Joseph: Dreams & Leadership - Genesis 39:1 - 42:38

Teacher: Rusty Kennedy
Series: Bible Stories

Rusty's Notes

Review:

• Genesis 12-37 - Matthew 1:1-2 - 1 An account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:
• Abraham fathered Isaac,

Isaac fathered Jacob,
Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers,[1]

• Genesis 37 - Joseph sold into slavery by his brothers
• Genesis 38 - Matthew 1:3a – 3 Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar,[2]
• The central problem with which the chapter deals is childlessness.
• The events of the chapter must span at least 20 years, probably during which Joseph was lost to his family.
• One gets the distinct impression that ever since the Dinah incident (ch. 34) Jacob has less and less control over his family's behavior.
  
  

GENESIS 39:1-20
1 Now Joseph had been taken to Egypt. An Egyptian named Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the guards, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made everything he did successful, 4 Joseph found favor with his master and became his personal attendant.

• Joseph put in charge of a little. – go-for
• Joseph proved faithful in the little.

Potiphar also put him in charge of his household and placed all that he owned under his authority. 5 From the time that he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house because of Joseph. The Lord’s blessing was on all that he owned, in his house and in his fields. 6 He left all that he owned under Joseph’s authority; he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.
Now Joseph was well-built and handsome.

• Son of Rachel – in his mid 20’s

7 After some time his master’s wife looked longingly at Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.”
8 But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has put all that he owns under my authority. 9 No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do this immense evil, and how could I sin against God?”
10 Although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her. 11 Now one day he went into the house to do his work, and none of the household servants were there. 12 She grabbed him by his garment and said, “Sleep with me!” But leaving his garment in her hand, he escaped and ran outside.

• The typical male clothing in patriarchal times consisted of mid-calf-length shorts and a tunic that resembled a long tee-shirt (cf. 3:21; 37:3).
• Success in temptation depends more on character than on circumstances.
• Character rests on commitment to the will of God.
• We can see Joseph's character in his loyalty to Potiphar with regard to what his master had entrusted to his care (v. 9).
• We also see it in his responsibility to God for what belonged to someone else (v. 9).
• It is further obvious in his responsibility to God respecting his special personal calling (37:5-9; 45:5-9).
• Additionally we see it in his responsibility to God concerning his sacred vocation as a member of the house of Israel.

13 When she saw that he had left his garment with her and had run outside, 14 she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “my husband brought a Hebrew man to make fools of us. He came to me so he could sleep with me, and I screamed as loud as I could. 15 When he heard me screaming for help, he left his garment beside me and ran outside.”
16 She put Joseph’s garment beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him the same story: “The Hebrew slave you brought to us came to make a fool of me, 18 but when I screamed for help, he left his garment beside me and ran outside.”
19 When his master heard the story his wife told him—“These are the things your slave did to me”—he was furious 20 and had him thrown into prison, where the king’s prisoners were confined. So Joseph was there in prison.[3]
 
JOSEPH IN PRISON
21 But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him. He granted him favor with the prison warden. 22 The warden put all the prisoners who were in the prison under Joseph’s authority, and he was responsible for everything that was done there. 23 The warden did not bother with anything under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him, and the Lord made everything that he did successful.[4]
 
JOSEPH INTERPRETS TWO PRISONERS’ DREAMS
GENESIS 40

• Pharoah (King of Egypt) got mad at his cup bearer and baker and had them put in prison where Joseph was.
• Joseph was assigned as their attendant for some time.
• The cupbearer and baker had dreams on the same night.
• Joseph told them the interpretation of their dreams come from God and they told him their dreams.
• The cupbearer’s dream was about a vine with 3 branches that produced grapes.
• The cupbearer squeezed the grapes into Pharoh’s cup and handed it to him.
• Joseph told him that Pharoah would restore him to his position in 3 days and he would hand him his wine.
• Joseph asked the cupbearer to remember him for this positive message because he didn’t belong there.
• The baker told Joseph his dream of 3 baskets of bread on his head the birds ate them.
• Joseph told the baker that Pharoah would hang him in 3 days and the birds would eat the flesh from his body.

20 On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he gave a feast for all his servants. He elevated the chief cupbearer and the chief baker among his servants. 21 Pharaoh restored the chief cupbearer to his position as cupbearer, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. 22 But Pharaoh hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had explained to them. 23 Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.[5]
 
JOSEPH INTERPRETS PHARAOH’S DREAMS
GENESIS 41
1 At the end of two years Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile, 2 when seven healthy-looking, well-fed cows came up from the Nile and began to graze among the reeds. 3 After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside those cows along the bank of the Nile. 4 The sickly, thin cows ate the healthy, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. 5 He fell asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and good, came up on one stalk. 6 After them, seven heads of grain, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up. 7 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, full ones. Then Pharaoh woke up, and it was only a dream.

• The next morning, no one Pharoh’s court could interpret his dreams.
• Then the cupbearer finally remembered Joseph and told Pharoah about Joseph interpret his and the baker’s dreams and he was spot on in his interpretations.

14 Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they quickly brought him from the dungeon., He shaved, changed his clothes, and went to Pharaoh.
15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said about you that you can hear a dream and interpret it.”
16 “I am not able to,” Joseph answered Pharaoh. “It is God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”,

• Pharoah tells Joseph both of his dreams and explains that no one could interpret the dreams for him.

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years. The dreams mean the same thing. 27 The seven thin, sickly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind are seven years of famine.
28 “It is just as I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt. 30 After them, seven years of famine will take place, and all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will devastate the land. 31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered because of the famine that follows it, for the famine will be very severe. 32 Since the dream was given twice to Pharaoh, it means that the matter has been determined by God, and he will carry it out soon.
33 “So now, let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh do this: Let him appoint overseers over the land and take a fifth of the harvest of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 Let them gather all the excess food during these good years that are coming. Under Pharaoh’s authority, store the grain in the cities, so they may preserve it as food. 36 The food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine that will take place in the land of Egypt. Then the country will not be wiped out by the famine.”[6]
 
JOSEPH EXALTED
37 The proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants, 38 and he said to them, “Can we find anyone like this, a man who has God’s spirit in him?”

• "It can hardly be accidental that in all of Genesis only Joseph is described as one who is filled with the Spirit of God."

39 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you are. 40 You will be over my house, and all my people will obey your commands., Only I, as king, will be greater than you.” 41 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “See, I am placing you over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, clothed him with fine linen garments, and placed a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, and servants called out before him, “Make way!” So he placed him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh and no one will be able to raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt without your permission.”[7]

• Pharaoh gave Joseph a wife and freedom to roam Egypt.
• Joseph began his illustrious career at the age of 30.
• Interestingly, Jesus was "about 30 years old" when He began His public ministry (Luke 3:23).
• This is only one of many similarities between Joseph's life and Jesus' life.
• By accepting Joseph's interpretation of his dreams and his advice, Pharaoh chose to humble himself under Joseph's God.
• God rewarded this humility by preserving the land of Egypt during the coming famine.
• Joseph proceed with his plan and for 7 years of abundance he stored food in all the cities of Egypt.
• They couldn’t even measure it because it was so great.
• During this 7 years of harvest, Joseph had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
• Then 7 years of famine came to Egypt and the people pleaded with Pharoah who quickly pointed them to Joseph.
• Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to all of Egypt and lands around because the famine was severe.

 
JOSEPH’S BROTHERS IN EGYPT
GENESIS 42
1 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you keep looking at each other? 2 Listen,” he went on, “I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us so that we will live and not die.” 3 So ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he thought, “Something might happen to him.”
5 The sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6 Joseph was in charge of the country; he sold grain to all its people. His brothers came and bowed down before him with their faces to the ground. 7 When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke harshly to them.
“Where do you come from?” he asked.
“From the land of Canaan to buy food,” they replied.
8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.

• Twenty-one years after his brothers sold Joseph into slavery, they "bowed down to him with their faces to the ground," in fulfillment of his youthful dreams 

9 Joseph remembered his dreams about them and said to them, “You are spies. You have come to see the weakness of the land.”
10 “No, my lord. Your servants have come to buy food,” they said. 11 “We are all sons of one man. We are honest; your servants are not spies.”
12 “No,” he said to them. “You have come to see the weakness of the land.”
13 But they replied, “We, your servants, were twelve brothers, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no longer living.”
14 Then Joseph said to them, “I have spoken: ‘You are spies!’ 15 This is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one from among you to get your brother. The rest of you will be imprisoned so that your words can be tested to see if they are true. If they are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!” 17 So Joseph imprisoned them together for three days.
18 On the third day Joseph said to them, “I fear God—do this and you will live. 19 If you are honest, let one of you be confined to the guardhouse, while the rest of you go and take grain to relieve the hunger of your households. 20 Bring your youngest brother to me so that your words can be confirmed; then you won’t die.” And they consented to this.
21 Then they said to each other, “Obviously, we are being punished for what we did to our brother. We saw his deep distress when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this trouble has come to us.”
22 But Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to harm the boy? But you wouldn’t listen. Now we must account for his blood!”
23 They did not realize that Joseph understood them, since there was an interpreter between them. 24 He turned away from them and wept. When he turned back and spoke to them, he took Simeon from them and had him bound before their eyes. 25 Joseph then gave orders to fill their containers with grain, return each man’s silver to his sack, and give them provisions for their journey. This order was carried out. 26 They loaded the grain on their donkeys and left there.
 
THE BROTHERS RETURN HOME
27 At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver there at the top of his bag. 28 He said to his brothers, “My silver has been returned! It’s here in my bag.” Their hearts sank. Trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What has God done to us?”

• The brothers returned to Jacob and told him everything Joseph had said to them.

35 As they began emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his bag of silver! When they and their father saw their bags of silver, they were afraid.
36 Their father Jacob said to them, “It’s me that you make childless. Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone. Now you want to take Benjamin. Everything happens to me!”

• Each time Jacob's sons had left home, they returned with more money—but minus a brother.
• Did Jacob think they had sold Simeon?

37 Then Reuben said to his father, “You can kill my two sons if I don’t bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him to you.”
38 But Jacob answered, “My son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If anything happens to him on your journey, you will bring my gray hairs down to Sheol in sorrow.”[8]

• This story is about repentance.
• Repentance is still necessary for today.
• Repentance is the changing of the mind about something.
• God leads us to repentance through his kindness.
• Romans 2:4

[1] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Mt 1:1–2.
[2] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Mt 1:3.
[3] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ge 39:1–20.
[4] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ge 39:21–23.
[5] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ge 40:1–23.
[6] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ge 41:1–36.
[7] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ge 41:37–57.
[8] Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ge 42:1–38.