# 48 2023 Dev. Ge. 41:15-16. Trust And Faith! Read all of chapter forty one first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s story. Do you believe that this may also be part of our story, in our time? All passages are taken from the NIV.
Ge.41:15-16 “Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it. I cannot do it,’ Joseph replied to Pharaoh, ‘but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.’”
Ch.41 continues the story of Joseph in Egypt. God placed Joseph where he needed him to be to fulfill God’s purposes. But Joseph had to wait two more years after the cup bearer was restored to Pharaoh’s staff. We may be sure Joseph was discouraged as any one of us would be. But, like what we should do, Joseph trusted that God had a purpose for him. Trust and faith comes to bear in this chapter.
Vs.1-8 Pharaoh’s dreams; seven fat cows and seven emaciated cows. seven full heads of wheat and seven withered heads of wheat. All the wise men in Egypt could not tell Pharaoh what his dreams meant.
Vs.9-14 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings…” and he told Pharaoh that Joseph had interpreted his and the chief bakers dreams and they came out as he had interpreted them. “So pharaoh sent for Joseph…”
Vs15-16 “Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it. I cannot do it,’ Joseph replied to Pharaoh, ‘but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.’” Joseph did not take credit for himself but honored God!
Vs.17- 24 Pharaoh tells Joseph his dreams.
Vs.25-32 “Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, ‘The dreams are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years… The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.’”
But Joseph was not done interpreting. He repeats “God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do” There will be seven years of great abundance and the seven years that follow will be severe and the good years will be forgotten.
The Spirit moved Joseph to convince Pharaoh that this will actually happen, he adds what we all have learned when reading scripture; when something is repeated it is more important. So God sent Pharaoh two dreams and as Joseph points out: ‘The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.’”
Vs.33-40 The Spirit was not done with advising Pharaoh; Joseph goes on: “And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.
They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.”
So Pharaoh asked them, his officials, “Can we find anyone like this man, one In whom is the spirit of God?”
Vs.41-56 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” God had been preparing Joseph all this time; honing his management skills in Potiphar’s household, and teaching him humility and trust in jail. All this time Satan was tempting him and trying to kill him, first his brothers and then being accused of rape. But God was in control and protecting Joseph and preparing him. God always protect and prepares us because for all of us, serous followers of Jesus, God has a plan and a purpose for our lives. Count on it!
Pharaoh, renamed him and gave him a wife, Asenath, daughter of Potiphara priest of On (Heliopolis). Was this an attempt on Pharaoh’s part to influence Joseph? There is no indication that Joseph was influenced by the religion of Egypt. During the years of plenty Joseph collected so much grain he was no longer recording it. The famine that followed was so severe that “all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph…” It is hard to know why God allowed an extreme famine, but we know that God wanted to build up His people into a nation. God did so in isolation, until they were ready to possess the promised land. God’s Grace and Salvation today mirrors what happened in Egypt. We have a lot to be thankful for!
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