GENESIS: Always Give God the Praise, Even Before Kings; And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?”

Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream;... (Genesis 41:1) 

Two years of Joseph being in prison for a crime he did not commit, being accused of rape by Potiphar's wife. (Genesis 39) While in prison, God still blessed him, and he was put in charge of the prison by the keeper of the prison.  Pharaoh's chief butler and chief baker were put in prison for some reason, and while there they each had a dream that God gave Joseph the interpretation to. Joseph had asked the chief butler, after giving him the interpretation of his dream, that when he got released to please "...remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. For indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; and also I have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon.” (Genesis 40:14-15)

Now Pharaoh had a dream, ...and behold, he stood by the river. Suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river. And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke. He slept and dreamed a second time; and suddenly seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, plump and good. Then behold, seven thin heads, blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. And the seven thin heads devoured the seven plump and full heads. So Pharaoh awoke, and indeed, it was a dream. Now it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh. (Genesis 41:1-8)

Egypt was always a great power during those times, and we know from history how advanced they were as a people in education and knowledge.  (read "Ancient Egypt") Yet, none of the magicians and wise men of Egypt could interpret Pharaoh's dreams. Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; and again,“The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” Therefore let no one boast in men. (I Corinthians 3:18-21)

Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: “I remember my faults this day. When Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker, we each had a dream in one night, he and I. Each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. Now there was a young Hebrew man with us there, a servant of the captain of the guard. And we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us; to each man he interpreted according to his own dream. And it came to pass, just as he interpreted for us, so it happened. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him.” (Genesis 41:9-13)

Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.” So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” (Genesis 41:14-16) Joseph never changes, always giving God the praise for what He does through him, just like he told the chief butler and chief baker while in prison, “Do not interpretations belong to God?" (Genesis 40:8)

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “Behold, in my dream I stood on the bank of the river. Suddenly seven cows came up out of the river, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such ugliness as I have never seen in all the land of Egypt. And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat cows. When they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were just as ugly as at the beginning. So I awoke. Also I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven heads came up on one stalk, full and good. Then behold, seven heads, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. And the thin heads devoured the seven good heads. So I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.” (Genesis 41:17-24)

Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do: The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years; the dreams are one. And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land. So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe. And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. (Genesis 41:25-32)

Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy? (Amos 3:7-8) How merciful God is, always giving us a warning before trouble comes, in the hope that we will do what's necessary to avoid as much of the possible consequences as possibly can. Not only did God give Joseph the interpretation, but He also gave Joseph a plan that would help Egypt deal with the famine that would come seven years after the seven years of plenty.

“Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine.” So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” (Genesis 41:33-38)

Pharaoh declares that the Spirit of God was in Joseph, before God actually filled man with the Holy Spirit. Before Christ's death, resurrection and ascension, God would oftentimes fill a person "with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,..." (Exodus 31:3, 35:31) This was in order for them to accomplish a particular task God had for them to do. The same was true for Joseph, as we will study in the next lesson.  And that's why God fills us with the Holy Spirit today, not only to be sealed for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30) But, "when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." (John 16:13)

Therefore, let's make sure to be mindful of the trustworthiness of the God we serve, verses the wisdom of man; Pharaoh realized it, and all of us should too, that Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give glory, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth. Why should the Gentiles say, “So where is their God?” But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. ... The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; But the earth He has given to the children of men. The dead do not praise the Lord, nor any who go down into silence. But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 115) AMEN!