This lesson is compatible with the "Joseph" Flash-A-Cards from Abeka Books.  

Scripture References: Genesis 40: 23; 41:1-37

Joseph was waiting in the prison expecting to see a messenger from the king come in at any time.  He had asked Pharaoh’s head butler to mention him to the king when he got back to work.  The butler was so grateful that Joseph had interpreted his dream that he promised Joseph he would try his best.  But Joseph passed the days waiting and working his job as usual in the prison.  I don’t think he moped around, crying how unfair life had been to him.  Instead, I think he kept praising God for being with him in prison and blessing him.  It sounds very strange to say that God blessed someone in prison.  Prison is meant to be a punishment, so how can God bless someone in prison?!  Joseph is our example of this very thing!  God was with Joseph, to comfort and help him when he felt sad.  When he missed his family, he could pray and ask God to help him.  God also gave him grace with the prison keeper, and the guards, too.  They became kind to him, because they saw he was a good worker, and he wasn’t unkind to them.  Maybe you know someone who is in prison today.  Can God bless them in prison?  Yes!  He can!  And you can pray and ask God to help them.  If you love someone who is in prison, can God help you, too?  Of course!  Just talk to God and tell Him how you feel.  Ask God to help you and be with you, too.  He will help you.

After a few days, it became obvious that the butler had forgotten all about Joseph.  He was busy, back at work, and Joseph was soon out of his mind.  God was still preparing Joseph for something very special, and He wanted Joseph to keep trusting in Him, and depending on Him.

Two whole years passed after the butler promised to help Joseph get out of prison. 

One night, the Pharaoh was sleeping, and he had a very strange dream.  He woke up very troubled.  “That was the strangest dream I have EVER had!” he thought.  He tried to go back to sleep, but he couldn’t.  He just kept thinking about that dream.  The more he thought about it, the more troubled he became.  “Why was my dream so strange?  What does it mean?” he said to himself.  Finally, as Pharaoh lay in bed, he fell back to sleep.  He had another strange dream!  He woke up and felt so worried.  “What is going on?!  I had the two strangest dreams of my life in one night.  I have no idea what those dreams mean.  Am I losing my mind?”  I imagine he said to himself.  Now, Pharaoh didn’t believe in the One, True God.  He worshipped many false gods.  So, he thought one of the false gods was trying to tell him something.  So, Pharaoh called his servants together that morning.  “I want ALL of the magicians and wise men in Egypt to come to the palace.  Go bring them here.” He commanded.

The magicians and wise men were often the priests of the false gods.  They were also sometimes people who practiced magic, which the Bible tells us is not good.  Do you think priests of false gods, and magicians would know anything about a special dream? 

Well, they arrived at the palace one by one.  Pharaoh told them his two dreams, but not one of them could figure out what it meant.  It was such a strange, disturbing dream!  Pharaoh was getting desperate! 

It was then that the head butler was working and listening to the servants talk about all of the guests in the palace.  He asked what they were doing there.  When he heard that they were trying to interpret Pharaoh’s dream, he exclaimed “OH!  JOSEPH!  I FORGOT ALL ABOUT HIM!”

The butler rushed to speak to the king.  “Excuse me great king!  I have something important to tell you.” He said, “I remember something I should have done long ago.  Two years ago, you were angry with me and the head baker, so you put us in prison.  Both the baker and I had a dream on night.  Neither of us understood our dreams, but there was a young Hebrew man there.  He was the servant of the prison keeper.  We told him our dreams, and he was able to tell us what they meant.  And he told us what would happen.  He said the baker would be killed, and I would return to work for you.  It happened just like he said it would!  His name is Joseph.  Maybe he can help you with your dream, oh King.”

Pharaoh would try anything at this point, so he sent a servant to the prison to bring back Joseph.  When the servant arrived at the prison, Joseph was working away as usual.

“Are you Joseph?” the servant asked.  “Yes.  I am.” Joseph replied.  “How can I help you?”

The servant told Joseph to hurry and get ready.  He was going to the palace!  When he got to the palace, he had to get ready to see the king.  Joseph had to shave his head, as was common for Egyptian men in those days, and change his clothes.  I’m sure his clothes weren’t in very good shape by then.  Certainly not good enough to stand before Pharaoh.  I imagine he also had to take a bath!  Soon, Joseph was ready to see the king.

When he got to the throne room, Pharaoh said “I have had a dream, and no one can interpret it for me.  I have heard that you can interpret dreams.”

Joseph answered Pharaoh “I don’t have that power, but God will give you and answer.”

Joseph made sure Pharaoh knew that he didn’t have the answers to the king’s dream, but God gave the king the dream, and God would give the answer to the dream. 

Pharaoh then began to tell Joseph all about his dream.  “I was standing on the riverbank, looking at the river. All of a sudden, seven cows came up out of the river.  They were nice, fat cows that looked very healthy.  They went to the meadow and began eating the grass.  As they were eating, seven more cows came up from the river.  They were the UGLIEST cows I have ever seen.  They were skinny and looked sick.  They went over to the healthy, fat cows and ATE THEM all up!  After they ate them, you would never know they had just eaten a whole cow, because the still looked ugly and skinny.  Then I woke up.  I then had another dream.  In the second dream I saw a single stalk of corn.  It had seven beautiful pieces of corn on it.  They were big and juicy.  All of a sudden, seven more pieces of corn came up on the same stalk.  They were ugly and thin, ruined by the east wind.  They swallowed up the good corn.  I told this dream to all of my magicians and wise men, but not one of them could explain it.”  Pharaoh finished speaking and waited to hear what Joseph would say.

Pharaoh, God has given you these two dreams to show you what will happen soon.  The two dreams have the same meaning.  The 7 good cows and the 7 good corn both represent 7 years.  The 7 ugly, bad cows and the 7 bad corn both represent another 7 years. For 7 years there will be a lot of grain growing in the land.  There will more than enough to eat.  But then there will be 7 years of famine.  The grain will not grow well, and there won’t be enough food for everyone.  Many people will suffer hunger.  God gave you two dreams because He wanted to show you what He is going to do.

It would be good if you, oh Pharaoh, would choose a very wise man to be in charge of the food and grains in Egypt.  Also, choose officers to go through all of Egypt to collect 1/5 of the crops each year for 7 years.  They can store the collected food with your authority and keep some stored in each city.  When the 7 bad years come, the stored food can be given out to those who need it, so no one will die.”

Pharaoh thought about it for a moment.  “This is a very good idea.  The young Hebrew man’s God had given him dreams to tell him what was going to happen, and then let Joseph interpret the dreams.  This Joseph must be very close to his God!  And this God seemed very powerful!”

It’s amazing to me that God showed a man who didn’t believe in Him what He was going to do.  But God had a special plan, and God would show His great power to those who didn’t believe in Him.  He was showing that He is the One, True God!

Do you think Pharaoh will follow Joseph’s advice and choose a wise man to be in charge of the food for the 7 good and 7 bad years?

Come back next week to find out!

Let’s thank God for being with Joseph all the long years he was in prison.  Let’s thank God for being with us, as well.