Or, Joseph’s Rise from Prisoner to Prime Minister
Scripture: Genesis 41:1-36
Date: March 12, 2017
Speaker: Sean Higgins
Joseph is not in a pickle, he’s in a pit. This is not how it was supposed to be. He dreamed that his brothers would bow down before him. He dreamed that even his mother and father would bow down before him. But those dreams seemed to vanish as his brothers sold him as a slave and told their dad that Joseph was dead. Joseph then worked himself up as an assistant slave for Potiphar until Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him of attempted rape and he was thrown into prison. While in prison he ministered to the Pharaoh’s chief baker and chief cupbearer. He even interpreted dreams for both of them, and the interpretations came true. But when the cupbearer was restored to Pharaoh’s side, just as Joseph had prophesied, “the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him” (Genesis 40:23). Would he ever get out? Would his dreams come true?
[H]istory can grace events with an inevitability by no means self-evident to the protagonists. (Bruce Gordon, Calvin, Kindle Locations 3374-3375).
The earth orbited the sun twice between the end of chapter 40 and the start of chapter 41. Joseph went to bed over 700 nights and got up to do his work some 700 mornings with no indication of an end in sight. And then, in what took probably less than an hour, he went from being a forgotten foreign prisoner to being the prime minister in Egypt. God fixed Joseph’s situation, not because He finally saw the problem, but because it was part of the future fixed by God.
This is the longest chapter left in Genesis and we’re going to take two Sunday’s to study it. Verses 1-36 take place on one day, while verses 37-57 take place on the rest of that one day plus another 14 years. This morning we’ll see Pharaoh’s Dream (verses 1-8), the Cupbearer’s Referral (verses 9-13), and then the Prisoner’s Interpretation (verses 14-36)
This first paragraph is all narration of the story by Moses. He explains Pharaoh’s two problems.
After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile …. The amount of time doesn’t matter as much for Pharaoh even though his situation is the set up for the scene. The two whole years relates to Joseph’s situation. He was stuck indefinitely. We read that Pharaoh dreamed but it seemed real to Pharaoh, so the summary after the dream in verse 7, Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. The Nile River was the source of life in Egypt and as such it symbolized the fertility of the country.
Then Moses describes Pharaoh’s two dreams.
[B]ehold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke. And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind. And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. (Genesis 41:2–7a)
Six times we’re told to Behold , though the ESV leaves it out of verse 1. It’s as if someone said, “Look at this,” but said it every other sentence.
The first dream was bovine. There are seven good-looking, fat cows eating in the grass beside the river. They came up out of the Nile , not itself an unexpected image, since cows would go into the river to drink or maybe dip themselves to get relief from insects. Then there are seven more cows, but these are unattractive, scrawny, carnivorous cows. The ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows . This is not normal, and actually sort of disturbing.
Pharaoh awoke , for intermission, then he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. The second dream was about corn, another image of food. There are seven good-looking, fat ears of corn. Then there are seven scrawny, scorched, spoiled ears of corn, blighted by the east wind . A wind from the Sahara desert was known to blow in and wither plants. And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears . Again, this is abnormal and alarming.
The dreams bothered Pharaoh, but not because it was uncommon for Egyptian Pharaoh’s to have dreams; it fit their divine status, or at least their close relationship with the gods. Yet in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men . He had access to the priests of astrology and the studiers-of-signs. He summoned them and told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them . What was so difficult? Did none of them know, or did they know but were afraid to say anything because of the ominous news? The text itself makes it sound as if they were ignorant. Pharaoh couldn’t figure it out, and neither could any of his counselors. The dreams unsettled him, and the fact that no one could tell him what the dreams meant likewise rattled him.
The cupbearer may have been present for all this emergency morning session; even Pharaoh’s get thirsty during meetings. Though it had been two years, the cupbearer remembered what he hadn’t remembered before. He said,
“I remember my offenses today. When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation. A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream. And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.” (Genesis 41:9–13)
The cupbearer is careful not to say anything that might lay blame on Pharaoh; he committed offenses and that is why Pharaoh was angry…and put me…in the custody along with the chief baker. What happened then is relevant now. He tells the Pharaoh about the dreams and about the young Hebrew who interpreted our dreams to us…and as he interpreted to us, so it came about . It is as if the cupbearer says, “I know a guy who might be able to help, but he doesn’t come from the usual channels.” Knowing the tense feeling in the room, the cupbearer takes a chance on Joseph.
Pharaoh is shaken by both the dreams and by the fact that none of his people could interpret the dreams. He is desperate and, without any additional questions, he sent for Joseph.
We who know the story have been waiting for this. Joseph has been waiting for this. But he didn’t know it was coming, at least not like this, and not now. God fixed this part of Joseph’s story just as He had fixed the previous thirteen years, including the last two years “forgotten” in prison. God also fixed the day of Pharaoh’s dream, and God fixed the ignorance of Pharaoh’s counselors. The door of providence is wide open.
However long this next part took was not long; the palace is in a scramble. Sent…called…brought…shaved…changed…came. Joseph went from the pit to the court of the king in minutes. The shaving and changing were necessary for sake of Egyptian protocol, but no doubt something needed to be done about Joseph’s stink. He was only one shower away from his glory.
There are no formal introductions and Pharaoh is all business. ”I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” The team of guards and beauticians must have told Joseph something about where he was going and why, and Pharaoh puts him on the spot. It’s as if Pharaoh said, “All you need to do is hear a dream and you know what it means.” That’s not exactly what the cupbearer said, but the matter gets more pressing every passing moment.
Joseph’s answer is fantastically bold and humble and truthful and positive all at the same time. ”It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” The first part we know how he knew, the second part we don’t know how he knew. Joseph credited God with his success in Potiphar’s house (Genesis 39:2-3), Joseph attributed interpretations to God before the cupbearer and baker (Genesis 40:8). The theology isn’t surprising, but he acknowledges his source first. Joseph’s abilities show his dependence on divinity, not his claim to it.
But how did he know that the interpretation would be favorable ? He is already speaking like a prophet.
In verses 17-24 Pharaoh recounts his dream for Joseph in his own words, rather than in Moses’ words in verses 1-7. The details are mostly the same, though the dramatic touches indicate a more severe situation. The cows were not just ugly, they were poor and very ugly , such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt. When the ugly cows ate the plump cows, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning . His final words express his increasing dread. ”I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
Verses 25-36 are all Joseph’s reply to Pharaoh. It is the longest stretch of Joseph’s speech in Genesis, and it is more than Pharaoh asked for.
Joseph doesn’t ask for time to pray about it, he immediately begins to explain what the dream means.
The first explanation is that ”The dreams of Pharaoh are one.” In verse 15 when Pharaoh explained his problem to Joseph he said, “I have had a dream,” and even in verse 8, the Hebrew text states, “Pharaoh told them his dream,” singular. Pharaoh seemed to grasp that the two scenes were one story. Joseph confirms it.
The second explanation is that the number seven refers to seven years. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. Likewise, the seven lean and ugly cows that come up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years.
Now that the fourteen years have been established, what will the first seven be like, and then the next seven? The third explanation is that There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt. That sounds great, a time of abundance and feasting! But as good, and as historic, as that will be, it is not the focus. Note how many more words are used to describe the second seven years as well as the sort of descriptions used.
but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. (Genesis 41:30–31)
The plenty will be great, the famine will be the worst. The plenty will be great, but the famine will be so much more very severe that not only will the plenty be consumed but the plenty will be unknown in the land .
Pharaoh and Egypt cannot sidestep this future. Here is the fourth explanation: And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. The abundance followed by scarcity is set and will begin soon. Joseph explains why Pharaoh dreamed: ”God has revealed to Pharaoh what is about to do” (verse 25).
This is not revealed to be judgment on Egypt, but it is God’s plan.
Up till now Joseph has simply fulfilled the request and done so with precision and promptness. But now his mouth goes beyond the invitation given to him. He provided the requested interpretation, and now he gives unsolicited advice.
Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.” (Genesis 41:33–36)
Joseph is no dualist. He’s not only good with dreams, he’s good with budgets. He is not too spiritually minded to be any politically good.
Joseph recommends that Pharaoh authorize a national coordinator (a Grain Czar?), who will oversee local officials, who will coordinate the new government program of collection and storage and eventual distribution of food. Here is a divinely inspired social security plan to feed the hungry.
Knowing the unpredictable behavior of people who are facing starvation and trying to cope with survival, Joseph urges that such supplies be protected from public access and possible looting. (Hamilton)
He advises a 20% tax each year for seven years. By the end of the time, fourteen years from now, the population of Egypt would be larger, not to mention the unforeseen foreigners coming to Egypt for help.
What if Pharaoh doesn’t buy it? What is Joseph is wrong? We’ll see how Pharaoh responds next Lord’s Day, Lord willing.
God has fixed all things according to His will, including prison terms, agricultural yield—both heaps or shortages, national economies, stage-setting ignorance and stage-filling wisdom, along with every other means to His ends.
God has fixed the future, which means you should be preparing today. God is sovereign, you have work to do. His sovereignty and our responsibility are not mutually exclusive.
Since the famine isn’t revealed as a judgment on Egypt, what was the purpose for all of this fixed by the Lord? Surely God was working on many levels, but these are the lengths that the Lord went to in order to raise Joseph. The predicament had to go this high (to Pharaoh), be this perplexing (none of Pharaoh’s advisers knew what to do), extend this far (all of Egypt and the surrounding nations), last this long (seven years), and be this severe (all the abundance would be forgotten), in order to promote Joseph in office and esteem.
God’s fix may be a phone call away. That phone call may come 13 years from now, and you may feel forgotten until that very moment. But it is not in vain to have your hope fixed on God.
We are not Joseph. Our call is not exactly like his. But it is our call to trust God like him, to work for God, and to give God credit. Genesis 41 mainly shows God’s grace to save Israel through Joseph’s opportunity. But God still works all things toward His end for our good and His glory.