Lenten Journey: Joseph interprets Dreams

The Story of Joseph continues

"Since God has shown you all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are. You shall be over my house and all my people shall order themselves as you command, only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you." Genesis 41:39-40

In ancient times, God would speak to man through his dreams. God used dreams to communicate to the patriarchs as well as others throughout the Scriptures. That is why at the time of Joseph, dreams were a serious business. They were messages from God and they had to be interpreted. Joseph, the dreamer, has now become the interpreter. God spoke to Joseph in his dreams as a prophesy of future events and now God speaks through Joseph.

Eleven long years have passed since Joseph was sold into slavery. He still remains in prison. While there, the cupbearer and the baker at Pharaoh's service are thrown into prison. They each have a dream and Joseph accurately interprets them. This establishes his ability and credibility. He then asks the cupbearer to speak to Pharaoh on his behalf. But the cupbearer soon forgets about Joseph and Joseph has to remain in prison for two more years. God takes His time to develop His plans. We are the ones that are always in a hurry.

Those two years in prison must have seem like a lifetime to Joseph. He had faith in God but he must have felt a little impatient. He spent his 20s between slavery and jail. Think back to the time when you were 20 years old. I remember my 20s as the best years of my life. I was a newlywed without a care in the world. I had my whole life ahead of me and I had no worries. Life was good.

Not for Joseph. Life was anything but good for Joseph. And yet, he didn't grow bitter or vengeful. He never gave up on God. He continued to pray and he kept his eyes on God. What a role model we have on Joseph. We, people of little faith, who complaint if God doesn't answer our prayers within 24 hours.

Finally, one day, Joseph's time of waiting came to an end. The day started just like all the previous ones. There was no great sign from above that anything different was going to happen. But in the middle of the day, some servants from the Pharaoh come looking for Joseph. They are in a hurry. Pharaoh wants to meet Joseph. They give him clean clothes. They ask him to shave. He has to be clean and presentable to meet the ruler of Egypt.

Pharaoh has been dreaming and no one has been able to interpret his dreams. The negligent cupbearer finally remembers Joseph and mentions him to Pharaoh. When Joseph is taken to the Pharaoh, he humbly tells Pharaoh that it is not he who can interpret dreams. God is the interpreter. Joseph doesn't take the credit for his talent. He gives the credit to God. And he assures Pharaoh that God will provide him with a favorable answer. Joseph doesn't doubt for a minute. He knows that God did not bring him this far to fail him. The time in jail did not diminish his faith, on the contrary, it strengthened it.

What happens to us when we are going through a difficult time? Does our faith diminish or does it grow? Do we pray or do we give up? Do we wait patiently for the Lord or do we get angry at Him?

Joseph stood up in front of the Pharaoh by God's grace. After spending 13 years as a slave and as a prisoner, he listens to Pharaoh explain his dreams and he doesn't even blink. Anyone else would have been scared to death. And then, as if it was the simplest thing in the world to interpret a dream, he tells Pharaoh: "Expect seven years of plenty and seven years of famine."

And just like that, in the blink of an eye, the slave who had been in prison just that morning, became Pharaoh's right hand. Joseph began his day in a dungeon and ended it as master of all of Egypt. How did this happen? Easy. When God is in charge anything can happen. In addition to interpreting Pharaoh's dreams, Joseph, with a wisdom that could only come from God, boldly, yet humbly, suggested a course of action for Pharaoh. At that moment, Pharaoh recognized that God was with Joseph and he put Joseph in charge of his entire house, placing all the citizens of Egypt under his command.

God used Joseph to save the Egyptians, but His plan was much bigger than that. The great-grandsons of Abraham sold their little brother into slavery intending it for evil. But God intended it for good. Tomorrow we will find out how God works all things for His glory.