Genesis 41 – Study

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Genesis 41:1-16

1 When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: he was standing by the Nile, 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 river-bank. 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 ears of corn, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. 6 After them, seven other ears of corn sprouted – thin and scorched by the east wind. 7 The thin ears of corn swallowed up the seven healthy, full ears. 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.’

A. Find Out:

1. How long had passed for Joseph in jail? v.1
2. What was the first dream Pharaoh saw? v.2-4
3. What was the second dream he saw? v.5-7
4. Who were not able to help him? v.8
5. How was Joseph brought into it? v.9-14
6. What did he say about the dreams? v.16

B. Think:

1. Why do you think Pharaoh was troubled by the dreams?
2. What state had Joseph obviously been in when he was in jail?
3. How does Joseph show that he is still relying on the Lord?

C. Comment:

This is now the third set of dreams that have affected Joseph’s life. Each dream has clearly had a meaning and the previous pair were obviously fulfilled. The first pair from back at home are also now well under way in terms of fulfilment, although Joseph isn’t to know that yet.

When Pharaoh now has his two dreams he is left feeling disturbed. Bad things happened in these two dreams. First thin cows ate up fat cows, then thin corn ate up fat corn. This left him with an uneasy feeling that this was bad news, but he needed someone to confirm that.  All his magicians and wise men couldn’t help. They appear blind to the obvious, that Pharaoh is being warned about something bad about to happen.

It is then that the cup bearer’s memory is jogged.  Suddenly he remembers what had happened while he was in prison. Straight away Joseph is brought out, cleaned up and brought before Pharaoh. There, before Pharaoh, he affirms that any interpretation can only come from the Lord, but that the Lord WILL reveal it. There’s faith! How this young man has changed from when we first met him!  He is now a clear sign post to God, and this king desperately needs that.

D. Application?

1. Are we alert to the Lord’s sometime unusual methods of communicating with us?
2. Do we put all our trust in the Lord and direct others to do that likewise?

Passage: Genesis 41:17-32

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 ears of corn, full and good, growing on a single stalk. 23 After them, seven other ears sprouted – withered and thin and scorched by the east wind. 24 The thin ears of corn swallowed up the seven good ears. 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 ears of corn are seven years; it is one and the same dream. 27 The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterwards are seven years, and so are the seven worthless ears of corn 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.

A. Find Out:

1. From whom have these dreams come? v.25
2. What represented good years? v.26
3. What represented bad years? v.27
4. What does Joseph reiterate? v.28
5. How does he describe the bad years? v.30,31
6. Why were there two forms of the dream? v.32

B. Think:

1. Why do you think God gave these dreams to this godless king?
2. What were we told about all the king’s other advisors?
3. How, therefore, does Joseph differ from them all?

C. Comment:

Pharaoh spells out the dream to Joseph. Observe first of all, the reactions of the king’s closest advisors.  Now we may feel that the meaning of the dreams is obvious, but that was clearly not so when you observe the difficulties of the king’s magicians.  Perhaps they can’t believe that God loves them enough to warn them.  Perhaps they simply fear to say something in case Pharaoh doesn’t like it and has them killed!  These are insecure men and as such they struggle with revelation from God.

Second, see the contrast of Joseph.   He appears to have no difficulty with the interpretations and he comes out quite clearly and boldly with them. It’s seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine, and the seven bad years are going to be seven very bad years. The reason why the same meaning came in two pictures was that this was the Lord emphasising He was definitely going to do it. He loves all of His world and wants to save it.  Joseph has become sufficiently secure in God that he is fearless as a messenger.  How he has changed!

Perhaps today we don’t give much credence to dreams but this is now the third time dreams have cropped up in Joseph’s life and each time what he saw did actually happen. The first dreams took many years, the second dreams happened very quickly, and so also with these present ones. Perhaps we should be a little more alert and ask the Lord to clarify if He is speaking to us.

D. Application?

1. Am I alert to the unusual ways that God sometimes uses to communicate to His people?
2. Do I need to reconsider some “word” I previously wrote off?

Passage: Genesis 41:33-43

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.’

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 round his neck. 43 He made 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.

A. Find Out:

1. What sort of man did Joseph suggest be put in command? v.33
2. How much did he suggest be put aside each year during the time of abundance? v.34
3. How was the plan received? v.37,38
4. Why, according to Pharaoh, was Joseph top man? v.39
5. Over what did Pharaoh place Joseph? v.40,41
6. What signs of authority were given to Joseph? v.42,43

B. Think:

1. Why, in practical terms, was the plan a good one?
2. How is famine seen here NOT to be judgement of God?
3. Why is Joseph being elevated?

C. Comment:

Having declared the meaning of the dreams, Joseph now brings WISDOM to show how to deal with the problem. Because there is going to be such abundance in the first seven years the people won’t complain at the loss of a fifth. That will clearly not give them even half as much in the second seven years as in the good years, but it will provide sufficient to supplement the poor harvests and carry the people through until good times.  God’s wisdom is practical strategy that works!

In some ways Pharaoh’s acceptance of the dreams’ interpretation and then the wisdom that follows is quite remarkable.   After all it hasn’t happened yet. This is all in the future, and yet somehow it seems to be right to Pharaoh and so the obvious man for the job is the one with the wisdom. Joseph is suddenly promoted from prisoner to president! Who could have foreseen THAT a couple of months back!  Anyone with faith perhaps, who listens to God’s prophetic word!

Because God clearly is the one who has revealed the coming famine and shown how to counter it, we can see that we should not see every disaster as the judgement of God, as some often do. Psalm 105:16 tells us that God brought this famine but there is no indication it was for destructive purposes. Possibly it was as discipline on Egypt, but in the bigger plan God has other things in His mind, things that involve the family He has chosen, the family called Israel.

D. Application?

1. Can the Lord bring REVELATION and WISDOM into our lives?
2. Are we convinced He is a God of blessing and not of disaster for our lives as Christians?

Passage: Genesis 41:44-57

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 travelled 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 Manassehand 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.

A. Find Out:

1. How old was Joseph at this time? v.46
2. Where did they store the food in the good years? v.48
3. Why did he name his first born Manasseh? v.51
4. Why did he name his second born Ephraim? v.52
5. Who first bought the grain? v.56
6. Who then came to buy it? v.57

B. Think:

1. What sort of position did Joseph now hold?
2. What, in the naming of his sons, did Joseph obviously feel now?
3. How was Joseph’s revelation and wisdom justified?

C. Comment:

Joseph is now made the second most powerful man in the land. Thirteen years have passed since we first heard of his activities and those years had been bad years.  Now at the age of thirty God has ensured he is one of the most powerful and influential men in the world, at the top of Egypt, and God is going to use this great nation to save his chosen people, the family of Israel.

In the following seven years, in the time of abundance, Joseph has two sons and by the way he names them (see footnotes in your Bible) he clearly feels that the happy present is wiping away the painful memories of the past, and that he is now enjoying the Lord’s blessing in great abundance. We are reminded of Job who, after his time of suffering, received twice as much in God’s blessing as he had had before (see Job 42:10).

The dreams are fulfilled and God’s wisdom is seen to be the means of salvation for both Egypt and the surrounding nations, which of course will include Jacob’s own family back in Canaan.  We are led to the conclusion that the Lord is wanting to establish Israel in Egypt and this is His means of doing it.

D. Application?

1. Have you been able to see how God has worked to make you the person YOU are today?
2. Thank & praise Him for the intricate way He works His purposes out for good in the world.