Genesis is almost over. Wheeeeeee.

Genesis 40-41: Joseph meets a cupbearer and baker who offended Pharoah, the king of Egypt, and were thrown into prison too. They each had a dream on the same night told Joseph about those dreams. Joseph interpreted the cupbearer’s dream to mean that the cupbearer would be restored to his position in three days. Joseph asked the cupbearer to put in a good word for him to the king. The baker’s dream wasn’t as good, but Joseph was bold and honest enough to give a true interpretation, rather than comfort the baker and offer him false hope. Joseph said that in three days, the baker would be beheaded by Pharoah. Joseph obviously didn’t ask this guy to help him get out of prison.

All of this happened as Joseph said, but the cupbearer forgot Joseph for two full years. This probably seemed like a real bummer to Joseph, but it turned out to be God’s perfect timing. The cupbearer remembered to mention Joseph after Pharaoh had two dreams that all his wise men and magicians couldn’t interpret. Pharaoh summoned Joseph after hearing the cupbearer’s story about him. Joseph said he couldn’t interpret the dreams, but God could. Joseph is going to give a right answer, but he’s not going to take the credit for it. Years ago, Joseph sought to lift himself up by telling his brothers about his dreams where he was glorified. He remembered that fall, and he’s not going through that again.

After hearing the dreams, Joseph told Pharaoh that God was revealing that there would be seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine, so Pharaoh would have to store up food in order to get through the coming bad times. Pharaoh recognized that Joseph had the “Spirit of God” in him. This is the first mention of the Holy Spirit in the Bible. Pharaoh made Joseph his second-in-command and put him in charge of saving 20% of everything that came in the next seven years. Pharaoh gave Joseph a ring, robes, a chariot, and a wife. Joseph had two sons, and gave them Hebrew names meaning “forgetfulness” and “fruitfulness.” This shows that he was determined to forget the pain, grudges, and cruelty in his past, because his life has moved into a phase of blessing.

During the famine, all the surrounding lands came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph. And so everyone was saved! This seems like a complicated way to save people from famine. God was trying to speak to Pharaoh so he would act, but wouldn’t it have been easier for God to, you know, just stop the famine? There’s more to it. This whole story is also about getting the Jewish people into Egypt so that lots of other, very important things can happen to this group. Also, many have pointed out that Joseph is a lot like Jesus. I'm not going to go through all the similarities, partly because some are real stretches, but one I thought was pretty random is the how the baker and cupbearer represent bread and wine, which kind of "foreshadows" communion. Then again, it could be just a coincidence. 

On dreams: I don’t know whether God still communicates this way, or if it’s vain to make too much out of your dreams. Maybe it’s an important resource Christians haven’t been tapping. Maybe it’s best left to the more colorful, reaching religious people. Crazy or not? How do you know if a dream is from God? Surely we’re not supposed to be reaching for the Dream Interpretation Books they sell at Barnes and Noble to divine messages from God. Those are only for delving into the subconscious brain, right?

Is it only the dreams that really bother you or stay with you that you should pay attention to? I’m inclined to think most of my dreams are just silly, not messages from God, but maybe others have had different experiences. It’s something we don’t think about a lot. I think these chapters show that God CAN communicate urgent messages through dreams, but whoever interprets them must have the Holy Spirit, or there’s no chance of getting anything useful. These aren’t the sorts of things you can rely on your own power and intellect for.