Genesis 41
Pharaoh, king of Egypt, had two strange dreams; he dreamed he stood by a river and saw seven fat cattle come up out of the water and feed on the meadow grass; after them came seven poor, lean cattle who ate the fat cattle. Next, he dreamed he saw a stalk of grain with seven nice, full ears; and seven thin, withered ears came on the stalk and devoured the good ears.
These dreams greatly troubled the king and none of his wise men could explain them. The chief butler heard about this and remembered how, two years before, in the prison, Joseph had given the right meanings of his and the baker’s dreams. He told the king, who at once sent for Joseph to be brought, When Joseph stood before the king, Pharaoh said,
“I have heard of thee, that thou canst understand a dream.” Joseph answered, “It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer.”
The king then told his dreams. Joseph said that God had given them for Pharaoh to know that there were to be seven years of great plenty in the land when much grain would grow, more than the people could use, but after those good years would come seven years of famine when the people and cattle would have no food unless it were saved clueing the good years.
The king believed that it was God who had shown Joseph this, and therefore he would be the one best able to direct the storing of the grain and all other business of the land.
So, instead of Joseph any longer being a slave, or shut in prison, he became the high ruler of Egypt, next to the king; was given new clothes and the king’s own ring, as a mark of power; and rode in the chariot after the king, honored by all the people. He was also given his wife and had a home of his own.
Joseph was thirty years old at this time. Do you know how many years since he came to Egypt a poor slave boy, sold by his brothers? In Psalms 105, it says of Joseph:
“The king sent and loosed him; ... .and let him go free... He made him ruler of all his substance: To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.”
ML 11/01/1936