From Prison to Power

Introduction

In the last lesson we saw Joseph interpret two men's dreams in prison. These two dreams both came true and one of the men was killed and the other man was restored to his position working with Pharaoh. Joseph had one request for the one that was restored and that was for him to remember him and try to save him once he was restored. This man forgot the request and Joseph remains in prison.

Today we jump to several years later and we will finally see Joseph freed from prison and the beginning phases of his dreams coming true. This is where things begin to look up for Joseph and they stay there for the rest of the book.

So lets pray and then we can jump in to the story.

God Reveals the Coming Crisis

Genesis 41:1–32 ESV

After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, and behold, 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. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh. Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “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.” Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “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.” Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” 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.” Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine. It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, 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. And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about.

So two years have passed since Joseph interpreted the dreams of the guys in prison and now Pharaoh has a dream that is really bothering him and nobody can interpret it. It is at this point that the cupbearer that was supposed to remember Joseph finally does remember him. Pharaoh then brings Joseph out from prison and ask him to interpret the dream. Joseph says that it is God that brings a favorable interpretation and then he gives what they mean.

These dreams point to a period of time of great prosperity for Egypt but after these years there is going to be a severe famine following this time. The fact that there are two dreams is pointing towards this being a fixed event by God.

Here God is revealing a coming crisis and he is going to use this crisis to accomplish his plan.

In this section we see some crucial details. First, Gods providence governs the timing of events such as there being a two year delay in bringing Joseph out of prison. There had to be that time to bring about the events that will soon take place. Second, only a God who rules history can reveal it beforehand with certainty. If God was not in charge he could not reveal this to anyone.

God Provides Wisdom for the Crisis

Genesis 41:33–36 ESV

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.”

Joseph now give wisdom for this coming crisis. He says that men need to be put in charge to stockpile during the time of plenty so that they can be prepared for the days where there is famine. This is how they may keep the people from perishing during this extreme event.

Wisdom is knowledge and the application of it. Joseph is a very wise man as we have seen throughout his life. Wisdom comes from God and this is what allows him to succeed in all that he does. Joseph here sees what is going to happen because God has revealed it to him and he takes that knowledge and applies it to a plan for pharaoh to do.

God Raises a Leader for the Crisis

Genesis 41:37–45 ESV

This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh likes Joseph’s proposal and says that he is the only man who is able to do such a thing so he puts him in charge and gives him all of these great things. He has gone from the slave prisoner to ruler of Egypt. The only thing that makes Pharaoh greater than him is the fact that the throne is his, Joseph has full authority over the land of Egypt.

This shows us that his dreams are starting to be fulfilled as he is now coming into prominence.

God Blesses Faithful Stewardship

Genesis 41:46–49 ESV

Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt. During the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly, and he gathered up all the food of these seven years, which occurred in the land of Egypt, and put the food in the cities. He put in every city the food from the fields around it. And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured.

At the age of 30 Joseph begins to enact his plans and gathers produce abundantly and stores it in preparation for the coming famine. His wisdom is blessed as he faithfully stewards his job. God is using him in a mighty way to protect the world at this time.

God Uses His People to Preserve Life

Genesis 41:50–57 ESV

Before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph. Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore them to him. Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” The name of the second he called Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” The seven years of plenty that occurred in the land of Egypt came to an end, and the seven years of famine began to come, 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. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.” So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth.

The plenty has now come and gone and the famine was there. At the start of the famine the people of Egypt still had bread because they were so fruitful under the leadership of Joseph but eventually it ran out. Pharaoh tells the people to go to Joseph and Joseph sells them grain. He also sells grain to people from all over because the famine was so widespread.

God uses Joseph to preserve life. Later Joseph will say that what his brothers meant for evil in sending him to Egypt God meant for good to preserve life.

Conclusion

God will take his people and put them in the places that he needs them and give them the wisdom that they need to accomplish his will. What he ask of his people is that they be faithful to him and obedient to what he ask.

So as we wrap up this lesson let me ask you, are you ready to serve God in any way that he ask? Even if it may mean being stuck somewhere you do not want to be for a time, even if it is not what you want, even if it is hard?