a bitter pill that you must swallow
And the dream was repeated as if a divine nod
To Pharaoh twice for him to look out
Because the thing is established by God
And God will shortly bring it about
“Now therefore, let Pharaoh select
A discerning and wise man
And set him over the land of Egypt
This is something that you should plan
Let Pharaoh do this, and let him assign
Officers over the land, all its frontiers
To collect one-fifth of the produce by design
Of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years
And let them gather all the food like security
Of those coming good years ahead
And store up grain under Pharaoh’s authority
And keep food in the cities, for the famine will be widespread
Then that food shall be as a reserve
For the land for the seven years of dearth
It shall be in the land of Egypt as you shall observe
So the land may not perish during the famine of the earth
God foreknew the troubled times that would come
And He sent Joseph to explain this to Pharaoh
And He knows of our own times of trials
When our hopes are dry and our wallets are narrow
But from God there is a better promise for us
When we will be taken into a broad and spacious place
Yes for any who have called on Jesus
We someday will behold God face to face
Until that day, we live in hope and not by sight
But our faith is what is most valued in God’s eyes
It is what restores us to Him, and to His shining light
So let us keep our faith in Jesus, our hearts on the prize
Hallelujah and Amen…