Dreams and Riddles – Joseph and Pharaoh’s Dream
Dreams and Riddles
In Joseph’s youth, he cherished the future – family, warmth, security, dependence, the favor of his father, daily teaching about God. But life happened – circumstances beyond his control and through no fault of his own. He suffered rejection and humiliation.
But God’s love and blessing stayed with him. He was imprisoned and sold as a slave but was not in despair, nor did he complain about his lot in life. He learned to live with it, trusting God and accepting it as part of his divine purpose.
Pharaoh’s Troubled Sleep -Genesis 41:1-40
In our Torah reading this week, we read about a dream that invades the troubled sleep of mighty Pharaoh. The dream involves a confusing scenario featuring cows and shocks of grain.
When Pharaoh’s magicians and wise men fail him, he summons an outsider, an Israelite. This outsider, Joseph, is an interpreter of dreams.
He tells Pharaoh the meaning of his dream: There will soon be a time when the empire will be destabilized. The nighttime reality will be a world of need, trouble and deprivation.
During this period of uncertainty, a new Pharaoh arose. He too was troubled by a dream, and he too invited an outsider to interpret it for him.
In the end, Pharaoh’s dream worked to destabilize the empire and Joseph was forced to step aside as an interpreter of dreams and become a manager. His new role, however, rewarded him with great honors and responsibilities!
