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BIBLE
STUDY LESSON
For
the week beginning Sunday March 24, 2019
PHARAOH’S
DREAM
Genesis 41
Two years after Joseph was
imprisoned by Potipher, the Pharaoh of Egypt (who, according to Egyptian
records, at that time was Sesostris III – 1878-1843 B.C.) had two puzzling
dreams that concerned him greatly. In the first dream, he saw himself standing
on the banks of the Nile River, where he saw seven fat, healthy-looking cows
suddenly come up out of the river, and began grazing on the bank. Then, just as
suddenly, he saw seven jaunty, ugly looking cows come up out of the river, and they
ate all seven of the fat, healthy-looking cows. At that point the Pharaoh awoke
from his dream.
A short while later the Pharaoh fell asleep
again, only to dream a similarly puzzling dream. This time, however, he dreamed
of seven healthy heads of grain on one stalk, having every kernel well-formed
and plump. Then suddenly he saw seven other heads of grain, also on one stalk,
only these were withered and shriveled by the force of the east wind. Then,
just as suddenly, the thin withered heads of grain, swallowed up the plump,
healthy heads of grain, and the Pharaoh again was awaken to realize it was only
a dream.
The next morning the Pharaoh called in all
of his magicians and wise men, but none of them were able to interpret his
dreams to him. Just then the Pharaoh’s cupbearer, who was present, and, who had
served time with Joseph in prison, remembered that Joseph had interpreted one
of his dreams while in prison, and, that he had promised to put in a good word
for Joseph to the Pharaoh upon his release. He suddenly felt convicted that he
had forgotten all about Joseph when he got out jail, and instead, blended back
into his old job at the palace, and never gave Joseph another thought until
that moment.
The cupbearer then told the Pharaoh about
Joseph’s uncanny ability to interpret dreams, and he sent for Joseph at once,
and he was hastily brought before him. When Joseph heard the details of the Pharaoh’s
dreams, he said to him, “Both dreams mean the same thing”. The seven healthy
cows, and the seven healthy stalks of grain, represent seven years of
prosperity in Egypt, while the seven skinny cows, and the seven withered heads
of grain represent seven years of famine in Egypt. The seven years of famine
would erase the memory of the previous seven years of prosperity. Having the
dream twice meant that GOD had decreed it, and that both these events would
soon occur.
Now here’s where Joseph’s faithfulness is
rewarded, because GOD gave him the solution to the problem, before it
physically became a problem. Joseph advises the king to set up a nationwide
program by which they would store up one fifth of all the grain collected
during the seven years prosperity, so that there would be more than enough food
for the people to survive on during the seven years of famine. Impressed by
Joseph’s GODly wisdom, and now convinced of his being filled with the SPIRIT of
GOD, the Pharaoh put Joseph in charge over all of Egypt, second only to himself.
Then Pharoah re-named Joseph “Zaphenath-paneah”
which is interpreted “Savior of the world” and also “revealer of secrets” (Gen.
41:37-46). He then gave Joseph an Egyptian wife named Asenath, who was the
daughter of Potiphera (which means “he who Ra the sun god has given), a priest
of Heliopolis. Pharaoh hoped that Asenath would teach Joseph the ways of
Egyptian life. She bore Joseph two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
Joseph’s marriage to Asenath may account
for why no tribe of Israel is named for him directly, but instead, two half
tribes bear the names of his sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, who were only half-blood
Jews. And in fact, it is only by Jacob’s adopting of Ephraim and Manasseh as
his sons (Genesis 48:5-6), were they able to share in the promised allotments
of land in Canaan. Joseph, who was a direct descendant of the covenant line of
Abraham, should not have intermarried with the Egyptians or anyone else who was
not a genealogical part of the Israelite community, and so there had to be
consequences paid for his indiscretion. By doing so, he disqualified himself
from his allotment in the “Promised Land”, but not from salvation.
Just like for all of us, GOD’s plan for
Joseph was to teach him humility through the things that he suffered in prison,
and even earlier on in life, through his mistreatment by his brothers. And even
though Joseph’s choice to accept Asenath in marriage may have been out of GOD’s
perfect will for him, GOD still wanted, an otherwise faithful Joseph, to be
able to serve HIM in “HIS wise plan and purpose for the Covenant Promise”. In
HIS keeping with Joseph, GOD also gave him the privilege to serve in the
eventual “Salvation plan offer” for all mankind that is contained in “the first
advent of our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST”.
Being in the Will of GOD is always “the
right place to be”, and when we abide in that Will, especially when we are
under duress from the pressures of the world, the time is even more right for
the LORD’s blessings to be rained down upon us, in order to ease our oppressed
situations.
This passage of scripture serves to remind
us that, even when we don’t understand the “why” for the unwanted things in our
lives, we must still remain confident that GOD is at work in every life
situation and experience, especially in those experiences that are most painful
to us. And, although we may not be able to see it at that time, it is during
those times, that we are in the best position to serve GOD as completely, as we
always should.
A
Sunday school lesson by,
Larry
D. Alexander
LARRY
D. ALEXANDER- Official Website
