Genesis Chapter 41

Joseph remained in prison after he had interpreted the dreams of the butler and baker. He had asked the butler to remember him to Pharaoh when he is restored, which the butler forgot to do for a time. Joseph was in prison for 2 more years, waiting for the Lord to deliver him. People like to believe that serving God means you don’t have to suffer trials or tribulations, but this isn’t scriptural, as we can see here. Joseph was called to God’s purpose before he was sold into slavery… he was called before he was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife…he was called before he was put in prison… God’s hand was guiding him into his calling so that when he was freed from prison there would be no doubt who freed him and the man who emerged from the prison would be a man God had shaped for his purposes. Joseph was going to have the weight of the world laid on his shoulders immediately upon his release after he had the encounter with Pharaoh and his dreams. It would be Joseph and the divine wisdom that God gave him that saved Egypt, his own family of origin (Israel) and the surrounding people when the famine hit. Everything Joseph endured made him ready to serve God and his purposes.

¹ And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.

² And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.

³ And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.

⁴ And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.

The river is a symbol of the flowing of God’d grace. In this instance, God is showing Pharaoh what he is bringing in the land of Egypt. When God gives a person a dream he also quickens their spirit to pay attention. Pharaoh knew this dream was important, and it had a message for him.

⁵ And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.

⁶ And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.

⁷ And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.

God confirms his message with the second dream…the message is urgent. The way the verse worded this part, ” …and, behold, it was a dream.” this leads me to believe the dream was so vivid that Pharaoh had to wake up a little to realize he was dreaming.

⁸ And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

When God gives a person a dream, the dream stays with them…unlike random dreams that fade away soon after a person wakes up. Pharaoh was troubled.

⁹ Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:

SUDDENLY the butler remembered what he was supposed to do for Joseph. While it might seem like the butler was forgetful and ungrateful, he was in fact working exactly in God’s timeline.

¹⁰ Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker:

¹¹ And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

¹² And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.

¹³ And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.

¹⁴ Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.

¹⁵ And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.

¹⁶ And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

Joseph gave God the glory for being able to interpret the dream, even before he heard it.

¹⁷ And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:

¹⁸ And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:

¹⁹ And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:

²⁰ And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:

²¹ And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke.

Even after the lean kine ate the fat and healthy ones, they were still as lean as they started out.

²² And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:

²³ And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:

²⁴ And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.

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

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

The dreams are both the same in the sense that they are conveying the same message, just in 2 different ways. Also… this deals with 7 years of famine that is going to hit the land right after 7 years of abundance… so the symbols are both from the food resources, the kine is the meat and the corn is the grain.

²⁷ And 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.

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

God is merciful. God is giving Pharaoh, a ruler who doesn’t even serve God a dream…because ultimately God has a plan in action here…. this whole situation… from the selling of Joseph into slavery, to his emprisonment from false accusations to his being able to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh are all part of God’s plan for Israel.

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

³⁰ And 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;

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

³² And 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.

³³ Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.

Joseph has interpreted the dream and now he is giving instructions to Pharaoh on a course of action to prepare for what‘s coming.

³⁴ Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.

³⁵ And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.

³⁶ And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.

³⁷ And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.

Pharaoh knew what he was hearing was the truth from God…so did his servants.

³⁸ And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?

Pharaoh knew that the Spirit of God was upon Joseph.

³⁹ And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:

Pharaoh recognizes God as the source of wisdom and that Joseph was led by God.

⁴⁰ Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.

Joseph has been in prison for years and suddenly in just a day or so he is now the second most powerful man in Egypt. Look at his training…first he was the head of Potiphers household… then Potiphers wife lied and had him thrown in prison where Joseph became the head of the prison…and now he is risen to the second highest position in Egypt. Everything up until now was training him both in the things he would be attending for Pharaoh and in his faith towards God.

⁴¹ And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.

⁴² And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;

⁴³ And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.

⁴⁴ And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.

I wonder what Potipher’s wife was feeling watching the man she falsely accused rise to a position higher than her own husbands. Psalms 23: 5 ⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

⁴⁵ And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

⁴⁶ And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

⁴⁷ And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.

⁴⁸ And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.

⁴⁹ And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.

⁵⁰ And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.

⁵¹ And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.

⁵² And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

⁵³ And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.

⁵⁴ And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

⁵⁵ And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.

⁵⁶ And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.

⁵⁷ And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.

When you obey God and follow him, he makes provisions for you and will sustain you.