King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 23 notes
1And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
Parashah 10: Mikketz (At the end) 41:1-44:17
41:1 At the end of two years, Pharaoh had a dream: he was standing beside the Nile River;
Many times in scripture, matters of the nations are revealed to the kings, however pagan they were. God respects hierarchy and order. I believe our president has certain dreams revealed to him of God — dreams which none of us ordinarily would have.
Why was it Pharaoh that had this dream? It all falls in the plan of God.
God had conspired all of this and was just implementing it in due season.
Joseph later recognized that it was the hand of God the whole time.
2And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.
3And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.
4And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.
5And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
6And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.
These profane pagan minds and kings 👑 yet had futuristic dreams.
Revelations of global 🌐 impact.
At least for the then world.
Same as Nebuchadnezzar, whose dream even took him to the end of the world.
The point is God can and does use all for his glory. See Cyrus, whom God did lift up.
Whom God called his anointed. So God anoints even pagans for a purpose.
Isaiah 45:1-2 KJV
Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; [2] I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
7And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
8And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
It was when all else failed that this butler remembered Joseph - interesting.
9Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:
Ei, this God is a very big God. He was able to keep all the gods of Egypt at a loss till his man Joseph came with the interpretation.
10Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker:
11And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
Oh this God of mystery — so the dream of the butler and baker was a set-up for this moment — God knew all along what His plan was.
12And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.
13And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.
14Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.
How long had this mystery been out there seeking an answer?
I’m sure weeks had passed and no answer.
And Pharaoh sensed within him that this dream was imminent and it had grave implications if not handled well.
So Joseph had to be brought hastily.
His time had come, and his life, which had been in slow motion, now took off — and very fast.
His time had come.
Psalm 105:19-21
King James Version
19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him.
20 The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.
21 He made him lord of his.
15And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.
16And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
17And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:
18And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:
19And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:
20And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:
21And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
22And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:
Such a dream is obviously not a normal dream.
23And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:
24And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.
25And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
26The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.
How did Joseph know this, or did the understanding just come to mind in thought 💭 flashes?
How come in Daniel’s case he had to go and wait — in fact 4 of them had to wait for the interpretation.
27And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.
28This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.
29Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:
30And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;
31And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.
Oh Pharaoh had the keys right there to rule the world and the challenges coming upon the whole realm.
Imagine he did not seek the meaning with all his might.
He would have lost out big time ⌚ in securing a great future for himself.
Help me Lord not to be negligent and to not take things for granted.
And show me Lord the meaning of the things revealed, I pray.
32And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
33Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.
Joseph not only could interpret dreams but could also recommend the next appropriate response or action to be taken. He had wisdom as a gift as well.
After having served with his gift of excellence in low places, including a prison. Now his gift had brought him high. Where it really belongs? His star now shone.
I wonder whether Pharaoh asked for the reason for Joseph’s imprisonment. Of course he did, but I guess he… maybe overlooked it.
I wonder how it might have felt for Joseph, knowing he was so blessed all round, with handsomeness as well as skill and wisdom and divine gifts, to be serving with them in the lowest of places — a prison. No wonder he tried lobbying to get out of there asap.
So painful to know you’ve got something of value that the world would celebrate yet lack opportunity to showcase it.
34Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.
I get it that Joseph had wisdom to interpret dreams and lead Potiphar’s house and rule over the prisoners,
but to have the skill and wisdom to govern a whole nation and later feed that nation and other nations besides, that is a whole new level.
How did he know to do this?
This shows that it is the same principles. The same principles that govern a small people well will govern a large people well as well...
No wonder the master said, he who is faithful in little will also be faithful in much.
35And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
36And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.
37And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
38And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
39And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
Smart move by Pharaoh. He chose the best in the land for himself and made him no. 2 man of the land.
How could he let one in whom the spirit of the gods reside go away from him and not serve in his cabinet?
40Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
Was he not afraid of the man’s history? Did he investigate, or did he know that gifted men have flaws too and decide to forgive or overlook it?
I think he might have investigated and made up his mind to work with Joseph.
41And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
42And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;
43And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Just like that?
Did Pharaoh not investigate his background, what took him to prison, etc.?
Maybe he did and found only rumors, or maybe he knew how corrupt man is, so who are we to bring judgement on another.
He knew worse men who ought to be in prison but by virtue of their corruption and influence are walking free.
Either way, he made Joseph number 2 man of the land.
44And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
45And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
There are seasons and times. Joseph married a pagan priest’s daughter.
At this stage it was permissible.
There was to come a time when such alliances were an abomination.
There are times, and let’s know them to walk in them.
46And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
47And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.
48And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.
49And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.
50And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On bare unto him.
Joseph married an unbeliever and idol worshipper.
A polytheist who likely saw Joseph’s God as one of the many gods, yet they remained married.
What was the culture and beliefs of that time that could sustain such a union...
Those beliefs have changed, and being unequally yoked with an unbeliever I’ll advise against — and much trouble after....
I have to think this through.
51And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.
Oh only God knows how long he longed for his father without end. It ate him up.
But now he was restored and had rest even in a strange land. Such rest that he forgot — not literally — his father’s house.
Though married to a priest’s daughter, he named his children after his God.
He still had authority in his home, though on a foreign land with foreign gods who do not regard the monotheistic God of Joseph as the one and only true God.
He was still the man over his house.
52And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.
53And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.
54And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
55And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
56And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.
Now Joseph’s wisdom was coming to bear.
Others could have gathered for themselves the same in the times of plenty, and they would not have needed to beg and sell themselves.
Indeed generational wealth would have been built.
I know what the future holds and what is to come.
I will concentrate my energies thus wise.
57And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.
Egypt was once such a great superpower.
This famine made Joseph and Egypt rich.
Indeed, it is God who maketh rich, and we have seen how many times God supernaturally made his children very rich.