Genesis 41
Pharaoh’s Dreams
4 And the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up.
5 He fell asleep again and had a second dream: Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. 6 After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—thin and scorched by the east wind. 7 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up; it had been a dream.
8 In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him.
9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings. 10 Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. 11 Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. 12 Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. 13 And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.”
14 So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.
15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”
16 “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”
17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18 when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds. 19 After them, seven other cows came up—scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt. 20 The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. 21 But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.
22 “In my dream I saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk. 23 After them, seven other heads sprouted—withered and thin and scorched by the east wind. 24 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but none of them could explain it to me.”
25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. 27 The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.
28 “It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, 30 but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. 31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. 32 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.
33 “And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. 36 This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.”
37 The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. 38 So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?”
39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”
Joseph in Charge of Egypt
41 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and people shouted before him, “Make way!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.
44 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.” 45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.
46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt. 47 During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. 48 Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. 49 Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.
50 Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. 51 Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” 52 The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”
53 The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, 54 and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food. 55 When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.”
56 When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. 57 And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere.
Genesis 41 (NIV)
In Genesis 41, a seed previously sown bursts forth out of the ground and produces an abundant harvest that not only benefits Joseph but also benefits the land of Egypt as well as others, all to the glory of God.
Remember in Genesis 40 when Joseph interpreted the dreams of the baker and the cupbearer? After 2 years of not thinking about Joseph, a situation arises which makes Pharaoh’s cupbearer remember him. This one encounter changed Joseph’s life entirely and ushered him into the next season of his life and ministry. Not only that, it changed the trajectory of a whole nation.
As you study this chapter, I encourage you to think about your own life and your walk with God. Think about where you are and where God is leading you. Ask God to give you wisdom to know what to do in this current season of your life and how to prepare for the future.
God bless you.
Lessons from Genesis 41
- Warning signs and a call to prepare: God always likes to tell people about things that will happen. If you pay attention, you will notice the signs and if you are wise, you will prepare.
- In the busyness of life, don’t forget people who helped you out: After the cupbearer had gotten out of jail he forgot about Joseph, he got back into the busyness of life and forgot those who were with him in his moments of distress.
- People may forget you but God never will: It took two years for the cupbearer to think about Joseph again. Not only that, he remembered Joseph just because Pharaoh was faced with a similar situation as he had been years ago in Genesis 40 (a dream that needed interpretation).
Unlike men, God always has you on His mind. See those prayers you prayed years ago? He still remembers them. He remembers the seeds you sowed a long time ago, the dreams He put on your heart years ago… God cares. People may forget you but God never will, cheer up.
- The gifts of God in your life will always make you stand out. Don’t be afraid of showing them to the world. (Learn more by studying this devotional by Pastor Karim)
- There are no shortcomings in God: where magic and the wisdom of men failed, God was able to bring forth answers and solutions.
- God has a way of showing up just at the right time: God is never too late or too early, He shows up at the right time all the time. It takes a whole lot of trust in Him to wait on Him in faith. Stop worrying about whatever it is you’re going through and start trusting in God. Trust that He will not let you get hurt. Turning over your cares to God like that will save you from so much worry and anxiety.
- Certain things make more sense in retrospect than they do in the moment. Be calm and trust God.
- God will keep your name in the minds and mouths of the right people: God loves us all, and like a good father, He wants the best for us. God has good things to say about you, He will keep the right people talking about you.
Don’t worry about not having many connections to rich and influential people, if you have a connection with God, that’s more than enough ❤.
- “I cannot do it but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires”: these are words spoken by Joseph in verse 16 of Genesis 41. He refused to take the glory that was God’s, reminding the people that it was not by power nor by might but by the Spirit of God (Zechariah 4:6).
How many times do you give God credit instead of boasting in your own ability?
When you glorify God, He will make you look good.
- God of great plans: God did not only give the interpretation for Pharaoh’s dream, He went a step further and provided the plan on how to deal with the coming situation (Genesis 41:33-36). That’s the kind of God we serve, He gives understanding and provides guidance to help us deal with situations we face. If you ever lack wisdom, pray (James 1:5)
- Take action, get proactive: When God puts a dream in your heart, it’s not just for you to know and be happy or scared, it’s for you to take action.
If Pharaoh had only talked about the dream and left it at that, the people in the land would have had to deal with the 7 years of famine. Similarly, if you don’t take action you might miss God.
Note: being proactive and taking action doesn’t mean stepping on God’s feet. There are things you can do and there are things that only God can do, wisdom will help you discern the difference.
- The blessing of God upon you will propel you to higher heights: God’s Spirit in you makes you a person with a difference, it makes you supernatural and causes people to be drawn to you.
Joseph was able to interpret a dream that many others had tried to interpret and failed, because of this, he earned admiration from Pharaoh and was propelled from a prisoner to the second greatest man in the land of Egypt, a land where he was a foreigner.
- God can change your entire life in less time than it takes for you to blink: See what happens in verses 37-45 of Genesis 41, Pharaoh was in awe and acknowledged that Joseph was filled with the spirit of God and he decided to put Joseph in charge of everything. Just like that 🫰, Joseph went from being a prisoner brought before Pharaoh to interpret a dream, to a man in charge – a man adorned in fine robes and beautiful jewelry and riding on horses and chariots.
Stop worrying about all the milestones you’re not hitting at the same time/age as others. Focus on God and where He’s leading you. God has the ability to make the right people call you with the right opportunities, He has the ability to open new doors for you, He has the ability to transform your whole entire life in an instant. Seek first His kingdom and all these things will be handed to you as well (Matthew 6:33).
- The time factor: 13 years, that’s how long it took from when Joseph was sold by his brothers to be a slave (Genesis 37) to this point where he was put in charge of everything. 13 years of being a servant in a foreign land, 13 years of dealing with circumstances that he didn’t choose for himself, 13 years of wondering what that dream God had put in his heart meant.
I can only imagine the range of emotions Joseph must have felt in those 13 years, and now it was all over. The pain and humiliation of the 13 years was transformed into celebration as God uplifted Joseph not only for his personal benefit but for the benefit of all Egyptians and even neighbouring nations.
- Be grateful for the lessons learned: While those 13 years of being a slave must not have fun for Joseph, there were many lessons learned that helped him step into his new role.
- At his father’s house he learned to be a good shepherd and he learned to fellowship with God.
- He understood the agony of slavery from a “been there, done that” perspective. Experiences like that heavily shape the way you treat others.
- He learned to be a diligent worker.
- He learned the language and culture of the Egyptians.
- He learned to be a leader by being placed in charge at Potiphar’s house and then later in the prison.
- He got to interpret dreams for people in prison and learned to recognize this gift of God in him.
- He learned to trust God deeply.
Some situations in life are less-than ideal but when you walk with God, He’ll make everything work out for your good (Romans 8:28). So, focus on God and learn whatever lessons and skills you can from the current season of life.
- Faith propels you into action: When you have faith in God, you will move at His rhythm. Joseph and Pharaoh had faith that God had given the right counsel concerning Pharaoh’s dream and so they sprung into action storing food during the season of abundance. Faith propels you into action, you don’t just sit around and wait to see what’s coming.
Reflection
- How much do you trust God?
- How are you preparing for the manifestation of your answered prayers?
- Are you positioning yourself to excel in those new places you’re praying for God to lead you to or are you sitting around with folded arms?
- What lessons/skills can you learn in the current season of your life?
Further reading
- Psalm 121:3 [He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber;]
- Psalm 46:10 [He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”]
Prayer
Father, I thank you that you never forget me. I rejoice in knowing that all my light afflictions are but temporary. In this season of my life, give me wisdom that I will learn skills and lessons that will help me excel in the coming seasons. Open my eyes that I will always see the works of your hands and glorify you with the praises of my lips. Forgive me for the times I sat around and complained instead trusting you wholeheartedly. Let your perfect will be done in my life. In Jesus name, amen.
Community
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God bless you!
