Genesis 41 – Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dreams
Timeline: 1886 - 1875 BC
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As we study the books of the Bible, which was written by 40 different people over thousands of years, there is a unity which binds the whole together. The real source of the scriptures is a single author and that authors outside time all together. Joseph endured the loss of his mother, the mistreatment of his brothers, the false accusations by Potiphar’s wife, and the forgetfulness of the cupbearer. In spite of that, he maintained his faithfulness. It has been two years after the events from when chapter 40 took place, 14 years from the time Joseph was sold. During this time, God had been preparing Joseph for his destiny. 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. 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. And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke. 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. Cows and grain were the two greatest assets of ancient Egypt. Cows symbolized all the earth. Egypt had a rainy season when the Nile would flood and overflow their banks which produced rich black soil. The Egyptians dug irrigation ditches to water their crops so their crops flourished. Other nations depended on Egypt for their grain. The blasting wind in Egypt from the desert of Arabia wreaks havoc and destruction upon everything. If it blows very long, it can completely destroy the grass and crops. 8 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. God gave the dreams to Pharaoh to fulfill his plans for Joseph. Just as the baker and the cupbearer knew that the dreams were prophetic, so did the Pharaoh. But neither the magicians or the wise men were able to explain the dream that had distressed the Pharaoh so much that it woke him from his sleep. Magicians were sacred scribes who were skilled in writing and reading hieroglypics. The providence of God prevented them from coming up with something to tell Pharaoh. 9 Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: "I remember my faults this day. 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." Well, it took the cupbearer long enough to remember Joseph! He was so relieved to be restored to his position that he forgot the promise he made to Joseph. 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. 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." I am pretty certain that you were not allowed to have a razor in prison so Joseph undoubedtly had a beard. The upper class people in the ancient Egyptian society were shaved from head to toe, usually shaving their heads bald and then wore handmade wigs. So when he appeared in front of the Pharaoh, he looked and dressed like an Egyptian. Now, Pharaoh, the captain of the guard and Potipher knew he was a Hebrew but probably everyone else did not. 16 So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace." Joseph was quick to acknowledge that he is not the one who interprets dreams but his revelations came directly from God. Joseph continually underscores God in every situation in spite of everything he has been through. 17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: "Behold, in my dream I stood on the bank of the river. Suddenly seven cows came up out of the river, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such ugliness as I have never seen in all the land of Egypt. And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat cows. When they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were just as ugly as at the beginning. So I awoke. Also I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven heads came up on one stalk, full and good. Then behold, seven heads, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. And the thin heads devoured the seven good heads. So I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me." 25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do: 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. And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. Having two dreams is significant. It means that these are revelations from God and you can bet your bottom dollar, it will happen, so take heed. Pharaoh realized the implications. Many nation depended on him for their survival. 33 "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." Joseph made three recommendations. First he said Pharaoh should appoint a wise man to oversee the activities. He did not say, "appoint me". Next, he suggests that Pharaoh should appoint officers to collect one-fifth of all the grain that is harvested. One-fifth of the produce harvested in a year of plenty would be equal to or more than the whole crop of ordinary years. Finally, he advises him that they should keep the grain in the same cities from where the grain is harvested. The establishment of state grainaries appears here for the first time in history. 37 So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?" Pharaoh and all his servants realized that this was a good idea. I wonder here if Potiphar and the prison warden were present. Or at least gave Pharaoh a report of how diligent Joseph was. That, coupled with the fact that he made some very wise recommendations swayed Pharaoh that Joseph was perfect for the job. Of course, God was the one who ultimately caused the decision because now Joseph was ready to be put in charge. 39 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." Joseph was first put in charge by his father, then by Potiphar, then again by the warden. Now he has been placed in charge of the entire kingdom. God was fulfilling his revelation to Joseph which He gave to him in his dreams. 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. 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 signet ring was the emblem of full authority and the chain was a mark of dignity. Joseph's brothers stripped him of his coat, Potipher's wife took his cloak, but now he gets a priestly robe of fine linen. Joseph is now crowned with sudden prosperity, his reward for patience, faith and self-control. The term "bow the knee!" is mis-translated. It is a Egyptian term which means that the Egyptians are to regard Joseph as a "son of Pharaoh", changing his heritage from a Hebrew slave to an Egyptian dignitary. The people didn't recognize Joseph as a Hebrew because he looked and talked like an Egyptian. Psalms 105:16-22 gives more details about Joseph" Zaphnath-Paaneah: scholars have many different translations but most refer to Joseph as "revealer of secrets". Pharaoh gave Joseph the daughter of Priest Devon to complete his naturalization and to elevate him to a high distinction. Devon was in charge of all the other priests and officiated at all the festivals. There are temple remains in Hierapolis even to this day. 46 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. Now in the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth abundantly. So 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; he laid up in every city the food of the fields which surrounded them. Joseph gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable. Joseph had served Potiphar for ten years and was in prison for three years. Jesus was 30 when He began his ministry and so was Joseph when he began his rule. The "government" stored the fifth of the produce which was the tax in that time and then purchased large quantities of the surplus produce of the country. Then the produce would be rationed so that the citizens would survive the drought. 50 And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: "For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house." And the name of the second he called Ephraim: "For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction." Manasseh: causing to forget. He let go of the past thirteen years of suffering and began forgiving his brothers for what they had done to him. He must have been longing for his family during his incarceration. Ephraim: as a way of thanking God for his success. 53 Then the seven years of plenty which were in the land of Egypt ended, and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do." The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt. So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands. Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of everything and no one could buy grain except through him. God put Jesus in charge of redemption and no one could come into the Kingdom except through Him. Bible Study Questions 1. How many years after the cupbearer had been restored to his position did Pharaoh have a dream?
2. How many heathy cows were in Pharaoh's dream?
3. Which of the dreams did Pharaoh dream first according to Genesis 41?
4. What did Pharaoh give Joseph? 5. Pharaoh told his dreams to all ............ but they could not interpret them.
6. Who had the interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams?
7. The dreams that Pharaoh had ............
8. The seven fat cows represented ............
9. Pharaoh had two similar dreams in one night and that meant that ............
10. Joseph became a leader in Egypt at the age of ............
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