Nope! God had a plan for Joseph's life. And now, He was going to let Joseph know what it was.
Genesis 41:1-7- And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow. And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke. And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them. And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
Pharaoh had a dream. It was a weird, and sort of scary dream.
Genesis 41:8- And 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 the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
Pharaoh called in a bunch of specialists and asked them to tell him what his dream meant, but none of them knew.
Genesis 41:9-13- Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day: Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker: And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.
The butler remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh that he thought Joseph was the man who could interpret the dream.
Genesis 41:14- Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.
Pharaoh called for Joseph. Now, remember, Joseph had been in a nasty prison. He had to clean himself up, change, and then quickly come to Pharaoh's house.
Genesis 41:15-16- And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, andthere is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
Joseph told Pharaoh that God was the one who interpreted dreams. Pharaoh was willing to try anything! He told Joseph all about his strange dreams.
Genesis 41:25- And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
Again, Joseph had such a good relationship with God that he didn't even have to pray and ask God to tell him what the dream meant. He knew that God was with him and that God wouldn't let him down.
Genesis 41:26-32- The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good earsare seven years: the dream is one. And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh. Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous. And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
Joseph told Pharaoh that there were 2 things that were going to happen. For 7 years, they would have wonderful farming. They would get lots of crops and have plenty of food. But 7 years after that they would have terrible farming. Nothing was going to grow. People would starve.
Joseph then took it upon himself to tell Pharaoh what he should do.
Genesis 41:33-36- Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.
Genesis 41:37-40- And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as thisis, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
Pharaoh thought Joseph's idea was a very good one. And he saw that Joseph did something that none of his specialists could do- he could hear and understand God. So, Pharaoh made Joseph in charge of everything!
Genesis 41:41-45- And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
Joseph became the second in charge, kind of like the vice president of Egypt. He got to make all the rules. And Pharaoh gave him a new name and a wife.
Joseph went through such hardships. He was sold into slavery by his brothers. He was falsely accused by his master's wife. He was thrown into prison and forgotten about. But, God had made everything better.
You see, Joseph needed to be in Egypt. His father wasn't going to send him there. The only way was for his brothers to sell him.
Joseph needed to learn how to organize people and jobs so that he could build cities to store the grain and then later give it out when the people needed food. He learned that in Potipher's house.
But, Joseph also needed to learn how to deal with angry, grumpy, and even violent men. Because people who are hungry and starving are angry, grumpy, and sometimes violent. And he learned how to do that in an Egyptian prison.
It may have seemed that everything was going wrong in Joseph's life, but God had a plan and God had a reason.
Genesis 41:46- And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
Joseph was 17 years old when his brothers sold him, and now he was 30. It took 13 years for God to prepare Joseph for the task that he had planned for him.
Romans 8:28- And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
It may take a while, but God has something planned for your life. And he's putting things in your life to prepare you to fulfill that plan.
