I.
This week’s Scripture jumps over a number of incidents in Joseph’s roller-coaster ride to this occasion in Pharaoh’s presence. Make no mistake it had its ups and downs, but now Joseph is the center of Pharaoh’s attention and very likely near the center of attention of everyone in Pharaoh’s presence.

Read these passages and pay attention to Joseph. Who is he here? How would you contrast Joseph as he speaks in Pharaoh’s court with youthful Joseph when he spoke to his brothers and father of his dreams?

II.
Genesis 41:25-33

Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, as are the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind. They are seven years of famine. It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt. After them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; the famine will consume the land. The plenty will no longer be known in the land because of the famine that will follow, for it will be very grievous. And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. Now therefore let Pharaoh select a man who is discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.

Genesis 41:37-40

The proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find anyone else like this—one in whom is the spirit of God?” So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command; only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”

Genesis 41:50-52

Before the years of famine came, Joseph had two sons, whom Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him. Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” The second he named Ephraim, “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my misfortunes.”

III.
How would you contrast the youthful Joseph we read of last week with the Joseph we read of in today’s passages?

What do you make of the names he gives to his two sons?

How do the sons’ names speak to Joseph’s journey from his father’s home to the home he has in Egypt?

Where would you say Joseph’s heart is?

We’ll talk later.

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}