Joseph Got a Promotion!

Joseph's been forgotten, and he's in jail for an offense he did not commit. Is he ever gonna get out? We've been reminded several times through this story that Yahuah's been with him and has been blessing everything he does. They can't keep him in jail forever, can they? ...Probably... But that's beside the point.

Beresheet (Genesis) 41:1-8 "Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river. Suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river. And the ugly and gaunt cows te up the seven fine looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke. He slept and dreamed a second time; and suddenly seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, plump and good. Then behold, seven thin heads, blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. And the seven thin heads devoured the seven plump and full heads. So Pharaoh awoke, and indeed, it was a dream. Now 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 its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh."

Long section, I know, but it's important to keep it together. Anybody else have a wild guess about who might be brought up (possibly out of a nearby jail) to interpret Pharaoh's dream? What are your thoughts on his dream?

Beresheet 41:9-13 "Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: 'I remember my faults this day. When Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker, we each had a dream in one night, he and I. Each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. Now there was a young Hebrew man with us there, a servant of the captain of the guard. And we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us; to each man he interpreted according to his own dream. And it came to pass, just as he interpreted for us, so it happened. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.'"

Why do you suppose the butler is referring to Pharaoh in the third person? According to Dictionary.com, it came from the word meaning "Great House" So perhaps the name is actually referring to the palace the Pharaoh inhabited? Maybe it was against the law to talk to Pharaoh in first person? I don't really know, but it's something to ponder.

Beresheet 41:14-15 "Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.'"

Aside from the obvious, that Joseph probably really needed a shave, a haircut, and some clean clothes, it was Egyptian fashion for a very long time to have a clean shaven face. Many Egyptians would also shave their heads and wear wigs instead to avoid lice. Why do you see pictures of Pharaohs wearing these weird, fake, rectangular beards? Why did a couple of Egyptian queens also wear these? I remember a show on the Discovery Channel a long time ago that explained that the fake beards were a status symbol. Here's a link for more research on the topic.

Beresheet 41:16 "So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, 'It is not in me; Elohim will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.'"

Smart Joseph, methinks Pharaoh has reached the end of his rope with all the magicians and wise men and just wants an answer, even if it comes from One whom he's never heard of before.

Beresheet 41:17-24 "Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: 'Behold, in my dream I stood on the bank of the river. Suddenly seven cows came up out of the river, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such ugliness as I have never seen in all the land of Egypt. And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat cows. When they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them for they were just as ugly as at the beginning. So I awoke. Also I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven heads came up on one stalk, full and good. Then behold, seven heads, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. And the thin heads devoured the seven good heads. So I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.'"

Any guesses as to what the dreams might mean?

Beresheet 41:25-32 "Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, 'The dreams of Pharaoh are one; Elohim has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do: The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years; the dreams are one. And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. Elohim has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land. So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe. And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by Elohim, and Elohim will shortly bring it to pass.'"

If Elohim wanted to kill the Egyptians, he could easily blast them off the face of the earth, and chances are they wouldn't see it coming. Why is He telling Pharaoh what's going to happen?

Beresheet 41:33-36 "'Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of thse good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine.'"

Ah-ha! He set it up exactly so that Joseph would save Egypt. He did bless him in all that he does, remember?

Beresheet 41:37-38 "So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, 'Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of Elohim?'"

Saying Joseph converted Pharaoh is a huge stretch, considering the Pharaoh was himself considered a god among people. However, it's not such a stretch that maybe Pharaoh believes in Him too. In addition to the dozens of other gods. Yeah... This is not the best way to go about things if you're going to start believing in Yahuah, ideally, you'll believe in Him and Him alone.

Beresheet 41:39-41 "Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Inasmuch as Elohim has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.' And Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.'"

Wow. Just, wow. Who'd have thought? As far as I know, in all of Egyptian history, no Pharaoh ever gave all authority to a Hebrew ever again. Not because Joseph messed up, but because they were considered second class citizens. Joseph was the exception to the rule.

Beresheet 41:42-45 "Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph's hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, 'Bow the knee!' So he set him over all the land of
Egypt. Pharaoh also said to Joseph, 'I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.' And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of [an Egyptian god whose name I'll not record]. So Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt."

There appears to be a bit of a discrepancy over what Zaphnath-Paaneah means. Here's what Dictionary.com has to say about it.

Beresheet 41:46-50 "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. Now in the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth abundantly. So 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; he laid up in every city the food of the fields which surrounded them. Joseph gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable."

I'm thinking they'll probably be able to make it through the seven years, considering Egypt still exists today... But they might've cut it close.

Beresheet 41:51-52 "And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of [an Egyptian god whose name I'll not record], bore to him. Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: 'For Elohim has made me forget all my toil and all my father's house.' And the name of the second he called Ephraim: 'For Elohim has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.'"

There's a common blessing in Israeli tradition, bestowed upon the sons of the family. It goes: May Yahuah make you like Ephraim and Manasseh. (The daughters have one that goes: May Yahuah make you like Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah.) Those names mean fruitful and forgetful, by the way. Why have Ephraim's name before Manasseh's in the blessing? Manasseh is the oldest, isn't he supposed to go first? We'll find out pretty soon.

Beresheet 41:53-57 "Then the seven years of plenty which were in the land of Egypt ended, and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. So when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Then Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, 'Go to Joseph; whatever he says to you, do.' The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt. So all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all lands."

Scientists today might call that global warming, climate change, a solar flare-up, or something. How else could a famine cover the entire earth? Stop trying to explain it away. Even if that were the case, no one has 14 years of premonition in their dreams without Someone influencing it. Simple point, if Joseph weren't in that jail, if the butler didn't remember him, if Pharaoh hadn't had that dream or hadn't worried about it, then that famine that occurred a few thousand years ago could very well have killed us all off. It's all happening according to a plan, but what is the goal of the plan?

Music: "My Savior, My God" -Aaron Shust