The Cup was Found in Benjamin’s Sack,
at this They Tore Their Clothes
44: 1-17

The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack, at this they tore their clothes DIG: Why does Joseph place the silver bowl in Benjamin’s sack? Why the exciting delay in sending the steward after them? How do the brothers respond when the planted bowl is found in Benjamin’s sack? How do these feelings compare with their feelings at the end of Chapter 43? With what Yosef felt at the end of Chapter 37? What changes have taken place in their lives?

REFLECT: Where in your family or at work have you seen someone whose “walk matched his or her talk?” Do you see this in your own life? Where is it tougher, at home, at work, or socially, for you to achieve this? Why?

Clearly elated after their dinner with the prime minister of Egypt, the brothers pack up and head home. They have food to stave off the famine in Canaan, and they are returning with Simeon and their youngest brother Benjamin.⁶⁷³ How pleased their father will be! But this was all part of Joseph’s plan. Even though they had shown real sorrow for their sin against him, had confessed it as sin, and shown no resentment against Benjamin, Joseph was still not sure what their attitude might be if they had to choose between their own personal welfare and that of Benjamin and their father.⁶⁷⁴ In view of that, he needed to satisfy his mind in this regard before he made himself known to them. The test he used would give him absolute proof that his brothers would not repeat the same sin that he had experienced at their hands so many years before.⁶⁷⁵

Now as part of the test, Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry. The sacks on their donkeys could only carry so much, and they needed to feed hundreds people. Then he added: put each man’s silver in the mouth of his sack. Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain. (44:1-2a). In essence, he framed Benjamin. The gabia, here rendered cup, was more properly a bowl, and was distinguished from the kosoth, or smaller cups, into which the liquid was poured from the gabia. The distinction is made in Jeremiah 30:5, where the two words are used. Then I set bowls (gabia) full of wine and some cups (kosoth) before the men of the Recabite family and said to them, “Drink some wine.”⁶⁷⁶

It would have been easy for one of the brothers to slip the silver bowl into his sack. They had just finished dining with Yosef; perhaps the bowl was temptingly placed on the eating table. At least it had to be displayed in a place where the guests had access to it or could observe it so that they could later be charged with stealing it. It was unlikely that they could have had the chance to burglarize Joseph’s house while they were his guests. But they could have easily hid it under one of their coats, then slipped it unnoticed into one of their sacks.⁶⁷⁷  The test was to see if the brothers would abandon Benjamin as they once had abandoned Joseph. And the steward did as Joseph said. This bowl was a symbol of his authority, and to steal it would be a serious crime. As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys (44:2-3). All seemed to be going well.

They had not gone far from the city limits when Yosef said to his trusted friend: Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them say, “Why have you repaid good for evil?” Then after inspecting the sack of the youngest, say, “Isn’t this the silver bowl my master drinks from and also uses for divination” (44:4-5a)? The Hebrew literally reads: Nacheish Yeanacheish, which translates from divining he divines. This comes from the same root as the word for serpent because the occult is connected with Satan. This was part of the ploy because Joseph wanted to make the crime seem worse, but in actuality, he did not use any kind of divination.

Of course there were silver bowls used for divination. This is how they were used. Clean water would be poured into such a bowl, then particles of gold, silver or precious stones would be dropped into the clean water. Then oil would be added to the clean water. Then depending on how light would shine between the oil and the particles, a prediction would be made. It was viewed as a sacred vessel. Then, at the appropriate moment the steward pretended to scowl: This is a wicked thing you have done (44:5b)!

When the steward and his many soldiers caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. But they said to him, “Why does my lord say such things?” Far be it from your servants to do anything like that! We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? Their reasoning was this: How could we be guilty of stealing a bowl, when we were honest and returned the silver we found in our sacks after the first trip? And they were so sure that none of them had stolen the silver bowl that they made an offer to the steward. They said: If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves (44:6-9). Their offer was sincere, but did not accomplish Joseph’s intent. The counter proposal of the servant modifies the penalty even though he seemingly agrees with them.

The servant said: Very well then, let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will not be executed, but will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame. Now their choice would be between self-preservation and Benjamin’s welfare. Will family unity and loyalty prevail? Had the brothers changed since the time they had sold Joseph? All the conditions were set for another betrayal. Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it (44:10-11).

Then the steward proceeded to search the sacks of the brothers. The verb search is the same one used in 31:35 to describe Laban’s search of Jacob’s tents for his household gods. There is tension that is built up in both accounts. Laban starts in Jacob’s tent, moves to Leah’s tent, then to the tents of Bilhah and Zilpah, and lastly searches Rachel’s tent. The tension builds because the narrator and the reader already know the household gods are in Rachel’s tent. Here, Joseph’s steward, to cause tension to build, began with the oldest ending with the youngest because he already knew Benjamin had the silver bowl (44:12a).

As sack after sack was opened without finding the bowl they must have felt more and more vindicated – even angry. They must have thought, “How dare he accuse us!” But then, at the very last, the silver bowl was found in Benjamin’s sack. The sudden threat to Benjamin was like a sword thrust through their hearts, and was an indication that they were indeed changed men. At this, they tore their clothes in mourning, a response that they had earlier caused their father to make over the loss of Yosef. Now they loved their father too much to face him with the news that Benjamin, like Joseph, was gone.⁶⁷⁸  So in shock and disbelief, they all loaded their donkeys again and returned to the city (44:12b-13).

Joseph, who was expecting them to come back, and was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in. He no doubt was overjoyed when he saw all of them returning instead of Benjamin alone. However, he still needed to hear from their own lips their thoughts and feelings as they threw themselves to the ground before him once again (44:14).⁶⁷⁹ At this point, Judah was the leader of the brothers. He had initiated the sale of Yosef, but now he would sacrifice himself for the sake of Benjamin.

Joseph said to them: What is this you have done? Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out by divination (44:15)? By this point the brothers were certainly convinced of that! His knowledge of them had been uncanny and astonishing. But this was part of the test. Of course, Joseph did not practice divination; he just wanted his brothers to understand that the silver bowl was used as a sacred vessel.

70. Joseph and Jesus will not reveal themselves until the children of Isra’el confess their sin. Judah replied: What can we say to my lord? How can we prove our innocence? God had uncovered your servant’s guilt (44:16a). It was after this that Joseph revealed himself (45:3), and so it will be with Jesus. Through the mouth of the prophet He says: Then I will go back to My place until they admit their guilt and they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek Me (Hosea 5:15). So as a condition for the Second Coming, the children of Isra’el will cry out: All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). At that time ADONAI will reveal Himself to the believing remnant of Jews at the end of the Great Tribulation (see my commentary on Revelation Ev – The Basis for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ).

Judah’s statement, God had uncovered your servant’s guilt, was one of the things that Yosef was looking for. He obviously knew Benjamin didn’t steal the silver bowl, but Judah saw the whole thing as God’s retribution for the way he and his brothers had dealt with Joseph. Judah saw this as Ha’Shem’s way of dealing with their past sin against their brother. They withheld mercy from him (42:21), and now the LORD would withhold mercy from them. They deserved what was happening to them even if they were not guilty of that particular crime.⁶⁸⁰ We are now my lord’s slaves – we ourselves and the one who was found to have the silver bowl (44:16b). If Benjamin was guilty, so were they all.

Judah is discerning enough to know that one’s sins will normally find one out, and those sins will serve to punish the sinner. God often works that way (see my commentary on Esther, to see link click Bf – So They Impaled Haman on the Pole He Had Set Up for Mordecai). Even at the cross there is a sense of retributive irony. There the Adversary and his followers attempted to destroy the promised One by hanging Him on a cross. But it was the very death of the Messiah that brought about the eternal defeat of Satan and his demons. And, of course, they did what God’s power and will had decided beforehand should happen (Acts 4:28). The tempter and all his fallen angels meant the cross for evil, but God used it for good.⁶⁸¹

But Yosef rejected Judah’s offer when he said: Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the silver cup will become my slave. And seeing if they would really abandon their brother, Joseph said: The rest of you, go back to your father in peace (44:17). This was the final test of the brothers, and particularly Judah. Would they stand by Benjamin or let him become a slave? Had Judah really changed, or would history repeat itself?

Haftarah miKetz: M’lakhim Alef (First Kings) 3:15-4:1
(see my commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Af – Parashah)

The Torah portion is preceded by Joseph’s dreams that his brothers would bow down to him. The Haftarah is preceded by a dream in which Solomon asks ADONAI for wisdom to rule. The test come immediately. At a feast, two women approach the young king, both claiming to be the mother of a newborn baby. Each insists that the other’s baby died during the night. Solomon rules that the baby should be divided and half given to each woman. The true mother was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the baby! Don’t kill him” (First Kings 26-26a). Her display of compassion contrasted sharply with cold response of the other, who was satisfied to see the baby cut in two. Solomon ruled that the baby should be given to the woman who showed compassion. The people were in awe of their king, because they saw the wisdom of God at work in him (First Kings 3:28).

B’rit Chadashah suggested reading for Parashah miKetz:
Matthew 27:45-50; Acts 7:9-16 (specifically verses 11 and 12)

What could be worse than separation from God the Father? At Gethsemane, Yeshua prayed that His cup of suffering be removed, but surrendered His will to the Father (Matthew 26:39). It was customary before Passover for the imperial magistrate of Rome to acquit or pardon a prisoner charged with a capital offense. Pilate’s wife dreamed that Yeshua was not deserving of crucifixion (Matthew 27:19), and she warned her husband. But the crowd demanded the release of Barabbas, literally, bar-Abbas, or son of the father, a popular zealot (John 18:40; Luke 23:14-19; Acts 3:14). When Yeshua was crucified, God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us (Second Corinthians 5:21a), He was cut off from God the Father and darkness covered the entire world (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Lv – Jesus’ Second Three Hours on the Cross: The Wrath of God).

The Brothers Took the Gifts and Benjamin to Egypt,
Then They Presented Themselves to Joseph
43: 15-34

The brothers took gifts and Benjamin to Egypt, then they presented themselves to Joseph DIG: Why do you think Joseph takes his brothers home and has a meal with them? How will their fear help Yosef complete his plan? Why do you think Joseph chooses not to reveal himself to his brothers, even at the poignant moment of greeting Benjamin? What more does Joseph want? In what way did Joseph foreshadow the life of Christ?

REFLECT: Where is the cupboard bare in your life? And where are you feasting five times as much as anyone else? When have you been spiritually lulled to sleep, only to find yourself in a time of testing?

So Israel’s sons took the gifts and doubled the amount of silver, and Benjamin also. They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph (43:15). It is interesting to note that Benjamin does not speak during this entire ordeal.⁶⁶³

We can only imagine his emotion when Joseph saw Benjamin standing before him. He realized that his brothers had fulfilled their part of the agreement; he said to the steward of the house: Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare dinner. They are to eat with me at noon, which was the main meal of the day (43:16). The rabbis teach that this was a test. Yosef wanted to see how they behaved towards Benjamin and whether they would display envy when he gave him larger portions than the rest. Joseph’s actions parallel those of the father in Jesus’ parable who, on the return of his prodigal son, gave orders to bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate (Luke 15:23).

The steward did as Yosef told him and took the men to his house. There were probably very few living souls that were granted the privilege of eating with Yosef, let alone at his house, but instead of being grateful, they were anxious. Now Joseph’s brothers were frightened when they were taken to his house. They couldn’t imagine that he was bringing them there for any good reason. They felt guilty about everything and said to themselves: We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. Notice what Joseph’s brothers feared: He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys (43:17-18). This was precisely what they had done to Yosef, and now that was what they feared for themselves. Paralyzed by guilt, they feared the worst, when Joseph, motivated by grace, was planning the best.⁶⁶⁴

So, in hopes of averting disaster, they went up to Joseph’s steward and spoke to him in Hebrew at the entrance to the house. They wanted to state their case while they were still outdoors. They volunteered a lot of information that had not been solicited when they said: Please sir, we came down here the first time to buy food.⁶⁶⁵ They were defending their honor even before they entered the courtroom.⁶⁶⁶ But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver – the exact weight – in the mouth of his sack. So we also brought it back with us. No accusations had been made against them, but they continued. We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don’t know who put our silver back in our sacks the first time (43:20-22).

Standing at the door to Yosef’s house, the Egyptian steward said to them, “Peace be to you,” or shalom. And their fear must have turned to amazement when he said: Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver. The Steward was saying, “Legally, you have nothing to worry about. As far as I am concerned, the money for the first sale of grain has already been received in full and I have absolutely no claims against you.”⁶⁶⁷ Then he brought Simeon out to them (43:23). The Scriptures do not record any conversation or celebration between Simeon and his brothers; apparently, because of the witness of Yosef, his steward had become a believer in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Joseph had probably confided in him and he knew what was going on to some extent.

The steward took the men into Yosef’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, which was the custom of the day, and provided fodder for their donkeys. They prepared their gifts for Joseph’s arrival at noon, because they had heard that they were to eat there.When Yosef came home, they presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground (43:24-26). This was the fulfillment of his dreams.

Joseph begins his exchange with his brothers with common courtesy, asking them how they were, and then he said: How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living (43:27)? This would have been a highly irregular question, coming from a Prime Minister to “unclean” Jewish shepherds. What would the Prime Minister of the most powerful nation in the world care about a single, elderly, poor Jewish shepherd? Especially when the sons of that very shepherd were being “questioned” about spying? Was Joseph trying to give his brothers a hint? They replied: Your servant our father is still alive and well. And they bowed low. Once again, they were not merely respectful, but they were falling all over themselves trying to pay him honor (43:28).

As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son, he asked:Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about? He does not know for certain because Benjamin was only about two when Yosef was taken down to Egypt. And Joseph spoke tenderly to Benjamin, saying: God be gracious to you, my son (43:29). But he could no longer control his emotions.

Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep there. After twenty-two years he finally saw his younger brother Benjamin. He had been only about two years old when Yosef was sold into slavery, so it was almost like seeing him for the first time.⁶⁶⁸ Joseph was thirty-nine at this time, and Benjamin was about twenty-four. Although Yosef was deeply moved, he did not reveal himself to his brothers at this time. After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said: Serve the food (43:30-31) and if the brothers had not been so frightened, they would have noticed some subtle clues. First, Joseph did not eat with the Egyptians.

They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who are with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that was detestable to Egyptians (43:32). The Egyptians considered all foreigners unclean. Normally, no Egyptian would consent to kiss a Greek, or to use any utensils that belonged to one, or to eat the flesh of any animal that had been cut by a Grecian knife. This was because foreigners ate animals that the Egyptians regarded either as unclean or sacred. The Hebrews, for example, slaughtered and ate the cow, which was sacred in the eyes of the Egyptians. For this reason the representatives of the two nations could not eat together. They might have thought that the Egyptians did not eat with him because he was the head of the household and they were servants, but there was another clue.⁶⁶⁹

The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each other with astonishment (43:33). Since they had all been born within the space of seven years with Leah, Rachel, Bilhah and Zilpah, he could not have recognized the order of their birth from their appearance. Who set the place mats? One can easily show (merely by multiplying together all the numbers from one through eleven) that there are no less than 39,917,000 different orders in which the eleven brothers could have been seated. Thus, for the servants to select the one correct order by chance was almost impossible. The odds were 40 million to one against it.⁶⁷⁰ The mysterious accuracy of their seating would only increase their uneasy sense of divine intervention.⁶⁷¹

69. Both Joseph and Yeshua were made known to the children of Isra’el on their second visit. On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was (see the commentary on Acts, to see link click Aw – Stephen’s Testimony to the Sanhedrin) .This will also be true of the Lord Jesus. The first time He appeared to the children of Isra’el, He was not recognized. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him (John 1:11). But at the Second Coming, they shall accept Him as their Leader and King.

Then the Egyptian servants, on Yosef’s orders, did another odd thing. When portions were served to them from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as anyone else’s as part of the test (43:34a). He is clearly the favored one, just as once the brothers had been jealous of Yosef because of his special favor and coat of many colors (37:3). So Joseph gave the youngest five times as much to eat as the rest of them to test their reaction. Why would Benjamin be favored? Was Joseph trying to send his brothers a hint? Would they now be jealous of Benjamin because of special treatment? Had they changed, or not? This is what Joseph wanted to find out.

Coming out of the famine of Canaan, the brothers passed this test as they feasted and drank freely with Benjamin without any signs of jealousy (43:34b). Ironically, the brothers sat down to eat a meal after they had thrown Joseph into a pit (37:25). They had callously eaten while Joseph was in despair, but now Yosef used the meal to entrap them. He lulls them into thinking there is no more danger; however, although Joseph was close to being satisfied with their attitude toward Benjamin, there is one more test to come. The silver cup used in the next chapter would provide one last opportunity for them to reveal any jealousy they might still be harboring.⁶⁷²

Then Judah said to Isra’el,
Send Benjamin with Me and I will Guarantee His Safety
43: 1-14

Then Judah said to Isra’el, send Benjamin with me and I will guarantee his safety DIG: Why is Judah successful in convincing his father to let him take Benjamin with him, whereas Reuben’s similar offer of security was rejected (42:37-38)? Compare Judah’s words in 42:8-9 with 37:26-27. Do you think he has changed much?

REFLECT: What or who in your life do you have trouble trusting to the Lord?

Now the famine was still severe in the land of Canaan and Isra’el’s family of about one hundred and fifty still needed more grain at Hebron (43:1). There was no getting around it. If they did not get more grain, the whole family could die. So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food” (43:2). Evidently the Egyptians were carefully rationing the sale of grain and a little more was all they could hope for. But anything was better than nothing.

But Judah confronted his father with the fact that without Benjamin their trip would be in vain: The man warned us solemnly, “You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you” (43:3). Judah had taken over the leadership role of the sons by this time. Reuben, the eldest son, had already been refused, and Levi, who followed Reuben and Simeon, had forfeited his father’s confidence through the treachery and slaughter of the men of Shechem.⁶⁵⁶

Judah will not usurp the authority of his father, but he tells him plainly: If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you. But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, “You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you” (43:4-5). The Egyptian ruler would not even talk to them without Benjamin.

But before that glorious meeting, Isra’el was in agony and scolds Judah saying:Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother (43:6)? Thinking primarily of himself, this was Isra’el’s way of trying to escape a decision he didn’t want to make. It seems that Benjamin was not afraid to go to Egypt; it was Isra’el’s concern alone. It is interesting that, at this point in the narrative, the name Isra’el begins to be used instead of Jacob. This name has not been used since 37:13.⁶⁵⁷ Isra’el means he who prevails victoriously with God, and the name Isra’el is emphasized here to point out that God was working behind the scenes to accomplish His purposes (12:3).

Israel’s sons attempt to defend themselves by saying: The man questioned us closely about our family and ourselves. The questions the brothers say Joseph asked them are not found in 42:8-17 because they only gave a paraphrase. Then they said, he asked us: Is your father living. Do you have another brother? We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say: Bring your brother down here (43:7)? When Yosef asked them these questions, they had no suspicions whatsoever that the Egyptian prime minister would ask them to bring Benjamin to him. They were totally caught off-guard.

Judah, more than Isra’el, knew that if they stayed in Canaan they had no chance at all. So Judah said to Isra’el his father, “Send the boy, Benjamin, along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children, three generations altogether, may live and not die of hunger” (43:8). The implication was that Benjamin would die as well. It is interesting that Judah should refer to Benjamin as a boy. Benjamin was probably about fifteen years younger than Yosef, and was quite an infant when he was sold.

Just as Rebekah told Isra’el that she would bear the responsibility of Isaac’s curse (27:13), now Judah said that he would be held personally responsible if Benjamin did not return.658 He said: I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life (43:9). The Hebrew actually reads I will have sinned against you forever and would mean that Judah would be cut off from all inheritance. Back in Chapter 37:26-27, Judah had talked the brothers into selling Yosef; now, because he realizes that his father’s affection has transferred from Joseph to Benjamin, he took personal responsibility for his return.

Friend, you and I have that same guarantee today. Having believed, you were marked in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His promised Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing our inheritance that is to come (Second Corinthians 1:21-22 and Ephesians 1:13b-14). The Lord Jesus came from the tribe of Judah. Messiah took our place and took our penalty. He became our guarantee and gave His life for ours. Judah reminded his father, “As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice” (43:10).

Then their father Isra’el did just what he had done many years earlier when he tried to appease his brother Esau before meeting him (32:13-21), he prepared some of the best products of the land to take down to the Egyptian ruler as a gift. He said: Take a little balm, and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds (43:11). They scraped together a little something as a gift to this powerful man. The gift includes three products that formed part of the merchandise carried by the caravan of Ishmaelites (37:25) that took Joseph to Egypt. It was ironic that now he would receive those very same products.⁶⁵⁹

Besides these items, he reminded them to take double the amount of silver with them, for they needed to return the silver that was put back into the mouths of their sacks (43:12). All they could hope for was that the Egyptians would realize that the silver had been placed in their sacks by mistake. It is also interesting to note that there were ten brothers (counting Simeon) with two bags of silver for each, so there were twenty bags of silver returning to Egypt. Therefore, it seems possible that the brothers themselves realized the ironical connection between the facts that they had sold their brother for twenty pieces of silver into Egypt (37:28), and that now they were having to pay into the treasuries of Egypt not merely twenty pieces of silver but twenty bags of silver.⁶⁶⁰

Take your brother also and go back to the man at once (43:13). Thus Isra’el let his sons go with his blessing: And may El Shaddai (17:1, 28:3, 35:11), who is so powerful that He can set aside the laws of nature, grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother Simeon and Benjamin come back with you. But Isra’el has no guarantee that El Shaddai will do anything, so fearing the worst, he said: As for me, if I am bereaved of Benjamin and left alone, then I am bereaved (43:14). Queen Esther said the same thing when she concluded: If I perish, then I perish (Esther 4:16). However, Isra’el does believe that El Shaddai will be the One to make the final decision about the destiny of Benjamin. Neither Judah nor the powerful ruler of Egypt had that authority.⁶⁶¹

When Isra’el finally decided to send Benjamin back to Egypt so the family could retrieve Simeon and buy more grain, he reacted in two different ways. First, he prayed that El Shaddai would grant his sons mercy. But on the other hand he feared for the worst when he basically said, “If I lose my sons, then I lose my sons.” In other words, his “What ever will be, will be” attitude is very worldly, but we ought to have compassion on Isra’el here. Are not our thoughts and attitudes very similar when we undergo various trials and tribulations? On the one hand, we want to trust the Lord but our flesh is weak. We vacillate between hope and despair and so does Isra’el. Of course, the ultimate answer is to go to El Shaddai and seek His mercy, which means not getting what we do deserve. Only then will we be reconciled to our greatest trials.⁶⁶²

The Second Journey to Egypt
43:1 to 45:28

Joseph’s brothers had experienced a measure of repentance during their traumatic experience in Egypt, but there was still much more to be accomplished in their hearts by the Ruach ha-Kodesh before they would be truly prepared and unified spiritually to serve their fathers and be the founders of the twelve tribes of Isra’el. They had not yet confronted Yosef himself, learned to confess their sin, and finally experience the joy of forgiveness that brings fellowship and unity.

To accomplish these things, another trip down to Egypt was necessary. The famine continued longer than anyone could have anticipated, and the abundant supplies that they had brought back on their first trip were nearly exhausted. Nevertheless, they kept putting off a second trip because of their certainty that it would prove disastrous unless Benjamin were with them and because of Jacob’s adamant refusal to let him go.⁶⁵⁵

The reunion of Joseph and his brothers is one of the most beautiful and moving stories in the entire Bible. Reconciliation between brothers once alienated is in itself a powerful theme. But in this case, the offended brother, being Joseph, was totally innocent of any wrongdoing. On the other hand, the treacherous brothers were racked with the pain of guilt, having long since assumed Yosef was dead. Furthermore, the narrative is written in such a way as to heighten the suspense and build to the dramatic moment in which Joseph revealed his true identity to his brothers. It is the climax of the story of Yosef.

Joseph is No More and Simeon is No More,
and Now You Want to Take Benjamin
42: 27-38

Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin DIG: Do you think the brother’s experienced true repentance or worldly sorrow in 42:21-22 and here in 42:27-28? What is Benjamin’s role in the family? Why would Yosef be so interested in how the brothers feel about “their baby brother” (35:24)?

REFLECT: Like Jacob in 42:36-38, what situation in your life seems hopeless right now? From this chapter, what will you keep in mind as you face your situation with hope? What is the difference between remorse and repentance?

The journey of the nine brothers back to Canaan without Simeon must have been over a distance of about two hundred and fifty miles or more. Presumably Jacob was still living in Hebron, and Joseph’s headquarters were possibly at or near the city of Memphis, which is about ten miles from the current city of Cairo. Therefore, the journey would have taken them about three weeks.⁶⁵² At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw that his silver had mysteriously reappeared in the mouth of his sack (42:27). One brother said to all the rest: My silver has been returned. Here it is in my sack. Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and cried out: What is this that God has done to us (42:28)? No answer was needed because their guilt was obvious.

When they came to their father Ya’akov in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. They said: The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as though we were spying on the land. But we said to him, “We are honest men; we are not spies. We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan” (42:29-32).

Then the man who is lord over Egypt said to us: This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go. But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land of Canaan (42:33-44).

Up to this time, Jacob had taken the news in stride. But as they were emptying their sacks, there in each man’s sack was his pouch of silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened (42:35). Their father Ya’akov was distraught and for the first time accused them, “You have deprived me of my children. Yosef is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin.” Each time his sons have left home (Chapters 37 and 42), they had returned with one of his sons missing. This was more than he could bear. He was not against them returning to Egypt; he would like more grain and he would like Simeon back, but he could not bear the possible loss of Benjamin. It seemed that he was in an impossible situation, so Jacob cried out, saying: Everything is against me (42:36)!

Have you ever had one of those days? You must remember what Ya’akov did not know. He didn’t know his flesh and blood was sitting on a throne of gold, with unlimited power and at that very moment was working for his good. Jesus Christ is your flesh and blood because the word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14a); He sits on the throne in heaven, with unlimited power and at this very moment He is working for your benefit so that we know that in all things God works for the good for those who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

God has a higher purpose for our eternal future and He prepares us for it through life’s trials. The half-brother of Jesus counsels us when he says: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:2-4).

Then Reuben, taking on the responsibility of the firstborn, said to his father, “You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring Benjamin back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back” (42:37). This was ironic since Reuben had failed to prevent the loss of Joseph, and obviously, killing his two grandsons wouldn’t have made Jacob feel any better. Reuben simply spoke without thinking. The brothers wanted to leave immediately to go back and rescue Simeon.

But Ya’akov wanted no part of it. Clearly being selfish and only thinking of Rachel’s children he says: My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow (42:38). If he didn’t have Benjamin to remind him of Joseph and Rachel, he would simply curl up and die (44:31). His life was absolutely tied up in the life of Benjamin. He was the son of his right hand. He was his walking stick because Jacob leaned on him. So Ya’akov was still the head of his family and he said that Benjamin would not go down to Egypt.⁶⁵³ And there the matter stood for some time.

Yosef’s tests were important in God’s plan to bless the seed of Abraham. God planned to bring the family to Egypt so that it would grow there into a great nation. But it was necessary that the people who entered Egypt be faithful to Him. It was necessary that the brothers be tested before they could participate in the LORD’s blessing. Joseph’s prodding had to be subtle; the brothers must perceive the hand of God moving against them so that they would not only see their sin but also repent from it with a changed heart. But one test was not enough; there must be two.⁶⁵⁴ How would they treat their brother Benjamin when their lives were on the line? That’s what Joseph needed to find out.

When Joseph’s Brothers Arrived,
They Bowed Down to Him
42: 6-26

When Joseph’s brothers arrived, the bowed down to him DIG: How did Joseph’s boyhood dreams come true when his brothers came to Egypt to buy grain? Why do you think Yosef reacts as he does in 42:24? Why doesn’t he reveal himself then? By forcing his brothers to endure all the things they had forced him to endure, is Joseph primarily seeking revenge, repentance, or what? What five ways did Joseph foreshadow the life of Christ?

REFLECT: Define repentance. Should true repentance be judged on its intention, its emotion, or on its result? Why do you think so? Honestly, when someone has deeply wronged you, are you most likely to seek revenge or reconciliation? What does that tell you about your trust in ADONAI and His ways? Like Jacob’s sons in verses 21-22, where are you still paying the price or reaping the effects of a mistake you made? Is the Lord speaking to you in this?

Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the one who sold grain to all its people. Evidently anyone wanting to buy grain had to deal with him directly. So when Yosef’s starving brothers arrived, they, like everyone else who came into his presence, bowed down to him with their faces to the ground (42:6). Joseph knew they would have to come sooner or later and he was watching for them.

If you don’t think God can bring you to the end of yourself, look at this picture. Those who laughed at the teenager in the pit now have their faces to the ground before him. We need to be humble before the Lord. Humble comes from the Greek word humas, which means ground. Meaning, when you pray to God put your face on the ground. If angels do it, why can’t you? The Bible says to humble yourself before God (Dani’el 10:12) because if you do not humble yourself, He will humble you, for every knee will eventually bow before Him (Philippians 2:10-11). It’s not if you’re going to bow, it’s when you’re going to bow. You can bow today, or you can bow on Judgment Day, but you will bow. Your choice how.

64. Both Yosef and Yeshua saw and knew their brothers. As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them (42:7a). His eyes were on his brothers even though they didn’t recognize him. So also the eye of the Lord Jesus has been upon the children of Isra’el all through the long night of their rejection. ADONAI said: My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from Me, nor is their sin concealed from My eyes (see the commentary on Jeremiah, to see link click Cp –  Judgment Before Final Restoration to the Land). So, too, when the LORD would speak through His prophet: I know all about Ephraim; Isra’el is not hidden from Me (Hosea 5:3).

But had they changed? He didn’t know, but over the years he had decided that if his brothers ever came before him, he would first test them before revealing himself to them. Finally they stood there. There is a play on words in the Hebrew. They were recognized, but he made himself unrecognizable and pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them through an interpreter. He asked: Where do you come from? They replied: From the land of Canaan to buy food (42:7b).

Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him (42:8). 65. Neither Yosef nor Jesus was recognized by their own brothers. Joseph had been exalted over all Egypt, but Isra’el didn’t know it. All those years he thought Yosef was dead, and then, because of the worldwide famine, the children of Isra’el went down to Egypt, but they did not recognize him. So it has been with Israel’s descendants ever since the time they rejected their Messiah. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not recognize Him (John 1:11). The children of Isra’el didn’t know that God the Father had raised Yeshua. They believed He was dead, and all through the Dispensation of Grace a veil has been placed over their hearts and minds. Even the beginning of the Great Tribulation will find them still ignorant of the exaltation and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ (Second Thessalonians 2:14).

Then he remembered his dreams about them and realized that they were fulfilled. He then said to them through the interpreter: You are spies. You have come to see where our land is unprotected. He really puts them on the defensive. They answered: No my lord, your servants have come to buy food. We are all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies (42:9-11).

As logical as their argument was, Joseph kept insisting that they were spies. He said to them, “No! You have come to see where our land is unprotected” (42:12). He really keeps the heat on. He had to know their heart.

But they replied: Your servants were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more (42:13). While the interpreter was talking to them, Joseph noticed that Benjamin was not with them. Did they resent him like they had Yosef because Rachel was their mother? By this time Joseph wanted reconciliation with his brothers more than he wanted vengeance. But he didn’t know if they could be trusted. So he said to them, “It is just as I told you: You are spies! And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your younger brother comes here” (42:14-15). The test would involve Benjamin.

Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies (42:16)!

66. Both Joseph and Yeshua judged and disciplined their brothers. Yosef spoke harshly to them and he put them all in custody for three days (42:7b and 17). Joseph was now the cause of their troubles. He was punishing them for their past sins. The key to the suffering of the children of Isra’el during all the past centuries is to be found in the fact that the rejected Messiah has been speaking harshly to them and disciplining them. My God will reject them because they have not obeyed Him; they will be wanderers among the nations (Hosea 9:17). Nothing can account for the unparalleled suffering of the children of Isra’el, but the judgment and discipline of the LORD.

On the third day, Yosef changed his plan and said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God” (42:18). He really didn’t want to cause his father any more suffering than necessary. My suspicion is that Joseph spent three days in the pit at Dothan (37:24). When he brings them out, Yosef mentions God. That must have been incredibly comforting to the brothers. This was the first mention of God between them. They probably relaxed a little, thinking everything was going to be all right. Besides, Joseph probably felt that three days in jail gave them enough time to reflect on their sin.

Joseph told his brothers that he feared God! Although there were dynasties in ancient Egypt that believed in one God, there is no particular evidence that this was one of them. Who would say that he feared God, and because of that, make the arrangement between them easier and lighter? What Prime Minister of the most powerful nation in the world ever show compassion to a few worthless Jewish shepherds – and their families? Was Joseph trying to give his brothers a hint of who he was?

Then Joseph changed his strategy. Instead of all of them being held as prisoners and one going back to get Benjamin, only one would be held prisoner and the rest could bring food back to their families and then bring Benjamin back. If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. The reason for this was that how they treated Benjamin would tell Yosef if they had changed at all. That was the test. But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die. This they proceeded to do (42:19-20).

Not realizing that Yosef could understand what they were saying, they said to one another: Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come upon us (42:21). Twenty-two years later, they still felt convicted about what they assumed to be the death of their younger brother Joseph.

Yosef had possibly held Reuben responsible for having been placed in the pit because he was the oldest brother, but now Reuben reminded them that he tried to talk them out of it. He said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood” (42:22). Joseph never knew that before.

They did not realize that Yosef could understand them, since he was using an interpreter (42:23). As Joseph heard them, he realized his prayers had been answered. The passage of time could not dull the memory of their sin against their brother, nor ease their sense of guilt. Their confession deeply moved Yosef and he was so overcome with emotion that he had to leave quickly.⁶⁵⁰ He turned away from them and began to weep, but then turned back and spoke to them again (42:24a). One of them must stay in prison while the others went home to get Benjamin. Having heard that Reuben had at least partially tried to prevent their crime, Joseph realized that Simeon must have been primarily responsible and bound him before his brother’s eyes. He needed the instruction of time in prison and chains more than any of the others. The other brothers must have been shocked when the prime minister placed the one in prison who had been most responsible for their sin and therefore the retribution that seemed to be overtaking them.⁶⁵¹

67. Both Yosef and Yeshua made deliverance known to the children of Israel through substitution. On the third day, he had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes so that one might be punished for the deliverance of his brothers (42:19 and 24b). As they were plotting to kill Jesus, Caiaphas the high priest prophesied that He would deliver the Jewish nation through substitution. He said: It is better that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish (John 11:50-51). And so it was that on the third day, when our Savior rose from the dead, all who believed in Him by faith would find deliverance through substitution, His life for theirs. The rabbis teach that Simeon was the one who had thrown Joseph into the pit.

68. Both Joseph and Jesus provided for their brothers while they were in a strange land. Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, and to put the silver that they had brought to pay for the grain back in each man’s sack, and to give them provisions for their journey back to Canaan (42:25a). Although they didn’t recognize Yosef, and he spoke harshly to them and punished them; nevertheless, His judgments were tempered with mercy. Joseph did not want his brothers to perish. They were in a strange land and he ministered to their need. Even though they have endured the Holocaust, and have been severely punished by God more than any other nation, He has provided for them. ADONAI declared: I am with you and will save you. Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you, but only with justice; I will not let you go unpunished (Jeremiah 30:11).

They paid for the grain, but Yosef instructed the servant to put the silver payment back in their sacks without them knowing it. He knew they would panic, but he also knew it would further awaken their consciences. They would be both puzzled and terrified by it because they knew that it wouldn’t look good for them. After this was done for them, they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left (42:25b-26). They were clearly anxious to get home.

When Jacob Learned that there was Grain in Egypt,
Ten of His Sons Went to Buy Some
42: 1-5

When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, ten of his sons went to buy some DIG: As this chapter unfolds, what vantage point does the reader have that the brothers do not have? In what way did Joseph foreshadow the life of Christ?

REFLECT: You will never possess what you will not pursue. When Jacob sent his sons down to Egypt to buy grain, it was a very practical matter. They had to get up and go get it. What do you need to pursue today so that you may live and not die?

When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at each other, not knowing what to do” (42:1)? His sons had obviously heard of the surplus grain in Egypt and their families were starving. Going down to Egypt obviously called up memories that they did not want to think about.

He continued: I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die (42:2). 63. The children of Isra’el were driven out of their own land. Several years afterward, the children of Isra’el rejected Joseph, delivering him up to the Gentiles. They were forced by a famine (sent by God) to leave their land and go down to Egypt – a symbol of the world. And so many years afterward, the children of Isra’el, after rejecting Christ and delivering Him up to the Gentiles, were forced by the Romans (sent by God) to leave their Land and be dispersed throughout the world.

When you become a believer, you have no guarantee that bad things will not happen to you. Ha’Shem does not save you from the famine in your land and the horror of war. Why? It is just His reminder that this earth is not our home. ADONAI is saying your citizenship and your palace is in another country. You are looking for a city whose builder and maker is Elohim. You are looking for another city where angels bow before the throne of God.

Then ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt (42:3). The rabbis teach that the number ten is mentioned to emphasize the missing two on the trip, Joseph and Benjamin. Yosef’s brothers now come to the forefront to prepare us for their eventual meeting.

But Ya’akov did not send Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him (42:4). What Yosef once was to Isra’el, Benjamin is now.⁶⁴⁹ Perhaps Isra’el had come to suspect his other sons in the death of Joseph and he was afraid that now they would harm Benjamin as well. Jacob was determined that nothing could ever happen to his beloved Rachel’s youngest son.

So Isra’el’s sons were among those who went to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also (42:5). Like the dreadful silence of Abraham and Isaac traveling to Mount Moriah, they traveled in silent resignation. There is not a single word of conversation recorded. We can only imagine the thoughts and feelings of the ten brothers as they traveled to Egypt and recalled the selling of their brother about twenty-two years earlier. Little did they know what was in store for them.

The First Journey to Egypt
42: 1-38

As the famine spread throughout the earth, Israel’s family was beginning to fall on hard times. The famine that had started in Egypt had affected Canaan and other lands in the Near East. The Promised Land was not flowing with milk and honey. The invisible hand of ADONAI had turned off the tap. It had become a land of starvation and desperation. Jacob’s family business was primarily raising cattle and sheep rather than farming. They had endured a year of famine before, and they had reserves for such an occurrence. But when the second year of famine came upon them and their reserves had run out, it was time to act. They had to find grain to sustain themselves and their families, about eighty people in all. But even though they had great wealth, there was no grain to be bought in Canaan. So Ya’akov sent his ten sons to Egypt to buy it there. But why didn’t he send all of his sons? He had lost Yosef, and he wasn’t about to lose Benjamin.⁶⁴⁸

Joseph and His Brothers
42:1 to 45:28

In Chapter 37 the children of Isra’el are seen delivering Joseph into the hands of the Gentiles, and nothing more is heard of them until we come to Chapter 42. Canaan, along with the world, was struck with a famine. Jacob and his sons were in danger of dying. This drove them out of their land, and drove them down to Egypt – a symbol of the world. This was prophecy in action, a prophecy that would be fulfilled two thousand years later when Yeshua Messiah would also be delivered into the hands of the Gentiles.

As Yosef tested his brothers, he was looking for two things before he revealed himself to them. First, he wanted to see if they had changed. The last time he saw them, they had thrown him into a pit and then sold him into slavery. Then, as the final proof of their changed hearts, Joseph needed to see how they treated his younger brother Benjamin. Would they be just as jealous of Benjamin as they had been of him? Could he trust them?

The Seven Years of Abundance Came to an End in Egypt,
and the Seven Years of Famine Began
41: 46b-57

The seven years of abundance came to an end in Egypt, and the seven years of famine began DIG: How would you characterize Joseph’s reaction to this dramatic change in his life? What other blessings did Yosef have during this time? What six ways did Joseph foreshadow the life of Christ?

REFLECT: Have you saved for the time of famine in your life? Whom do you serve? Is your service to the world, or the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? Is your service any less valuable than Joseph’s? Are you the same person, no matter where you serve?

With his newfound authority as prime minister, what did Joseph do first? After his initial survey, Yosef traveled throughout Egypt making a much more detailed, unit-by-unit survey of the agriculture and other productive occupations of the Egyptians. Thus he was able to organize, with his assistants, a comprehensive program of conservation during the seven years of abundance that lay ahead.

And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt (41:46b). 57. Yosef was not idle. He did not betray Pharaoh’s confidence in him, but faithfully discharged his duty. He did not remain in the place of ease and comfort, but traveled throughout Egypt. How well these words remind us of what we read in the gospels concerning the One who Yosef foreshadowed. Of Him we read: Yeshua went throughout Galilee teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness (Matthew 4:23, 9:35).

Just as Joseph had predicted, Egypt began to produce an abundance of grain greater than she had ever known before or since.

During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully (41:47). 58. After their exaltation, both Yosef and Jesus experienced a season of plenty. These seven years of abundance foreshadow the current Dispensation of Grace (Acts 2:1 to Revelation 19:21). There has never been a time of such abundance. How few were saved during the centuries from Abel to the Flood? How few appear to have been saved during the time of the Patriarchs? How few among Israel, from the days of Joshua onwards, gave evidence of being born again? How few seem to have been saved even during the public ministry of Christ? How evident it is, then, that in contrast from all that proceeded, the earth is now bearing much spiritual fruit that is beyond measure (John 15:5 and 8).

Yosef collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it (41:48). Granaries were often very extensive in Egypt, and every facility was made for the housing and subsequent delivery of the grain. As the seven years of abundance progressed, the grain was produced at such a rate that it became impossible to keep accurate records, except in units of filled storehouses.⁶⁴⁷ God had truly blessed the land as He had said He would.

59. Both Joseph and Jesus had unlimited resources available to meet the need of all. Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure (41:49). Likewise, the riches of Messiah are beyond measure. We have available to us the incomparable riches of His grace (Ephesians 2:7). God is also rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4). In fact, the unsearchable riches of Christ are available to every believer (Ephesians 3:8), for inHim all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). The Lord richly blesses all who call on Him (Romans 10:12).

Egypt was fruitful and so was Asenath. Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Yosef by Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On (41:50). In spite of all his success, he gave his two sons Hebrew names, and they would become two of the most prominent tribes of Isra’el. They represent the turn of events in his life. He had gone from suffering to being fruitful. Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh, a Hebrew name that means making to forget, and said: It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household (41:51). It was not that Joseph had forgotten his past, but had forgotten in the sense of having his wounds healed. He used to be a homesick boy, but not anymore. He dressed, talked and lived like an Egyptian. Yosef could now see, as he later told his brothers (50:20), that God, for His own good and the survival of His family, had allowed all Yosef’s suffering. Many years later, a songwriter put music to Joseph’s painful but triumphant experience (Psalm 105:16-22).

Is it possible to forget a great wrong that has been done to you? Is forgetting a great wrong tied to forgiveness? Is the phrase, “If you haven’t forgotten, you haven’t forgiven” true? Did Joseph forget the day his brothers ripped his royal robe off him and soaked it in blood? Did he forget the day his brothers threw him into the pit? Did he forget the debate his brothers had as he begged for his life? Did he forget that his brothers sold him for the price of a slave? Did he forget the ten years he spent in prison when Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him of rape? Did he forget the iron wrapped around his neck and ankles? Did he forget helping the cup-bearer and then languishing in prison for another two years? Is it possible to forget a great wrong? No, it’s not possible to forget. Yosef never forgot any of those events, because if he had forgotten he would never have named his son Manasseh. If he had forgotten, why would he remember that he needed to forget?

If you have been wronged greatly, you will never forget it. But ADONAI can help to take the pain from your mind. The emotional sting will be gone. You will not be in bondage to those past injustices. There will be no lingering bitterness and no fear. You will be healed in your heart, soul, mind and body. You will have no anger and you will be free from the bitterness of the past. Only God can do that.

First, you must be willing to forgive, which will liberate you from the sting of the past. Forgiveness is not approval of what someone else has done. God hates sin and will deal with their sin. Turn your tormentors over to Him, and the moment you do He will become the tormentor of that person (Matthew 18:34). Peace is better than bitterness, joy is better than anger, and love is better than hate. And when you are tired of seeking revenge and you ask Him, then: God’s shalom, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with the Messiah Yeshua (Philippians 4:7 CJB). Joseph would eventually forgive his brothers (45:4-15).

Second, if you are going to have a relationship with the person you want to forgive, it demands change. That is why Yosef is going to test his brothers. He wanted to see if they had changed. He wanted to see if they treated Benjamin better than they treated him. To grant forgiveness without a change in conduct is to make the grace of God a partner to evil. Jesus told the woman caught in adultery: Go and leave your life of sin (John 8:11b). The Lord demanded change. If you are going to have a relationship with that person, without change there can be no forgiveness.

Third, if that person will not talk to you or will have nothing to do with you, it doesn’t matter. You forgive them so they cannot torment you. Then you become free to live out your life without bitterness. Forgiveness is not reconciliation because reconciliation requires the participation of two people. Forgiveness only involves you.

The second son he named Ephraim, another Hebrew name that means double fruit, and said: It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering (41:52). The fact the Joseph gave his sons Hebrew names means that he had not adopted either the Egyptian religion or the Egyptian culture.

This is also how the Lord deals with us, first the testing, and then the triumph. Paul wrote: I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us when the Lord returns (Romans 8:18). Even if your entire life is spent in suffering and rejection, in the name of Messiah, you can have confidence that all is in preparation for a great work for the Lord in the ages to come, following the resurrection. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes . . . no longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and the Lamb will be in their city, and His servants will serve Him . . . and they shall reign forever and ever (Revelation 21:4. 22:3 and 5).

And at last, just as Yosef had predicted, the seven years of abundance came to an end. Yosef was thirty-seven at that time. The Egyptians were used to having all the grain they needed. They were probably caught off guard when they couldn’t have all the grain they wanted. Is this your story? Could there be a day in the future where you may have to give up many of the creature comforts that you have come to regard as rights and necessities?

60. Joseph and Jesus’ exaltation was also followed by a period of famine. The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end and the seven years of famine began, just as Yosef had said. There was famine in all the other lands (41:53-54a). After the Dispensation of Grace and the full number of the Gentiles has come in (Romans 11:25b), there shall come that season that the Bible calls the Great Tribulation (See my Commentary on Isaiah, to see link click Eu –The Rapture and the Great Tribulation), for then shall be Israel’s darkest hour. At present the world is enjoying the years of abundance, but how few believe in the coming time of spiritual famine over the whole earth. Be warned dear reader, and seek the Lord while He may be found (Isaiah 55:6a). For if you are left behind on the earth in His Day of Wrath (Zephaniah 1:15), it shall he said: The harvest is past, the summer has ended and we are not saved (Jeremiah 8:20).

61. Yosef and Yeshua alone dispensed the bread of life. But in the whole land of Egypt there was food. When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food (41:54b-55a). We might say that this was the gospel for Egypt; the good news was that Joseph was appointed savior and whoever was hungry needed to go to him to be fed. How perfectly this foreshadowed the present gospel of God’s grace. When a guilty and convicted sinner hungers for the bread of life, where does he or she go? To the Savior, Yeshua ha-Meshiach! Only in Him is salvation found, for salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). And just as the old Pharaoh told the Egyptians to go to Joseph and do what he tells you (41:55b), so, upon the Mount of Transfiguration the Father said to the three apostles of Christ: This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him and do what He tells you (Matthew 17:5b).

There will be a time in your life when the things you have depended on and the people you have trusted will fail you. Your Nile River will dry up. Maybe it is your spouse. Maybe it is your job. Maybe it is your friend. But it will become the desert of your days and the only moisture you will know will be the tears that run down your face. What do you do when the people and things that you have trusted in fail you? You do what Pharaoh told the people of Egypt to do. You go to Joseph, who points you to Christ. Are you brokenhearted? Go to the Good Shepherd. Are you fearful of the gathering storm your family is facing? Go to Yeshua. Are you grieving over the false accusation of someone who is trying to destroy you? Go to Messiah. Are you troubled at the thought of dying? Go to the King of kings. Are you searching for water in the desert of your days? Go to the Savior. Are you walking through the darkest night that you have ever known? Go to the Son of Righteousness. He is the light of the world (John 8:12). Whatever you are searching for, whatever you are looking for, whatever it is, here is the answer: go to Jesus and do what He tells you.

When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt (41:56). Why didn’t Yosef just give the grain away instead of making them pay for it? Because if he gave it away, the grain would have been taken for granted. Instead, he kept strict control over the supplies in order to prevent looting and waste, knowing that the vast supplies that had been accumulated would have to be carefully guarded to last through the seven long years of famine. It is reasonable to assume that special provision was made for those who were truly in need and unable to pay. But if food had been given away, it would have violated a principle that the Lord would eventually give to the church at Thessalonica: If a man will not work, he shall not eat (Second Thessalonians 3:10b).

Therefore, God’s covenant with Abraham held true even until the time of Joseph and until today: I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you (12:3).

62. Joseph and Christ became the Savior to the whole world. And all the countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the world (41:56). Yosef was raised up to meet a worldwide need. He gave to whosoever needed food, be it the Egyptians, his brothers or strangers from distant lands. How equally true this is of Christ. God does not show favoritism, but accepts men and women from every nation (Acts 10:34). He saves both the Jew and the Gentile, rich and poor, educated and illiterate, old and young, women and men alike. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall have eternal life (John 3:16). And just as the whole world came to Yosef, Jesus purchased a kingdom of priests from every tribe and language and people and nation with His blood (Revelation 5:9-10).

Joseph’s outstanding abilities and integrity were plain for all to see. It didn’t matter whether he was in an Egyptian prison or prime minister over all the land. He was simply the same man. By the time the famine came, he had been in Egypt twenty years and had never heard from his family. But that was about to change. God was bringing his family to him.

Joseph as Prime Minister
41: 37-46a

Joseph as prime minister DIG: Has Joseph gone too far in taking on rings, robes, chauffeured chariot, name change, Gentile wife and all? How would becoming more like an Egyptian help him fulfill his new role? Why do you think the Bible does not criticize Yosef for taking a Gentile wife, contrary to his family values? How does Joseph’s behavior differ from Esau’s (see 26:34-35, 28:6-9, 36:2)? What nine ways did Joseph foreshadow the life of Christ?

REFLECT: How did Joseph’s experiences uniquely qualify him for the task assigned to him? How does God use our past experiences to equip us for His purposes and plans? When was the last time you wondered if the Lord had forgotten about you? How did He show you He hadn’t? How might this story help you remember that ADONAI Eloheinu is always there for you?

Yosef had correctly interpreted Pharaoh’s mysterious and disturbing dreams. That meant that the land of Egypt was headed for trouble. What would Pharaoh do about it? His people were used to a good life. But how would they react when the famine came? Would they blame him? Would they lose faith in their gods? Would revolution follow? Again, especially if this Pharaoh was a Hyksos Semite that dominated the Egyptians, thoughts such as these must have troubled him.⁶⁴³

Aside from his obvious spiritual giftedness, if Pharaoh were one of the hated Hyksos kings, Yosef would actually be closer in nationality to him than to the Egyptians. The Hyksos were tolerated, not accepted, by their Egyptian subjects. Therefore, because they found loyalty among the Egyptians so hard to come by, then all the more reason to put Joseph in charge. Faithfulness was certainly one of his greatest characteristics.

The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials who advised him. They were not only impressed with his interpretation, but his plan to meet the coming crisis. But there was more than that. There was a spiritual side of him that was unique, far beyond their own understanding. They couldn’t quite put their finger on it, but they knew it was there nonetheless. So Pharaoh asked, already knowing the answer: Can we find someone as qualified as this man, one in whom is the spirit of God (41:37-38)? Obviously they couldn’t. Pharaoh was a pagan king who did not believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But with his limited understanding, he did clearly acknowledge that God was with Joseph. Pharaoh’s words remind us of what King Belshazzar would later say of Dani’el, “I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom” (Dani’el 5:14). The choice was obvious. Who better than Yosef to put in charge of this plan? Pharaoh said to him,“Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you” (41:39). Yosef had been faithful over all the little things ADONAI had sent him; now Joseph would become ruler over the whole land of Egypt under Pharaoh.⁶⁴⁴

48. Pharaoh recognized that Joseph’s wisdom did not come from the world, but from the Spirit of God. The difference between Yosef wisdom and that possessed by Pharaoh’s court magicians was beyond compare. So, too, did the words of the Lord Jesus make a profound impression upon those who heard Him. When Yeshua had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching because He taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law (Matthew 7:28-29). Coming to His hometown, He began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. They asked, “Where did this man get his wisdom” (Matthew 13:54). And just as Pharaoh and his advisors were struck by the wisdom of Joseph, so were those who listened to Christ and just as Pharaoh confessed: Can we find someone like this man? . . . there is no one so discerning and wise, so the hearers of Messiah acknowledged: No one ever spoke the way this man does (John 7:46).

49. As a result, Yosef was exalted, and set over all of Egypt. You shall be in charge of my palace, literally, house, and all my people are to submit to your orders (41:40a). What a blessed change this was: from shame to glory, from the pit to the palace, from being a slave in chains to being elevated with all in submission to him, Pharaoh being the only exception. How beautifully this speaks of the One who Joseph foreshadowed. He was here in humiliation and shame, but He is no longer here. ADONAI has highly exalted Him. He has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand, with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him (First Peter 3:22).

Joseph would have the full authority to carry out his plan. This would be the third house in which Yosef had been placed. He had gone from Potiphar’s house, to the jail house, to Pharaoh’s house. The only thing that was withheld from Yosef’s possession was Pharaoh’s throne. Thus, Joseph’s relation with Pharaoh parallels his relation with Potiphar. Only Potiphar’s wife was withheld from Joseph, whereas Pharaoh only withheld his throne.⁶⁴⁵

50. Both Joseph and Jesus were seated on the throne of another. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you (41:40b). Today our Lord shares the throne of the Father, just as Yosef shared the throne of Pharaoh. As Joseph ruled over Pharaoh’s house with his word, so today our Lord Jesus Christ rules over the Father’s household, the household of faith, the Church, by and through His Word. And today, while the Lord Jesus Christ is on the throne of His Father, He is not on His own throne. Yeshua tells us: To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne (Revelation 3:21). Our Savior makes a distinction between His own throne and the Father’s throne, and promises a reward to the overcomer, not on the Father’s throne, but on His own throne. His throne will be in Jerusalem, the city of the great King (Matthew 5:35). Today, He sits on His Father’s throne as the rejected man and the rejected Jew.

So Pharaoh reemphasizes what he has just said: I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt (41:41). So just as Potiphar had raised Yosef up to be in charge of his household, and just as the warden had raised him up to be in charge of the prison, Pharaoh raised him up to be in charge of the whole land of Egypt.

This was Joseph’s golden moment, and what would he do with it? How would he react to years of abuse? How was he going to react to the cup-bearer who was standing there, who had let him rot in prison for two years? How was he going to react to Potiphar who was standing there? This was his moment. He had the power to get even. What would you do? Your choice is between the peace of God and the bitterness of revenge. Rabbi Sha’ul has a message for us: Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you (Ephesians 4:31-32). When you become petty and bitter, you lose the favor of the Lord. Remember, your attitude in adversity determines your attainment. Therefore, the reason for Yosef’s thirteen years of suffering was made clear to him. He needed to learn patience and to trust ADONAI. Any other man raised from the pit to the palace in such fashion would have been destroyed by pride. But Joseph knew that ADONAI had prepared him to lead the whole land of Egypt.

Therefore, Yosef became the grand vizier, or Prime Minister, of Egypt (Psalm 105:12-22). The phrase: I hereby put you in charge of the whole land literally means and all my people will be obedient to you, or all my people will kiss the earth in submission to you. The duties of the Prime Minister were critical and varied. He had total control of the government, assessed and collected taxes, appointed officials, controlled public work, built new monuments, supervised the royal graveyard, maintained records and the food supply. In other words, it was his responsibility to advise Pharaoh and see to it that the country ran smoothly.

51. Both Yosef and Yeshua were given symbols of their new positions. Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger (see my commentary on Esther, to see link click Bh – The King Gave His Signet Ring to Mordecai). He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck (41:42), and the same is true for Jesus, who is now crowned with glory and honor (Hebrews 2:9). We also see Him dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around His chest (Revelation 1:13). The signet ring was Pharaoh’s symbol of authority, which had the title of the Royal Seal Bearer, held only by the Prime Minister.

52. Both Joseph and Jesus were acknowledged publicly. And he made him to ride in a chariot second only to Pharaoh and they cried before him, “Bow the knee!” “Bow the knee! And he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt (41:43 KJV). On the day of Pentecost, Peter said to the Jews who had condemned and crucified the Savior: Let all Isra’el be assured that God has made this Yeshua, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). Have you recognized the glorious majesty of Christ, and by faith seen that the One who died on the cross is seated on the right hand of the Father in Heaven? Have you submitted to His Lordship, so that you live now only to please Him? Have you bowed your knee before Him? One day you will be compelled to do so, because God has sworn that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11).

The streets of Egypt were so narrow that it was customary to have an official run before him to warn the people to get out of the way. The men would shout before him, “Bow the knee!” “Bow the knee!” In the case of Yosef, the command would be to prostrate themselves, as they would do in the presence of Pharaoh himself. Joseph could hardly forget that earlier in his dreams, he had seen his brothers’ bow down, but now he saw all Egypt bowing down before him.⁶⁴⁶

Then Pharaoh said to him, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one in Egypt will lift hand or foot in all Egypt” (41:44a). He was in complete control of Egypt, but he wasn’t really an Egyptian. Therefore, to make it easier for him to be accepted by the masses, Pharaoh gave him an Egyptian name and an Egyptian wife.

53. Both Joseph and Yeshua are given a new name. After his period of suffering and shame was over, Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah (41:44b), which means the revealer of secrets. Rabbi Sha’ul also tells us that at the end of time, during God’s righteous judgment, He will judge men’s secrets through Yeshua Messiah, as the Gospel declares (Romans 2:16). The Revealer of Secrets is coming.

54. Pharaoh arranged Yosef’s marriage. And Pharaoh gave Joseph Asenath to be his wife. And God the Father arranged Jesus’ marriage. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son (Matthew 22:2). Was not Isaac a type of Christ, and his marriage arranged by Abraham his father? She is the bride, the wife of the Lamb (Revelation 21:9), chosen before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight (Ephesians 1:4).

55. Both Yosef and Jesus are given a Gentile bride. And Pharaoh gave Joseph Asenath, named after an Egyptian goddess, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, the city of the sun, to be his wife. And Yosef went throughout the land of Egypt (41:45). And Yeshua was given a Gentile bride from every tribe and language and people and nation (Revelation 5:9c). ADONAI had long ago told Abraham that all the peoples on earth would be blessed through him(12:3b). Yosef traveled throughout Egypt to make sure that the provisions for grain were made in each city.

Because the rabbis don’t like the fact that Joseph would take a Gentile bride, they teach that Asenath was really the daughter of Dinah and Shechem. They teach that she was driven from Jacob’s house, and was supposedly adopted by Potiphera the priest of On and his wife, and eventually married Yosef.

56. Both Joseph and Jesus were about the same age when they began their life’s work. Yosef was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh, king of Egypt (41:46a). No detail, put here by the Holy Spirit, is without profound significance. How perfectly this foreshadows Christ. Now Yeshua was about thirty years old when He began His ministry (Luke 3:23).

Yosef had gone from the pit, to Potiphar’s household, to the prison, and finally to the palace as Prime Minister. But we get no suggestion from the text that Joseph got caught up in his success. He remembered where he came from and was not impressed with all the accolades, honors and freedoms of being the Prime Minister of Egypt. He worked hard and didn’t let it go to his head. Wealth made no difference to him. Therefore, Joseph served ADONAI as he had served Him as a slave in prison. However, now he served Him in the court of Pharaoh. We should go and do likewise.

Seven Years of Abundance will Come to Egypt,
but Seven Years of Famine will Follow
41: 25-36

Seven years of abundance will come to Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow DIG: What does Joseph’s interpretation and advice of Pharaoh’s dream say about his relationship with the LORD? How is the Joseph of Chapter 41 different than the Joseph of Chapter 37? What has happened in the twenty-two years since he left his brothers?

REFLECT: What do you see as ADONAI’s role in all of this? Why do you think God chooses to work with Joseph, and some of us, in this way? As Joseph suggested plans to Pharaoh, where would you like to design a specific action plan for your life today? How have you grown and changed from your spiritual maturity and life’s experiences? Will you be ready for the exact moment that the LORD has prepared for you? When representing God’s interests, especially before unbelievers, what characteristics should we seek to display?

Joseph discerned the significance of Pharaoh’s dream as quickly as he had discerned those of the cupbearer and the baker. Then Joseph said to Pharaoh the king: The two dreams of Pharaoh have the same meaning (41:25a). It seems that Pharaoh had already suspected this (41:17-24a), and now Joseph confirmed it.

45. Having listened to the king’s dream Joseph said: God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do, and then he knew the meaning of the dreams (41:25b). How perfect is the parallel between this and the opening verse of the book of Revelation. Just as God made known to the Egyptians, through Joseph, what He was about to do, so has He now made known to us, through Yeshua Messiah, the things He is about to doin this world when John wrote: The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon take place (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Ah – The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Which God Gave Him).

The four symbols were really two sets of seven years. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine (41:26-27). Joseph clearly emphasizes the seven years of famine more than the seven years of abundance.

It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God, has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do (41:28). Here Joseph gives God the glory. When supernatural events happen in the world, you can discern who’s behind it by who gets the glory. When Moses turned his staff into a snake, God got the glory. When the wise men, sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians did the same thing by their secret arts, the Egyptian gods got the credit (Exodus 7:11-12). The Bible teaches that before the Lord returns, Satan will deceive the entire world. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders (Second Thessalonians 2:14). Jesus would say: At that time, if someone says to you, “Look! Here’s the Messiah!” or, “There He is!” don’t believe him, For there will appear false Messiahs and false prophets performing great miracles – amazing things – so as to fool the chosen, if [that were] possible (Matthew 24:23-24 CJB). How do you tell what is counterfeit and what is real? You can tell by who gets the glory, and Joseph takes care of that right up front: God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.

Then Joseph goes into detail. He said: Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt. But seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land (41:29-30).

The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine will be so severe (41:31). Pharaoh had seen the seven f at cows coming out of the Nile River, which was the lifeline of Egypt. Because Egypt has virtually no rainfall throughout the entire year, it relies on the flooding of the Nile to provide water for their crops. During the first seven years the waters of the Nile would overflow its banks and flood, but during the famine it would recede and no flooding would take place.

This famine would affect the Egyptian gods. The god Osiris, who was pictured as a bull, was the god of the Nile. It would also affect the goddess Isis, who was pictured as a cow. She was the supposed wife of Nimrod. In Syria, she was called Ishtar. In Phoenicia, she was called Ashtoreth. In Greece, she was Aphrodite. In Rome she was Venus, but in Egypt, she was called Isis. She was the goddess-queen who was worshiped as having the power over life and death. She was prayed to as a divine source of fertility and wisdom.

The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon (41:32). Joseph’s interpretation was refutation of Pharaoh’s worldview, and a confirmation of his. Pharaoh was worshiped as god in the land of Egypt, but Joseph presented the king with a different reality. God alone was divine and He had revealed to Pharaoh events that were about to become known. Pharaoh could only respond to what God had already set in motion. What a scene, a Hebrew slave explaining the workings of God to the mighty Pharaoh, and the thirteen years of prison had prepared him for that very moment.

Joseph had correctly interpreted Pharaoh’s mysterious and disturbing dreams. That meant that the land of Egypt was headed for trouble. What would Pharaoh do about it? His people were used to a good life. But how would they react when the famine came? Would they blame him? Would they lose faith in their gods? Would revolution follow? Especially if this Pharaoh was a member of the hated Hyksos dynasties, thoughts such as these must have troubled him.

Human nature being as it is, the people themselves really couldn’t be counted on to store up grain for the coming years. But on the other hand, a central bureaucracy could easily lead to despotism and cruelty if all the grain were left in the hands of a self-seeking dictator. The key to the success of such a plan, and the survival of the nation, would be the key administrator. The right man would be a savior; the wrong man would be a tyrant. Therefore, Joseph’s first recommendation was to find such a man.

46. Having interpreted to Pharaoh the meaning of his dreams, Joseph then undertook to advise the king as to the wisest course to follow in order to meet the approaching emergency and provide for the future. And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt (41:33). Again the foreshadowing is perfect; Christ, too, has been shown to be the Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6), the One sent by God with a message to tell men how to prepare for an uncertain future, and make sure of their eternal interests. He is the One in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3).

Joseph continued talking and suggested that the Egyptians should have a plan to face the coming famine. He said: Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt, or a twenty percent tax, during the seven years of abundance (41:34). That would double the usual tax on grain, which was normally ten percent. They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh to be kept in the cities for food to sustain Egypt during the seven years of famine (41:35).

47. Joseph warned of the coming danger, and urged his hearers to be prepared. Joseph didn’t paint a rosy picture. He fearlessly told the truth. This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come to Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine (41:36). Messiah also told the truth and warned of the coming danger, and urged His hearers to be prepared (Luke 11:27, 12:4). He made known the fact that death is not the end of life, that there is a life to come (John 14:6). He warned those who trusted in their earthly possessions and who boasted of how they were going to enjoy them, that their souls would shortly be demanded from them (Luke 12:20). He lifted the veil that hides things unseen, and gave His hearers a view of the suffering of the damned in hell (Luke 12:4, 16:19-31). He spoke often of that place where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:48), and where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:42). Therefore, Jesus counseled men and women to be prepared for eternal life; either with, or without Him (John 6:37-40; Matthew 7:15-23).

It is interesting how the two names of the LORD are used in the story of Joseph. Whenever Joseph was speaking to the Egyptians about the LORD, God is used (39:9, 40:8, 41:16, 25, 28, 32), but whenever the Ruach ha-Kodesh comments about God’s dealing with Joseph, He uses ADONAI (39:2-3, 5, 21, 23).

Joseph was not hinting that he was the man for the job. It didn’t even cross his mind. He was a Hebrew prisoner who had never held any political office. He wasn’t trained for such a task, he didn’t have any experience, and he was only thirty years old. Although he didn’t realize it, ADONAI had prepared him for that exact moment.

Seven Fat Cows and Seven Lean Cows,
Seven Full Heads of Grain and Seven Thin
41: 14-24

Seven fat cows and seven lean cows, seven full heads of grain and seven thin DIG: How did Joseph give ADONAI credit before Pharaoh and his people? How had Yosef changed since he gave his family the interpretation of his own dreams? What two ways did Joseph foreshadow the life of Christ?

REFLECT: Like Yosef,who resisted the temptation to take pride in his own abilities, when have you likewise given God the credit for something He has done in your life? After being accused of rape and imprisoned, Joseph could have selfishly taken the credit for interpreting the dream, feeling as if he was due What excuses do people give for not giving God the credit He deserves?

Pharaoh wasted no time in sending for Joseph. Under normal circumstances he probably wouldn’t have sought out the help of a Hebrew, let alone one in prison, but he had nowhere else to turn. What a picture it must have been, the mighty king and the unknown slave.⁶³⁸

So Pharaoh sent for Yosef, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon in prison. 43. So it was with our blessed Lord. The Jews might have despised Him, the powers of darkness might have raged against Him, wicked men might have plotted against Him and crucified Him, but it was impossible for death to keep hold on Him (Acts 2:24b). No, on the third day He rose again to triumph over the grave, leaving His burial clothes of death behind, changed in the twinkling of an eye, raised imperishable (John 20:6-7 and First Corinthians 15:51-57). How beautifully this was prefigured in the case of Joseph. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh (41:14). Joseph’s beard had grown in prison; when he was released, he shaved. Egyptians did not approve of beards. This was the Egyptian custom and would have been a disgrace for him to appear with a beard in the presence of the king.⁶³⁹

Pharaoh immediately told Joseph his problem. The king of Egypt said: I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. It was a common belief in Egypt that the gods communicated through dreams. Magicians and magi preserved different interpretations of past dreams in dream books, which were supposedly reliable. But even the wise men of Egypt, who were trained in this art, were unable to interpret it, like the wise men of Daniel’s time (Dani’el 2:1-12). The king continued: But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it (41:15).

At this point, Yosef might have been tempted to bargain with Pharaoh. He could tell that his services were very much in demand at that moment. At the very least he could have asked for his freedom in return for his interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream, but in that single moment of incredible opportunity, Joseph’s true character was revealed.⁶⁴⁰

He said: I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires. Literally it reads: God will answer the shalom of Pharaoh. The word shalom often bears the idea of completely, perfectly, or fully, and that is what it means here. God will answer Pharaoh completely.⁶⁴¹ By this answer, Yosef exhibited great growth in spiritual maturity since the time of his own dreams back in Canaan. Then, he had antagonized his family by calling attention to his own superiority. Now, however, he won the confidence and respect of a heathen king and court by his own ability and giving full credit to ADONAI. His years of slavery and imprisonment had indeed taught him humility and patience. Instead of calling attention to the failures of the wise men and stressing his own powers, he acted with the utmost courtesy and restraint, and directed all the praise to God alone.⁶⁴²

44. Both Joseph and Jesus were raised up by the hand of God. Joseph replied to the king: I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires (41:16). It is obvious that, apart from divine intervention, Yosef would have been left to languish in prison until he died. It was God who troubled Pharaoh’s spirit in a dream that brought about his release. Joseph himself recognized this, as is clear from his words to his brothers later on: And God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God (45:7-8a). So it was with our Savior because God raised Him from the dead (Acts 2:24a, 2:32, 10:40).

After thirteen long years in prison, the LORD had stripped Yosef of his carnal ego. He was not strutting around in his royal coat of many colors given to him by his father. He was not saying, “I can do it”; he was saying: It is not I, but Christ in me (Galatians 2:20). He was saying: By myself I can do nothing, for I seek not to please Myself but Him who sent Me (John 5:30). He was saying that being a servant is the basis of leadership. Yeshua said of Himself: Even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). The one who foreshadowed Jesus also became a servant. Are you a servant? Whom do you serve? Service is the golden key that unlocks the door to success in the kingdom of God. You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love (see the commentary on Galatians, to see link click Bu – Brothers and Sisters, You were Called to Freedom). We are like beasts when we bite and devour each other; we are like humans when we criticize each other, but we are like God when we serve one another in love. That’s what Joseph did here.

Then Pharaoh proceeded to tell Joseph the details of both of his dreams, with a few details added which were not told earlier. His anxiety was growing. He said: In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds. After them, seven other cows came up – scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such cows in all the land of Egypt. The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as lean and ugly as before. Pharaoh’s dreaming only got worse.

Then I woke up troubled. In my dreams I also saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk. After them, seven other heads sprouted – withered and thin and scorched by the east wind. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads (41:17-24a). Pharaoh omitted saying that he had had a second dream (41:5). He possibly suspects that the two dreams were really one, and they would have only one interpretation.

In his frustration, Pharaoh said: I told this to the magicians, but none could explain it to me (41:24b). The gods of Egypt, the wise men and the magicians were helpless to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams, and hence were helpless to deal with the coming problems that the dreams suggested.

The Report of the Cupbearer
41: 9-13

The report of the cup-bearer DIG: How many years had it been since the cup-bearer had his dream interpreted by Joseph? How do you think Yosef dealt with the delay? What made the cup-bearer remember Yosef in prison?

REFLECT: When you are reminded of your shortcomings, how do you respond? Are you angry? Are you depressed? Do you try to minimize them? Do you exaggerate them? Do you blame others? Do you take responsibility for them? Do you dwell on them? Or are you humbled? Why?

Then the chief cup-bearer said to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt: Today I have been reminded of my failure (41:9 NLT). When the chief cup-bearer remembers Joseph he is struck to the heart, and realizes his offense. His realization is emphasized in the Hebrew word order, in which the direct object, my failure, is the first element in the sentence, literally, my failure I am remembering today. The word failure, here, is literally the Hebrew word for sins, and conveys more of the thought of offenses or omissions. He knows he should have told Pharaoh of Joseph long ago, but he became too busy and had forgotten. Confessing his sin to Pharaoh, he recalled the two year old story.

He remembers the story just as it happened. Pharaoh was once angry with his servants and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard. Each of us had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own (41:10-11). How simple and yet how truly remarkable is the link in the chain of circumstances by which ADONAI fulfills His purposes for Yosef.⁶³⁶

Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of Potiphar, and the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream. Not only that, but his interpretations were correct in every detail. And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us: I was restored to my position, and the other man was hanged (41:12-13). Here was a man who had greater insight into the future than all the sages and interpreters of the land of Egypt. If Pharaoh wanted to know the meaning of his dreams, he should by all means send for this young man, Joseph.⁶³⁷

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams
41: 1-8

Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dreams DIG: How do you account for the significant role dreams play in Chapters 37, 40 and 41? What evidence is there that through dreams, ADONAI controls human events? How are these dreams similar? How are they different?

REFLECT: When you need guidance in your life, where do you turn? Friends? Self-help books? The Bible? Your Horoscope? Prayer?

Parashah 10: miKetz (At the end) 41:1-44:17
(see my commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Af – Parashah)

The Key People include Pharaoh, his cupbearer, Joseph, wife Asenath, Manasseh, Ephraim, Jaocb, and the eleven sons.

The Scenes include the Nile, Egypt and Canaan

The Main Events include Pharaoh’s dream, Joseph’s interpretation, Joseph elevated to Prime Minister of Egypt, preparing for the coming famine, brothers’ visit, Simeon jailed, Joseph’s request to see Benjamin, a second visit, the trap to frame Benjamin with a stolen cup, the chase and accusation, and Benjamin sentenced to die.

The important dreams in Joseph’s life always seemed to come in twos. First, he himself had two dreams (37:5-9); then he interpreted the dreams of the cup-bearer and the baker (40:1-23); and now, Pharaoh, king of Egypt, had two dreams. Still, Pharaoh’s dreams came two years after Joseph’s interpretation of the dreams of the cupbearer and the baker. When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile (41:1).

When out of the Nile River there came up seven healthy cows, sleek and fat, and they grazed among the reeds. The cows must have impressed Pharaoh especially in a religious sense, because the cow was the emblem of Isis, the revered Egyptian goddess of fertility. In the Egyptian Book of the Dead, the chief scripture of ancient Egypt, Osiris, the god of vegetation and the underworld, is represented as a great bull accompanied by seven cows. Then, unexpectedly, seven other ugly and gaunt cows came up out of the Nile and chewed up the seven sleek, fat cows. Such a thing could only happen in a dream, but it was so shocking that it woke Pharaoh up (41:2-4).

He fell asleep again and had a second dream. He was out gazing at a grain field, common in the Egyptian fertile plains. As he gazed, he saw seven full heads of grain, healthy and good, growing on a single stalk. Again, Pharaoh must have been impressed with the richness of Egypt, known to all as the granary of the ancient world. But then it happened again, seven other heads of grain sprouted – thin and scorched by the east wind (41:5-6,also see Ezeki’el 17:10, Hosea 13:15-16), and the thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. The dream was so real to him, that it was only when he woke up that he realized it had been a dream (41:7). Since he was considered a god, it was unusual for him to ask for an interpretation of his dreams. He knew enough to be troubled, but not enough to be his own interpreter. He tossed and turned all night on his bed because the dreams seemed so real. The Egyptians believed that when dreams were repeated or came in sets two they were special, so he was determined to get some help.

In the morning his mind was troubled, so he sent for two groups. First, he sent for all the magicians, or chartumin, meaning sacred scribes. They were the same men who opposed Moses in Exodus 7:11 when they threw down their staffs, becoming snakes. Secondly, he sent for the wise men, who were the experts in the priest craft and magic of Egypt. They were an order of Egyptian priests who understood the sacred hieroglyphic writings. They cultivated the knowledge of arts and sciences, interpreted dreams, practiced soothsaying and divination, and were supposed to possess secret arts. These were the magi of Dani’el 1:20, 2:1-23 and Matthew 2:1-12.⁶³² Pharaoh told both groups his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him even though they were supposed to be the experts (41:8).

Later, another group of magi in Babylon also would be unable to interpret a king’s dream, and ADONAI would use another Hebrew slave, Dani’el, to show that no matter how powerful a nation might be, it was still not beyond God’s sovereign control (Dani’el 2:1-49).⁶³³

In ancient Egypt, people believed that the true power in the universe was magic. They relied on magic like omens, sorcery, divination, fortunetelling and dream interpretation to manipulate “the gods” for their own benefit. It was a means to determine the future and to provide understanding of reality. The same is true for many today who rely on astrology and other New-Age instruments to provide meaning to life. But, as in the story of Joseph, the magicians provided no answers. Meaning and purpose belong to the Creator, and we must rest in Him in order to have significance and satisfaction in life.⁶³⁴

When all the magicians and wise men were called in and Pharaoh told them his dream, the chief cup-bearer was listening. After all, his position was to stand beside Pharaoh and attend to his every need. When none of the wise men could give Pharaoh an interpretation, the cupbearer remembered Joseph.⁶³⁵

Joseph Before Pharaoh
41: 1-57

After thirteen years of waiting, Joseph was suddenly released and brought to stand before Pharaoh himself. But as powerful as the king of Egypt was, this chapter is really about the sovereign work of the LORD in the lives of those who serve Him. It was ADONAI who disturbed Pharaoh in his dreams and jostled the memory of the cupbearer, so that he remembered the Hebrew slave who interpreted his dream, and God is in charge of history, so He can grant dreams that tell future events and inspire servants to rightly interpret those dreams. So the narrative is a story about Yosef, Pharaoh, the cup-bearer, and others, but above all, it is a story about the LORD, the great mover and shaper of history, and about ADONAI’s pleasure in using a single servant who is willing to submit his life to His control.⁶³¹

The Chief Cup-bearer did not Remember Joseph: 
He Forgot Him
40: 20-23

The chief cup-bearer did not remember Joseph: he forgot him DIG: Why might the chief cup-bearer forget Joseph? How long did Yosef continue to be imprisoned? What did he learn during that time? In what way did Joseph foreshadow the life of Christ?

REFLECT: Is there anyone that you have forgotten to repay a debt? How does your relationship with God maintain your hope despite life’s circumstances to the contrary?

Now three days later, on Pharaoh’s birthday, he gave a feast for all his officials. Joseph’s interpretation of the dreams was correct. Pharaoh waited until his birthday to announce the results of his investigation. One might speculate that whatever plot had been laid against Pharaoh might have been intended to be consummated on this occasion; if so, that would lend peculiar significance to its exposure and punishment at that time.⁶²⁶ So Pharaoh lifted up the heads of the chief cup-bearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials (40:20). The rabbis teach that just as Isra’el is nearer to ADONAI, therefore will He punish them more severely; a king punishes more harshly one who is closest to him because the servant knows more than anyone what the king wants.

42. The words of both Joseph and Jesus came true. The Eastern kings celebrated their birthdays by holding feasts and granting pardon to offenders.⁶²⁷ Here, Pharaoh availed himself of this custom to pardon the chief cup-bearer. He restored the chief cup-bearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand (40:21). But when Pharaoh turned to his former chief baker, he was angry. Here was the culprit, guilty as charged, and the penalty was death.⁶²⁸  So he hanged the chief baker as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation (40:22). And just as Yosef’s predictions came true, so will Messiah’s: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away (Matthew 24:35).

There is a play on words here. When the verse says: He restored the chief cup-bearer to his position, the word position literally means cup-bearing. So it literally reads: He restored the chief cup-bearer to his cup-bearing. This is for emphasis, signifying that the cup-bearer was not given a different position in the royal court, but he was restored to exactly the same position that he held before.⁶²⁹  The chief cup-bearer, however, did not remember Yosef. He forgot him, but God did not (40:23). Humanly speaking, this was ingratitude, but spiritually speaking, it was not yet time for Joseph to be raised up. He would have to wait for two more years.

Joseph’s faith was not destroyed by his circumstances. We cannot doubt that those years had a steadying effect on Yosef’s character as he waited for the fulfillment of the LORD’s purpose concerning him. He continued to focus on El Shaddai, God Almighty, not his circumstances (49:24). This is without exception the deepest joy in life.

These two years of waiting must also have had the effect of maturing while steadying Yosef’s character. It is not too much to say that the confidence and dignity which he showed when he stood before Pharaoh had their foundations laid during these two years. No doubt from time to time he would hear what was going on in Egypt, and perhaps even in connection with the court, and yet day after day passed without any remembrance from the chief cup-bearer. But can be sure that he never regretted putting God first and allowing Him to take care of His servant’s interests. If we will take care of our character, ADONAI will take care of our interests and reputation either in this life or the next.

Daily faithfulness in ordinary duties is the very best preparation for future service. Joseph found plenty of work to do and occupied his time by ministering to the needs of others. Those two years were in some ways the most important of his entire life. The deeper the foundation, the more durable the building; and in those two years the foundation of his future influence was laid deep and strong. Some might have thought that the forty years spent by Moses in Midian keeping the sheep were unworthy of his position. But the keeping of sheep was the making of Moses. So also those two years of quiet endurance in prison went far in making Joseph the faithful man that he became.⁶³⁰

Haftarah vaYeshev: ‘Amos (Amos) 2:6-3:8
(see my commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Af – Parashah)

In His grace, ADONAI seeks to overlook the three sins that lead to loss of eternal life for a nation: idolatry, adultery, and murder. A nation that provides for the poor can yet borrow time, even in the face of cardinal sins. However, the lion roars (Amos 3:8) over the fourth sin! Ha’Shem cannot tolerate that Isra’el is selling the poor for silver. In poetry, God appeals to the people of Isra’el (Amos 3:1-8). Punishment looms (Amos 3:13-15). Lions roar only after prey is taken (Amos 3:4 and 8). The poor are being preyed upon. In the courts there is no care for their guilt or innocence (Amos 2:6). Worse, clothing is taken in pledge (Amos 2:8) – a man can freeze from the cold of night when his only garment is taken. Such exploitation cannot be tolerated. God roars out His warning (Amos 3:7-8) – repent, or judgment comes swiftly (Amos 8:4). Alas, a righteous one is sold for silver, and he is Joseph.

B’rit Chadashah suggested reading for Parashah vaYeshev:
Acts 7:9-16 (specifically verses 8-10)

Following the flow of salvation history, Stephen moved into the patriarchal period. Then God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. So he became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day, and so Isaac with Jacob, and Jacob with the twelve patriarchs, the heads of the twelve tribes of Isra’el. For the sake of brevity, Stephen chose to bypass the stories of Isaac and Jacob and move directly to Joseph. The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him. He rescued him out of all his troubles and granted him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him governor over Egypt and all his household (7:8-10). Joseph’s revelation also came to him outside the Promised Land.

Then the Chief Baker said to Joseph:
I Too Had a Dream
40: 16-19

Then the chief baker said to Joseph: I too had a dream DIG: What impresses you most about these two dreams? Their interpretation or their fulfillment? What does it say about Yosef, that he would relate the dream exactly as it was given to him? If Joseph held nothing back when he interpreted the dream, do you think that meant he lacked sympathy? Why or why not? In what way did Joseph foreshadow the life of Christ?

REFLECT: Do you feel that your dreams will be realized or not? How do these dreams and feelings affect your relationship with the LORD? How are you at telling the truth? Are you a person of integrity?

It is only Joseph’s happy interpretation of the cup-bearer’s dream that prods the chief baker into sharing his dream. He is less sure of himself. But when the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation to the cup-bearer, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets of bread” (40:16). Once again, God used a symbol that Yosef was familiar with. In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head (40:17). Joseph was as quick with the second interpretation as he was with the first.⁶²²

Joseph said: This is what it means. The three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head as a punishment and hang you on a tree. And the birds will eat away your flesh (40:18-19). 41. Yosef was the means of blessing to the cup-bearer, but a pronouncer of judgment to the baker. For it is written: Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree (see the commentary on Galatians, to see link click Bk – Cursed is Everyone Who Hangs on a Tree). Likewise, Messiah was crucified between two prisoners. One hurled insults at Him as he said: Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us (Luke 23:39). But the other criminal rebuked the one, saying: Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong. Then he said, “Yeshua, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Yeshua answered him: I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:40-43). So Jesus was a means of blessing to one, but the pronouncer of judgment on the other.

In Egypt, birds were sacred and so they were protected. As a result, they were often a bother. The experience in the dream of the baker was common in Egypt. But food intended for Pharaoh would surely have required better care on the part of the chief baker. In his dream he allowed them to consume the baked goods that were meant for Pharaoh. So instead of Pharaoh taking the bread out of his hand, the birds ate it out of the basket on his head.⁶²³ Evidently, the baker knew he was guilty as was reflected in his dream.

The dream of the baker was not so favorable. Joseph’s word play wasn’t as funny for him. It literally meant that Pharaoh would lift up his head from his body and then hang him on a tree. In the ancient world hanging was not typically a form of execution but a way to dishonor the corpse of an executed person. In this case the baker would have been beheaded and then “hung” – usually by having his body impaled on a stake – in public view for the birds and insects to devour.⁶²⁴  This would have been particularly reprehensible and demeaning in ancient Egypt because they believed that the preservation of the flesh was important for a person to attain the afterlife. That is why they placed so much emphasis on embalming and other procedures for preservation.

It is clear that Yosef does not hold anything back in telling the interpretation of the dream. He is direct and tells the truth. The rabbis teach that because he told the truth he earned two more years in prison. But he did tell the truth. He didn’t give the baker what he wanted to hear, as did so many of the magicians and wise men of his day. Truth is the foundation of all knowledge, and the cement of all societies. Joseph’s telling the truth demonstrates that he is a man of integrity. Oh, that we had people like that in the Body of Messiah today.⁶²⁵

So the Chief Cup-bearer Told Joseph His Dream
40: 9-15

So the chief cup-bearer told Joseph his dream DIG: As interpretations of dreams belong to ADONAI, and as Joseph invites others to tell him their dreams, what does that tell you about Joseph’s abilities? About his relationship to God? What two ways did Joseph foreshadow the life of Christ?

REFLECT: What is your dream of the future? How good are you at waiting on the Lord’s timing? How many times have we all plunged ahead in the dark, only to find ourselves lost? Have you learned to wait?

So the chief cup-bearer told Joseph his dream. Probably he spoke first because he was confident of his own innocence and therefore was not hesitant to hear its significance.⁶¹⁶ He said to him, “In my dream I saw a vine in front of me” (40:9). God used a symbol that was familiar to him, and he saw all the stages of making grapes in quick succession. And on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes (40:10).

Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup in his hand (40:11). The kings of ancient Egypt drank only the fresh juice of the grape. The cultivation of the vine, and the making and drinking of wine among the Egyptians are well established beyond question.⁶¹⁷ It was evidently a part of the duty of the chief cup-bearer to press the grapes into Pharaoh’s cup, but it by no means meant that because of this, no fermented wine was used.⁶¹⁸

The chief cup-bearer’s dream had a favorable interpretation. Joseph said to him, “This is what it means. The three branches are three days” (40:12). 39. Both Joseph and Jesus showed that they had knowledge of the future. Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position. The idiom lift up your head means to count. Pharaoh will number you again among his servants. And you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cup-bearer (40:13). So Jesus, the One whom Joseph foreshadowed, again and again, made known what would happen in the future. He said: For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent Me commanded Me what to say and how to say it (John 12:49). Not all the details of the dream are interpreted; only the basic point is made.

Joseph’s interpretation involves a striking wordplay that seems humorous (unless you’re the baker). He explained that the dreams meant Pharaoh would lift up the heads of both men (40:13, 40:19). In the case of the cup-bearer, this meant Pharaoh would symbolically lift up his head and restore him to his previous position of honor in the royal court.⁶¹⁹

40. Both Joseph and Yeshua desired to be remembered. Yosef said: But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison (40:14). So in connection with the last supper, the Savior said: Do this in remembrance of Me (Luke 22:19b).

However, the cup-bearer’s good fortune didn’t do Joseph any good. Evidently his good fortune so overwhelmed him, that for two years he forgot his debt to Yosef. Knowing he was innocent, he waited for the LORD’s divine moment for him to explain his predicament and ask for help. And I’m glad he did, for it indicates that there’s a time to defend ourselves against false accusations – even though ADONAI is the ultimate vindicator. There’s also a time to ask someone to put in a good word for us even though we are trusting God with all our hearts to defend us.⁶²⁰

For I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon, or literally a pit (40:15). The word for a pit is the same word used for Joseph’s place of imprisonment at the hand of his brothers (37:20, 22, 28-29). The two events are parallel.

It is interesting to realize that Yosef was able to foresee the chief cup-bearer’s day of deliverance, but he could not predict his own time of release. He is called to be patient, and to rest in ADONAI and His timing. As George Muller, the famous evangelist and philanthropist who cared for over a hundred thousand orphans in Bristol, England, once said, “You need never to take a step in the dark. If you do, you are sure to make a mistake. Wait, wait, wait until you have the light. Remind the Holy Spirit that He is the Counselor of the Church and He will direct you. And if you patiently wait, expectantly wait, you will find that the waiting is not in vain, and that the Holy Spirit will prove Himself a Counselor, both wise and good.”⁶²¹

Do Not Interpretations Belong to God?
Tell Me Your Dreams
40: 1-8

Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams DIG: Why do you think Joseph ends up in prison with officials of the Egyptian government? How profound was the reality of God in the life of Yosef? How does Yosef show concern for the cup-bearer and the baker? Does Joseph’s reference to ADONAI ring true? In what way did Joseph foreshadow the life of Christ?

REFLECT: It takes a real person of conviction to hold fast to his or her conviction and integrity during a time of suffering such as Joseph experienced. How deep are your spiritual convictions? Is the name of the Lord close to your lips? Why or why not?

Therefore, some time later, after Joseph’s imprisonment, the cup-bearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt, and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard (40:1 and 3a). According to the custom in the Near East, the prison formed part of the house of the chief of the executioners.⁶¹⁰  Thus, it was an extension of Potiphar’s house. Maybe part of the reason Potiphar put Joseph there was the hope that some of his blessing would continue to rub off onto him.

Some time later . . .expresses an indefinite period of time. However, we do know that Joseph was twenty-eight at this time. He will be brought before Pharaoh two years after these events (41:1) and will be thirty years old at that time (41:46). So Yosef had been in Egypt, either as a slave in the household of Potiphar, or in prison for eleven years (37:2).⁶¹¹

The cup-bearer was a position of great honor. In a later day Nehemiah, who was the cup-bearer to Artaxerxes, was a man of influence and much ability (Nehemiah 2:1). He was probably the overseer of Pharaoh’s vineyards and wine cellar. They were generally eunuchs; they held the cup in their left hand and a fly-flap made of split palm leaves in their right hand. A long napkin, richly embroidered and fringed, was normally thrown over their left shoulder to wipe the lips of the king of Egypt. Before serving, the cup-bearer would take some of the wine intended for Pharaoh and pour a little into the palm of his left hand and drink it. So if the wine were poisoned, the cup-bearer would die and the king of Egypt would be protected.⁶¹²

Now Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cup-bearer and the chief baker and put them in the same prison where Joseph was confined (40:2 and 3b). 38. Both Yosef and Yeshua were with two other prisoners. Yosef was not alone in his place of shame and suffering. Nor was Jesus as he hung on the old rugged cross at Calvary. And just as there were two criminals imprisoned with Joseph, there were two criminals crucified with Messiah (Luke 23:32-33).

These two high government officials were put in prison until their cases had been decided. Presumably, their crimes had something to do with Pharaoh’s table; possibly even an attempt on his life. Not knowing which one was guilty, both were thrown in jail until their guilt or innocence could be proven. Potiphar, the captain of the guard assigned Yosef to wait on them (40:4a). This is the same verb used back in 39:4 to describe Joseph’s relationship to Potiphar. So although Joseph still maintains his position of authority, when the chief cup-bearer and chief baker arrive on the scene, his responsibilities are expanded to include meeting the needs of these two very important prisoners.⁶¹³ In other words, Potiphar wanted to make sure they were taken care of, and who better to put his mind at ease than Joseph! This sets the stage for Yosef’s rise to prominence.

After they had been in custody for several days, each of the two men, the cup-bearer and baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison, had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. God had three days accomplish His task because Pharaoh’s birthday was three days away. So, prompted by the Ruach ha-Kodesh, Joseph asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why are your faces so sad today?” They answered: We both had dreams, but they were so difficult that there is no one to interpret them (40:4b-8a). The Egyptians did have professional dream interpreters, but none were available to them in prison.

Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams” (40:8b). Here he put himself in the position to prophesy and be God’s mouthpiece, while at the same time denying any magical or mystical power in which the Egyptians believed. Yosef did not use the word ADONAI, when speaking to the Egyptians. He used the word God, or Elohim because it is a more generic name for the deity and would be less offensive to the Egyptians. ADONAI was a name that was particularly identified with the Hebrews as a people.⁶¹⁴

Joseph gives God all the glory in this. Later on we will find another young Hebrew in a foreign court who will do the same thing. Dani’el also gave God the glory, and we should do the same. Anything we do for the Lord should be done to the praise of God. Make sure that God gets the glory for it. When we hog the glory for ourselves, we squander our own blessing. We need to give God the glory as Joseph does here. It is interesting to see that God used dreams in the TaNaKh. We don’t need dreams today because the canon of Scripture is complete, but in that day, God did speak in dreams.⁶¹⁵

Consequently, Joseph understood that their dreams had come from ADONAI. Not only that, he realized that God was beginning to work His will through two more dreams like he had when he was a teenager (37:5-11). The interpretation of those two previous dreams had led to his slavery in Egypt, but his interpretation of these two dreams would lead to his position of authority over all of Egypt.