Mother’s Helper / Daddy’s Helper
PHAROAH’S DREAM
In our last story, Joseph was in prison, but better things were in Joseph’s future.
Two full years from the time the butler was freed, Pharoah, the king, had two similar dreams. He dreamed that seven fat cows came up out of the river followed by seven very lean and hungry cows. The king also dreamed that seven good ears of grain came up on one stalk, and seven bad ears of grain on another stalk.
Then something strange happened. The seven hungry cows ate up the seven fat cows, and the seven bad ears of grain ate up the seven good ears. We know that cows don’t eat cows, nor do ears of grain eat other ears of grain. These dreams meant something, but none of the wise men of Egypt could tell Pharoah what they meant.
Then the butler remembered Joseph and he said, “I remember my fault this day.” He told the king about the dreams that he and the baker had in prison, and how Joseph told them what they meant. The king sent for Joseph in a hurry. Joseph shaved, changed clothes, and went to the king.
The king told Joseph about his dreams. Joseph told him what they meant. They both meant the same thing, and Joseph said that God had revealed it unto Pharaoh and had doubled the dream, which means God told him two dreams that mean the same thing.
Joseph told the king there would be seven years of plenty of food and everything would grow and have a lot of fruit and grain. After that there would be seven years of famine in which the ground would not bear fruit and grain. He then advised the king to hunt a wise man that would store the food during the seven years of plenty. They would then be ready for the seven years without crops.
The king thought that was a good idea. He also thought Joseph was the man. He put his own signet ring on Joseph’s finger, gave him fine clothing, and the second chariot to ride over the country of Egypt. People were told to bow down to Joseph.
Joseph set about the job of gathering grain into huge store places in many cities. He gathered so much grain that the Bible says it was as the sand of the sea.
The king gave Joseph a wife. They had two boys. One of them was named Manasseh and the other was called Ephraim. Joseph said that God had made him forget his father’s house and all his work, and also that God had made him fruitful in the land of his affliction. That means the land where he had all the troubles and sorrows that had come upon him.
In our next story, Joseph’s brothers make two trips to Egypt.
Questions
1. Who had two dreams?
2. Who remembered Joseph when the king had these dreams?
3. How many fat cows and how many good ears were there?
4. How many lean cows and bad ears?
5. What did the lean cows and bad ears do to the good ones?
6. Did Joseph interpret the king’s dreams?
7. Did the king reward Joseph?
8. What did Joseph do about food and grain?
9. How many sons did Joseph have?
10. Does it always pay to do what is right?
