The Bible Book

61

Joseph’s success at interpreting

Pharaoh’s dream, shown in this 1894

painting by British artist Reginald

Arthur, leads to his appointment as

Pharaoh’s chief adviser.

is simply an instrument of God

and that the dreams are a sign of

God’s purpose. He tells Pharaoh

that his dreams signify seven years

of plenty followed by seven years of

famine. He advises Pharaoh to store

supplies of grain during the years of

plenty in order to use them later.

Pharaoh takes Joseph’s advice and

appoints him as his chief adviser.

The legacy of Joseph

Joseph’s tale does not end here.

Eventually, he is reconciled with

his brothers, who, during the years

of famine, are sent to Egypt by

Jacob to buy grain. Joseph forgives

his brothers, believing it is thanks

to their earlier wrongdoings that

he is able to feed them in their time

GENESIS

of need. “God sent me before you

to preserve life,” he pronounces

in Genesis 45:5. Pharaoh allows

Joseph to bring Jacob and his

people to Egypt, where they

prosper. They remain there until,

generations later, a new pharaoh,

“to whom Joseph meant nothing”

(Exodus 1:8), comes to the throne.

Joseph devotes his life to

serving others. He always credits

God for his achievements and

remains faithful to Him. His story,

which is also chronicled in the

Qur’an, which regards him as a

prophet, illustrates the power of

forgiveness. Crucially for the next

book in the Bible, the story also

explains how the Israelites came

to be in Egypt. ■

The baker’s dream The baker has three baskets of bread

on his head. Birds eat from the top one. (40:16–17)

Pharaoh’s dream Seven skinny cows devour seven sleek,

fat cows on the banks of the Nile. (41:4)

The dreams of Pharaoh are

one and the same. God

has revealed to Pharaoh

what he is about to do.

Genesis 41:25

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