Joseph and the Meaning of Dreams

Genesis 40:1-41:45

     One day the butler and the baker from the king's palace in Egypt were put in prison. This was the same prison where Joseph, the son of Israel, was put by Potiphar. The prison keeper let Joseph take charge of the butler and baker, because he trusted Joseph to help him.

     One morning the butler and baker both said they had dreams they could not understand. They were upset because they did not understand their dreams.

     "The meaning of dreams comes from God," Joseph told them. He listened to their dreams and explained them. He told the butler, "Your dream was a happy one. You will end up as the king's favorite server." He told the baker, "Your dream is not so happy. You will end up in terrible trouble with the king."

     Both these dreams came true. The butler meant to reward Joseph, but he forgot about him for two years.

     However, one day Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, had dreams he did not understand. Then Pharaoh's butler remembered Joseph, and Pharaoh sent for him.

     "I have dreamed about seven fat cows and seven thin ones," Pharaoh told Joseph. "The seven very thin cows ate up the fat cows. And I dreamed about seven fat ears of corn and seven thin ones."

     "God has told in these dreams what will happen and what you must do," Joseph told Pharaoh. "There will be seven good harvests, with plenty of food for everyone. Then there will be seven years without good crops. Everyone will starve unless you save grain from the seven without good crops.

      Then Joseph said, "Because you dreamed about this in two ways, once Pharaoh, you should get someone who is very wise and honest and have him save grain for the thin years." Pharaoh said, "This is a good idea. And where would we find a man any better than you do to do this job?"

     So Pharaoh made Joseph his chief helper. He gave him a ring from his own hand. He gave him clothes a king could wear and a gold chain to wear around his neck. Joseph rode in the second best chariot in the land, and when he went by, people had to bow to him. Joseph married a rich Egyptian woman named Asenath. He went out to all of Egypt and collected grain in the seven good years.