“Genesis 41:25-36”

Thursday, April 02, 2020

“Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, 'Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same; God has told 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 and the same. 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. It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 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. So the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very severe. 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. Now let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 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. 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. 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.'”

---End of Scripture verses---

“Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, 'Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same...” (verse 25) The only differences in the Pharaoh's two impactful dreams were the the details involved. The cows and the grain both represented the exact same things. “The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one and the same.” (verse 26) “God has told to Pharaoh what He is about to do.” (verse 25) Pharaoh was right to not brush these dreams off as if they were merely the inconsequential inner workings of his severely stimulated subconscious mind. This was none other than a revelation from the mind of God Almighty, albeit a cryptic one that needed the interpretation of one endowed with divine discernment such as Joseph.

“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.” (verse 27) “Pharaoh elaborated upon the negative aspects of his dreams (vv. 19,21) emphasizing the elements that had deeply disturbed him. Joseph, therefore, mentions the famine first, inverting the order of the dream phenomena. In this way, the narrative indicates that it is the famine that causes Joseph's emancipation and elevation to high office and brings his brothers down to Egypt. It is these events that are the ultimate points of interest in the story.” (Nahum Sarna)

“It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do.” (verse 28) Joseph encased the revelation of the seven years of famine and drought within the same framework phrase to emphasize the point that the dreams were God's doing. In verse 16, prior to hearing and interpreting the dreams, Joseph insisted that, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” This was the Lord's business and His doings from start to finish, and Joseph wisely and righteously fixated that fact to Pharaoh's comprehension.

“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.” (verses 29-30) While these dreams and the subsequent unfolding chain of events were ultimately designed to fulfill the Lord's greater purposes, the fact remains that God was giving Pharaoh abundant warning and ample opportunity to prepare himself and his people for the hard years that lie ahead. No matter how delightful and impressive the booming years of our lives may be, the lean years will ravage us and leave us completely destitute if we do not make adequate preparation for them while we have the opportunity to do so.

Whether it is taking care of our physical health, planning for our financial future and our edifying and fortifying our spiritual strength, the importance of the principle of proper preparation can not be overemphasized. Solomon exhorts us in Ecclesiastes 12:1 to, “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, 'I have no delight in them.'” Make appropriate preparations during the time you have the ability to do so, because the day will eventually come when it will be too late. “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). “Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.” (Ecclesiastes 12:6-7) “Careless soul, O heed the warning, for your life will soon be gone; O how sad, to face the judgment, unprepared to meet thy God.”

“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.” (verse 32) Consider Nahum Sarna's commentary on Joseph's two dreams from Genesis 37:5-9—“Throughout the Joseph narratives, dreams come in pairs in order to demonstrate their seriousness, as noted in 41:32. The possibility of an idle dream was recognized by the ancients. From the literature of the ancient Near East we have accounts of double, triple, and even sevenfold repetition of dreams in which one symbol is successively substituted for another, although the basic meaning and central theme remain the same throughout the series.”

“Now let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.” (verse 33) Of course Pharaoh didn't have to look very far at all, for a singularly discerning and wise man was standing right before him advising him in the course of action he should take. Joseph went on to strongly suggest “that three measures be taken to avert the dreaded menace of famine: the selection of a national commissioner, the appointment of regional overseers, and the institution of urban grain storage... the populace is to give a fifth part of the produce to the crown for storage purposes... It is to be noted that Joseph later institutes a permanent tax of one-fifth of all produce (47:24,26) and that the number 'five' recurs many times in the Joseph story.” (Nahum Sarna)

Please read Genesis 41:37-45 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

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