How suddenly can God’s blessings come? How patient must we be for God to work out difficult circumstances in our lives? Let’s look at Genesis 41.
What was Pharaoh’s first dream? How long did Joseph have to wait on God?
Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river. Suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river. And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke. (Genesis 41:1-4 NKJV)
What was Pharaoh’s second dream? Was it in some ways similar to the first?
But he fell asleep again and had a second dream. This time he saw seven heads of grain, plump and beautiful, growing on a single stalk. Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were shriveled and withered by the east wind. And these thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, well-formed heads! Then Pharaoh woke up again and realized it was a dream. (Genesis 41:5-7 NLT)
Could they find someone to interpret the dreams? Who interprets dreams?
In the morning, his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all of Egypt’s magicians and wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh. (Genesis 41:8 WEB)
Did the chief cupbearer finally remember Joseph? Did he inform the king?
Then the chief wine steward [cup bearer] spoke to Pharaoh: “Today I’ve just remembered my mistake. Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker under arrest with the commander of the royal guard. We both dreamed one night, he and I, and each of our dreams had its own interpretation. A young Hebrew man, a servant of the commander of the royal guard, was with us. We described our dreams to him, and he interpreted our dreams for us, giving us an interpretation for each dream. His interpretations came true exactly: Pharaoh restored me to my position but hanged him.” (Genesis 41:9-13 CEB)
To whom did Joseph give credit? To whom do we give credit?
The king sent for Joseph, who was quickly brought out of jail. He shaved, changed his clothes, and went to the king. The king said to him, “I had a dream, yet no one can explain what it means. I am told that you can interpret dreams.” “Your Majesty,” Joseph answered, “I can't do it myself, but God can give a good meaning to your dreams.” (Genesis 41:14-16 CEV)
How did Pharaoh recount his dreams to Joseph? Were they somewhat similar?
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile. Seven cows, plump and attractive, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass. Seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt. And the thin, ugly cows ate up the first seven plump cows, but when they had eaten them no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke. I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good. Seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them, and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.” (Genesis 41:17-24 ESV)
What did Joseph begin to say? To whom did he give credit?
Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing. God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven ripe heads are seven years. The dreams mean the same thing. The seven thin, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven worthless, scorched heads of grain are seven years of famine. (Genesis 41:25-27 HCSB)
Who did Joseph again credit for the interpretation? Did he point to God?
So the message that I have for Pharaoh is that God is telling Pharaoh what he is getting ready to do. Be advised that seven years of phenomenal abundance are coming throughout all the land of Egypt, but after them seven years of famine are ahead, during which all of the abundance will be forgotten throughout the land of Egypt. The famine will ravage the land so severely that there will be no surplus in the land due to the coming famine, because it will be very severe. (Genesis 41:28-31 ISV)
What did Joseph advise Pharaoh? Was it extraordinary wisdom?
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. 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 appoint officers over the land, and 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. (Genesis 41:32-36 KJV)
Who did Pharaoh appoint? Was Joseph’s long time of trouble coming to a sudden end?
Now the proposal seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants. Then Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom there is a divine spirit?” So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you are. You shall be in charge of my house, and all my people shall be obedient to you; only regarding the throne will I be greater than you.” (Genesis 41:37-40 NASB)
What did Pharaoh say to Joseph? Did Joseph go from the worst to the best of circumstances all in one day?
So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and people shouted before him, “Make way!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.” Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt. (Genesis 41:41-45 NIV)
How old was Joseph? 30 years old is a common age of reaching office throughout the Bible. It is the same age that Jesus was when He began His ministry. What did Joseph do?
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. Now in the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth abundantly. So 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; he laid up in every city the food of the fields which surrounded them. Joseph gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable. (Genesis 41:46-49 NKJV)
Did Joseph also have children? What were their names?
During this time, before the first of the famine years, two sons were born to Joseph and his wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On. Joseph named his older son Manasseh [causing to forget], for he said, “God has made me forget all my troubles and everyone in my father’s family.” Joseph named his second son Ephraim [fruitful], for he said, “God has made me fruitful in this land of my grief.” (Genesis 41:50-52 NLT)
What did Joseph do during the seven years of famine? Did this also increase the king’s ownership of property?
The seven years of plenty, that were in the land of Egypt, came to an end. The seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.” The famine was over all the surface of the earth. Joseph opened all the store houses, and sold to the Egyptians. The famine was severe in the land of Egypt. All countries came into Egypt, to Joseph, to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all the earth. (Genesis 41:53-57 WEB)
How suddenly can God’s blessings come? How patient must we be for God to work out difficult circumstances in our lives? You decide!
