Joseph as Vice Regent after Pharaoh - Genesis 41

Click here to read Genesis 41

Two years later Pharaoh has a dream.

Joseph stops for a haircut as he leaves the jail. Nice detail.

1dream - seven skinny cows from the Nile eat seven fat cows from the Nile.
Pharaoh woke up.

2dream - seven thin and scorched heads of grain ate seven healthy heads of grain.

Pharaoh is troubled by his dreams.

Dream interpretation was an art and science done by certain magicians and other types at the time. They had books where dream symbols and their interpretations were written that they would consult.

Dreams were often seen as given by the gods.

When Joseph says God can interpret the dream, but he can't, this is different than the skill of most dream interpreters who would use these books and methods.

v16 – Joseph gives credit to God

Joseph is shown to be able to interpret Pharaoh's dream when the magicians could not. Another Pharaoh is given this exact same chance to see that Yahweh is authentic and the magicians phony when Moses is able to perform signs that Pharaoh's magicians could not.

The cupbearer remembers Joseph. He admits he should not have forgotten.

They keep referring to Joseph as "the Hebrew".

In Pharaoh's telling of the dream to Joseph, the ugly skinny vows were just as skinny after eating the fat cows as they were before.

Joseph says the dreams are the same, but the repetition shows that God has decided what he will do. The flood appeared to be the same way in Noah's time. God said he would destroy the earth, not that Noah had time to prepare people for it so God could change his mind.

Much of the Joseph narrative shows God doing what God will do. He is directing these events. He is giving Joseph favour. He is helping Joseph find his brothers in Dotham through directions from a stranger. He gives Joseph success in all he does. God will do what God will do.

Joseph tells Pharaoh that there will be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. He counsels him to put a wise man I'm charge of Egypt who can administrate the use of resources, storing it for the later years. There will be a heavy flat income tax on everyone of 20%, and in the famine years, everyone will receive government social assistance. The wise man will see to distribution to those in need in the seven famine years.

Note – The government social assistance was actually carried out by selling back to the starving people the grain they had been taxed without payment.

Pharaoh recognizes God's Spirit in Joseph, because of his wisdom and discernment.

Egyptians trusted in a god of the Nile to flood the river and water their land every year. Any god that could inflict a famine would have been seen as very powerful, and more powerful than the most powerful gods that the Egyptians relied on.

Joseph is chosen as the wise man to rule Egypt. He is put in charge of everything under Pharaoh. This is the same position he had with his dad, with Potiphar, and in prison.

Joseph gets another fancy coat.
He gets to ride in a fancy chariot.

Joseph is given an Egyptian wife and a new name. Giving a name shows that you hold authority over someone, so Pharaoh is seen as having authority over Joseph in this case.

This description of Joseph's rise to power matches exactly the historical data recorded about the politics of ancient Egypt. The role Joseph has is most closely described by the known name "Overseer of the Granaries of Upper and Lower Egypt".

There were many second in command positions in ancient Egypt, all of them equal to one another. This is similar to Pharaoh as CEO with several vice-presidents over different departments.

Joseph did as he said, collecting so much grain he lost track in the first seven years.

Joseph has two sons by his Egyptian wife. This is comparable to his older brother Judah, having two sons during the same period.

The priests of On were some of the most powerful and influential in all of Egypt.

Though Joseph is given an Egyptian name, wife, and position, he gives his children God honouring Hebrew names.

The famine is all over the world. Joseph distributes grain by selling it back to the starving Egyptian people. This is hardly a compassionate or benevolent socialist society.
(More on this next week)

All nations buy grain from Joseph. Genesis 12 - all nations will be blessed by you.

God fed the Israelites with manna under Moses.

Jesus is the bread of life.