Session 11
the request from Pharaoh and the response of Joseph.
14 Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and they quickly brought him from the dungeon.
He shaved, changed his clothes, and went to Pharaoh.
15 Pharaoh said to Joseph,
“I have had a dream, and no one can interpret it.
But I have heard it said about you that you can hear a dream and interpret it.”
16 “I am not able to,” Joseph answered Pharaoh.
“It is God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”
Believers can point others to God when asked about past actions.
Pharaoh
This title for the kings of ancient Egypt means “great house.”
The label first designated the royal palace and grounds.
Later, from approximately 1500 to 550 BC, the Egyptians applied the title to their king.
A pharaoh possessed absolute power.
His roles included supreme commander of the armies, high priest of all religion, and chief justice of the royal court.
God had been with Joseph through all his difficult times and had prepared him for this moment.
Joseph may have shaved his beard because beards were associated with Egyptian gods.
As a result, only the Pharaohs would adorn a beard.
The fact that Hebrews wore beards is probably one reason among many that the Egyptians found Hebrews detestable.
Encourage adults to consider a modern-day equivalent to what Joseph was experiencing.
even in that moment, Joseph never forgot that God was the One orchestrating the events of his life.
Joseph confessed that God was the only One who could interpret dreams.
For the second time Joseph was rescued from a pit or dungeon so God could use him to carry out His plans.