One of my daughters collects stuffed and ornamental cows; when she was involved in 4-H, it was the cow programme she was interested in. We have pictures of her with my mom’s cousin’s cows around Tisdale, Sk. So being as we read about Pharaoh’s dream with the fat cows and the skinny cows, I asked her to share some cow jokes with me. She found me one or two. I found a couple more. Here we go:
What do you call a sleeping bull?
(A bull-dozer.)
What could you call a newborn calf?
(A new moo!)
Do cows give milk?
(No, you have to take it from them.)
How would you get a cow in your car?
(You promise to let her steer.)
What is a milking barn full of happy cows called?
(A merry dairy.)
Where do cows go when they want a night out?
(To the moo-vies!)
What did the bored cow say when she got up in the morning?
("It's just an udder day")
What's a cow's favourite musical note?
(Beef-flat)
How did the farmer find his lost cow?
(He tractor down.)
What sound do you hear when you drop a cow?
(Cowboom!)
Why did the bow-legged cowboy get fired?
(Because he couldn't keep his calves together.)
Why are round hay bales not as good for cows?
(Because they need a square meal.)
Did you hear about the cow that couldn't give milk?
(She was an udder failure.)
Why did the cow have a bell around its neck?
(Because its horn didn’t work.)
Knock, knock (Who’s there?)
Cowsgo (Cowsgo who?)
No, silly, cows go ‘moo’
In our story today we are actually addressing a very serious situation. There is about to be a famine throughout the country of Egypt. The government of the day is well aware of it and our text today (Genesis 41) tells us what they are going to do about it.
We read a few moments ago that God lets Pharaoh’s government know that a famine is coming and God also makes provision for the people so that they can survive the famine. Joseph and Pharaoh obey God and people are saved. We remember the flood story with Noah (Genesis 6-9; cf. also Matthew 6:25; Luke 1:53, 6:21). This is somewhat reminiscent of that: a flood was coming and God let people know about it so that presumably none needed to perish but alas some chose to do so. We know too that in the NT – still to come in the Biblical record, but firmly established in our own historical record now – that God sent His only begotten Son to earth so that no one needs to perish but sadly some people still do make that choice (John 3:16-21). But back to our story at hand – God warns the Pharaoh government of the impending calamity and the hereditary monarch, Egypt’s Head of State, Pharaoh, himself, heeds the warning from YHWH and appoints Joseph to make provision in the years of abundance in preparation for the impending years of famine; he does this by raising taxes by 20% (Genesis 41:33).
Now it doesn’t say how the people reacted to a 20% increase in taxes but if it was in this day, place, and age; I can’t imagine that a 20% tax hike would be a popular measure but Pharaoh obeys God on Joseph’s advice and does it anyway and all in all it appears actually to go really well as far as we know. Egypt has seven years of economic prosperity. Genesis 41:37 records that “during the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully.” Everything is seemingly good. Everyone is presumably happy. The land is producing and God, through Joseph and increased taxation, is storing up for future famine (Genesis 41:30). These are the seven years of abundance.
Today we have an abundance in this country. We are one of the wealthiest nations in the world yet their is still needless poverty in our world and in our country. We are still in the years of the fat cows the question for us today is what are we going to do: are we going to waste this abundance wee have been given on frivolities or are we going to use these resources to save others both here and now and there and forever?
What do you call a sleeping bull?
(A bull-dozer.)
What could you call a newborn calf?
(A new moo!)
Do cows give milk?
(No, you have to take it from them.)
How would you get a cow in your car?
(You promise to let her steer.)
What is a milking barn full of happy cows called?
(A merry dairy.)
Where do cows go when they want a night out?
(To the moo-vies!)
What did the bored cow say when she got up in the morning?
("It's just an udder day")
What's a cow's favourite musical note?
(Beef-flat)
How did the farmer find his lost cow?
(He tractor down.)
What sound do you hear when you drop a cow?
(Cowboom!)
Why did the bow-legged cowboy get fired?
(Because he couldn't keep his calves together.)
Why are round hay bales not as good for cows?
(Because they need a square meal.)
Did you hear about the cow that couldn't give milk?
(She was an udder failure.)
Why did the cow have a bell around its neck?
(Because its horn didn’t work.)
Knock, knock (Who’s there?)
Cowsgo (Cowsgo who?)
No, silly, cows go ‘moo’
In our story today we are actually addressing a very serious situation. There is about to be a famine throughout the country of Egypt. The government of the day is well aware of it and our text today (Genesis 41) tells us what they are going to do about it.
We read a few moments ago that God lets Pharaoh’s government know that a famine is coming and God also makes provision for the people so that they can survive the famine. Joseph and Pharaoh obey God and people are saved. We remember the flood story with Noah (Genesis 6-9; cf. also Matthew 6:25; Luke 1:53, 6:21). This is somewhat reminiscent of that: a flood was coming and God let people know about it so that presumably none needed to perish but alas some chose to do so. We know too that in the NT – still to come in the Biblical record, but firmly established in our own historical record now – that God sent His only begotten Son to earth so that no one needs to perish but sadly some people still do make that choice (John 3:16-21). But back to our story at hand – God warns the Pharaoh government of the impending calamity and the hereditary monarch, Egypt’s Head of State, Pharaoh, himself, heeds the warning from YHWH and appoints Joseph to make provision in the years of abundance in preparation for the impending years of famine; he does this by raising taxes by 20% (Genesis 41:33).
Now it doesn’t say how the people reacted to a 20% increase in taxes but if it was in this day, place, and age; I can’t imagine that a 20% tax hike would be a popular measure but Pharaoh obeys God on Joseph’s advice and does it anyway and all in all it appears actually to go really well as far as we know. Egypt has seven years of economic prosperity. Genesis 41:37 records that “during the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully.” Everything is seemingly good. Everyone is presumably happy. The land is producing and God, through Joseph and increased taxation, is storing up for future famine (Genesis 41:30). These are the seven years of abundance.
Today we have an abundance in this country. We are one of the wealthiest nations in the world yet their is still needless poverty in our world and in our country. We are still in the years of the fat cows the question for us today is what are we going to do: are we going to waste this abundance wee have been given on frivolities or are we going to use these resources to save others both here and now and there and forever?
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