Joseph Hears the Dreams

Joseph, all cleaned up for his appearance before the one of the most powerful men in the world, is brought before Pharaoh to hear the perplexing dreams and asked to interpret them. 

Genesis 41:16 “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.” 17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18 when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds. 19 After them, seven other cows came up– scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt. 20 The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. 21 But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up. 22 “In my dream I saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk. 23 After them, seven other heads sprouted– withered and thin and scorched by the east wind. 24 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but none of them could explain it to me.” 25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.”

Think about it:

• Two dreams, one and the same.  How do the two dreams, both meaning the same thing, contrast with the two dreamers in prison, each dream with its own meaning? 
• Numbers mean things in the Bible.  Two dreams add to the certainty.  Seven cows doubled.  Seven heads of grain doubled.  Seven is a number representing completion, perfection, and guarantee.  What do you think it means that the seven cows and seven heads of grain are each doubled? 
• Good followed by (and swallowed by) bad.  How does this set up the dreams as not having a fairytale happy ending? 
• Think back to the dreams of the cupbearer and baker (good outcome followed by bad).  How does this offer insight into Joseph’s accuracy and prove he’s no flatterer? 
• How does this add to Joseph’s credibility when he says that God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do?