Many followers of Christ lack the confidence and faith that God speaks to His people in personal ways. This despite the fact that there are examples throughout the Bible of God communicating specific messages to His people, sometimes through those who do not even follow Him. The Bible records God speaking in many different ways to people. In one such example, Pharaoh, a mighty ruler of Egypt who did not even believe in God had the wisdom to respect and act on a dream he received from God. It saved his entire kingdom and God used it to lift up Joseph out of jail to a position of great authority, second only to Pharaoh in all Egypt.
Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dream
14Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came to Pharaoh. 15Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” 17So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, “In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile; 18and behold, seven cows, fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass. 19“Lo, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such as I had never seen for ugliness in all the land of Egypt; 20and the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows. 21“Yet when they had devoured them, it could not be detected that they had devoured them, for they were just as ugly as before. Then I awoke. 22“I saw also in my dream, and behold, seven ears, full and good, came up on a single stalk; 23and lo, seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them; 24and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. Then I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
25Now Joseph said to Pharaoh, “Pharaoh’s dreams are one and the same; God has told to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 26“The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one and the same. 27“The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine. 28“It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29“Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; 30and after them seven years of famine will come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will ravage the land. 31“So the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it will be very severe. 32“Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about. 33“Now let Pharaoh look for a man discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34“Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers in charge of the land, and let him exact a fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance. 35“Then let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh’s authority, and let them guard it. 36“Let the food become as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish during the famine.”
37Now the proposal seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his servants.
Imagine what would have happened if Pharaoh dismissed the dream. What if the magicians of Pharaoh’s court made up some alternate interpretation to seem important before Pharaoh? What if the cupbearer was afraid to tell Pharaoh about Joseph? What if Joseph was afraid or lacking in faith in God and refused to speak up about the dream? Clearly God was involved to influence all these people, most of whom did not even know or follow God, such that His desired outcome was achieved.
However, Joseph had a key role. He recognized that God had spoken with him through dreams before and thus God would reveal the meaning of the dream to him this time as well. He was not bitter at God from his suffering in jail, but rather immediately gave glory to God for interpreting the dream rather than himself. He did not try to “grab glory for himself”. Joseph honored God consistently for a lifetime and continued to find favor with God and men… even those men who fundamentally rejected God.
We should listen closely for how God may communicate with us, directly, or through others. Look for patterns in how He has done so previously in our life as He often uses a similar pattern of communication with someone. We must also verify what we think we hear from God with the unchanging truth of the written word of God in the Bible. This is important to avoid being misled by our own selfish sin nature or by Satan. God’s word does not change. God does not change… even as people stray farther and farther from Him.
I find it difficult at times to know when God is working in my life in specific areas, but I have recognized patterns and I know He is with me. I find it helpful to stay in the word and in prayer daily to remain close to Him and be best positioned to hear Him and screen out my own selfish desires or traps that Satan may set for us.
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