Have you ever been spurred to action by a dream? Sometimes, we can have dreams that are so troubling and compelling that they cause us to begin to address things in our lives which we may have been passive about before. In today’s lesson, Pharoah has two of that kind of dream.
Joseph, having interpreted the dreams of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker while they were in prison, was waiting for Pharoah to hear about his plight. He had asked the chief cupbearer to remember him to Pharoah when the cupbearer was freed from prison and restored to his position with Pharoah. Joseph sat waiting two years to be freed, but the chief cupbearer had forgotten all about him. How often have we been guilty of that? It is easy to get caught up in our own concerns and forget about the needs of others… even if we know that our help is greatly needed. If this has ever happened to you, and you found yourself waiting for the help you desperately need from someone else and they forgot you, please know that God will never forget you (Deut 31:6).
Read verses 1-4. Pharoah has had a dream. This dream is about cows and eating. Cows provide food, but in ancient Egypt, they had other importance as well. They were a religious symbol of Egypt and even represented some of the Egyptian gods, such as Hathor, Ptah, Menthu, and Atum-Ra. Cows were sometimes even mummified. This was an important symbol in Pharoah’s dream. Seven healthy, fat cows came up out of the river, followed by seven gaunt cows, and the gaunt cows ate the healthy cows, yet the gaunt cows still did not appear to have been fed. The Nile River also figures in this dream. It was of utmost importance to the Egyptian people. This river was central to their religion, and the god Hapy personified its fertility. It was considered to be life-giving and the pathway between life and death. So many gods in one short dream. This dream woke Pharoah.
Read verses 5-7. Pharoah goes back to sleep and has another dream. This dream is about grain and eating. Ancient Egypt was considered, at the time, to be the breadbasket of the world. The Egyptians took advantage of the cyclical Nile River to plant their fields right after the annual flooding made the area fertile. Neper, the god of grain, Renenutet, the goddess of nourishment and harvest, and Osiris, the god of fertility and agriculture, were important deities. Grains were often placed in tombs to symbolize resurrection. In Pharoah’s dream, seven large heads of healthy grain were growing on one stalk. Then, on this same stalk, seven puny heads of grain appeared, and the puny heads ate the healthy heads. Again, so many gods in one short dream. This dream also woke Pharoah.
I want you to notice that, in the second dream, the grain was destroyed by the east wind. This was a scorching wind that was very dry, destroyed vegetation, and brought excessive heat. In the Bible, the east wind is often symbolic of Divine judgment and represents the Hand of God (Jer 18:17). We see the east wind used by God to part the Red Sea (Ex 14:21), deliver the plague of locusts (Ex 10:13), and deal with Jonah’s attitude (Jonah 4:8). The Almighty God was also present in Pharoah’s dream and His ability was triumphant over the Egyptians gods’ abilities.
Read verses 8-13. The next morning, Pharoah’s mind was troubled, and he sent for all the wise men and magicians in his kingdom. He asked them to tell him the meaning of his dreams, but they could not do it. Suddenly, the chief cupbearer remembered his debt to Joseph, from when he had been with him in prison, and he told Pharoah about Joseph. He told Pharoah about his dream and the chief baker’s dream, how Joseph had been able to interpret the dreams and how they had come exactly true afterwards.
Verse 14 is interesting. Pharoah sends for Joseph to be brought from the prison. In Egypt, Pharoah was also believed to be a god. It would have been strange for him to admit he needed someone to do this for him, but he was troubled enough to send for Joseph. And Joseph, realizing that his opportunity for Pharoah’s intervention may have finally come, prepares to go to Pharoah. The Semites traditionally preferred to wear beards, but the Egyptians were clean shaven. We see in this verse that Joseph shaved before going to Pharoah and put on clean clothes. He wanted to look as presentable as possible and perhaps even as Egyptian as possible.
Read verses 15-16. Pharoah asked Joseph whether he could interpret his dream. How did Joseph answer him? Joseph recognized that God is the one with the abilities and he tells this to Pharoah (2 Cor 3:5). He made sure that Pharoah knew he did not personally have this ability. The Egyptians had many, many gods, but Joseph is making it clear to Pharoah that this power comes from the One True God. These dreams are about a message from God, what He is going to do, and that He is Sovereign (Dan 4:17).
In verses 17-24, Pharoah described his dreams to Joseph and lamented at his officials’ inability to tell him the meaning. Read verses 25-27. What was the meaning of the seven fat cows? The seven gaunt cows? The seven healthy heads of wheat? The seven puny heads of wheat? God had revealed to Pharoah what He was about to do (verse 25). What did God show Pharoah that He was about to do (verses 28-31)?
In verse 32, Joseph gave Pharoah the reason for two different dreams which mean the same thing. Back then, dreams were believed to have special importance when they came in sets of two. This answer from Joseph would have been meaningful to Pharoah. When does God plan to make this happen?
In verses 33-36, Joseph took advantage of this opportunity to be before Pharoah by recommending a plan of action. Being a valuable asset to Pharoah would be a great help to Joseph in his hopes of getting out of prison. What plan does Joseph suggest? Verses 37-38 tell us that Pharoah liked this plan and so did his officials, and he acknowledged that the Spirit of God was with Joseph. Note what can we learn about the Spirit of God from the following scriptures in your journal:
- Ex 31:3;
- Dan 4:9, 5:14;
- Job 32:8-9
- Matt 12:28;
- John 14:26
- Rom 8:9, 14, 15:19;
- I John 4:2
Verses 39-40 tell us about Pharoah’s decision. He put Joseph in charge of this food storage project. He also made Joseph second-in-command in all of Egypt, giving him authority to appoint people and give orders. Pharoah declared that there was no one so discerning and wise as Joseph. God has made Pharoah put his faith and trust in Joseph and his God rather than in all the gods of Egypt. Joseph was faithful to God throughout all His trials and God did not forget him. He had a plan for Joseph all along… it was God who freed Joseph from prison and put him in charge of Egypt (Psalm 105:20; Rom 13:4; Col 2:10).
Responding to God: Praise God that He is Sovereign. Worship Him for His majesty and power. Thank Him for always being with us and never forgetting us. Ask forgiveness for those times when you have let down others who really needed your help. Seek His wisdom and guidance in all that you do. Thank Him for always being in control of all things.
Further Research: Using a concordance or online Bible, search for occurrences of ‘east wind’.
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