Dreams can Save Us.

Dreams can Save Us. Genesis 41:1-36.

Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river. Suddenly there came up out of the river seven cows, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. Then behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ugly and gaunt, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river. And the ugly and gaunt cows ate up the seven fine looking and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke. Genesis 41:1-4(NKJV)

Though we know that the prophet Joel said that in the end times old men will dream dreams and young men will see visions, God has used dreams throughout history. These dreams come alerting us to a path, a destiny, and future, yet lived.

It is not just Christians that have dreams, all people have dreams and therefore, we all should pay attention when someone says they had a dream.

Psychologists and science will often pass off dreams as coming from the sub conscience and if they relate to our future, it is by chance. However, God wants people to believe in Him and has used dreams to make believers of people.

Martine Luther King had a dream and it changed the world. Here the Pharaoh of Egypt has a dream and it too would be used by God to change the world.

He slept and dreamed a second time; and suddenly seven heads of grain came up on one stalk, plump and good. Then behold, seven thin heads, blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. And the seven thin heads devoured the seven plump and full heads. So Pharaoh awoke, and indeed, it was a dream. Genesis 41:5-7(NKJV)

Dreams do not always make sense. When dreaming much of what we see comes from our subconscious and experiences of the past. However, those memories can be used to create a message that we are to heed.

The prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon, struggled to complete a sermon. Sitting at breakfast he told his wife of his dilemma and she filled the gap completing the masterful sermon. "How did you know that?" he asked. She explained, "You preached in your sleep last night; I only listened."

Now 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 its wise men. And Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was no one who could interpret them for Pharaoh. Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: "I remember my faults this day. When Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker, we each had a dream in one night, he and I. Each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. Now there was a young Hebrew man with us there, a servant of the captain of the guard. And we told him, and he interpreted our dreams for us; to each man he interpreted according to his own dream. And it came to pass, just as he interpreted for us, so it happened. He restored me to my office, and he hanged him." Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh. Genesis 41:8-14(NKJV)

It must have felt nice to clean up after all that time in slavery and prison. I can feel his eagerness as Joseph knew that he would be in the presence of the Pharaoh. It would have been nice to know if Joseph had dreamed the same dream or if God was going to impart wisdom to Joseph as he stood before the Pharaoh. However, the passage does not say.

And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it." So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace." Genesis 41:15-16(NKJV)

In Joseph's answer we see the relationship and respect that he had towards God. He wanted all the credit to be given to God and humbled himself before the Pharaoh.

This is the mark of a true man of God; they know their role. There is nothing good about us and the only good is God. He changes our lives; it is His work that makes us who we are and without Him we are nothing.

Where most of Pharaoh's people would have grandstanded on their accomplishment, the humble servant of God directs all the glory to God.

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: "Behold, in my dream I stood on the bank of the river. Suddenly seven cows came up out of the river, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such ugliness as I have never seen in all the land of Egypt. And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat cows. When they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were just as ugly as at the beginning. So I awoke. Also I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven heads came up on one stalk, full and good. Then behold, seven heads, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. And the thin heads devoured the seven good heads. So I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me." Genesis 41:17-24(NKJV)

Throughout our world you find Christians at the top of their peer groups. They excel in their perspective craft and faithful complete their work for it is not them that produce the accomplishments, it is God who does His work through them and they humble rise to the top.

Joseph was about to rise to the top for God had given to him the interpretation of the dream. He would explain the dream with meticulous preciseness and the message would leave the Pharaoh shocked, worried, and relieved. Pharaoh was receiving a warning from the true God.

Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, "The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do: The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years; the dreams are one. And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land. So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe. And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. Genesis 41:25-32(NKJV)

Every deed that God enables a Christian to do should shine the spotlight on God. This light does not need to be arrogantly proclaimed, or harshly delivered with threats of hell and separation. Our God would have us do our job and soberly point people to Him.

The Christian should never seem like an eccentric who does not socialize well with others. The Christian can have the respect of his peers and still give all the glory to God. Yet too many Christians never give thought to when is the right time to speak and how they present what they say.

The gospel message of salvation comes with instructions. Much like these instructions for Pharaoh, the presentation of the message must be set out for others to take in for themselves. In this situation, Joseph was not going to be loud, obnoxious, and certainly was not going to be pushy. He would deliver his message and humbly point Pharaoh to know the will of God.

"Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine." Genesis 41:33-36(NKJV)

That was it short, sweet, and to the point. It was a great work of God and Joseph's imprisonment shaped him to be the messenger able to stand before the Pharaoh and proclaim the future. The way to the Pharaoh was paved through Joseph's trials.