Genesis 41
Pharaoh has 2 Dreams
Two whole years went by, but then, one day, Pharaoh had a dream.
In the dream he was standing by the Nile when 7 cows climbed out. They were healthy looking and started eating the foliage. But then 7 other cows climbed out that looked frail and disturbing. They stood next to the first set of cows and then started eating them until they were completely gone. Pharaoh immediately woke up, but then fell back asleep and had a second dream.
In this dream, there was a grain stalk that sprouted 7 ears of grain that all looked healthy. But then 7 other ears sprouted up that looked malnourished and shriveled. Then the shriveled ears gobbled up the healthy ears. Pharaoh woke up again and realized that it was just a dream.
That morning, Pharaoh’s spirit felt disturbed, so he summoned all of Egypt’s wisest people and magicians. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them.
Joseph Brought to Pharaoh
Then the chief butler spoke up and said,
“Remember that time I made that huge mistake? You got so mad at the chief baker and me that you threw us into prison. Well, one night in jail, we both had dreams. We told our dreams to a Hebrew boy who served the chief guard, and he was able to interpret them for us. His interpretations were accurate, because you restored me to my position but hanged the baker, just like he had said.”
So Pharaoh summoned Joseph, and his servants quickly cleaned him up, giving him a clean shave and fresh pair of clothes. They brought him to Pharaoh, and Pharaoh said,
“I had a dream, but no one can interpret it. And I heard that when people tell you their dreams you can interpret them.”
Joseph said,
“The ability to interpret doesn’t come from me, but from God. He’ll give you its true interpretation.”
Joseph Interprets Dreams
So Pharaoh told him about his dreams, and Joseph responded,
“Your dreams are one and the same. God is telling you what He’s about to do. The 7 good cows and the 7 good years both represent 7 good years. The 7 sickly cows and 7 bad ears that came after the good ones represent 7 years of famine. Egypt is about to have 7 years of abundance, but then 7 years of famine will follow. The famine will ravage the land so severely that everyone will completely forget about the abundant years. The fact that you had this dream twice means that God has established it, and He will bring it about quickly. Pharaoh, you should find someone with a lot of wisdom and appoint that person over the entire country of Egypt. Appoint leaders to tax 20% of the food Egypt produces during the 7 abundant years and store it in your cities. Have them guard it so we can rely on it during the famine and won’t have to suffer any casualties.”
Joseph’s plan sounded really good to Pharaoh and his servants.
Pharaoh Puts Joseph in Charge
Pharaoh turned to his advisors and said,
“Where can we find a man like this who has the spirit of a god living in him?”
So Pharaoh turned to Joseph and said,
“Since God himself has revealed this to you, there isn’t anyone with more wisdom than you. I hereby give you authority over my domain. I order all my people to listen to you. Only I, seated on the throne, have higher authority than you. I give you authority over the entire kingdom of Egypt.”
Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his own hand and put it on Joseph. Pharaoh clothed him in garments of fine linen and gave him a golden necklace. He had him ride in his second chariot while his servants proclaimed, “Bow down!” Pharaoh appointed him over all of Egypt. On top of all that, Pharaoh also told him,
“I’ll still be Pharaoh, but no one in the entire kingdom will ever do anything without your permission.”
Then Pharaoh renamed Joseph “Zaphenath-paneah” which means “treasury of the glorious rest,” and gave him Asenath to be his wife. (“Asenath” means “belonging to the goddess Neith,” and she was the daughter of Potiphera [whose name means “Given by Ra”]. Her dad, Potiphera, was the priest of On, a city whose name means “strength and vigor.”) After that, Joseph went out into the kingdom of Egypt.
Joseph Stores Food for Famine
Joseph was 30 years old when he interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams and passed over the entire kingdom of Egypt.
During the 7 good years, the land produced an abundance, so he used the cities to store food from the fields surrounding them. He stored up so much grain that it became like sand on a beach. It was so beyond measure that he stopped counting it.
The year before the famine struck, Joseph and Potiphera had 2 sons. Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh [which means “causing to forget”], saying,
“Because God made me forget about all my childhood troubles.”
And he named the second one Ephraim [which means “double fruitfulness”], saying,
“Because God made me prosper in the land where I was afflicted.”
When the 7 good years came to an end, the 7 years of famine started, just like Joseph had said. The famine affected the entire known world, but in Egypt there was bread. So when everyone in Egypt started running out of food, they cried out to Pharaoh who told them,
“Go to Joseph, and do whatever he tells you to do.”
Once the famine had stretched across the entire face of the earth, Joseph opened the storehouses for business. The famine was so severe that people came to Egypt from all over the world to buy grain from Joseph.
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