Genesis 41.41-43-Pharaoh Publicly Installs Joseph as Prime Minister
Wednesday January 17, 2007
Genesis: Genesis 41:41-43-Pharaoh Publicly Installs Joseph as Prime Minister
Lesson # 266
Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 41:1.
This evening we will continue with our studies of Genesis 41, which records Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams and making recommendations to him in light of this interpretation, which results in Pharaoh promoting him to prime minister, second only to Pharaoh in Egypt.
By way of review, we have noted the following in this chapter:
In Genesis 41:1-7, we read where Pharaoh of Egypt had two dreams and in Genesis 41:8, we read the account of Pharaoh summoning the priests who were skilled in the occult sciences in order to interpret his dreams but there were none that could.
Then we saw that Pharaoh’s cupbearer whose dream Joseph interpreted two years before made Pharaoh aware of Joseph and his ability to interpret dreams and this is recorded in Genesis 41:9-13.
This was followed by the Lord delivering Joseph from prison by causing Pharaoh to summon Joseph from prison to interpret his dream, which is recorded in Genesis 41:14.
In Genesis 41:15-16, we read where in response to Pharaoh’s flattery, Joseph ascribes to God his ability to interpret dreams, which demonstrates his great humility.
Then, we read where Pharaoh recounts his dreams to Joseph, which is recorded in Genesis 41:17-24 and this was followed by Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams, which is recorded in Genesis 41:25-32.
This was followed by Joseph making recommendations to Pharaoh in light of his interpretation, and this is recorded in Genesis 41:33-37.
Last evening we saw that in response to Joseph’s recommendations, Pharaoh promotes Joseph to prime minister of Egypt to administrate the government of Egypt over the next fourteen years and this is recorded in Genesis 41:38-40.
This evening we will study Genesis 41:41-43, which records Pharaoh publicly installing Joseph as prime minister of Egypt.
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.”
Genesis 41:9, “Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, ‘I would make mention today of my own offenses.’”
Genesis 41:10, “Pharaoh was furious with his servants, and he put me in confinement in the house of the captain of the bodyguard, both me and the chief baker.”
Genesis 41:11, “We had a dream on the same night, he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream.”
Genesis 41:12, “Now a Hebrew youth was with us there, a servant of the captain of the bodyguard, and we related them to him, and he interpreted our dreams for us. To each one he interpreted according to his own dream.”
Genesis 41:13, “And just as he interpreted for us, so it happened; he restored me in my office, but he hanged him.”
Genesis 41:14, “Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh.”
Genesis 41:15, “Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.’”
Genesis 41:16, “Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, ‘It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.’”
Genesis 41:17-18, “So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, ‘In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile and behold, seven cows, fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass.’”
Genesis 41:19-20, “Lo, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such as I had never seen for ugliness in all the land of Egypt and the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows.”
Genesis 41:21, “Yet when they had devoured them, it could not be detected that they had devoured them, for they were just as ugly as before. Then I awoke.”
Genesis 41:22-24, “I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears, full and good, came up on a single stalk and lo, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. Then I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
Genesis 41:25, “Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, ‘Pharaoh's dreams are one and the same; God has told to Pharaoh what He is about to do.’”
Genesis 41:26, “The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one and the same.”
Genesis 41:27, “The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine.”
Genesis 41:28, “It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do.”
Genesis 41:29-30, “Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt and after them seven years of famine will come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will ravage the land.”
Genesis 41:31, “So the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very severe.”
Genesis 41:32, “Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about.”
Genesis 41:33, “Now let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.”
Genesis 41:34, “Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers in charge of the land, and let him exact a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance.”
Genesis 41:35, “Then let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh's authority, and let them guard it.”
Genesis 41:36, “Let the food become as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish during the famine.”
Genesis 41:37, “Now the proposal seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants.”
Genesis 41:38, “Then Pharaoh said to his servants, ‘Can we find a man like this, in whom is a divine spirit?’”
Genesis 41:39, “So Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are.’”
In Genesis 41:40-41, Pharaoh makes four statements to Joseph without Joseph answering a word, which reveals Joseph’s acknowledgement of the providence of God where God worked out all the events leading to his promotion.
Genesis 41:40, “You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you.”
Genesis 41:41, “Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.’”
Joseph’s installation as prime minister of Egypt consisted of a public act of installation, which is recorded in Genesis 41:41-43 and the family act of conferring a new name with elevation to aristocracy by marriage, which is recorded in Genesis 41:44-45.
Pharaoh’s first statement “you shall be over my house” means that Joseph was given control over Pharaoh’s entire household including all of his advisors.
His second statement “according to your command all my people shall do homage” in the original Hebrew text reads “they (the Egyptian people) shall kiss you on your mouth” and is used in a figurative sense meaning that Pharaoh decreed that all of the Egyptian people must obey all Joseph’s commands and prohibitions.
Pharaoh’s third statement “only in the throne I will be greater than you” means that only Pharaoh would possess more authority in the land of Egypt than Joseph.
Pharaoh’s fourth statement to Joseph “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt” sums up his first three statements revealing that Pharaoh conferred upon Joseph total authority in the task of administrating the nation of Egypt and would only be under Pharaoh’s authority.
This statement also reflects the Egyptian title “Chief of the Entire Land,” which is a title synonymous with “prime minister.”
Beginning in Genesis 41:42, we see Pharaoh performing four ceremonial acts, which publicly establish Joseph as prime minister of Egypt, second in authority only to Pharaoh himself.
Genesis 41:42, “Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put the gold necklace around his neck.”
Genesis 41:43, “He had him ride in his second chariot; and they proclaimed before him, ‘Bow the knee!’ And he set him over all the land of Egypt.”
These four ceremonial acts performed by Pharaoh to establish the delegation of authority to Joseph were well known symbols of investiture in Egypt.
This is confirmed in secular history since the account of Ashurbanipal (668-633 B.C.) followed these Egyptian customs when investing Neco as Pharaoh: “I clad him in a garment with multicolored trimmings, placed a golden chain on him…,put golden rings on his hands; I wrote my name (phonetically) upon an iron dagger (to be worn in) the girdle…I presented him with chariots, horses and mules as means of transportation (befitting) his position as ruler” (cited by Bruce K. Waltke, Genesis, A Commentary, Zondervan, page 534 from Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, Edited by J. B. Pritchard, 3rd Edition, Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1969).
Genesis 41:42, “Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put the gold necklace around his neck.”
The first ceremonial act that publicly established Joseph as prime minister of Egypt was the gift of Pharaoh’s signet ring.
“Signet ring” is the noun tabba`ath (tu^B^f^) (tab-bah-ath), which was the symbol of Pharaoh’s authority by which he stamped his signature or emblem on the clay seals that sealed documents, letters, orders and laws.
The gift of the signet ring symbolized the delegation of authority to Joseph and enabled Joseph to validate documents in Pharaoh’s name or in other words, with Pharaoh’s authority.
The imprint of this official ring had the power to make a document and therefore a decree, official, as the one offering the seal has the authority to act on behalf of the one who owns the seal.
The gift of the signet ring reflected the title “Royal Seal Bearer,” which was well known in the Egyptian bureaucracy.
The second ceremonial act performed by Pharaoh to establish Joseph’s authority in Egypt was to dress him in fine linen.
In Egypt, those of Pharaoh’s court officials wore expensive top quality garments that were almost transparent, linen and was the same material used in Israel for the Tabernacle furnishings and the priestly garments.
The third ceremonial act performed by Pharaoh to establish Joseph’s authority in Egypt was to put a gold necklace around his neck as a symbol of his authority and high position.
The gift of the gold necklace was another well known Egyptian symbol and was one of the highest distinctions Pharaoh could bestow upon one of his subjects.
Genesis 41:43, “He had him ride in his second chariot; and they proclaimed before him, ‘Bow the knee!’ And he set him over all the land of Egypt.”
The fourth and final ceremonial act was to have Joseph ride in Pharaoh’s second chariot with heralds proclaiming “attention” when Joseph drove by.
The second chariot indicated that Joseph was second in command to Pharaoh in all the land of Egypt.
“Bow the knee” is the interjection ‘avrekh (Er@b+a^) (av-rake), which is an Egyptian loanword meaning “attention, make way” and made clear to all the people that an outstanding man of ability, character, and authority was before them who was in complete control of affairs that meant life or death to multitudes.
It was customary in the ancient world and in the early days of the Israelite monarchy to have runners preceding the chariot of a dignitary heralding his arrival (See Esther 6:9; 2 Samuel 15:1; 1 Kings 1:5).
This last step in Joseph’s elevation to power served to introduce Joseph to the people of Egypt to whom he was totally unknown since for the previous fourteen years he was a household servant and prisoner.
Joseph’s elevation to power as a result of God giving him the ability to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams and to formulate a plan in light of this interpretation reveals the spiritual principle recorded in Proverbs 21:1.
Proverbs 21:1, “The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes.”
The Lord demonstrated His sovereignty over the nations by causing Pharaoh to promote Joseph to prime minister of Egypt.
Psalm 113:5-8, “Who is like the LORD our God, who is enthroned on high, who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of His people.”
1 Samuel 2:7-8, “The LORD makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts. He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with nobles, and inherit a seat of honor; For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and He set the world on them.”
God worked out the circumstances so that Pharaoh would promote Joseph as prime minister of Egypt.
For example, God gave the cupbearer his dreams and Joseph the ability to interpret those dreams, which led to the cupbearer eventually informing Pharaoh two years later of Joseph’s supernatural abilities.
God also gave Pharaoh his dreams and Joseph the ability to interpret those dreams and make recommendations in light of his interpretation of those dreams, which resulted in Pharaoh promoting Joseph.