QT 12/16/2025 Gen 41:17-32, Using our skills and gifts for God

Genesis 41:17–32 (ESV) —

17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile. 18 Seven cows, plump and attractive, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass. 19 Seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt. 20 And the thin, ugly cows ate up the first seven plump cows, 21 but when they had eaten them no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke. 22 I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good. 23 Seven ears, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them, 24 and the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine. 28 It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, 30 but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land, 31 and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. 32 And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about.

 

NOTE: The only differences between the first explanation of the dream and Pharaoh's rehashing is that the use of more extreme nouns and adjectives at various points in the retelling. Obvious, Pharaoh himself has spent some time analyzing his own dream. I don't know to what extent God uses dreams today. I would be cautious of anyone who had a dream or felt they could interpret dreams. That being said, there are a few principles that come out of dreams in the OT. Repeated dreams generally mean something is going to happen soon. As to the idea of days or years, Joseph notices the seasons implied in the dreams and correctly notes that the period of time is years. In the previous case with Pharaoh's officials, the stories did not include anything that took time, also, since Pharaoh's birthday was three days away, Joseph correctly inferred days. But of course, it is not Joseph's analysis, but rather God working though the Holy Spirit who clearly resides in Joseph. Another aspect of these dreams from God is that they are vivid and remembered. Most dreams that we have, are forgotten, especially the details. That is not to say, dreams that are remembered in detail are from God, quite the contrary. I am leery of dreams. God has spoken to us directly in his word. There is very little reason for him to use dreams today to accomplish his will.

 

So what do we take away from this passage? I think it is hard to miss the hand of God. This part is completely God as he gives dreams to two officials to set up the dreams that he gives Pharaoh. Also, as we will see tomorrow, God's training of Joseph from his days at home to Potiphar's house to the jail has given him tremendous skills of organization and administration. The years, 14 plus, have put him in the right position at the right time for God to use him.

 

PONDER:

1. What are the skills and spiritual gifts that God has given me?
2. How am I using my skills and my gifts for his glory?
3. Or do I only use my skills for my own self?

 

PRAYER: Father, thank you for these days and the skills you have given to me. Continue to give me wisdom to recognize opportunities to use your skills and gifts to advance your kingdom.