Genesis 41:28 - Printer Friendly

ESV: It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do.

NIV: "It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.

NASB: It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.

CSB: "It is just as I told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.

NLT: This will happen just as I have described it, for God has revealed to Pharaoh in advance what he is about to do.

KJV: This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.

NKJV: This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.

Ancient Egyptians were naturally inclined to believe dreams could be messages from a divine source. Joseph has been summoned to interpret two dreams for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt (Genesis 41:14–16). In this case, Joseph agrees the visions are from God, and they are prophetic. As he stated before (Genesis 41:25), these were messages from God—the One True God (Jeremiah 10:10; John 17:3).

Believers often wish they could receive an overt, supernatural message from the Lord. That raises a reasonable question: why would the God of Abraham give messages to an Egyptian leader who worshiped many false gods? As the rest of Genesis will so beautifully uncover, God's message to Pharaoh is part of a greater plan. That purpose is to protect and provide for His own chosen people Israel. In time, Joseph will come to see even his own cruel treatment in Egypt as part of God's kindness and purpose for his family, his nation, and for the world (Genesis 50:15–20).

Genesis 41:9–36 contains Joseph's explanation of Pharaoh's visions. When Egypt's ruler is bothered by vivid dreams, his formerly jailed cupbearer remembers a young Hebrew. This is Joseph, who explained the cupbearer's dream in prison (Genesis 40:23). Joseph explains that Pharaoh's dreams point to seven years of abundance in Egypt followed by seven years of desperate famine. Joseph boldly proposes a plan to manage the coming crisis.

Joseph's status in Genesis 41 begins as "forgotten Hebrew prison slave" and ends as "the second most powerful man in Egypt." The cupbearer from the previous chapter finally mentions Joseph two years later, when Pharaoh is troubled by dreams which wise men can't interpret. Joseph reveals the meaning of the dreams: seven years of abundance will be followed by seven years of great famine in the land. Pharaoh, recognizing that God's Spirit is with Joseph, makes him second in command over the entire nation and tasks him with preparing for the famine.

Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers (Genesis 37:24–28). He then excelled in his work for an Egyptian official, only to be falsely accused and imprisoned (Genesis 39:20). There, he accurately interpreted dreams for servants of the Egyptian ruler (Genesis 40:20–22). Unfortunately, the restored cupbearer failed to mention Joseph, leaving him in prison for two more years (Genesis 40:23). A series of disturbing dreams leads to Joseph's audience with Pharaoh. This, in turn, leads to Joseph becoming the second most powerful man in the nation. The following chapters emphasize Joseph's reunion with his family. Details about his administration of food during the famine are recorded in Genesis 47:13–26.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 11/25/2024 2:19:46 PM