What I Noticed Today (Genesis 40-42)

Genesis 40

Genesis 40 describes Joseph’s interpretation of two prisoner’s dreams.

In verses 1-8, two prisoners had troubling dreams they didn’t understand:

• The Pharaoh’s cup-bearer and baker offended Pharaoh and were thrown into prison.
• The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph.
• One night the cup-bearer and the baker each had their own dream with its own meaning.
• Joseph explained to them interpretations belonged to God, and he offered to interpret the dreams for them.

In verses 9-19, Joseph interpreted the cup-bearer and baker’s dreams.

• The cup-bearer said his dream was a vine with three branches, that budded, blossomed, and had grapes. Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I squeezed the grapes into the cup and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.
• Joseph explained the dream saying the three branches were three days in which Pharaoh would restore the cup-bearer to his position.
• Joseph asked the cupbearer to remember him when he was restored and help him get out of the prison.
• The chief baker said his dream was three baskets of bread on top of his head for Pharaoh. Birds were eating the bread out of the basket.
• Joseph interpreted the dream saying the three baskets were three days. In three days, Pharaoh would hang the baker on a tree, and birds would eat his flesh.

In verses 20-23, Joseph’s interpretations were correct:

• In three days, Pharaoh gave a feast for all his servants because it was his birthday. Pharaoh restored the chief cupbearer to his position and hanged the chief baker just as Joseph said.
• But the chief cupbearer forgot all about Joseph.

Genesis 41

In chapter 41, Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dreams, is promoted, and begins to run the country.

In verses 1-13, Pharaoh has a dream he does not understand:

• Two years later (after the chief cup-bearer had been restored), Pharaoh had a dream while he was standing beside the Nile.
• In the dream, seven healthy cows came up out of the Nile and began to graze in the reeds. Then seven sickly cows came and ate the seven healthy cows.

• Pharaoh fell asleep and dreamed again. This time seven healthy heads of grain came up on a stalk. After them, seven thin heads of grain came up and ate the seven healthy heads of grain.
• The next day Pharaoh was troubled by the dreams and called the magicians and wise men of Egypt. None of them could interpret the dreams.
• Then the chief cupbearer remembered Joseph, how he had interpreted his dream, and the baker’s dream, and both came true.

In verses 14-36, Joseph is summoned to interpret Pharaoh’s dream:

• Pharaoh summoned Joseph from prison.
• Pharaoh told Joseph he had been told Joseph could interpret dreams. Joseph said, not he, but God could interpret the dream.
• Pharaoh recounted the dream about the cows and the dream about the heads of grain to Joseph.
• Joseph told Pharaoh the dreams are the same, and they indicated what God was going to do. The seven good cows and the seven good heads of grain represented seven good years. The seven thin cows and the seven thin heads of grain represented seven bad years.
• Joseph explained it meant seven years of abundance are coming, which will be followed by seven years of severe famine. Since the dream came twice, it means God has determined this will happen soon.
• Joseph advised Pharaoh to find someone wise and discerning to oversee the land. Take a fifth of the harvest of the land during the years of abundance, store it, and reserve it for the seven years of famine. If this were done, the country would not be wiped out during the years of famine.

In verses 37-45, Pharaoh placed Joseph over all the land of Egypt:

• Pharaoh and his servants liked Joseph’s proposal.
• Pharaoh recognized that God had made all this known to Joseph, and there was no one wiser or as intelligent in Egypt.
• Pharaoh placed Joseph in charge of his house, and all of Egypt. Only with regard to the throne would Pharaoh be above Joseph.
• Pharaoh gave Joseph his signet ring, fine linen garments, and a gold chain.
• Joseph rode in Pharaoh’s second chariot with servants yelling, “Abrek!”

• Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphnath-Paaneah, and also gave him a wife, Asenath, who was the daughter of Potiphera, the priest at On.

In verses 46-57, Joseph begins his administration over Egypt:

• Joseph traveled throughout the land of Egypt. He gathered all the excess food produced in the land during the seven years of abundance and placed it in storehouses in every city. There was so much he stopped keeping track.
• Two sons were born to Joseph. The first was named Manasseh (meaning “God has made me forget all my hardship in my father’s house”). The second was named Ephraim (meaning “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction”).
• Just as Joseph had predicted after the seven years of abundance came seven years of severe famine in every country.
• Joseph opened up the storehouses and sold food to the people.
• Every nation came to Egypt to buy grain because the famine was severe.

Genesis 42-47:27

Genesis 42-47:27 describes how God moved upon Israel, taking them to Egypt, where they stayed for 400 years in fulfillment of God’s prophecy to Abram (Genesis 15:13).

Genesis 42

Genesis 42 describes how God used the famine to move the people of Israel to Egypt.

In verses 1-5, Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy grain:

• The famine was severe in Canaan, so Jacob gathered all his sons except Benjamin and sent them to Egypt to buy grain. He did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin because he was worried something might happen to him.

In verses 6-26, Jacob’s sons arrive in Egypt to buy grain:

• Joseph’s brothers arrived in Egypt to buy grain and bowed down before Joseph.

• Joseph recognized his brothers and treated them harshly, asking where they were from and accusing them of being spies.
• Joseph’s ten brothers explained they were sons of one man who lived in Canaan. One brother was no longer, and the youngest remained at home.
• Joseph accused them of being spies again and tested them. He declared one of them must return and get the younger brother to see if what they were saying was true. The remaining brothers would be imprisoned. Joseph imprisoned them together for three days.
• After the three days, Joseph said he feared God and would let them live if they were honest. He changed his plan saying nine could return with grain, while one brother would remain imprisoned.
• The brothers, speaking among themselves, concluded the trouble they were facing was because of the way they had treated Joseph when he had pleaded with them years before. Reuben reminded them how he had warned them not to harm Joseph, but they had refused to listen, so now they must account for his blood.
• The brothers did not realize that Joseph understood them because he had been using an interpreter.
• Joseph turned back to them and took Simeon and bound him. He ordered their containers filled with provisions, and for their money to be returned to their sacks.
• The brothers loaded their donkeys and returned home.

In verses 27-38, Joseph’s brothers return home with their provisions:

• When they stopped for the night, one of the brothers opened his sack to feed his donkey and discovered his money. They trembled, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”
• When they got back to Canaan, they recounted to Jacob everything that happened in Egypt, how they had been accused of being spies, and how Simeon had been kept as a hostage until the youngest brother returned with them.
• As they emptied their sacks, each person’s money was there, and they were afraid.
• Jacob said, first Joseph was gone, now Simeon is gone, and you want me to give you Benjamin? Jacob was in despair.
• Reuben stepped forward and said he would take care of Benjamin, and if he did not return him to Jacob, Jacob could kill his two sons.
• But Jacob answered no because if anything happened to him (Benjamin), he would die in sorrow.

Some additional thoughts for consideration:

• Joseph remained in prison two years after interpreting the chief cup-bearer’s dream. While the cup-bearer may have forgotten about Joseph, the Lord had not. Neither does He forget us.

What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.

Tomorrow: Genesis 43-45