Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams
41:1 After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile, 2 and behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. 3 And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. 4 And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke. 5 And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. 6 And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind. 7 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump, full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8 So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
9 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, “I remember my offenses today. 10 When Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, 11 we dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation. 12 A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream. 13 And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.”
14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”1 17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile. 18 Seven cows, plump and attractive, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass. 19 Seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt. 20 And the thin, ugly cows ate up the first seven plump cows, 21 but when they had eaten them no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke. 22 I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good. 23 Seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them, 24 and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine. 28 It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, 30 but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, 31 and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. 32 And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. 33 Now therefore let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land and take one-fifth of the produce of the land2 of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. 35 And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36 That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.”
Footnotes
[1] 41:16
Or (compare Samaritan, Septuagint) Without God it is not possible to give Pharaoh an answer about his welfare
[2] 41:34Or over the land and organize the land (ESV)
Joseph’s Dreams
37:1 Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan.
2 These are the generations of Jacob.
Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors.1 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.
5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
Joseph Sold by His Brothers
12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” 14 So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 15 And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” 16 “I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” 17 And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits.2 Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” 21 But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.
25 Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels3 of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.
29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes 30 and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” 31 Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33 And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.
Footnotes
[1] 37:3
See Septuagint, Vulgate; or (with Syriac) a robe with long sleeves. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain; also verses 23, 32
[2] 37:20Or cisterns; also verses 22, 24
[3] 37:28A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams (ESV)
Categories
Saturday Study
Saturday Study
Rachel and Leah (4-4-2020)
The testimony of Rachel and Leah plays like a reality television show or a soap opera. The drama in this text would be entertaining if it were not so sad. Leah gets stuck with a guy who did not want her. The text says Leah had weak eyes, which could be a nice way of saying she was not pretty, especially compared to Rachel who is described as being “beautiful in form and appearance.” Leah’s father tricks Jacob into consummating a marriage with Leah. How could this be? Jacob more than likely was drunk from celebrating and/or the bridal tent was dark. Jacob didn’t notice until the morning. This has to be so deflating for Leah. The only way her father can get her married off was to trick a man into it.
Jacob goes to Laban and asks for Rachel’s hand again and works for seven more years to gain her as his bride. The text tells us that Jacob loved Rachel. Now Jacob has two wives, and he has broken the command of God in Genesis 2:24 to have only one wife. Understand that whenever we do not follow the commands of God, things work our extremely poorly.
Leah is married to a man who does not love her. She knows that Jacob has already worked seven years for Rachel and is in the process of working another seven years for Rachel. This is a great display of love. The Lord sees this reproach of Jacob for his wife, and the Lord opens her womb. This is a constant theme in this text; it is the Lord who brings about life—He is the author of life. In this time and culture, to be a barren wife was to be a useless wife; you did not bring value to the household (this is a statement of fact of the culture and not a view of the value God places on women, who are created in His image).
Leah believes she has no value because she is hated and childless. God looks down and gives her four sons. Notice the caption of each son: Rueben (the Lord has looked on my affliction and now my husband will love me); Simeon (because the Lord has heard I am hated, He has given me this son); Levi (now my husband will be attached to me that I have born him three sons); and Judah (this time I will praise the Lord). Leah is finding her value, not in who she is according to her relationship with God, but who she is based her own means or how her husband values her. Because of this she is jealous, envious, and bitter. She is desperate for the attention of her husband. Is this desire for love and acceptance by her spouse a bad thing? No, it is not; but in this case, it has become an idol in her heart. Leah cherishes this acceptance above all things—even her relationship with God. She places the value of culture and her husband above God.
Rachel should be happy in that she has the love of her husband. He is showing his love for her in an amazing way in that he is working for 14 years so she can be his bride. Notice in verse 1 of chapter 30, it states that when Leah had children and Rachel was barren, she envied Leah. Rachel proceeds to place her barrenness on Jacob’s shoulders. In his anger, Jacob makes a great statement: “Am I in the place of God who has withheld the fruit of the womb?” Jacob had it right. God is sovereign over the womb and the granting of life. We have no right to choose who lives or dies. Abortion is an affront to this. God has specifically granted life; He has not given us authority to take the life of a baby in Scripture. God condemns the harming of children, the sacrificing of children, and anything that would lead a child astray.
Rachel turns to her own means to accomplish what God has withheld from her. This is a dangerous way to do things; whenever we try to go around God, things never work out well. This text is full of examples of people doing what they want and making sinful choices for which they will give an account. We also see in this text that God is clearly working His plan of redemption despite all the selfishness, pride, envy, and strife.
When a servant is given to a spouse in this culture, she does not become a real wife, so the servant’s baby is actually claimed by Rachel. If the surrogate has the baby while in the lap of the wife, then it is a symbol for the baby coming from the womb of the true wife. Notice the telling words of Rachel after the second son is born to her servant: “With mighty wrestling, I have wrestled with my sister.”
Now the competition ensues, because Leah doesn’t find value in God and her relationship but rather in being better than her sister—by providing a son—this would give her value to her husband. She has to one-up her sister. Leah then proceeds to do the same thing Rachel did, and that was to give her servant to her husband to gain a child.
Do you see what jealousy is doing to these two women? They are jealous of each other because rather than compare themselves to God’s standard, they compare themselves to one another. They cannot let the other one have what they don’t have; they are selfish. All through this competition is selfishness. Notice that Rachel had Jacob’s love, but she thought little of it—so much so that she would give him up so that she could have some mandrakes (flowers). In ancient times, mandrakes had been believed to help fertility.
These women were desperate; they wanted something no man could do for them. Throughout the text, we see God actively working to fulfill His promise. God worked through the sinful, selfish actions of the women to fulfill His plan of blessing the nations. Chapter 30 continually tells us that it is God who opens the wombs of these women so that they may bear children. He is also the One who prevents them from bearing children. Even in the midst of the blessing of breathing life into a dead womb, these women keep focused on each other. Almost all the names given to the sons born are names showing that these women where not focused on the giver of life but on how they perceived themselves in order to relate to the culture.
In summary, we see the sisters/wives competing in using their maids as surrogates, using child bearing as proof of God’s favor, bartering for time with the husband, accusing the other of stealing the husband’s favor, in the naming of the children, in praying to the Lord for children—all for selfish gain. This sinful disobedience of God’s clear command of one man and one woman shows us what happens. Jacob is not the only one to blame. Laban, Rachel, and Leah are also to blame for the sin here. Though bigamy and polygamy were accepted culturally, we can see that this disobedience to God’s decree brought about a tough situation.
There are several things we can learn from these women:
- Find your value in God. Who you are in Christ is all that matters. Both Rachel and Leah were looking to Jacob to supply emotional and spiritual support. Humans are sinful, and we fail much of the time. When we place our hope in others rather than in God, we are creating idols. Idols are anything we place above God. Each character had things they placed over knowing and trusting in God. They only relied on God to fulfill their own goals but didn’t look to glorify Him.
In what do you find your value? Who do you let define you? In what do you find your joy, strength, and purpose? In all these things, God should be our true answer! Only God sustains, completes, satisfies, and is worthy of our lives.
- Selfishness, envy, and jealousy destroy lives. Sin never builds up but instead breaks down. You can see the bitterness in each of these women—how they let sin harden their hearts. These were two sisters who should have loved each other, but they didn’t. Instead, they tried to outdo each other. These sins crowded out and usurped the good things in their life.
In what ways are you letting your flesh lead your thoughts or actions? In what ways are you giving into sin lately? See that all sin dishonors God. He who thinks lightly of sin thinks lightly of a Savior!
- Not obeying and following God’s plan never works out well. Laban’s deception (sin) leads to Jacob’s choosing to be disobedient to God’s design for marriage, which is to be a one flesh union. Sin always compounds on itself and harms those around us.
Praise God that despite our sin He is at work for eternal purposes! We see the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham beginning to be fulfilled through Jacob. God used these two women who had 12 sons combined to start bringing about a people that would be more numerous than the sand on the seashore or the stars in the heavens. God is laying the foundation for His redemptive plan as He paves a lineage for the promised redeemer, Jesus Christ! This is good news to all of us who claim Christ as Lord. We praise God for his enduring work through many generations of sinful, disobedient people in order to bring forth Christ in whom “We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
By His grace and for His glory,
Pastor Joshua Kirstine
Disciples Church
*Special thanks to J. Taylor for his help with this week’s devotional.
Categories
Rachel and Leah
Jacob’s Prosperity
25 As soon as Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own home and country. 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, that I may go, for you know the service that I have given you.” 27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, I have learned by divination that1 the LORD has blessed me because of you. 28 Name your wages, and I will give it.” 29 Jacob said to him, “You yourself know how I have served you, and how your livestock has fared with me. 30 For you had little before I came, and it has increased abundantly, and the LORD has blessed you wherever I turned. But now when shall I provide for my own household also?” 31 He said, “What shall I give you?” Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this for me, I will again pasture your flock and keep it: 32 let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every black lamb, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and they shall be my wages. 33 So my honesty will answer for me later, when you come to look into my wages with you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, if found with me, shall be counted stolen.” 34 Laban said, “Good! Let it be as you have said.” 35 But that day Laban removed the male goats that were striped and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white on it, and every lamb that was black, and put them in the charge of his sons. 36 And he set a distance of three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob pastured the rest of Laban’s flock.
Footnotes
[1] 30:27
Or have become rich and (ESV)
Categories
Rachel and Leah
13 And Leah said, “Happy am I! For women have called me happy.” So she called his name Asher.1
14 In the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 15 But she said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?” Rachel said, “Then he may lie with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” 16 When Jacob came from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come in to me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he lay with her that night. 17 And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Leah said, “God has given me my wages because I gave my servant to my husband.” So she called his name Issachar.2
19 And Leah conceived again, and she bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 Then Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she called his name Zebulun.3 21 Afterward she bore a daughter and called her name Dinah.
22 Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. 23 She conceived and bore a son and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” 24 And she called his name Joseph,4 saying, “May the LORD add to me another son!”
Footnotes
[1] 30:13
Asher sounds like the Hebrew for happy
[2] 30:18Issachar sounds like the Hebrew for wages, or hire
[3] 30:20Zebulun sounds like the Hebrew for honor
[4] 30:24Joseph means May he add, and sounds like the Hebrew for taken away (ESV)