Pharaoh’s Dreams

“‘I myself cannot do it,’ Joseph replied, ‘but God will give Pharaoh a sound answer.’” — Genesis 41:16

Two whole years went by. Then one night Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, had two strange dreams.

In the first dream, he was standing by the River Nile. Seven fat, healthy cows came up out of the river and ate the grass. Then seven more cows came up after them, thin and bony and ugly. And the seven thin cows ate up the seven fat cows!

Pharaoh woke up. Then he fell asleep again, and had another dream. Seven heads of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. Then seven more heads of grain sprouted, thin and dried up by the hot wind. And the thin heads of grain swallowed up the good ones!

In the morning Pharaoh was worried. He called all the magicians and wise men of Egypt and told them his dreams. But nobody could tell him what they meant.

Then the cupbearer suddenly remembered. “Today I remember my mistakes,” he said to Pharaoh. And he told Pharaoh about the young Hebrew man in prison who had explained his dream, and how everything had happened just as he said.

Pharaoh sent for Joseph at once. They hurried him out of the prison. He shaved and changed his clothes, and then he stood before the king of Egypt.

“I had a dream, and no one can tell me what it means,” said Pharaoh. “I hear that you can explain dreams.”

“I myself cannot do it,” said Joseph, “but God will give Pharaoh a good answer.”

Joseph didn’t want any praise for himself. He wanted Pharaoh to know that God was the One who knew the answer.

Pharaoh told Joseph his dreams. And God showed Joseph what they meant.

“The two dreams mean the same thing,” said Joseph. “God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. The seven fat cows and the seven good heads of grain are seven years. There will be seven years of plenty, with lots of food all over Egypt. Then the seven thin cows and the seven dried-up heads of grain are seven more years. There will be seven years of famine, when nothing grows, and people will be terribly hungry.”

Then Joseph gave Pharaoh some advice. “Find a wise man and put him in charge of Egypt. During the good years, store up some of the food. Then there will be enough to eat when the famine comes.”

Pharaoh was amazed. “Can we find anyone like this man, who has the Spirit of God in him?” he said. Then he turned to Joseph. “Since God has shown you all this, there is no one as wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace and all my people. Only I, as king, will be greater than you.”

Pharaoh put his own ring on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in fine clothes and put a gold chain around his neck, and gave him a chariot to ride in. Joseph was thirty years old. That morning he had been a prisoner. By evening he was the most important man in Egypt after the king!

For seven years the harvests were huge, and Joseph stored up so much grain that it was like the sand on the seashore. There was too much to count. Then the famine came, just as God had said. But Egypt had plenty of food, because God had given Joseph wisdom.

Read it in your Bible: Genesis 41

Dear God, thank you that you know everything that is going to happen. When I do something well, help me to give the praise to you, like Joseph did. Amen.