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Study No.7 : Two Dreams : Genesis 40:1-8

A. Find Out:

      

1. With whom was Pharaoh angry? v.2

2. Who looked after them in prison? v.4

3. When did they dream? v.5

4. What made Joseph question them? v.6,7

5. What did they say their problem was? v.8a

6. Who did Joseph say had the answers? v.8b

 

B. Think :

1. What characteristic of Joseph resulted in him being the one who looked

     after these two men?

2. What characteristic of him was it that drew these two dreams to his

     attention?

3. Why might Joseph have been sensitive to meanings of dreams?

 

C. Comment :

     The characters of this particular drama are beginning to be drawn together. Joseph is in prison and soon into the prison come two men, one of whom is going to be the cause of Joseph being moved into the place where God finally wants him. The arrival of two more prisoners could appear to the casual observer as just chance. When they are placed in Joseph's care however, we may begin to wonder if there is any significance in it. Most people miss the coincidences of life and most people miss seeing the hand of God moving!

     Then they start dreaming - on the same night! Joseph is more observant about other people than he used to be and so, when the two new prisoners appear unhappy one morning and something is obviously wrong, (if you have eyes to see!) he enquires what is the matter and so they tell him about their dreaming.

     Joseph knows about dreams. It was dreams that got him into this mess! He won't treat them casually, but he's also learnt that it is only God who can interpret them. Yes, Joseph knows about dreams!

 

D. Application?

1. Can God speak to us through dreams? (see Acts 2:17)

2. Are we alert to the changes in people that reveal their needs that with 

    God we might be able to meet?

Study No.8 : Interpretations : Genesis 40:9-23

A. Find Out:    

       

1. What was the cup bearer's dream? v.9-11

2. What did Joseph say it meant? v.13

3. What did Joseph ask him to do? v.14

4. What was the baker's dream? v.16,17

5. What did Joseph say it meant? v.19

6. What did the cup bearer later do? v.23

 

B. Think :

1. What are we told about the accuracy of Joseph's interpretations?

2. How does Joseph appeal for help from the cup bearer?

3. What do we learn about thankfulness from this passage?

 

C. Comment :

      The two men share their two dreams with Joseph. The cup bearer willingly shared his dream and Joseph gave him a good interpretation. The baker seemed to sense bad news but because Joseph had given a good interpretation to the first one he thought perhaps he might get the same.   He was disappointed!  When sharing God's word we must share good AND bad news. What Joseph says is exactly fulfilled. Although it does not say it, the understanding of interpretations must have clearly been the gifting of God to be so accurate. This was not something that Joseph had to struggle and strive for, this was the gifting of God.

     Joseph appeals to the cup bearer by telling him his own story, perhaps by saying, "Look, I'm in exactly the same boat as you, unfairly imprisoned." Although the cup bearer hears him, when the dream is fulfilled, he completely forgets Joseph. Perhaps he did that because he just believed it was coincidence that it all worked out like that and he thus felt no gratitude to either God or Joseph. Whatever it is it doesn't appear time for Joseph to be released yet!   God has still got some things on His agenda that He wants to do, and one of them will mean Joseph's release, but  that is yet to come.  Have we learnt to rest in God's timing?

 

D. Application?

1. Do we sometimes write off God's word that comes to us through unusual

     circumstances, and put it down to coincidence?

2. Do we give both the good AND bad news when we share the Gospel?

 

Study No.9 : Yet more Dreams : Genesis 41:1-16

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?

 

Study No.10 : Warnings from God: Genesis 41:17-32

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?

Study No.11 : Wisdom from God : Genesis 41:33-43

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?

Study No.12 : Fruitful Activity : Genesis 41:44-57

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.

 

RECAP No.2  "Dreams & Interpretations"  Genesis 40 & 41

SUMMARY :  

         

In these next 6 studies we have seen:

- Two prisoners in jail having dreams

- Joseph interpreting their dreams

- The dreams being fulfilled

- Pharaoh having dreams

- Joseph being called out to interpret them

- God warning of coming famine

- Joseph being promoted to overseer

- Salvation for Egypt through Joseph

 

COMMENT :

      In the gloom of prison Joseph encounters two of Pharaoh's servants who soon start dreaming significant dreams, which Joseph interprets. When these are fulfilled and Pharaoh starts having dreams, Joseph is remembered and released.  He reveals a coming world famine and also has the wisdom to see what needs to be done.  Pharaoh recognises a good man and promotes him to oversee the work of countering the famine. Gloom has turned to glory because God keeps speaking and His man on the spot hears and understands!

        As we look back over Joseph's history we should marvel at God's prophetic word declared through him by dreams, and the way they were eventually fulfilled. It is an incredible story, and all the more so when you look at the detail and see the hand of the Lord working in the midst of sinful people. Bad responses came from Joseph's brothers, the slave traders, Potiphar and his wife, and the forgetful cup-bearer, but God was still there working in the background.

       But it's not finished yet. God still wants us to see the depth of understanding that His servant has come to,  but to see that we are going to have to follow the interaction of Joseph and his brothers that is yet to come. Oh no, the story is nowhere near complete yet!

 

LESSONS :

1. We need to be alert to God speaking and to other people in trouble

2. The Lord wants us to communicate warnings AND wisdom

3. The Lord works IN the circumstances to bring salvation

 

PRAY :

1. Ask the Lord to deal with any unbelief in you that disregards His prompting when He

    wants to communicate something to you or through you.

2. Ask Him to help you really become a "listening post for the Lord".

 

PART 3 : Fun with Brothers

     In this next Part we will see the wisdom of Joseph as he surreptitiously manoeuvres his brothers into facing their past and bringing their father to him.