Spiritual Economics – Miketz

When I was a university student I took a course in economics. One day our professor was teaching us about various limited resources and he asked the question, “What is the most valuable resource that we possess on earth?” A few of us in the class gave answers to the professor such as gold, silver, water, etc…, however, none of these answers were what the professor was looking for. He finally gave us his answer, “The most precious resource that we possess on earth is time and most of us don’t know the value of it or how to use it wisely!”

This principle of time being the most valuable resource that we possess on earth is probably the only thing I really learned from that economics course. We are each given 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, and fifty-two weeks a year for however many years we live on this earth. What we do with this time and how we make daily decisions based on time greatly determines the direction that our lives take and the overall outcomes that are produced in our lives. Our faith in God and our relationship with Him will also determine how we make decisions based on the time we are given. The convergence of life, time, and faith in God are a central theme in this week’s Torah Portion which is found in the book of Genesis.

Providence

The story of Joseph and his brothers reaches a climatic point in this week’s Torah Portion as Joseph’s brothers present themselves on several occasions before the Egyptian ruler, who unbeknownst to them is Joseph himself. The brothers continually bowed down to their hidden brother while Joseph remembered the dreams which he had in his youth which predicted these very events (Gen. 42:9). God orchestrated circumstances in each of their lives as well as a global famine to bring Joseph’s dreams to reality. 

Providence shines through the details of the story of Joseph and his brothers. There are many indicators of this throughout the account of Joseph’s life and we see further evidence of God’s hand in these events through the Hebrew wording found in this week’s Scripture reading.

The Interpreter of Dreams

Last week’s Torah Portion concluded with Joseph attending to those under his care while in jail. During those years in prison, Joseph had the opportunity to interpret the dreams of two fellow inmates, the chief baker and the cupbearer to Pharaoh. Both of their dreams came true as Joseph predicted but Joseph’s request of the cupbearer to remember him before Pharaoh was forgotten (Gen. 40:23). 

At the beginning of this week’s Torah Portion we see a turn of events that ultimately led to Joseph being set free from prison and to him being promoted to second in the kingdom:

Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile. – Gen. 41:1

Pharaoh’s dream, which in reality were two separate dreams, led to a call in the kingdom for the wisemen to interpret the dreams. When no one was found to be able to interpret the dreams, the cupbearer remembered Joseph and he informed Pharaoh that he knew of a reliable man, a Hebrew who was able to interpret dreams (Gen. 41:9-13). Pharaoh then had Joseph brought to him and the rest is history.

The Counting of Years

We don’t know exactly how long Joseph was in prison, however, we do know that it was at least two years and it could have been as long as twelve years. The “two full years” which are mentioned in the verse above could have been from the time that Joseph was in prison or from the time that the cupbearer’s dream came true and was reinstated to his position. From the context of Genesis chapters forty and forty-one it seems more likely that the later is intended; it was two years since the cupbearer’s dream was realized, meaning we don’t know exactly how many years Joseph was in prison.

Whichever rendering of years is true, the wording at the beginning of Genesis 41:1 is very descriptive and sheds light on how God brings together life events in His perfect timing:“Now it happened at the end of two full years…” This phrase in Hebrew is ויהי מקץ שנתים ימים – Vayehi Miketz Shenatayim Yamim and is literally translated “And it was at the end of two years of days…” Since the literal translation is not easily understood in English, most translators provide the interpretation of “two full years” instead of “two years of days…” Although this is a good interpretation, the significance of the original Hebrew is lost in translation. What is the significance of the original Hebrew? 

The Counting of Days

I believe that there are a couple of obvious reasons why the Bible uses the specific wording that it does to describe this length of time as “two years of days.” The first reason is because Joseph was a man confined to a prison. Every prisoner counts the days, weeks, months, and years that they spend in prison. Each day in prison is a day of life which is taken from a person. 

When Joseph had the opportunity to interpret the dream of the cupbearer to Pharaoh, Joseph realized that he finally had an advocate who would have reason to fight for him on the outside of that prison. From the day that the cupbearer was released from prison and restored to his position as cupbearer to Pharaoh, Jospeh was expecting something to change on his behalf. The days, weeks, and months rolled on during that time but there was only silence from Pharaoh’s court. The phrase “two years of days” highlights each day within that two-year period for a total of 730 days that Joseph was hoping, watching, and waiting.

A second reason that I believe the Bible uses this exacting phrase, “two years of days,” is to reveal God’s providential hand and to show that even though man had forgotten about Joseph in prison (Gen. 40:23), God had not forgotten him. The Bible is very clear that from the time that Joseph was first cast into prison the LORD was with Joseph and He gave him favor before the chief jailer (Gen. 39:21-23). Every day in a prison can feel like an eternity but God’s presence gives hope and sustains life.

The Timing of Men & The Timing of God

Joseph had been betrayed by his own brothers, falsely accused and condemned by the wife of his master, and sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. In this place of rejection and condemnation, Joseph served those around him and ministered God’s word through interpreting dreams. He asked the cupbearer to remember him after he was restored to his position but he had forgotten him. Although Joseph was forgotten by men, the LORD never abandoned him but rather had determined a fixed day when Pharaoh would have a set of dreams that caused the cupbearer to remember Joseph exactly 730 days later, two years of days!

This Hebrew phrase שנתים ימים – Shenatayim Yamim – “two years of days” is only used four other times in the Hebrew Scriptures in two different contexts; one involving Absalom, the son of David, and the other involving Hananiah the prophet. There is a simple yet powerful spiritual lesson to be learned in seeing how this Hebrew phrase is used in the Bible as a whole.

The “Two Years of Days” of Absalom

Absalom was the third-born son of King David. Absalom’s older brother Amnon, the first-born son of David, violated Absalom’s sister Tamar and, as a result, Absalom sought an opportunity to bring justice to Tamar and to take vengeance upon Amnon. We read the unfolding of this story in the Second book of Samuel:

But Absalom did not speak to Amnon either good or bad; for Absalom hated Amnon because he had violated his sister Tamar. Now it came about after two full years that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons. – 2 Samuel 13:22-23

Absalom waited “two full years” which in the Hebrew is the same as in Genesis 41:1; “two years of days.” It was at this point that Absalom invited all the king’s sons to a festive dinner with the sole intent of having his servants kill Amnon. And that is exactly what happened. 

I believe the Bible records for us that Absalom waited for the specific time period of “two years of days” to illustrate a fulfillment of time. According to Absalom, something needed to happen in order to bring justice to that situation and since neither King David nor anyone else took action against Amnon, Absalom did.

For a second time we read of this same time period of “two years of days” used later in Absalom’s life. After having Amnon killed, Absalom fled from Jerusalem as he was afraid for his life. King David later granted Absalom the right to return to Jerusalem but without seeing the king: “Now Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, and did not see the king’s face.” (2 Samuel 14:28) Again the phrase “two full years” in this verse is the Hebrew phrase that we are focusing on. 

After living in Jerusalem for a total of 730 days, “two years of days,” Absalom became furious. For although he had been permitted to return to Jerusalem, the king would not see him. He tried to talk with General Joab to request a meeting with the king but Joab would not respond. Absalom finally set fire to Joab’s fields, forcing Joab to fulfill his request and he finally got Joab’s attention. Absalom met with the king and the king kissed him (2 Samuel 14:33). After all of this, Absalom attempted to subdue his father David as king, proclaimed himself king, and reigned in Jerusalem for a short time. In the end, however, Absalom was killed in battle. 

Absalom lived his life according to his own time table. If circumstances did not go as he desired within “two full years” – “two years of days,” he took matters into his own hands. Absalom became a self-appointed judge and a self-appointed king. Absalom used the time that he was given with very specific time constraints and in the end his own life was cut short. 

The “Two Years of Days” of Hananiah

In a similar manner to Absalom we read about the prophet Hananiah, who was a contemporary of Jeremiah the prophet. To put Hananiah in a proper context I will provide a bit of historical perspective. In the year 597 BC, Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah and Jerusalem for a second time, took the temple treasures, and took captives back to Babylon (2 Kings 24:11-13). Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, was also taken captive at that time and was replaced by his uncle whose name was changed to Zedekiah. 

Four years later, in 593 BC, both Jeremiah and Hananiah made prophetic declarations to the people of Judah in Jerusalem. Jeremiah told the people that, according to the word of the LORD, Nebuchadnezzar was sent by God to rule the nations and that all nations should serve him. Jeremiah also warned the people against false prophets who would tell the people not to serve the king of Babylon (Jeremiah 27).

The prophet Hananiah, however, brought an opposing message to the people of Judah and tried to lead them in a manner opposite to the word that Jeremiah proclaimed:

Now in the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet, who was from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the LORD in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two years I am going to bring back to this place all the vessels of the LORD’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. I am also going to bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles of Judah who went to Babylon,’ declares the LORD, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’” – Jeremiah 28:1-4

Hananiah brought a polar opposite message to the people from that of Jeremiah and he declared his message in the name of the LORD. Hananiah’s prophecy also carried with it a time limit: that it would be fulfilled “within two years,” or according to the Hebrew, “within two years of days.”

Jeremiah challenged Hananiah’s claims and told him that the LORD would be the final judge. In response, Hananiah tried to humiliate Jeremiah before the people: 

Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke it. Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Even so will I break within two full years the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations.’” Then the prophet Jeremiah went his way. – Jeremiah 28:10-11

Hananiah repeated his prophecy that Nebuchadnezzar’s power would be broken “within two years of days.” Hananiah tried to act authoritative and use prophetic jargon with an exacting time table, however, his words were his own and the time frame was manmade.

These two chapters in Jeremiah, chapters 27 and 28, read like a battle of the prophets. Jeremiah told the people, according to God’s word, to submit to Nebuchadnezzar, whereas Hananiah told the people that the LORD had broken Nebuchadnezzar’s authority and that the temple vessels would be returned within “two years of days,” 730 days, an exacting time table that seemed credible and authoritative. Here is the end of the story:

Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen now, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. Therefore thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This year you are going to die, because you have counseled rebellion against the LORD.’” So Hananiah the prophet died in the same year in the seventh month. – Jeremiah 28:15-17

Hananiah died and was proven to be a false prophet.

Waiting on God

The lives of Joseph, Absalom, and Hananiah were all characterized by this exact numbering of two full years, “two years of days.” In contemplating the outcome of these three separate individuals we see a clear distinction: Absalom and Hananiah forced their time table on God and other people and the result was that their lives were cut short, whereas Joseph waited on God’s perfect timing during the trials of his life and the result was a blessed life, he was exalted in the kingdom of Egypt, and he was used for God’s glory.

There is nothing magical about the time period of “two years of days” or any other exact rendering of days and years. A time period is made significant only when the providence of God enters into a situation to bring about God’s intended purpose. When we try to force our plans into a certain time frame we may be in danger of playing God with our lives and the lives of others. When we wait on God and let Him act according to His time table in our lives, we open the door to great blessing. 

King David, who faced many trials during the journey of his life learned early on to trust the LORD and to not solely rely on human instinct. Although David was anointed king by the prophet Samuel, David would not lift up his sword against King Saul or let his men strike him down. David trusted in God and in His time table. The heart of King David is clearly expressed in the words of Psalm 25:

To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in You I trust, do not let me be ashamed; do not let my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed. – Psalm 25:1-3

As David reminds us in this psalm, the key to a successful life is learning to trust God with a heart that waits on Him. 

Spiritual Economics

How each of us decides when to wait and when to act based on our faith in God will reveal how much we really trust in Him. Life provides each one of us with this valuable resource called time. Understanding how our use of time interconnects with our trusting and waiting on the LORD is paramount to successful spiritual economics! 

Shabbat Shalom!

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Torah Portion: Gen. 41:1 – Gen. 44:17

Haftara: 1 Kings 3:15 – 1 Kings 4:1

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