Today’s passage: Genesis 41:37-57
Helpful thoughts:
- Joseph was the wisest and best able to discern because God was with him. Pharaoh wouldn’t have understood this the way we do, but it was written in a way we would easily understand.
- Pharaoh clothed Joseph, gave him the royal signet ring, a new name, and even an Egyptian wife to assimilate Joseph into Egyptian culture.
- Though Joseph had been made as Egyptian as possible, he never forgot who he was. His sons’ names were in the Hebrew language and recounted God’s work in Joseph’s life.
- God gave Pharoah the dreams. God gave Joseph the interpretation and the wisdom to resolve the issues. God gave Joseph power over Egypt. God did all of this to bring about His decreed will. Pharoah wasn’t in charge. Joseph wasn’t in charge. God was, is, and always will be in charge.
Questions to consider:
- Being a polytheist in Egypt, what might Pharaoh have thought about the spirit of God (Or the spirit of the gods) being in Joseph to give him this wisdom? What would his perspective probably have been? What do we know was happening?
- How long had Joseph been in Egypt as a slave and/or inmate (Genesis 37:2, 41:46)? Which years of his life did he give to this service while he waited for God to bring about the fulfilment of his own dreams? How would cultural expectations of our day have made it hard for him to wait on the Lord’s timing?
- In what ways has God’s power been on display in today’s and the previous day’s passages? How is He showing his sovereignty over all (Even the most powerful kings)?