Pharaoh's Dreams - Genesis 41:1-41
INTRODUCTION:
Last Sunday we left Joseph in prison, seemingly forgotten. Joseph had requested that when the chief cupbearer was restored to his position that he would say a good word for him and get him out of this dungeon. Possibly Joseph waited hopefully during those first few weeks after the chief cupbearer had been released to be summoned, but the weeks turned into months and the months turned into years and Joseph was still in prison. This should be a lesson for us that we cannot rush God’s timetable, even though the cupbearer had forgotten Joseph, God had not forgotten Joseph, the LORD was with Joseph all the time that he was in that prison. If you remember from last week we looked at some verses from Psalm 105 that told us that during this time in prison the word of the LORD tested Joseph. This was training ground for Joseph, he was learning to rely completely and only on the LORD. When the training was done, when Joseph’s faith had endured trials, then that endurance would have its perfect result, Joseph would be completely ready to take on the task that God had for him, and he would do it in the strength and the power of the LORD.
If there is any passage that shows God’s involvement in the affairs of man and directing them according to His will it is our passage for this morning. Let’s pray and then get into our passage for today.
--LET’S PRAY--
SCRIPTURE:
Turn in your Bibles to Genesis 41:1-41, it is a long passage this morning, if you would like to stand please do, but do not feel obligated. Follow along as I read.
Genesis 41:1-41,
“Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile. And lo, from the Nile there came up seven cows, sleek and fat; and they grazed in the marsh grass. Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and gaunt, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. The ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke. He fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good. Then behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. The thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Now in the morning his spirit was troubled, so he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh. Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, ‘I would make mention today of my own offenses. Pharaoh was furious with his servants, and he put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, both me and the chief baker. We had a dream on the same night, he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. Now a Hebrew youth was with us there, a servant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we related them to him, and he interpreted our dreams for us. To each one he interpreted according to his own dream. And just as he interpreted for us, so it happened; he restored me in my office, but he hanged him.’ Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.’ Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, ‘It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.’ So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, ‘In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile; and behold, seven cows, fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass. Lo, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such as I had never seen for ugliness in all the land of Egypt; and the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows. Yet when they had devoured them, it could not be detected that they had devoured them, for they were just as ugly as before. Then I awoke. I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears, full and good, came up on a single stalk; and lo, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them; and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. Then I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.’ Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, ‘Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same; God has told to Pharaoh what He is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one and the same. The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine. It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do. Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; and after them seven years of famine will come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will ravage the land. So the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very severe. Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about. Now let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers in charge of the land, and let him exact a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance. Then let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh’s authority, and let them guard it. Let the food become as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish during the famine.’ Now the proposal seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants. Then Pharaoh said to his servants, ‘Can we find a man like this, in whom is a divine spirit?’ So Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are. You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you.’ Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.’” (Genesis 41:1–41, NASB95)[1]
THE LORD GAVE PHARAOH DREAMS (Genesis 41:1-14)
Two years after the cupbearer had been restored to his position we pick up the history. What Joseph did during these two years in prison we are not told, we only know that the Word of the LORD was testing him, strengthening his faith in God’s promises to him and to his family. Maybe there were days when it seemed hopeless, how could God keep His promises to Joseph while he rotted in this prison, other days his hope in God and His promises were assured. By the end of that two years Joseph’s faith was securely grounded in God and His promises and he was sure that God would be faithful to fulfill them. God knew that Joseph’s training was completed, he was now ready for the task which God had been preparing him to do, the role which God had been preparing him to fill. God’s perfect timing to begin fulfilling Joseph’s dreams.
God began to work on Joseph’s behalf, two years earlier when he had interpreted the dreams of the cupbearer and baker, unknown to him at the time these dreams and the interpretations he had given would be the very thing that would get him out of prison. Now God gave two distinct, but similar dreams to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. He dreamed one dream about cows, awoke and realized it was a dream, fell asleep and dreamed another dream about grain. When he awoke in the morning he knew that these dreams must have some meaning and so he called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt to assemble before him. These magicians are mentioned throughout this time in Egypt and were a special caste of priests that served the Sun god Ra and practiced sorcery and the magic arts and were known for their ability to interpret dreams. But when Pharaoh related his dreams to these magicians and wise men for interpretation they could not interpret them. These dreams were a message from the One true God and only a man of God could interpret them. Pharaoh was troubled in his spirit we are told and knew that these dreams meant something important that he needed to know. As I said last week dreams were very important to the Egyptian people and they believed that they foretold the future. These dreams were important because they came from God, but who could interpret them?
God knew who could interpret them, and God knew that there was a man in Pharaoh’s court who knew about Joseph’s ability, and God caused the cupbearer to remember what he had forgotten. Suddenly the cupbearer remembers a young Hebrew man who had made a request of him to speak a good word to the Pharaoh and get him out of prison. The cupbearer reminds Pharaoh of the time that he was furious with him and the chief baker and threw them into prison. While they were in prison they both had a dream and a young man, a Hebrew, a servant of the captain of the body guard was there in prison with them and he interpreted their dreams and they turned out exactly as he had said. Pharaoh restored the cupbearer to his position and the baker was executed and hung on a tree. The man who had forgotten remembered at just the right time, in God’s perfect timing.
THE LORD LED PHARAOH TO CALL JOSEPH (Genesis 41:14-37)
Pharaoh could have disregarded what his cupbearer said, but God was working to bring about His promises to Joseph and the Pharaoh immediately called for Joseph to come before him. My Bible says that when the call came from the Pharaoh to bring Joseph they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon. The Hebrew means literally that they made him run, it was urgent, there was to be no delay. They got him out quickly, but Joseph could not go before the Pharaoh unshaven and in his prison clothes. In prison Joseph must have been allowed to grow a beard and grow out his hair. The Egyptians liked to be clean shaven on their faces and their heads and Joseph followed their custom before coming before the Pharaoh and shaved his head and face and put on a new garment. Three times now Joseph has given up his garment, first to his brothers who took away his multicolored robe to deceive their father with, second he left a garment in the hands of Potiphar’s wife, now he is giving up prison garments to go before the Pharaoh. Having shaved and changed he came before Pharaoh.
Pharaoh says that he has heard that Joseph can interpret dreams. Joseph is humble as he answers Pharaoh and he honors the LORD whom he serves. Joseph says that he himself cannot interpret Pharaoh’s dreams, but God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace. Joseph could see that Pharaoh was troubled in his spirit, and he assured him that God’s answer would bring peace to his troubled spirit, he would understand the dreams. So Pharaoh proceeded to tell Joseph his dreams and God gives to Joseph the interpretation of the dreams.
Joseph begins by telling Pharaoh that his dreams are one and the same, they are from God and He is telling you what He is about to do. The seven fat and sleek cows and the seven good ears of wheat are seven years; the seven ugly and gaunt cows and the seven ears of grain withered and scorched by the east wind are seven years of famine. Joseph reiterates that God is telling you what will take place in the next 14 years in Egypt. First, you will have seven years of great abundance, you will have bumper crops every year, but then you will have seven years of severe famine, so severe the years of abundance and plenty will be forgotten, the famine will ravage the land. God has told you this in two different dreams because the matter is determined by God, it cannot be changed and God will quickly bring it about. After relating to Pharaoh what God had determined for the land of Egypt, the Pharaoh knew God’s plan and was obligated to do what God wanted him to do. Knowing this Joseph went beyond giving Pharaoh just the interpretation, but also advised Pharaoh on what he should do. This took amazing courage and faith to do this on Joseph’s part, that the Spirit of God was guiding him and giving him the words is evident by Pharaoh’s reaction. Pharaoh had asked for an interpretation, not advice on how he should run his country, he could have executed Joseph for advising him. But it was God that was guiding the whole situation. Joseph the slave/prisoner advised Pharaoh to appoint a man, a discerning and wise man and set him over all of Egypt and give him overseers to exact a tax of 20% for the next seven years of all the grain that is produced in Egypt and store it in the cities under Pharaoh’s authority and guard it. So, that it would be a reserve for the years of famine to save the land of Egypt from perishing.
Pharaoh could have rejected Joseph’s advice and done nothing, or he could have asked his advisors what they thought should be done, but God was orchestrating every detail of this meeting and Pharaoh and his advisors thought that the proposal made by Joseph was good, it was well thought out and could be executed if the right man could be found to appoint to this task.
THE LORD LED PHARAOH TO CHOOSE JOSEPH (Genesis 41:38-41)
Did Joseph know what was about to happen? I don’t think so, I believe Joseph was just trying to serve God to the best of his ability. God had prepared Joseph for this task as he managed all of Potiphar’s household and property. God had prepared Joseph for this task by giving him people skills when all the men in the prison were under his care. Was he prepared for what took place next? Prepared, yes, God had prepared him, expecting it, no, Joseph was to humble to be expecting it. His hope was that he would be released from prison and released from slavery. But God had given Joseph two dreams also, what did he tell Pharaoh it meant when God repeated the dream, that the matter had been determined by God and God will quickly bring it about. Joseph being elevated had been determined by God 13 years prior, God’s timing is not our timing, 13 years was nothing in the scope of eternity, God was bringing it about in his perfect timing.
Pharaoh said to his advisers, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is a divine spirit?” In other words, Can we find someone like Joseph, someone who has the Spirit of God residing in him. Again Joseph’s faith in God distinguished him before Pharaoh. They could see that the LORD was with him. What an amazing testimony. Do people see that the Lord is with you, do people recognize that the Spirit of God is residing in you? They should if you are living for Jesus Christ by faith, then people should see Jesus when they see you. Just as Potiphar, the chief jailer, and Pharaoh and his advisors saw that the LORD was with Joseph and that the Spirit of God was residing in Joseph.
Pharaoh knew what had to be done and he spoke to Joseph and said, “since God has informed you of all this, since you are in tune with God and it is evident, there is no one more discerning or wiser than you are. You are the man to be appointed over the land of Egypt. Pharaoh made Joseph the ruler over Pharaoh’s house, he honored him by saying that all the people would pay homage to him. Pharaoh decreed that only in the throne was he greater than Joseph. He set Joseph as the second in command over all Egypt.
CONCLUSION:
Joseph went from a slave/prisoner to the prime minister of Israel in just a very short time. How did this happen? God had decreed it 13 years prior when He had shown Joseph his future in his dreams, now God was faithfully fulfilling those dreams and all the people of Egypt would bow the knee to Joseph, they would honor him as the one who saved Egypt, they would remember him as the one whom the LORD was with. Those years of testing by the word of the LORD had now come to fulfillment as Joseph faithfully gives all of the credit to God, it is God who will give you an answer of peace, it is God who has shown you what will happen in Egypt, it is God who has determined the matter and God will quickly do it. Joseph acknowledged God as the author of all that had taken place and God blessed Joseph by Pharaoh raising him to the highest position in the land. Next week we will see how Pharaoh honored Joseph in this new role. This morning I want to direct your attention to verse 39, “So Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are.’” (Genesis 41:39, NASB95)[2] All who were in Pharaoh’s court that day were astonished at the wisdom displayed by Joseph, this again is a type pointing us to the Lord Jesus, in Mark 1:22 we read concerning Jesus, “They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Mark 1:22, NASB95)[3] The people of Jesus day were amazed by the wisdom and authority with which Jesus spoke, just as with Joseph in his day.
Joseph truly stands out as a model for each of us, here is a man that took every opportunity to honor God in his words and in his actions and people, unsaved, pagans, recognized that Joseph was a man who had the Spirit of God residing in him, they recognized that the LORD was with him because he spoke of his faith and he modeled his faith by how he carried out the tasks given to him. How many people that you work with, that you have contact with on a weekly basis recognize that the Spirit of God is residing in you by the way you talk, by the way you honor Him with your words and your actions? Make Joseph an example to follow in your life. Joseph is a true example of our Scripture reading this morning. Let me read these verses one more time and you think about Joseph in regard to these verses.
1 Peter 5:6-11, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:6–11, NASB95)[4] Do you see Joseph who humbled himself before God, casting all his anxiety on him, being sober and alert, aware of the devil’s schemes and resisting him in his faith in God. God exalted him at the proper time. Follow Joseph’s example and God will perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be the dominion forever.
[1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[2]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[3]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995
[4]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995