Written by: John Baxter-Brown – Churches Together
Genesis 41 v 1-8
Two years later the king dreamed he was standing on the bank of the Nile
River. He saw seven fat and beautiful cows come up out of the river, and they
stood there, eating the grass. Then seven more cows came up out of the river,
but they were thin and ugly. They stood beside the seven beautiful cows on the
bank of the Nile. The seven thin and ugly cows ate the seven beautiful fat cows.
Then the king woke up. The king slept again and dreamed a second time. In his
dream he saw seven full and good heads of grain growing on one stalk. After
that, seven more heads of grain sprang up, but they were thin and burned by
the hot east wind. The thin heads of grain ate the seven full and good heads.
Then the king woke up again, and he realised it was only a dream. The next morning
the king was troubled about these dreams, so he sent for all the magicians and
wise men of Egypt. The king told them his dreams, but no one could explain their
meaning to him.
Notes
Dreams. They are central to today’s passage in which we find the Egyptian king
being troubled by two rather bizarre agricultural dreams. He sought help, initially
from “magicians and wise men”. But those people could not help the king.
Dreams. Many hundreds of years later dreams are still a puzzle, and not only for the dreamer. There are several theories about why people dream, ranging from the scientific, through the religious, to the plain weird. The content of dreams also remains a mystery. There are those dreams that on waking can leave you wanting more, or peculiar ones with their own internal logic (which usually doesn’t pass any rationality test by daylight). There are erotic dreams. And nightmares.
At a personal level, when we are troubled by dreams it makes sense, as the king did, to seek expert advice and help. The key issue is, however, where to find this expert help. As this story in Genesis 41 continues we come to realise that ultimately the help needed comes from God because it is only He who knows all about us - our hopes and aspirations, our fears and frustrations, our light and our darkness. And in all of this it is God who loves us, values us and brings us peace.
Therefore hunt for God and ask for His peace and wisdom – and who knows? Perhaps even in our dreams we may encounter His love.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, Prince of Peace, come to me in my waking and sleeping. Stay with
me always, when I am troubled and when I am at peace. Help me to hear You and
follow You always. In Your name, Amen
Genesis 41 v 9-13
Then the chief officer who served wine to the king said to him, “Now I remember
something I promised to do, but I forgot about it. There was a time when you
were angry with the baker and me, and you put us in prison in the house of the
captain of the guard. In prison we each had a dream on the same night, and each
dream had a different meaning. A young Hebrew man, a servant of the captain
of the guard, was in the prison with us. When we told him our dreams, he explained
their meanings to us. He told each man the meaning of his dream, and things
happened exactly as he said they would: I was given back my old position, and
the baker was hanged.”
Notes
The story of the king’s dreams, which started at the beginning of Genesis chapter
41, continues with the somewhat tardy intervention of the Chief Wine Officer
(CWO). His intervention was two years late: we are told at the end of chapter
40 that he forgot Joseph whom he had encountered in prison (read Genesis 40
for the full story if you wish). In short, the “young Hebrew” interpreted a
dream that the CWO had had, and events unfolded just as Joseph foretold. But
the CWO didn’t put in the promised good word for Joseph. At least not until
now, two years later.
In this story several things stand out. Firstly, timing. God’s timing does not always coincide with ours. There are times when we think – sometimes with good reason – that God should have answered our prayers or intervened in some way. But often God has other ideas.
So – and secondly – our task is always to be faithful to God, and as the psalmist writes, wait patiently for Him, for He will act (see Psalm 37 for example).
Thirdly, we should always carry out our word, even if we are two years late. If we have promised to do something, we should either do it if it is within our power, or explain why we can no longer deliver. Leaving someone hanging around is not fair on them and is not good.
Prayer
God, You of all know that I often need patience. Please help me be faithful
to You and wait patiently. But also please grant me the courage to carry through
on what I promise … for Your sake, my sake and the sake of the people to whom
I am beholden. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Genesis 41 v 14-16
So the king called for Joseph. The guards quickly brought him out of the prison,
and he shaved, put on clean clothes and went before the king.
The king said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, but no one can explain its meaning
to me. I have heard that you can explain a dream when someone tells it to you.”
Joseph answered the king, “I am not able to explain the meaning of dreams, but
God will do this for the king.”
Notes
Today’s reading is pleasingly short. The story of the king’s dream continues
to unfold and we meet Joseph for the first time in this chapter.
There had been quite a major change in this young Hebrew. His time in prison (which he didn’t deserve, by the way) had transformed him. When he was first introduced in the Bible (in Genesis chapter 37) he was shown to be a sneak (v 2), his daddy’s spoilt favourite (v 4), an unwise big-head (v 5-11), and so managed to earn his brothers’ anger that they sold him to be a slave. Despite this, Joseph’s initial career in Egypt – albeit as a slave – was blessed by God and he became successful and proud. And then it turned sour again as Joseph faced a miscarriage of justice.
Some years later he was brought before the king of Egypt, one of the most powerful men in the (then) known world. But instead of seeking compensation, instead of lodging complaints, instead of boasting of his abilities, we now meet a humbler and wiser man. He readily acknowledged that all he was and had came from God. His importance lay not in himself, but in God.
Whether we like it or not, our importance and value – which is immense indeed – also exists because of God’s grace and gifts. It isn’t self-importance and self-image we need, it’s seeing ourselves as God sees us. That can utterly transform us.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, all good things come from You. Thank You, and help me to be
truly appreciative and rely upon You more and more. Amen
Genesis 41 v 17-24
Then the king said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the
Nile River. I saw seven fat and beautiful cows that came up out of the river
and ate the grass. Then I saw seven more cows come out of the river that were
thin and lean and ugly—the worst looking cows I have seen in all the land of
Egypt. And these thin and ugly cows ate the first seven fat cows, but after
they had eaten the seven cows, no one could tell they had eaten them. They looked
just as thin and ugly as they did in the beginning. Then I woke up.
“I had another dream. I saw seven full and good heads of grain growing on one
stalk. Then seven more heads of grain sprang up after them, but these heads
were thin and ugly and were burned by the hot east wind. Then the thin heads
ate the seven good heads. I told this dream to the magicians, but no one could
explain its meaning to me.”
Notes
The king told Joseph his dreams. So for the second time in just a few verses
we – the readers – are told the dream twice. It is emphasised because it is
perceived to be very important. The details of the dream are very similar. In
this second reading it is told in the first person (“I was standing … I saw”),
whereas in 41 v 1-8 it is in the third person (“he was standing”, etc.) with
only a couple of minor alterations.
But why the second telling? It doesn’t add much to the story’s plot – if anything, it slows the story down rather than adding to the tension. But it does force the reader to acknowledge that this is the central moment in the whole of the Joseph narratives (which run from Genesis 37 to Genesis 50). This is the time when his fortunes turn from being an imprisoned slave to being the king’s right hand man. It is getting this dream right that enables all that is to follow (saving his family and the Hebrew tribe from starvation) to happen. It enables the reader (and presumably Joseph himself) to make some sense of all that went before. Hindsight is usually 20:20.
But note the plea in the king’s closing comments: “no-one could explain its meaning to me”. All that had gone before enabled Joseph to say, “But God will”, and equipped him for what came next.
Prayer
Heavenly King, enable me to be faithful in the small things and to seek no reward,
saving that I know I walk with You. And if and when You call me to bigger things,
help me then to be faithful still and seek no reward saving that I know I walk
with You. Amen
Genesis 41 v 25-32
Then Joseph said to the king, “Both of these dreams mean the same thing. God
is telling you what he is about to do. The seven good cows stand for seven years,
and the seven good heads of grain stand for seven years. Both dreams mean the
same thing. The seven thin and ugly cows stand for seven years, and the seven
thin heads of grain burned by the hot east wind stand for seven years of hunger.
This will happen as I told you. God is showing the king what he is about to
do. You will have seven years of good crops and plenty to eat in all the land
of Egypt. But after those seven years, there will come seven years of hunger,
and all the food that grew in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The time
of hunger will eat up the land. People will forget what it was like to have
plenty of food, because the hunger that follows will be so great. You had two
dreams which mean the same thing. This shows that God has firmly decided that
this will happen, and he will make it happen soon.”
Notes
Joseph interpreted the dreams. As you may know, or already have guessed, both
dreams mean the same thing. What we’ve got is a little like God’s exclamation
mark, telling the king twice to get his attention and make sure he listened.
It also emphasises that God “has firmly decided that this will happen”. The
king did not have an opt-out clause here. He was not given the “repent, fast
and pray and I’ll change my mind” from God.
The story of Jonah (and the big fish) going to Nineveh (you can find it in the book of Jonah towards the end of the Old Testament) is one in which God did change his mind. He did not destroy Nineveh (much to Jonah’s displeasure). But in the story before us, God will do this thing. There will be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. It will be soon. Get ready. The king is given a very clear warning from God.
It pays to take note of what God says, whether through the pages of the Bible, through sermons, through notes such as these, or through dreams or the promptings of our hearts and minds. It certainly requires wisdom to hear God rightly, and we may get it wrong from time to time. But be that as it may, listen, reflect and act, for God Himself promises no less to us.
Prayer
In speaking and hearing, God, give me ears to hear and a heart ready to obey,
and the wisdom to know your voice. Amen
Genesis 41 v 33-36
“So let the king choose a man who is very wise and understanding and set him
over the land of Egypt. And let the king also appoint officers over the land,
who should take one-fifth of all the food that is grown during the seven good
years. They should gather all the food that is produced during the good years
that are coming, and under the king’s authority they should store the grain
in the cities and guard it. That food should be saved to use during the seven
years of hunger that will come on the land of Egypt. Then the people in Egypt
will not die during the seven years of hunger.”
Notes
Joseph went beyond merely interpreting the dream - he had already done that
in the preceding verses. What he was now doing was making some very clear domestic
policy proposals. They were pragmatic, economically viable (although tough)
and prudent. However, before mentioning the strategic points, he emphasised
that the person chosen must meet the essential criteria of being “very wise
and understanding”. These qualities are just as necessary as strategic vision.
Time and time again in the pages of the Bible a similar point is made. God is just as concerned about our character as he is about our abilities. It is not enough simply to have a good selection of skills or knowledge. It is not that these are unimportant - far from it. The issue is that those things alone are not sufficient. God looks not only upon skills and knowledge, he is also concerned about the deeper issues of what motivates us, of our attitudes and approach to life, of our empathy and concern for others.
Simply having power and authority, or vision, or ability doesn’t cut much ice with God. It is the transformation of our character that truly allows God to use us, as Joseph discovered.
Prayer
Father, transform me into the sort of person You can use to extend your kingdom
on earth so that I – and this wonderful planet – can become better mirrors of
the King of Kings and His Kingdom. Amen
Genesis 41 v 37-43
This seemed like a very good idea to the king, and all his officers agreed.
And the king asked them, “Can we find a better man than Joseph to take this
job? God’s Spirit is truly in him!”
So the king said to Joseph, “God has shown you all this. There is no one as
wise and understanding as you are, so I will put you in charge of my palace.
All the people will obey your orders, and only I will be greater than you.”
Then the king said to Joseph, “Look! I have put you in charge of all the land
of Egypt.” Then the king took off from his own finger his ring with the royal
seal on it, and he put it on Joseph’s finger. He gave Joseph fine linen clothes
to wear, and he put a gold chain around Joseph’s neck. The king had Joseph ride
in the second royal chariot, and people walked ahead of his chariot calling,
“Bow down!” By doing these things, the king put Joseph in charge of all of Egypt.
Notes
Western culture is somewhat dominated by celebrities. In the United Kingdom
there are ever greater numbers of magazines, books and TV and radio programmes
devoted to celebrities. People read, watch or listen to them avidly. Their personal
lives are scrutinised. Their relationships are examined. Their histories are
dissected. People find them fascinating.
In today’s reading we find Joseph – the one-time slave falsely imprisoned in a land not his own – being promoted by the king to be “in charge of my palace … of all the land of Egypt … of all of Egypt.”
The important words in the passage, however, do not refer to the power, pomp and glory that came with the job. The writer doesn’t draw our attention to Joseph achieving his political ambition hinted at in his earlier dreams (for example, in Genesis 37 v 5-10). Rather, it is that “God’s Spirit is truly in him!” He had become “wise and understanding”. He had become a person with enough of God in his character and life to be useful. The road that led him there was not one of good career choices and careful planning, but one of hardship and faithfulness.
And the king and his staff saw this as good.
Prayer
Dear God, help me become the person You want me to be, so that I can do the
things You want me to do: to love You and love my neighbour as I love myself,
to seek justice, to love mercy and walk humbly with You, the true King of Kings.
Amen
word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken
from the Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993
by Word Publishing Milton Keynes