Northern Kentucky's Evening Interdenominational Community Bible Study Text of Presentation, Lesson 22, Gen 41-42 Click Here for Lesson 22 Photos Click Here to return to GENESIS Home Page

Genesis 41:1-42:38
Joseph Governs Egypt: Faithful Service Rewarded

Last week’s lesson covered the first 11 years of Joseph’s slavery in Egypt. His industry and organization skills enabled him to rise to household manager for Potiphar, captain of the guard for the pharaoh (37:36). This ended when Potiphar’s wife attempted to seduce Joseph – and charged him with attempted rape when he refused. Potiphar put Joseph in prison – fortunately, a special prison for political prisoners – and Joseph soon became manager of the prison. In prison, Joseph successfully interpreted the dreams of pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and chief baker, both of whom had offended pharaoh.

As Joseph foretold, the chief cupbearer was released and resumed his position. He is on the job when tonight’s lesson opens two years later (41:1). Pharaoh has troubling dreams – which is a big deal in the Egyptian culture. He sends for “all the magicians and wise men of Egypt . . . but no one could interpret” the dreams (41:8).

Let’s try to analyze the situation. There was nothing really remarkable about the dreams of the chief cupbearer and chief baker that required God (through Joseph) to interpret them. What was remarkable was Joseph so firmly believed his interpretations came from God that he had the courage to forthrightly tell the chief baker his dream was really bad!

The same is true with pharaoh’s dreams: they aren’t really remarkable, either . . . for us, perhaps, but not for a professional dream interpreter. Pharaoh is standing by the Nile – the river whose regular annual floods are the foundation of Egyptian agriculture. He sees seven sleek and fat cows come up out of the river, followed by seven ugly and gaunt cows, which eat the seven sleek, fat cows. Then he sees seven healthy ears of corn growing on a stalk, followed by seven thin and scorched ears of corn, which swallow up the seven healthy, full ears (41:1-7). The dreams obviously relate to the agriculture of Egypt, with seven good things, followed by seven bad things.

The magicians and wise men of Egypt ought to be able to interpret these dreams . . . but perhaps God has hidden the meaning from them – or they don’t have the courage to give bad news to pharaoh. The saying about “shooting the messenger” came from ancient times; anyone who tells pharaoh there will be seven years of famine is in danger of being put to death! So the magicians and wise men leave pharaoh hanging.

Enter the chief cupbearer. Joseph asked him to plead his case to pharaoh, but he didn’t. It may not have seemed in his self interest to do so in the past – but now it is! Pharaoh has a problem, and pharaoh will surely show his appreciation to anyone who helps him solve it! So now the chief cupbearer reveals that he and the chief baker had dreams when they were in prison, and “a young Hebrew . . . interpreted them for us, . . . and things turned out exactly as he interpreted them” (41:9-13).

Pharaoh doesn’t need to be told twice. He “sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon” (41:14). The bible also says he “shaved and changed his clothes” (41:14); he would have more credibility if he looked nice before pharaoh – and also if he looked like a clean-shaven Egyptian, rather than a bearded Semite. (This, by the way, is an argument against this pharaoh being a Hyksos; shaving would be unnecessary for a fellow Semite.)

Joseph is brought before pharaoh and asked to confirm that he can interpret dreams. He gives a gutsy answer: “I cannot do it . . . but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires” (41:16). Pharaoh is believed to be a god; how will he react to this foreigner telling him the interpretation of his dreams comes from the Hebrew God? Apparently pharaoh is too disturbed to worry about such a technicality, because he tells Joseph his dreams (41:17-24).

Joseph interprets the dreams – continuing his gusty claim about the power of the Hebrew God. “God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do” (41:25), Joseph says. “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same,” he continues. “The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears of corn are seven years; . . . the seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterwards are seven years, and so are the seven worthless ears of corn. . . . God has shown Pharaoh (that) . . . seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them. . . . The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon” (41:25-32).

Joseph now has every right to fear for his life. He has told pharaoh bad news: seven years of famine are coming. He has told pharaoh he can do nothing to prevent it because the Hebrew God has “firmly decided . . . (to) do it soon” (41:32) – overruling the power of all Egyptian gods, including pharaoh. Kings don’t like to hear things like this!

But Joseph, once an arrogant favorite son, has now spent 13 years of total subservience; and he has evidently learned lessons in management style in. He presents pharaoh with a problem – but he also proposes a solution. “So that the country may not be ruined by the famine” (41:36), Joseph says, “Let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh . . . take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance . . . and store up the grain . . . (to be) used during the seven years of famine” (41:33-36). Joseph does not suggest himself as the “discerning and wise man,” and “the plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials” (41:37).

Who knows what the officials were thinking when they agreed to Joseph’s suggestion . . . but it probably wasn’t that they would all be ruled by a Hebrew slave! However, pharaoh’s Egyptian wise men failed to interpret these important dreams, so this Hebrew slave is now the wisest man in Egypt. So what if his wisdom comes from this strange Hebrew God . . . pharaoh says to his officials: “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?” (41:38). Whatever the officials are thinking, they don’t dare contradict pharaoh; so he turns to Joseph and says: “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no-one so discerning and wise as you. . . . I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt” (41:39, 41). Some Egyptian officials may be gritting their teeth in the background – and imagine what Potiphar’s wife thinks when she hears! – but the deed is done.

Joseph becomes “second-in-command” in Egypt (41:43) – COO of the kingdom, with pharaoh as CEO. Pharaoh gives Joseph his signet ring: symbolizing the authority to make decrees on behalf of pharaoh (41:42). He gives him fine clothes and appropriate “perks” of office and a wife, daughter of a pagan priest. Joseph is 30 (41:46) – the same age Jesus was when he began his ministry (Luke 3:23); it’s been 13 years since that fateful day in Dothan when his jealous half-brothers sold him into slavery.

Joseph does just as he says – and more. He planned to “take a fifth of the harvest” (41:34), but the bible says he “collected all the food produced in . . . seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it; . . . it was so much that he stopped keeping records” (41:48-49). Some scholars suggest he bought 20% of the grain at low surplus prices from the land owners, but that – due to irrigation of the Faiyum region – he established large new farms there for pharaoh, where all the grain was stored. Joseph and his wife are also productive, and have two children: Manasseh and Ephriam.

But then “the seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end” (41:53), and the Middle East transitions abruptly from great abundance to severe famine – just as Joseph said God planned. The people appeal to pharaoh in their hunger, and he refers them to Joseph (41:55). The bible says: “Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians . . . and all the countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the world” (41:56-57).

As chapter 42 opens, Israel and his family back to Canaan suffer from famine like everyone else. When this happened with Isaac, God told him not to go to Egypt (26:2) – and God blessed him in Canaan. But Israel receives no such message from God . . . and when he learns there is grain in Egypt, he sends his 10 oldest sons there to buy some (42:1-3). Israel’s favoritism for Joseph has now been transferred to his younger brother Benjamin; the bible leaves the impression that – although he’s over 20 now – Isaac keeps him close to home, for fear he will lose what he believes is his last living reminder of his favorite wife Rachel (42:4).

Joseph, now described as “the governor of” Egypt (42:6), is pictured in the bible as a “hands-on” manager (41:45-46). He personally oversees the grain sales – probably to approve the method of payment for foreigners, and to make sure grain is not sold to subversive elements (as 42:14 implies). His 10 brothers apply to purchase grain, and bow “down to (Joseph) with their faces to the ground” (42:1-6) – as is appropriate for an appeal to someone whose decision about grain sales will determine if the family lives or dies. It’s been over 20 years, but Joseph recognizes his brothers immediately – and the scene makes him remember his dream back in Canaan (37:7)! His brothers, of course, don’t recognize him (42:7-9) – clean shaven like an Egyptian . . . speaking to them through an interpreter (42:23) – and why would they think the brother they sold into slavery over 20 years ago could possibly be in this exalted position, anyway?!

Joseph named his children to indicate he has forgiven and forgotten (41:51-52) . . . but now he seems intent on humbling his brothers with threats and mind games. He accuses them of being spies. And when they tell him about their family to counter this charge, he demands proof they have a younger brother at home. He throws them all into prison and threatens execution; he vows to keep nine of them there until one goes to fetch the 11th brother. But three days later, he returns with a change of heart: “I fear God,” Joseph says, which really must have shocked the brothers, coming from an ‘Egyptian’! “Let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die” (42:18-20).

No matter how much the brothers disliked Joseph, for over 20 years they must have been laboring under a heavy burden of guilt; because “they said to one another, ‘Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen’” (42:21). Now Reuben, who wimped out in Dothan, comes out with an ‘I told you so’: “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood” (42:22). They don’t think Joseph can “understand them, since he was using an interpreter” (42:23) – but of course he hears every word . . . and it moves him to tears (42:24). But he regains his composure, and puts Israel’s #2 son, Simeon, in chains before them (42:24). Joseph then sells them grain . . . but he plays one final trick: he puts the silver they used to pay for the grain in the sacks with their grain. When one brother finds the silver in his sack the first night of the return journey, they are convinced they are being punished by God (42:28)! – but they don’t find all the silver until they return home.

The brothers tell the story to their father essentially as it happened. Israel accepted the brothers’ word about an accident to Joseph on the way to Dothan (37:32-33), but he becomes accusatory when all the silver is found in their sacks! We really have to feel for the 10 brothers at this point. Israel has 11 sons (as far as he knows) – but his favoritism for the children of Rachel is so strong he acts like he has only one. He will let Simeon rot in prison rather than allow Benjamin go to Egypt to retrieve him. As far as he is concerned, Simeon is dead (42:36). Israel says: “My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my grey head down to the grave in sorrow” (42:38). The bible refers to Israel as Jacob here; the name seems to shift, depending on whether he acts like the old selfish Jacob or the Israel whose painful experiences brought him to trust God.

This is where tonight’s story ends. Next week we’ll see that the famine continues unabated, and Israel is faced with a difficult decision: stand by while his entire family starves to death, or allow Benjamin to go to Egypt.