Pharaoh Has A Really Bad Dream

Hello from the Panhandle. It is spring break here and my girls have gone downstate. Me, I have the flu or a bad sinus infection or something so I am at home with our son. He is not much of a traveler and there really isn't anyone for him to hang out with down there. So here we are and there they are.

Speaking of here we are, let's take a look at where Joseph is by now. When we pick up in Chapter 41 Joseph is still languishing in prison. Don't you know that had to be discouraging, there he was thinking he would be getting out just any time. And then a week went by, a month went by, and then a year went by. I know I would have been thinking, “God, why me? What haven't I done? Why get my hopes up only to dash them?”

But things are about to turn around for Joseph.

CHAPTER 41 AT A GLANCE

1. Pharaoh's dreams v. 1-8.

2. The recommendation of Joseph to him for an interpreter v. 9-13.

3. The interpretation of the dreams, and the prediction of seven years of plenty and seven years of famine in Egypt, with the prudent advice given to Pharaoh thereupon v. 14-36.

4. The preferment of Joseph to a place of the highest power and trust in Egypt v. 37-45.

5. The accomplishment of Joseph's prediction, and his fidelity to his trust v. 46, etc..

(from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1991 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)

Genesis 41:1

41:1 When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile, dream.

1. Pharaoh’s Dream

At the end of two full years. It is not certain whether these years are measured from the beginning of Joseph's imprisonment, or from the time when he interpreted the baker and the cupbearer's dreams, most likely the latter.

Pharaoh, from an Egyptian word Phre, signifying the `sun,' was the official title of the kings of that country. The prince who occupied the throne of Egypt was Aphophis, one of the Memphite kings, whose capital was On or Heliopolis, and who is universally acknowledged to have been a patriot king. Between the arrival of Abraham and the appearance of Joseph in that country, somewhat more than two centuries had elapsed, and great political changes had taken place.

Kings sleep and dream as well as their subjects; but greater importance was attached to their dreams. (cf. Homer's `Iliad,' ii., 80). And this Pharaoh had two dreams in one night so singular and so similar, so distinct and so apparently significant, so coherent and vividly impressed on his memory, that his spirit was troubled.

(from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)

Genesis 41:2-7

2 when out of the river there came up seven cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. 3 After them, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. 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

2. The Dream (vs. 2-7)

He was standing by the Nile, and saw seven fine fat cows ascend from the Nile and feed in the Nile-grass and behind them seven others, ugly (according to v. 19, unparalleled in their ugliness), lean "thin in flesh," for which we find in v. 19 "fallen away," and withered in flesh, fleshless), which placed themselves beside those fat ones on the brink of the Nile and devoured them, without there being any effect to show that they had eaten them. He then awoke, but fell asleep again and had a second, similar dream: seven fat (v. 22, full) and fine ears grew upon one blade, and were swallowed up by seven thin (v. 23, "and hardened") ones, which were blasted by the east wind i.e., the S.E. wind, Chamsin, from the desert of Arabia). (from Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament: New Updated Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)

Genesis 41:8

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.

3. The Wise Men Could Not Interpret The Dream

Being troubled by these dreams, Pharaoh sent for all the scribes and wise men of Egypt the next morning, to have the dreams interpreted.

The wise men were of the priestly caste, who occupied themselves with the sacred arts and sciences of the Egyptians, the hieroglyphic writings, astrology, the interpretation of dreams, the foretelling of events, magic, and conjuring, and who were regarded as the possessors of secret arts (vid., Ex 7:11) and the wise men of the nation.

But not one of them could interpret the dreams. It is interesting that the religious symbols of Egypt may give a clue. The cow was the symbol of Isis, the goddess of the all-sustaining earth, and in the hieroglyphics it represented the earth, agriculture, and food. The Nile, by its overflowing, was the source of the fertility of the land.

However simple the explanation of the fat and lean cows ascending out of the Nile may appears to be, it is "the fate of the wisdom of this world, that where it suffices it is compelled to be silent. For it belongs to the government of God to close the lips of the eloquent, and take away the understanding of the aged. (from Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament: New Updated Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.)

Genesis 41:9-13

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 hanged."

4. The Cup-bearer Remembers Joseph

The Pharaoh's quandary made the head cup-bearer remember Joseph. The cup-bearer then reminded the Pharaoh of how he and the head baker had made the Pharaoh unhappy with them. He spoke of them being put in prison. He told the Pharaoh that while they were in prison they had dreams they could not interpret and how a young man named Joseph was able to tell them the meaning of their dreams. He told the Pharaoh that Joseph had been right and things happened just as he said they would. 

The head cup-bearer was reminded of his ingratitude to Joseph. The Pharaoh listen to this tale intently and would act on what he had just heard.