Genesis 41:1-45

In this chapter we’ll see Joseph released from prison to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh. He’s made overseer over the entire land of Egypt, and he marries Asenath, the daughter of the Priest of On, who bears him two sons Manasseh and Ephraim.

Has there ever been a greater or more thrilling rags to riches story than this episode in the life of Joseph?

In this chapter we can certainly see the hand of God in his life.

That’s easy for us to say now as God’s care and purpose is revealed to us but Joesph was conscious of God’s care right in the middle of his days of adversity.

This period of adversity and the trials and temptations in his life had developed many virtues in him. These virtues are what we know today as the fruit of the Spirit.

One of those fruits was patience or perseverance.

The truth expressed in Romans 5:3 and 4 was certainly true in regard to Joseph. Let’s read that.

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance (and that is and/or patience); and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

We’ll see that this boy is brought into the presence of Pharaoh, the gentile king, just as later on Daniel will be brought in before Nebuchadnezzar. Both of them are to interpret dreams.

Then, at the end of the chapter we’ll consider the famine. What purpose was God accomplishing by this? We’ll see that God will use it to get the family of Jacob out of Canaan, away from the sins of the Canaanites and to bring them to Egypt to settle in the secluded spot of Goshen.

That’s one of His objectives. For sure, God would have had many other reasons, but this one’s obvious.

As we go along, I hope you’re still seeing the ways in which Joseph is like the Lord Jesus Christ. We’ll make more of these comparisons later on because it’s something important for us to realise.

Remember that in the previous chapter Pharaoh’s butler and baker were put in the same prison where Joseph was held. Joseph interpreted their dreams correctly and the baker was hanged, while the butler was restored to his original office with Pharoah. Joseph had begged the butler to remember his plight and speak of it to Pharaoh, but he didn’t do it. Now God gives Pharaoh a dream.

Let’s begin this incredible chapter at verse 1, that’s Genesis 41 verse 1,

Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river. 

Notice that it’s been two full years since the close of the previous chapter. Joseph has spent two more years in jail, waiting for something to happen.

Those years would have been difficult for Joseph, but we see his trust in God nevertheless. Many great lessons come from this.

• Sometimes the good we do seems to be unrewarded.
• Waiting is common in the Christian life.
• God often makes us wait much longer than we ourselves would like.
• God appoints our beginning and our end and every stop along the way.
• God’s hand was in this whole thing and when the time was right, the butler knew exactly where to find Joseph. If he had been released earlier, who knows?

Now here’s Pharaoh’s dream in Verses 2 and 3.

Suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. 

Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river. 

He saw seven cows that were well–fed, fine–looking, fat cattle. Then he saw seven really skinny cows.

Verse 4

And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke. 

Pharaoh woke up and wondered what the dream meant. It’s very likely that he had an inkling that this was more than just an ordinary night dream, that there was something big and important about it.

He didn’t know what it meant, and he was puzzled but there was nobody to help him.

Now verses 5 to 8,

He slept and dreamed a second time; and suddenly seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, plump and good. 

Then behold, seven thin heads, blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. 

And the seven thin heads devoured the seven plump and full heads. So Pharaoh awoke, and indeed, it was a dream. 

Now 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 its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh. 

Again, Pharaoh didn’t take this as merely a crazy dream. In his spirit, he knew that there was something important in this.

All these magicians and wise men were called in and Pharaoh was telling them his dream, and in the background the whole time the chief butler was there listening. His position was standing before Pharaoh to get him anything that he wanted.

When none of these wise men could give Pharaoh an interpretation, the butler spoke.

Verse 9,

Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: “I remember my faults this day. 

The butler admits that he’s been at fault in not mentioning Joseph before this.

Well. it was a bit more than a “fault!” It was a downright sin.

Despite that we can see God’s provision at work in the middle of it all.

Joseph’s life and his experiences couldn’t possibly be understood at the time, but God was letting them happen for a purpose.

Now the chief butler says, “Oh, I just remembered that I promised a young bloke down there in prison that I’d speak to you about him. And, by the way, Pharaoh, he can interpret dreams.” Then he tells Pharaoh his own experience in verses 10 to 13,

When Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker, we each had a dream in one night, he and I. Each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. 

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

And it came to pass, just as he interpreted for us, so it happened. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.” 

In effect, Pharaoh says, “Well, we’ve tried all the useless magicians and everybody else who’s supposedly wise around here so since that young chap interpreted your dream and that of the baker, let’s have him come here because I have this sense that these dreams are very important.”

Verse 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. 

When God’s timing was right to get Joseph out of prison, it all happened quickly.

Often, we feel there are long periods of time when God doesn’t do anything, but when His timing is right, everything can come together in an instant.

During those times when we think God isn’t doing anything, He’s doing the work that’s most important to Him: developing our character and transforming us into the image of Christ.

Let’s never forget Romans 8:28,

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.  But let’s not forget the next verse, Romans 8:29,

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

God’s work in our life is to conform us into the image of Jesus Christ, and that takes time.

Here we see another way that Joseph is like Jesus. He was also taken from long obscurity to great prominence very quickly.

Note that Joseph shaved himself. The Hebrews were not shaving in that day, and I doubt whether prisoners would be either. But when we see the statues and the paintings of the ancient Egyptians we see a cleanshaven people.

Many of the rulers had this a little goatee thing to add dignity to their position but generally the Egyptians were without hair on their faces.

There’s a tremendous message in this. Josephs now lifted up out of the prison. He shaves and changes his prison garb for proper court clothing. This is a new life that he’s about to walk into. It’s like a resurrection; he’s raised up. Now he goes to the Gentiles.

This is another picture of Christ.

On to verse 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.” 

Pharaoh’s dream was actually a revelation from God. He received it, but he couldn’t understand it.

It was like a person who reads the Bible but needs help from a man or woman of God to understand.

Perhaps the greatest example of this is in Acts 8 in the account of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch.

To summarise the story, an angel of God told Philip, who was a respected and faithful man one of Seven chosen to care for the poor of the Christian community in Jerusalem, to go to a certain desert road that led to Gaza. Philip followed the angel’s instructions and found a very important man riding in a chariot. This man was from Ethiopia and a chief official of the Queen. He was reading from a scroll of Isaiah, but he wasn’t able to understand it.

Philip got into the chariot with the man and began explaining what it meant and showed him how it pointed to Jesus Christ. The Ethiopia got it after it was explained to him. When the chariot passed some water, the official asked Philip to baptize him which he did!

Now notice how Joseph gives God the glory again and he doesn’t let the fact that he’s before the most powerful man in the world phase him in this.

Verse 16,

So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” 

Pharaoh actually gave Joseph a golden opportunity to glorify himself, but Joseph refused.

Let’s flip back int time to where Joseph has his dreams that the rest of the family would bow down to him. It would be easy to assume that there was a bit of self-glorifying involved, maybe a little big noting, or maybe it was just a naïve young fellow who had no idea of how he was coming across to the family. Either way we notice that all that is completely different now. His journey’s been a character building one like few others and now he’s humble and God always has to receive the glory.

Again, we should be very careful that God gets the glory for all of His accomplishments. If what we do is a blessing, it’s because God’s doing it through us.

Joseph’s aware of this, and he says, “It’s not in me. I can’t interpret the dream, but God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”

Pharaoh repeats the dreams to Joseph. Actually, it’s one dream in two parts.

Genesis 41:25,

Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do: 

Joseph says that the dream is one. Both dreams are speaking of the same thing. And the fact that it was given to Pharaoh twice, adds to its importance. The reason for the dream is that God is letting Pharaoh know what He’s about to do. Here is the interpretation in verses 26 to 31,

The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years; the dreams are one. 

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. 

This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. 

Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; 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. 

So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe. 

You see, it’s a prediction, a prophecy from God.

There’s going to be seven years of plenty and then seven years of famine.

Verse 32,

And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. 

The famine had been determined by God, and He wants Pharaoh to know about it.

We can say the same thing about God’s great message to us – the Bible – that the thing is established by God. It’s sometimes unfashionable to say it today, but it’s still a fact: God’s Word is true. The Bible speaks in many different styles, but in each style it is true. It’s true history, true commandments, true poetry, true wisdom, and true prophecy.

The interpretation of the dream also indicated the urgency of the message. This would all happen soon, shortly.

God was using Joseph as a guide to Pharaoh, much like Phillip to the Ethiopian Eunuch.

Sometimes we wish God would give us the same supernatural guidance.

We want a sort of life map or a timeline from God showing where to go and what to do. Looking for supernatural messages can be dangerous as we’ve seen. Instead of looking for a map, look to THE guide as Psalm 119:105 says, Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

Now here’s the advice Joseph gives to Pharaoh in verses 33 to 37,

“Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 

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. 

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. 

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.” 

So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. 

Up to this point, Joseph gave Pharaoh knowledge, telling him what would happen, as revealed in the dreams that were a message from God. Now, Joseph began to apply wisdom to the knowledge.

It’s good to remember the difference between knowledge and wisdom.

Knowledge tells you what is going on; wisdom tells you what to do about it. Knowledge is good and necessary, but it just isn’t enough.

Our world today has a lot more knowledge than wisdom. Our scientists, politicians, media magnates, teachers and all the rest can often see what the problems are but lack the wisdom to solve them. True wisdom sees that God through Jesus is the answer.

Joseph advises Pharaoh to collect all the surplus during the seven years of plenty and keep it in store for the coming lean years.

Now we read verses 38 to 41,

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

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. 

You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” 

And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”

Notce the importance of this.

At the beginning this chap’s been down in the prison, forgotten, forsaken, and forlorn. Now he’s brought out at just the right moment because nobody else can interpret the dream of Pharaoh. Not only does he interpret the dream, but he also suggests what Pharaoh should do. He’s wise, enthusiastic and a man of great ability you see. God, of course is doing the leading in all of this.

There’s going to be a worldwide famine, a famine so severe that even Egypt will be affected. Because Egypt is an irrigated land, it’s not dependent on rainfall. The Upper Nile, the Blue Nile, comes down from Central Africa and provides the water on which Egypt depends.

Egypt gets between 20 mm (0.79 in) and 200 mm (7.87 in) of rainfall a year along the Mediterranean coast, but south from Cairo, in the central and the southern part of the country, the average drops to nearly 0 millimetres (0.00 inches) per year. In effect it’s famine all the time as far as rainfall’s concerned. But the Nile overflows the land every year, bringing not only water, but sediment which fertilizes the soil.

Now, God warns that there’ll be seven years of famine which will affect Egypt, also.

As Pharaoh listens to Joseph, what he says makes sense. He just seemed to know that what Joseph was saying was correct.

It’s too bad that our governments today have completely lost a sense of the future. Appeasing the people here and now, today seems to be always the prime motivator of our present political group. Political correctness, telling the people what they want to hear instead of the truth to try and guarantee election is now a government epidemic.

Into the bargain these people have learnt from dictators and politicians throughout history how to manipulate the media that drives public opinion.

William Gladstone was the Liberal prime minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on four separate occasions between 1868 and 1894. He was in politics for over 60 years and was noted for his moral leadership, his emphasis on world peace, good economic budgets, political reform, and efforts to resolve the Irish question. Someone once asked Gladstone what made a good statesman. His reply was that it’s the man who knows the direction God is going for the next fifty years.

Well, here in Genesis, Pharaoh’s told what’s going to happen for the next fourteen years.

Our nation could use a man like this in power today.

In his God-given wisdom, Joseph saw that this coming crisis needed proper management.

• The problem had to be properly understood.
• The goal and the plan to meet the goal had to be put together.
• The right people had to be put in place, officers over the land.
• These people had to understand the big picture and their role in it.
• Someone had to make sure it was all operating according to plan.
• The work had to be measured.
• God would use a man to put all that into place – it wouldn’t happen by what we normally think of as a miracle.

Now one-fifth means a 20% tax. Some ancient sources suggest that Pharaoh normally took 10% of the grain in Egypt as a tax. If this was true, then Joseph doubled taxes over the next seven years.

Now, who would have been better to take over than Joseph?

Pharaoh recognised that here before him was a man of unusual ability.

Pharaoh had plenty of priests, magicians, and holy men. What he didn’t have (until Joseph) was a man with the Spirit of God. This made Joseph stand out from the others. Can we find such a one as this”, says Pharoah.

This is the first mention in the Bible of the Holy Spirit coming upon a man.

It’s interesting to note that it was in regard to practical things. Joseph didn’t have to preach a sermon or lead a prayer for Pharaoh to see the Spirit of God upon him. He could see it in his character, in his message, in his knowledge, in his wisdom, and in his humility.

Now we can clearly see how God had been training him in the home of Potiphar. We may have wondered why in the world God ever let him go into that home in the first place. Now we realise that he’d received critical training in the home of Potiphar where he’d charge of everything the man owned. He also received crucial character traits that would be imperative from now on. He’s going to be in charge of everything in the land of Egypt.

The transition in his life is almost beyond words. He went all the way from the dungeon to the throne next to Pharaoh.

Verse 42,

Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 

That ring had a signet on it. When it was pressed down into wax, it was just the same as Pharaoh’s signature. It was the expression of Pharaoh’s authority. Now Joseph had that authority. Once he wore the shackles of a prisoner; now he had the signet ring of Pharaoh.

Pharaoh made Joseph his agent with the right to use the king’s signature. There simply was no higher office in Egypt other than Pharoah himself.

 

We see again a picture of Jesus Christ. It’s a picture of Who He is, what He’s done, and the place He should have in our life.

• Jesus is a messenger from God.
• Jesus speaks truth about the future.
• The plan of Jesus provides bread for life.
• Authority is given to Jesus by choice.

 

Verses 43 to 45 now,

And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him over all the land of Egypt. 

Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 

And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On. So Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. 

The name Zaphnath–paaneah was a Coptic name, that meant “the revealer of secret things.”

Another interpretation of the name means, “God Speaks and He Lives”, referring to God’s word coming through Joseph, his own preservation, and the way he preserved both Egypt and the whole region.

What a turnaround. Could there be a greater story of a person’s rise from nothing to the second most powerful man in the known world?

Well, the thing is it’s far from over yet.

Now, realising, as we should by now, Romans 15 verse 4, For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope, what can we learn from this story?

Well, we can learn that our greatest challenge in this life is to believe God is working for our good even in the darkest, most heartbreaking, and challenging times in our lives.

This can only be done through faith. It’s impossible for us to see God in our darkest hour by using just our own mental capabilities. Our emotions and our natural understanding of things are invaded completely by the circumstances this world hands out making it impossible to see anything outside of them.

Like it or not there’s only one way we can see that God’s with us in our darkness and that’s through His Word.

Joseph had the word of God revealed to him and the reason he never lost hope was that he simply believed God. He knew that God had promised him that he’d become a leader so great that even his family would bow down to him. He didn’t understand how or when, but he knew that God could not lie just like his grandfather and great grandfather did before him when Isaac was offered as a sacrifice.

Sometimes our lives are like a dry, parched piece of desert land where little of any use grows. There’s just dust and weeds. Then the rain comes. The rain is the Word of God. Slowly at first it begins to soak into every dry crack and run into every nook. The dry land seems to become one with the water and life begins to awaken and burst forth and colour and beauty begin to appear.

In Isaiah 55:10-11 God says,

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the Sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Can God make it any clearer?