GENESIS

Notes on Genesis 41

Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.

We see that after Joseph interpreted the butler's dream, he was forgotten for two whole years. Joseph had to stay in prison for another two years. All the chapters in Genesis took years even though it seems to happen quickly. God's timing isn't ours. Joseph probably would have preferred to be set free immediately. God had a plan though to free Joseph. Perhaps the delay was because God was dealing with his brethren and preparing their hearts for the time when they would meet Joseph again.

Genesis 41:2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favored kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.
3 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favored and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.
4 And the ill favored and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favored and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.
5 And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
6 And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.
7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
9 Then spoke the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:
10 Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker:
11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
12 And there was there with us a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.
13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.

I marvel that kings and leaders of countries seem to have no conscience when it comes to putting people to death. They do not ever show any remorse in their actions. Then I get to thinking that the reason we have more respect for individual lives is because of the influence of Jesus Christ and His word on our society from those that came before us.

And some think that we don't need God. We do not really understand how much we really need Him. If it wasn't for the influence of godly people we would not live in a country like the United States. I'm not talking about the religion of Christianity here. Many so-called Christians are not godly or Christ like. Catholics and Protestants both have messed up the gospel many times throughout church history. What we do not realize that among the false is always those that are really people who love God and know God. It may not be a certain denomination or church but there are people within the church who stay true to the word and are truly born again believers in Jesus.

Salvation comes through faith in Jesus. We can find him with or without a local church to help us, but we learn of Him within the pages of the bible. I believe in good bible believing local churches but churches are just vessels to bring the message of the gospel. They are not the means of salvation just messengers of the way of salvation. Cults or sects that teach their church is the only way of salvation is totally wrong and they rob their listeners the message of Jesus of being the only way of salvation. Jesus said that He is the way, the truth and the life. No person comes to the Father but through Jesus Christ. A good bible believing church is the one to seek out and become part of.

Yet in spite of all our faults and shortcomings, the influence of the bible and the result of people believing in Christ the Messiah, the world isn't as bad as before Christ came. We don't just put to death people as a whim at least among civilized countries. At least we didn't after the days of slavery and before the days of legalized abortion.

There have been periods in history that people and governments erred and got away from this but as a whole in the United States and Britain, we have more of a respect for life. If we truly follow Christ, we have more respect for human life. If we leave God out of our lives, we will eventually revert back to pre-Christ times. In fact since the teaching of evolution and denying God's word as our guide, we already have abortion legalized even up to the time just before a baby is born. Legalized euthanasia is next and it has really started already. Without Christ there is no respect for human life. Since writing this paragraph, there have been some leaders of a couple of states that legalized letting a baby die if it is born alive through a botched abortion. People that work in abortion clinics have told of doctors drowning born alive babies. We now know that they are also used to sell their body parts. Organ harvesting is what that is called.

Genesis 41:14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.

No one dares to see the king without being cleaned up and prepared. They really thought they were better than everyone else but nevertheless, God uses this to bring the children of Israel back to the fear of God.

Genesis 41:15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.
16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

Joseph is quick to give God the glory for his ability to interpret dreams. Joseph had nothing that God couldn't give to someone else. He knew that. We must not ever think ourselves higher than we should.

Genesis 41:17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:
18 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favored; and they fed in a meadow:
19 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favored and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:
20 And the lean and the ill favored kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:
21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favored, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
22 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:
23 And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:
24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.
25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath showed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.
27 And the seven thin and ill favored kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.
28 This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he showeth unto Pharaoh.
29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:
30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;
31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.
32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.
34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.
35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
36 And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.
37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;
43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Now we see how God brought about the exaltation of Joseph and how the dreams he use to have are going to come to pass. It was famine that brought Abraham to Egypt years ago and famine that will bring the whole nation of Israel to Egypt again.

I don't know exactly why it sometimes takes these drastic things to wake people up but it does. Because of the events in the life of Joseph, we see that Pharaoh finds out there is a God besides the false gods of Egypt. We find the repentance of Joseph's brothers and we see the heartwarming comfort Jacob receives when he finds out his favorite son is still alive.

Genesis 41:44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
47 And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.
48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.
49 And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.
50 And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On bore unto him.
51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.
52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

Joseph still gave God all the praise and glory for the good that had come to him. I'm sure he missed his father but God was comforting him with a family and two sons.

God gave Joseph wisdom to see ahead and provide for the people in the years of famine to come. Sure, God could have stopped the seven years of famine and bless the land with good crops but He had a purpose in this. This was going to bring healing and restoration to the children of Israel whom God had chosen to be His people to bring the gospel to the whole world.

If Israel had obeyed God from the beginning, they would have avoided much heartache. Nothing could have stopped them from becoming the greatest nation on the earth. They disappeared for almost 2000 years as a nation because of their rejection of Jesus Christ. As the first believers were Jews, the last believers will be Jews. The times of the Gentiles will end before too long. Israel will find out who their real deliverer is. It is not the United States but Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Genesis 41:53 And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.
54 And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.
57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.

This is what will bring about the reconciliation of Joseph and his brothers. From bad will come good. There is a heartwarming story ahead. DC

Genesis 42