Part 18  Book of Genesis

 

 

 

Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dreams and becomes Pharaoh’s trusted advisor

41.1-8 Two years pass and Pharaoh dreams he is standing by the Nile, when up come seven strong well fed cows out of the Nile. Soon seven ugly and gaunt cows come up out of the Nile behind them and eat the seven well fed cows. Pharaoh awakens. He falls asleep and dreams a second dream. He sees seven ears of fat healthy corn grow on a single stalk. Close behind them another stalk with thin, sun scorched ears comes up and swallows the fat healthy stalks. Pharaoh awakes and is agitated and sends for his magicians and wise men for the interpretation, but they were all stumped as to the meaning of the dreams.

Daniel 2 also deals with the meaning of dreams and develops the inability of the magicians to interpret dreams.

41.9-16 The chief cupbearer now remembers how Joseph interpreted his and the baker’s dreams in the prison and tells Pharaoh about it. Pharaoh immediately sends for Joseph. Joseph is cleaned up and given fresh cloths and is brought to Pharaoh. Pharaoh tells Joseph he has heard that he can interpret dreams and Joseph answers, “Not I! God will see to Pharaoh’s welfare.”

The Hebrew word for prison or dungeon is the same as the one for “pit.” Joseph was thrown into the pit because of his dreams and his fine coat was removed. Now he has come full circle. Removed from the pit and restored to his high position. He has passed his test. God has put him through chastisement and Joseph has become a mature man of God through his sufferings. Hebrews 12.1-13 Now Joseph will begin his ministry.

41.17-24 Pharaoh describes the two above dreams in great detail to Joseph.

41.25-32 Joseph tells Pharaoh the two dreams mean the same thing. The seven healthy cows and seven fat corn stalks indicate seven years of plenty are to be followed by seven years of famine, indicated by the gaunt cows and thin, scorched corn. The famine will be severe and now is the time to prepare. The fact that Pharaoh had two dreams, Joseph tells him, means God is bringing this about now!

41.33-36 Joseph advises Pharaoh to find a man of discernment and wisdom and set him over the land of Egypt to take the proper steps of preparation for the famine which is coming. He tells Pharaoh that during the seven good years they can store up grain and food in the cities so that the nation will survive the famine.

Joseph tells Pharaoh that foresight and prudence can enable the land to survive catastrophe. As things turn out the survival of Egypt will reunite Joseph’s family and will become the home of the Israelite nation and the future Exodus.

41.37-43 The plan pleases Pharaoh and he tells his courtiers, “ Who could we find who is better suited for the job? Obviously, Joseph is full of wisdom and discernment.” So Joseph is made the most powerful man in the nation, second only to Pharaoh. He is now clothed in robes of fine linen (the righteousness of the saints) and given a signet ring from Pharaoh’s hand, with a gold chain about his neck. Joseph is then paraded around town in the finest chariot and all the people bow down before him.

Joseph is once again elevated to the position of “number one son” and will rule, just as his brothers predicted. His rule will not be rooted in shear power, but in the benefit he will provide to the less fortunate. This idea corresponds to the ancient ideal of kingship in the Near East, in which the king is the rescuer and servant of the people. This is a type of Jesus. First he learned by chastisement and suffering, then he saves his people.

41.44-46 Pharaoh reminds Joseph that he is Pharaoh, but that Joseph will direct all Egyptians on how to prepare for the coming famine. Pharaoh gives Joseph a new name, Zaphenath-paneah, which means “the man to whom God speaks” and gives him an Egyptian wife, Asenath, a daughter of the priest of On. Joseph is 30 years old as he emerges as master of the land. He now begins traveling throughout the land to prepare for famine.

The Pharaoh is doing all he can to make Joseph acceptable to the Egyptian people. No where does the Bible indicate Joseph’s Egyptian wife turns him toward other gods--in fact it may be she turned toward Joseph’s God. But imagine how Joseph probably looked like and Egyptian in dress and hair cut. He is thirty years old which would later be the age a Hebrew priest would officially begin service.

41.47-49 For seven years Joseph saves grain. All grain near every city is stored from the fields that surround the city. Joseph stores so much grain that it is impossible to keep track of it all--it could not be measured!

41.50-52 During this time Joseph has two sons with his Egyptian wife; the first born Manasseh, meaning “God has made me forget my parental home,” and Ephraim, “God has made me fertile in the land of my affliction.”

41.53-57 The seven years of abundance come to an end and famine sets in as Joseph had foretold. As things get worse and the people cry out, Pharaoh tells them to go to Joseph and follow his instructions. Joseph sells food to the people. The famine is now beginning to affect the entire world and Joseph is soon selling grain to all nations and peoples.
 The first reunion of Joseph and his brothers

42.1-5 Jacob now sends his ten sons to Egypt to get rations so that they can survive the famine in Canaan. He does not send Benjamin because he fears something might happen to him.

Once again we see Jacob favoring the son of Rachel. Benjamin is now the son of Jacob’s inheritance. His brothers know this and go without him.

42.6-17 The brothers come to Egypt and bow low to Joseph. They don’t recognize him, but Joseph recognizes them. He acts like a stranger and speaks harshly towards them asking them where they are from. The tell him they are from the land of Canaan, coming to procure food. Joseph remembers the dream he had about them bowing and accuses them of being spies to see the land in it’s “nakedness.” They deny being spies and tell him they are all honest men who are the sons of a certain man in Canaan. They tell him they were twelve brothers of whom they are ten, the youngest is at home, and one is dead. Joseph continues to accuse them of being spies and tells them he won’t believe them until he sees their younger brother. He tells them they are to be confined and one of them must return for the brother. He puts them in the guard house for three days.

Joseph is giving his brother’s a taste of their own medicine. He knows they must have lied to his father and by asking them to bring Benjamin he is forcing them to confront anew the reasons they sold him into slavery.

42.18-26 On the third day Joseph gathers them together and tells them he will allow them to go home but that one of them must stay behind as hostage until they return with Benjamin. The brothers talk among themselves about how this is happening because of the crime they committed against Joseph. They don’t realize that Joseph understands them because he has an interpreter when he speaks to them. Reuben tells his brothers, “See! I told you not to harm the boy!” Joseph goes away and weeps in private. When he comes back he takes Simeon hostage, binding him up in front of them, and gives orders to his men to fill their bags with food and return each one’s money to his sack. They depart for Canaan.

As Leah’s second son, Simeon is the appropriate hostage for Benjamin, Rachel’s second son. The returning of the silver to their sacks symbolizes the brothers, “Getting what they gave.”

42.27-34 As one of the brothers opened his sack to feed his ass that night at the encampment he sees his money in the sack. He tells his brothers the money is there. Their hearts sink and trembling in fear they wonder aloud what God is doing to them.

When they get home to their father’s house they tell Jacob all what happened in Egypt. How the Egyptian spoke harshly, accused them of being spies, how they explained the family members, how Simeon was left behind until they return with Benjamin.

42.35-38 As they tell Jacob their story they open their sacks and find their money bags. Now they are really dismayed. Jacob is upset, “Why do these things always happen to me?” he cries. “Joseph is gone, and Simeon, and now you want to take Benjamin away!” Jacob says no way are they leaving with Benjamin, who alone is left from his beloved Rachel.

We can see how dysfunctional and deceitful the whole family is. Reuben once again is ineffective. There are lots of deep seating feelings and hurts in this family toward one another. Jacob, of course, started this dysfunctional culture. God is getting ready to change their culture for the good.


Next: Part 19