Deeper Reflection
Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream with clarity. A very severe seven-year famine was coming after seven years of plentiful harvest. Joseph emphasised to Pharoah that the interpretation was revealed by God, and not something Joseph could understand on his own (vv.16, 25, 28, 32). The Lord was also the source of Joseph’s wisdom in his famine response proposal. This fact was clearly perceived by Pharoah – so evident it was that God’s Spirit was in Joseph (vv.37-38). Totally impressed, Pharoah immediately promoted Joseph to be his second-in-command over “all the land of Egypt”³⁷ despite his not being an Egyptian³⁸ and his young age of 30!What prepared Joseph for this meteoric rise from the prison to the palace, and promotion beyond all expectations to the second highest political office? One commentator insightfully wrote:³⁹Before Pharaoh promoted him, Joseph knew that the Lord was with him and he had tangible evidence to prove it. Repeatedly giving God credit was not only the right thing to do, but it also reminded Joseph himself that his skills were from the Lord. Joseph was courteous and humble, showing a desire to do whatever he could to help Pharaoh and the Egyptian people. Even when the Egyptians were bereft of currency and livestock, Joseph earned the trust of the Egyptian people and of Pharaoh himself (v.55). Throughout the rest of his life as an administrator, Joseph consistently devoted himself to effective management for the good of others.Joseph remained a humble servant of the Lord by the consistent practices of giving credit to God and using power⁴⁰ to do good to the people of the land.

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³⁷ Repeated description emphasising Joseph’s authority over the entire Egyptian kingdom in verses 41, 43, 44 and 46 ³⁸ It seems clear that this issue was prominent in Pharoah’s mind as he proceeded to give Joseph an Egyptian name and wife (v.45). ³⁹ Theology of Work Project, Inc.: https://www.theologyofwork.org/old-testament/genesis-12-50-and-work/josephgenesis-372-5026/josephs-promotion-by-pharaoh-genesis-411-45/ (emphasis added). ⁴⁰ Christian author, Andy Crouch, insightfully pointed out, “Why is power a gift? Because power is for flourishing. When power is used well, people and the whole cosmos come more alive to what they were meant to be. And flourishing is the test of power.”: Andy Crouch, Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2013), 13