Genesis 41

CHAPTER 41

Pharaoh’s Dreams (41:1–40)

1–7 Two years after Joseph had interpreted the dreams of the cupbearer and baker, the Pharaoh himself had two dreams. In the first dream, seven fat cows appeared, which were then eaten by seven thin cows (verses 1–4). The second dream was similar: seven full heads of grain were swallowed up by seven thin heads of grain (verses 5–7).

8–13 Pharaoh clearly thought the dreams must mean something important, but none of his magicians and wise men could interpret the dreams for him (verse 8).

Then the chief cupbearer remembered Joseph in prison, and recalled how Joseph had correctly interpreted his dream and also that of the chief baker. For two years he had forgotten Joseph’s request for help to get out of prison (Genesis 40:14); only now did he remember.

But in fact, the cupbearer remembered at the best possible time; if he had remembered earlier, perhaps no good would have come of it. But now Pharaoh needed Joseph’s help; and the cupbearer’s timely words to Pharaoh were the means by which God raised Joseph to power in Egypt.

14–16 Pharaoh sent for Joseph and said he had heard that Joseph could interpret dreams. Joseph replied, “I cannot do it, but God can” (verse 16). Joseph did not hesitate to give full credit for his abilities to God. Pharaoh understood that Joseph was God’s spokesman, and so he related his dreams to him.

17–24 In these verses, Pharaoh describes his two dreams to Joseph (see verses 1–7).

25–32 Here Joseph gives the interpretation of the two dreams. Joseph explained to Pharaoh that the seven cows and seven heads of grain represented seven years. The fat cows and full heads of grain represented seven years of plenty, and the thin cows and thin heads of grain represented seven years of famine.

Then Joseph told Pharaoh that the years of plenty and years of famine were actually going to occur throughout Egypt (Acts 7:11). The fact that Pharaoh had been given two forms of the same basic dream indicated that God most assuredly would bring to pass that which the dreams foretold.

33–36 Then Joseph went beyond simply interpreting the dreams; he gave Pharaoh wise advice. He urged Pharaoh to store up grain during the years of plenty so that there would be enough grain to last through the years of famine. In this way, Egypt would be saved from ruin. He even suggested that Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man to be in charge of the storage and distribution of grain (verse 33).

37–40 That “discerning and wise man” was Joseph; in Pharaoh’s judgment, Joseph had the spirit¹²⁴ of God (verse 38). So Pharaoh appointed Joseph to be second in command over all of Egypt. And Joseph was only thirty years old (verse 46).

Joseph in Charge of Egypt (41:41–57)

41–45 Joseph not only received the second-highest position in the land; he also received from Pharaoh a wife, who would soon bear him two sons (verse 50).

46–49 Joseph carried out his duties diligently; he stored up so much grain during the plentiful years that they even stopped measuring it (verse 49). For Joseph, having foreknowledge of God’s plans was not a reason to fatalistically sit back and do nothing; rather it was a reason to take action. God expects us to heed His warnings and to act accordingly.

50–52 Joseph’s Egyptian wife Asenath gave birth to Manasseh.¹²⁵ Then she gave birth to Ephraim.¹²⁶ In choosing these names, Joseph was acknowledging the great good that God had accomplished on his behalf.

53–57 After the seven years of plenty were over, the famine began. And truly it did seem to “swallow up” the abundance of the seven good years. But because of Joseph’s wisdom and leadership, the Egyptians did not starve; indeed many people from surrounding countries came to buy grain in Egypt, because the famine was severe in all the world (verse 57)—that is, in all the Middle East.

The rise of Joseph through exile, slavery and imprisonment is one of the Bible’s most important episodes. God’s dealings with Joseph repeat a pattern already found in Genesis: God chooses particular individuals through whom to fulfill His purposes.

During the time of the Flood, God chose Noah to reestablish the human race. Then God selected Abraham to be the father of a special “chosen people.” And now God was fulfilling His purposes by raising Joseph to power in Egypt. Joseph was to be the means by which God would form a nation—a nation through which all peoples on earth [would] be blessed (Genesis 12:3).

Joseph, in his day, was fulfilling that promise to be a blessing to all peoples; he was saving them from starvation and ruin. In this we can see again that Joseph was a forerunner of Christ: both suffered, both were servants, both had prophetic insight, both were divinely appointed rulers to whom every knee must bow (Philippians 2:6–11).

For God to use Joseph in this way, only one thing was necessary: Joseph had to “die”—die to himself. And that is true of every person who seeks to be used by God: we too must die to ourselves, to our self-interest, to our selfish desires. Jesus said: “. . . unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24).