| The dreams of Pharaoh |
| Joseph interprets the dreams |
| Joseph is appointed by Pharaoh |
| The 7 plenteous years |
| The 7 years of dearth begin |
| Summary |
We had seen in Part 3 of our study about Joseph how he had been imprisoned in Egypt though he himself was innocent. After some time in prison, two high ranking officers of Pharaoh were also brought to this prison. These two each dreamed a dream, and Joseph was able to interpret their dreams because God had revealed the interpretation to him. Joseph then had requested of the chief butler that he would remember him when those things which Joseph had interpreted came to pass. Now, what had happened?
Genesis 40:23:
Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.
The chief butler was busy once again with other things and seemingly very occupied with his duties. In the course of all this he forgot the Hebrew slave who had interpreted the two dreams in prison.
Genesis 41:1 and 2:
And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.
Two full years have gone by since Joseph interpreted those dreams to the chief baker and the chief butler. Now, here it is Pharaoh who is having a dream, and in his dream he is standing at the river Nile and he sees some cattle.
Genesis 41:3 and 4:
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.
And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.
Sometimes we all may dream some really crazy stuff about things which really don't even exist. Pharaoh in this instance was dreaming also some very astonishing things - cows, which came up out of the water of the Nile, then another seven cows, these quite leanfleshed and skinny animals, and then they ate up the fat cows from before. This certainly is a strange dream, and it is understandable that Pharaoh would wake up and give this a few thoughts.
Genesis 41:5 and 6:
And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.
Now he is dreaming a second time, and in his dream he sees an east wind spring up. In Egypt, normally any favorable winds would be pretty much north or south winds, an east wind was not promising anything good.
Genesis 41:7 and 8:
And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
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.
Egypt had many fortune-tellers, magicians of all sorts, and other wise men knowledgable of all kinds of matters - these Pharaoh called to interpret the dreams. These magicians and others often times belonged to the priestly cast, and we can read about them later on still even at the time of Moses, when some of them produced quite some magic. Here, they listened to Pharaoh's dreams, but then they were utterly speechless. No one could interpret these dreams, they were not able to tell Pharaoh what significance his dreams had.
Pharaoh was surely not very satisfied, and most likely very concerned, for such dreams certainly did not mean anything good. At first everything was nice and fine in his dreams -- nice, fat cows, and also full ears. But then, ugly and lean cows ate up the fat ones, and the thin ears were devouring the full ears. What could this possibly mean?
Well, finally the chief butler remembers something.
Genesis 41:9:
Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:
When the chief butler, who was standing near Pharaoh, heard those dreams and when he saw that none of the wise men was able to interpret them, he all of a sudden remembered what had happened two years ago.
Genesis 41:10-13:
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:
And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
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.
And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.
The chief butler recalled what had happened, and he made sure to tell that those interpretations had not just been "fancy theory" but rather had come to pass exactly as told. Pharaoh was impressed, and sent for Joseph to be brought to him.
Genesis 41:14
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.
Joseph paid attention to not appear before Pharaoh in an inappropriate or even offensive manner. With the Hebrews it was custom that they grew beards, and to shave the beard was actually a shameful treatment; all men wore beards. With the Egyptians however, it was just about the opposite, for no one except Pharaoh had a beard, and the Pharaoh wore his beard in a special way. Only Pharaoh had the right to wear a beard. Joseph was obviously familiar with the customs of Egypt and how one was to behave in an appropriate manner. Despite the urgency, he shaved himself and put on some other clothes before he came in unto Pharaoh.
Genesis 41:15 and 16:
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 [from the chief butler], that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.
And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
Joseph kept his eyes on God and did not mean to give a false impression to Pharaoh, and therefore he again emphasized that it was not him but rather God who gives interpretations of dreams. And before he has even heard the dream, he already assures Pharaoh that God would give Pharaoh a good answer - "God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace".
Genesis 41:17-19:
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:
And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:
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:
Pharaoh was seemingly impressed by the kind of cattle he had seen in his dream, the ill favoured ones were so bad that he had never seen any like it in all of Egypt.
Genesis 41:20 and 21:
And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:
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. …
This was terrible, and those lean cows didn't even get any better looking, even though they had eaten up the fat cows from before.
Genesis 41:21-24:
... So I awoke.
And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:
And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:
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.
Pharaoh made clear by his emphasis on the bad cows and the withered and blasted ears that he surely didn't expect much good from these dreams. Terrible things seemed to be casting their shadows upon Egypt.
Genesis 41:25:
And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath showed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
Who would have thought of that? Two dreams, but they both mean only one thing! Afterwards, when we know the interpretation, all the details seem fairly simple and easy to grasp, but beforehand no one had been able to figure out what this all meant, despite its simplicity.
Genesis 41:26-31:
The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.
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.
This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he showeth unto Pharaoh.
Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:
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;
And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.
Now Pharaoh knows what God is planning to do and what will happen in Egypt as a result of it. There will be seven years of great plenty and abundance, fat years, with great abundance in Egypt. But after that there will be seven years of great famine, and it will be so bad that the plenty of the years before shall even be forgotten and nothing will remain of those seven years of plenty.
Genesis 41:32:
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.
Another translation would be, "... it means that the thing is firmly decided by God and that God will hurry to bring it to pass." That Pharaoh had dreamed the same thing twice meant that it was established and would surely come to pass and also that it would soon come to pass.
E.W. Bullinger mentions in his Companion Bible, that inscriptions have been found in Egypt which speak of seven consecutive years of famine, and which inscriptions are commonly dated to the time which Genesis speaks of. Yes, there were seven plenteous years, but those were not remembered, and yet there is an inscription which does mention the famine.
God also did not leave Pharaoh without an idea about what he could do in this situation.
Genesis 41:33-36:
Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.
Let Pharaoh do this, and let him [Pharaoh] appoint officers over the land, and [Pharaoh] take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.
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.
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.
Up until now it really almost seemed as if the interpretation wasn't much of a "good news", even though Joseph had declared at the very first that God was giving Pharaoh "an answer of peace". Now then, with these words of wisdom about how Pharaoh was to act in this matter, he truly is told very good news. Joseph tells Pharaoh what he is to do in order to manage the terrible famine successfully.
Genesis 41:37:
And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
Perhaps they liked the idea and Joseph's words because it wasn't anything spectacular but rather something simple and easy to be entreated. Pharaoh was pleased with what Joseph said. Maybe some others had tried to interpret the dreams and come up with things which had not been "good in the eyes of Pharaoh and his servants"? Pharaoh listened to Joseph's speech and agreed with what he heard.
Genesis 41:38:
And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
Joseph does not appear to have spoken with a certain undertone in order to suggest to Pharaoh that he, Joseph, was to be that man. He left it up to Pharaoh to decide, his duty was only to make known to Pharaoh what God's plan was, what he, Pharaoh, could do to avoid a catastrophe for Egypt. Joseph's speech did not contain one word about who this man was to be.
Pharaoh shows himself quite sensible and knowledgable and he quickly recognizes who his best choice would be, “If God has already given us by this man all this information about what He is about to do, then there is simply no better man than this one in whom seemingly is the spirit of God!"
Genesis 41:39 and 40:
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
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.
This is truly remarkable what Pharaoh is saying and ordering to be done! We should not forget that Pharaoh was of course the highest ranking representative of his god, and before all those priests and magicians he recognizes affirmatively that it had been God, who had revealed this to Joseph, a foreigner, a Hebrew, a slave.
Pharaoh now appoints Joseph to be his second man, his representative. Joseph becomes the second in command in Egypt, and only in the matter of the throne Pharaoh is to be greater than Joseph. The interpretation and the wise counsel showed that God did indeed give Pharaoh an answer of peace and that Joseph had such wisdom from God.
Genesis 41:41:
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
In the following verses some more important details are given, and they each are added by an emphatic "and".
Genesis 41:42:
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;
Joseph received the signet ring which was necessary to have in order to seal all ordinances, commandments and things which Joseph was going to command with Pharaoh's seal. In addition he was given a white long garment and other insignia indicating his high rank.
Genesis 41:43:
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.
When Joseph came by in his chariot, all the people were calling "bow the knee", encouraging one another to show reverence and to fall on their faces in respect for him.
Genesis 41:44-46:
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.
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.
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.
Joseph was just thirty years old! 13 years had passed since he first arrived in Egypt, most of this time he perhaps spent in prison. And now, in one step he is elevated from being the slave and personal assistant to the officer of the prison to being the second in command in the land of Egypt, and that at the age of only 30 years old.
Pharaoh gives him a new name “Zaphnathpaaneah”, which means "sustainer of life" or "fullness of life" and which is an acknowledgment of what Joseph had declared with this interpretation of the dream. He would lead them through the seven years of terrible famine and keep them alive.
Furthermore, he is given the daughter of the priest of on to be his wife. “On” is an old name for "Heliopolis”, that city where the Egyptian sun-god was worshipped. This city is also called “Bethshemesh, [house of Shemesh]” (cp. Jeremiah 43:13). Joseph became thus the son in law to the sun-priest, the priest of On, and such priestly offices were quite often occupied by relatives of the Pharaoh. This whole ordeal would also have been involving a bit of politics, which did not have much influence on Joseph however.
Genesis 41:47–49:
And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.
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.
And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.
There is not much time passing by - no, the seven plenteous years are starting, exactly as Joseph had said. That Pharaoh had dreamed the same thing twice indicated that God was surely doing this and that He was doing it quickly.
Joseph began putting into practice what he had declared as God's instructions. Egypt's taxation was set at a flat rate of 20% for Pharaoh (cp. Genesis 41:34), and then they collected of all the harvested food into the cities where Pharaoh had built storage houses. There was so much that eventually all the storage places were full and they couldn't even count it all so that the accountants stopped their work.
During these seven years something else happened which we are told in the record in Genesis.
Genesis 41:50-52:
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.
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.
And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.
The meaning of the names of the sons of Joseph and the fact that he gives them Hebrew names shows clearly that he has definitely not forgotten where he comes from. Joseph obviously does not want that his sons are going to be completely engulfed in Egyptian manners of life and become Egyptians.
Joseph did not forget his father's house just because now he was enjoying many blessings by God's grace and God's provision, however it did make him forget "his toil", the pains of separation. The evil and the bad which his brothers had done to him, that was now far behind Joseph as he now began to recognize God's hand and God's blessing in all these things. He expressed this in the names he gave to his two sons.
Genesis 41:53-56:
And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.
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.
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.
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.
As Joseph had told them so it came to pass. The seven good and plenteous years are now over and the famine is beginning to spread. Egypt at first still has bread because everyone has taken steps toward this situation during the seven plenteous years. Interesting to note here is that Joseph did not just give to the Egyptians but rather he sold the food from the storehouses, even to the Egyptians.
Genesis 41:57:
And all countries [people from many nations] came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands [in all neighboring countries].
This famine did not only cover Egypt but rather was spreading and causing great need in all the neighboring countries as well.
In the story about Joseph quite of ten people emphasize the great and wonderful ascent of Joseph from slave to second in command of Egypt as well as what a great deliverance this was for his life personally. And yet, this is not really what this story really is all about. Yes, this is part of the story, but it is only a part of something much greater. That Joseph was promoted from slave to second under Pharaoh was only one more step toward that which is becoming visible more and more as "the end of the LORD“.
The end which the the LORD has designed and is moving toward is to preserve and give life to His chosen people, the true Israel of God, by means of Jesus Christ, who as the son of Abraham makes available life to all people as they believe on him.