GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE GENESIS _ALUN OWEN_ CHAPTER 41 *PHARAOH’S DREAMS V1 After two whole years, *Pharaoh had a dream. He dreamed that he stood by the river Nile. V2 And he saw 7 cows, which came up out of the river Nile. The cows were healthy and fat. They fed among the plants that were by the... [ Continue Reading ]
The Nile is a very big river. Egypt has very little rain, but the river Nile provides water for Egypt. It provides water so that the crops can grow. It provides water for the plants that the cows eat. So the river Nile is very important in Egypt. And a dream about the river Nile might bring a very i... [ Continue Reading ]
The corn had long stems. The grains were at the tops of the stems. Each grain was a seed.... [ Continue Reading ]
Probably the wise men tried to explain the dreams. Perhaps they guessed part of the meaning of the dreams. But they were afraid to say that bad things would happen. And *Pharaoh did not believe that their explanations were true. Later (in verse 37) *Pharaoh believed what Joseph said. V9 Then the ch... [ Continue Reading ]
This was happening in the way that God intended. The *cup-bearer had forgotten Joseph until this time. But the *cup-bearer was with *Pharaoh when *Pharaoh spoke to the wise men. That reminded the *cup-bearer about Joseph.... [ Continue Reading ]
The *cup-bearer said that Joseph was ‘a servant of the captain of the guards.’ He did not say that Joseph was a prisoner. This tells us about how Joseph lived in the prison. He had some freedom while he was in the prison. He did not have to remain in a small room. (See Genesis 39:22.) *PHARAOH SEND... [ Continue Reading ]
Joseph had been in Egypt for 13 years. (See Genesis 37:2, ‘Joseph was 17 years of age’. And see Genesis 41:46, ‘Joseph was 30 years of age’.) And Joseph had been in the prison for most of that time. ‘Joseph shaved himself.’ *Hebrews often had beards. But in Egypt, only prisoners or lazy people had... [ Continue Reading ]
Joseph needed great courage to say this. The inhabitants of Egypt believed in many false gods. They also believed that *Pharaoh was a god. Joseph had learnt about the one God from his father Jacob. He knew that God had been with him. He had the courage to tell *Pharaoh about God. And he trusted God... [ Continue Reading ]
‘The *famine will be very bad.’ In some years there is not enough rain and so there is a *famine. This is natural. This happened during Abraham’s life. (See Genesis 12:10.) It had happened during Isaac’s life. (See Genesis 26:1.) Sometimes the *famine lasts for several years. So the 7 years *famine... [ Continue Reading ]
‘God will soon make it happen.’ God could have sent enough rain to prevent the *famine. But he did not do that. He sent the *famine and he warned people about it. The *famine was a part of God’s plan. Because of the *famine, Jacob and his family moved to Egypt. And in Egypt, Jacob’s *descendants bec... [ Continue Reading ]
Joseph did not have enough time to think about this plan. But he proposed a plan that was correct. ‘One part out of every 5 parts’ (verse 34) was the correct amount. Joseph did not make the plan himself. God had made the plan and he showed it to Joseph. God does not always do that for us. More often... [ Continue Reading ]
Joseph had explained *Pharaoh’s dreams. But *Pharaoh realised that Joseph had done more than that. He had also proposed a plan. By Joseph’s plan, the inhabitants of Egypt could have enough food during the *famine. *Pharaoh decided that the plan was good. So *Pharaoh told Joseph to carry out that pla... [ Continue Reading ]
*Pharaoh’s ring was a ‘signet ring’. The shape of a ‘signet ring’ has a special pattern. Its owner would press the ring on a flat lump of clay. (Clay is a kind of soil. One can form it into a flat lump. One can write on the flat lump with the point of a stick. People used flat lumps of clay as we us... [ Continue Reading ]
A *chariot was a cart that had 2 wheels. One or two horses pulled it. It could move fast. *Pharaoh and other important people rode in *chariots. The army used *chariots of a different kind when they fought. Joseph rode in *Pharaoh’s second *chariot because the first *chariot was for *Pharaoh only. N... [ Continue Reading ]
‘I am *Pharaoh.’ *Pharaoh meant that he was the only person with great authority. But he gave that authority to Joseph. In future, Joseph would have the authority that *Pharaoh usually had. ‘Nobody shall move a hand or a foot.’ *Pharaoh did not mean exactly what he said. But he meant that Joseph ha... [ Continue Reading ]
Some people suggest that ‘Zaphenath-paneah’ may mean ‘one who preserves people alive’. JOSEPH RULES OVER EGYPT V47 During the 7 years of plenty, the earth produced a large quantity of food. V48 And Joseph gathered all the food during the 7 years when there was plenty in Egypt. He stored food in th... [ Continue Reading ]
This does not mean that Joseph gathered food himself. Joseph *commanded what his managers should do. (*Pharaoh had appointed managers. See verse 34.) And the managers *commanded their workers.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Manasseh’ sounds like ‘forget’. ‘Ephraim’ means ‘fruit’. Fruit is something that a plant produces. ‘God has made me forget my father’s house.’ Joseph thought that he would not see his father and his brothers again. He did not know God’s plan. God had put Joseph in *Pharaoh’s court so that he could... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Go to Joseph.’ The people did not go to Joseph himself. Joseph told the people what they should do. But he provided grain through the organisation that he had set up.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘All the earth’ means the parts of the earth that those people knew. That was only a small part of the whole earth. PHARAOH ~ every king of Egypt was called ‘Pharaoh’. It was not one king’s name.'CUP-BEARER ~ a person who provided the wine that the king drank. He gave the king’s cup to the king when... [ Continue Reading ]