Genesis 41.8-Pharaoh Summons His Occult Priests to Solve His Dilemma
Wednesday December 20, 2006
Genesis: Genesis 41:8-Pharaoh Summons His Occult Priests to Solve His Dilemma
Lesson # 258
Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 41:1.
This evening we will continue with our study of Genesis 41, which we began last evening.
This chapter records Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams and making a recommendation to him in light of these dreams, which results in Pharaoh promoting him to prime minister, second only to Pharaoh in Egypt.
Genesis 41 is divided into four sections: (1) Genesis 41:1-8: Pharaoh’s dreams and dilemma (2) Genesis 41:9-24: Joseph’s deliverance and Pharaoh sharing his dream with Joseph (3) Genesis 41:25-40: Joseph’s interpretation, plan and promotion (4) Genesis 41:41-57: Joseph’s rule according to the plan.
Last evening we studied Pharaoh of Egypt having two dreams which is recorded in Genesis 41:1-7.
This evening we will study Genesis 41:8, which records Pharaoh summoning the priests who were skilled in the occult sciences in order to interpret his dreams but there were none that could.
Genesis 41:1, “Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile.”
Genesis 41:2, “And lo, from the Nile there came up seven cows, sleek and fat; and they grazed in the marsh grass.”
Genesis 41:3, “Then behold, seven other cows came up after them from the Nile, ugly and gaunt, and they stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile.”
Genesis 41:4, “The ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven sleek and fat cows. Then Pharaoh awoke.”
Genesis 41:5, “He fell asleep and dreamed a second time; and behold, seven ears of grain came up on a single stalk, plump and good.”
Genesis 41:6, “Then behold, seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them.”
Genesis 41:7, “The thin ears swallowed up the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.”
Genesis 41:8, “Now in the morning his spirit was troubled, so he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them to Pharaoh.”
“Spirit” is the noun ruach (jWr) (roo-akh), which refers to Pharaoh’s soul since only believers possess a human spirit and Pharaoh was an unbeliever.
Unbelievers are in the image of the first Adam who did not possess a human spirit until after he was saved whereas believers are in the image of the last Adam who possesses a human spirit.
Eternal life resides in the human spirit and so therefore unbelievers do not have a human spirit since they do not possess eternal life due to their rejection of Christ as Savior (See John 3:1-18).
The believer receives a human spirit at the moment of salvation through regeneration, thus making him “trichotomous” in the sense that he has a body, soul and human spirit.
In 1 Corinthians 15:45, Paul’s statement that the first Adam, “became a living soul” clearly indicates that God did not create Adam with a human spirit since if He did, the Scriptures would not have called him a “living soul” but rather a “spirit” as the Scriptures state of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Last Adam.
1 Corinthians 15:45, “So also it is written, ‘The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”
Therefore, the soul of Pharaoh was disturbed or agitated by the dreams he had since he was sure the dreams had meaning.
Bob Deffinbaugh, “The dream was distressing to the Pharaoh because it was twice experienced in varying forms, interrupted by his being awakened. The meaning was a puzzle, for the seven lean cows remained lean and gaunt, even after consuming the fat cattle. The same was true with the grain. It was not normal for cows to eat cows or grain to consume grain, but surely the lean things should have been fat¬tened by what they ate. Something had to be wrong, but what was it?” (The Book of Genesis, page 305, Biblical Studies, 1997).
Pharaoh sensed something ominous about the dreams since the symbols of Egypt’s gods and the prosperity of the land had been destroyed in his dreams and so he sought out the help of individuals who were involved in the occult.
“All the magicians of Egypt” is composed of the adjective kol (lK)) (kole), “all” and the noun chartom (<f)r+j^) (khar-tome), “the magicians” and the proper noun mitsrayim (<y!r^x+m!) (mits-ra-yim), “Egypt.”
The noun chartom, “magicians” were a class of intelligent and clever priests involved with the occult, which is driven by demons.
These occult priests occupied themselves with the arts and sciences of the Egyptians, the hieroglyphic writings, astrology, and the interpretation of dreams, the foretelling of events, and magic and channeling and were regarded as the possessors of secret arts.
These were the same individuals who confronted Moses and with the aid of the fallen angels were able to duplicate many of the miracles that Moses performed but could not duplicate others (See Exodus 7:11, 22; 8:7, 18-19; Daniel 2:10-11).
When the adjective kol is used with a singular anarthrous noun as it is here in Genesis 41:8, it is used in a distributive sense meaning “each and every one.”
Therefore, we see that Pharaoh sent messengers to summon each and every one of his magicians to interpret his dreams.
“All its wise men” is composed of the adjective kol (lK)) (kole), “all” and the noun chakham (<k*j) (khaw-kawm), “wise men.”
The noun chakham refers to an individual with a professional skill and mastery and understanding of a particular subject.
The subject in view depends upon the context and in Genesis 41:8, it refers to skilled activity in occult sciences as indicated by the use of the noun chartom, “magicians.”
The fact that chakham refers to an individual skilled and having masterful understanding of a subject, which is determined by the context indicates that these two terms chartom, “magicians” and chakham, “wise men” form a “hendiadys.”
“Hendiadys” takes place when two nouns are used to express one idea or concept and it literally means “one by means of two” and takes place when the author uses two words but only one idea is intended.
The two words are of the same parts of speech, i.e., two nouns, and are always joined together by the conjunction “and” and are also always in the same case.
One of the two words expresses the thing, and the other intensifies it by being changed (if a noun) into an adjective of the superlative degree, which is, by this means, made especially emphatic.
In Genesis 41:8, we have two nouns chartom, “magicians” and chakham, “wise men” and they are separated by the conjunction “and.”
The noun chakham, “wise men” modifies and intensifies the meaning of the noun chartom, “magicians.”
Therefore, the figure of “hendiadys” indicates that these two phrases “for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men” do “not” refer to two separate groups of individuals but rather refer to one group of individuals.
The figure of “hendiadys” indicates that Pharaoh called for his priests who were the most skilled in the occult sciences.
“Sent” is the verb shalach (jl^v*) (shaw-lakh), which refers to “persons who are sent by other persons such as the action of sending messengers.”
“Called for” is the verb qara (arq) (kaw-raw), which means, “to summon to enter your presence.”
Therefore, these two verbs indicate that Pharaoh sent messengers to summon into his presence each and every one of the Egyptian priests who were skilled in the occult sciences in order to get their interpretation of his dreams.
The fact that none of the Egyptian priests who were masters of the occult sciences could interpret Pharaoh’s dreams for him does not mean that they did not make any suggestions as to the meaning of the dreams but rather that none of their interpretations satisfied Pharaoh.
In the Hebrew text of Genesis 41:8, “dreams” is the singular form of the noun chalom whereas “them” is the third person masculine plural pronominal suffix.
The apparent contradiction is reconciled when we realize that the narrator and Pharaoh himself saw the dreams as one as indicated by the singular form of the noun chalom since they both had the same meaning whereas the Egyptian occult priests did not interpret them as one.
Therefore, the singular form of the noun chalom, “dreams” indicates the meaning of the two dreams is identical and thus unified.
These Egyptian priests who were masters of the occult sciences were unable to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams since they were unbelievers who have no capacity unlike believers to understand divine revelation, which Pharaoh’s two dreams were.
Only a believer would have the capacity to understand revelation from God.
Therefore, the Egyptian priests who were the most skilled in the occult sciences and who were unbelievers had no capacity to interpret Pharaoh’s dream.
Unlike Joseph, these Egyptian priests who were skilled in the occult sciences did “not” possess the wisdom of God.
The wisdom of God is expressed through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which presents God’s provision of eternal salvation for the entire human race through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 1:19, “For it is written, ‘I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE.’”
1 Corinthians 1:20, “Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?”
1 Corinthians 1:21, “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”
1 Corinthians 1:22, “For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom.”
1 Corinthians 1:23, “but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness.”
1 Corinthians 1:24, “but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
1 Corinthians 1:25, “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
1 Corinthians 1:26, “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble.”
1 Corinthians 1:27, “but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong.”
1 Corinthians 1:28, “and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are.”
1 Corinthians 1:29, “so that no man may boast before God.”
1 Corinthians 1:30, “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.”
1 Corinthians 1:31, “so that, just as it is written, ‘LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.’”
1 Corinthians 2:1, “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.”
1 Corinthians 2:2, “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”
1 Corinthians 2:3, “I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.”
1 Corinthians 2:4, “and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.”
1 Corinthians 2:5, “so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 2:6, “Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away.”
1 Corinthians 2:7, “but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory.”
1 Corinthians 2:8, “the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”
1 Corinthians 2:9, “but just as it is written, ‘THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND WHICH HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.’”
1 Corinthians 2:10, “For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.”
1 Corinthians 2:11, “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.”
1 Corinthians 2:12, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God.”
1 Corinthians 2:13, “which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.”
1 Corinthians 2:14, “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.”
1 Corinthians 2:15, “But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.”
1 Corinthians 2:16, “For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.”
God’s wisdom resides in the mind and thinking of Christ, which appears in the written Word of God.
Colossians 2:3, “in whom (Christ) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
The believer acquires the wisdom of God by letting the Word of Christ richly dwell in his soul, which gives him the capacity to glorify God in whatever circumstance or relationship in life.
Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”