Genesis

Chapter 40 & 41

Dreams Variously Classified. Some are God-Sent, as the Dreams of Nebuchadnezzar; Others Simply

Products of Nature• Dreams are inflicted on us mainly by demons,

although they sometimes turn out true and favourable to us.

• When, however, with the deliberate aim after evil, of which we have just spoken, they assume a flattering and captivating style, they show themselves proportionately vain, and deceitful, and obscure, and wanton, and impure. And no wonder that the images partake of the character of the realities.

• But from God-who has promised, indeed, "to pour out the grace of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh, and has ordained that His servants and His handmaids should see visions as well as utter prophecies" -must all those visions be regarded as emanating, which may be compared to the actual grace of God, as being

• honest, holy, prophetic, inspired, instructive, inviting to virtue, the bountiful nature of which causes them to overflow even to the profane, since God, with grand impartiality, "sends His showers and sunshine on the just and on the unjust."

• The third class of dreams will consist of those which the soul itself apparently creates for itself from an intense application to special circumstances.

• The greater number of such dreams were granted, for prediction or for warning, to those who were aliens to the Jewish covenant.

• Thus we have the record of the dreams of Abimelech (Gen 20:3-7); Laban (Gen 31:24); of the chief butler and baker (Gen 40:5 ); of Pharaoh (Gen 41:1-8); of the Midianite (Judg 7:13); of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 2:1, etc.; 4:1018); of the magi (Matt 2:12), and of Pilate's wife (Matt 27:19).

• (from McClintock and Strong Encyclopedia, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 2000 by Biblesoft)

Again, where dreams are recorded as means of God's revelation to his chosen servants; they are almost always referred to the periods of their earliest and most imperfect knowledge of him.

'So it is in the case. of Abraham (Gen 15:12, and perhaps 1-9), of Jacob (Gen 28:12-15), of Joseph (Gen 37:5-10), of Solomon (1 Kings 3:5), and, in the N.T., a similar analogy prevails in the case of the otherwise uninspired Joseph (Matt 1:20; 2:13,19,22).

It is to be observed, moreover, that they belong especially to the earliest age, and become less frequent as the revelations of prophecy increase.

• (from McClintock and Strong Encyclopedia, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 2000 by Biblesoft)

Jehovah expressly forbade his people from observing dreams, and from consulting explainers of them.

He condemned to death all who pretended to have prophetic dreams, and to foretell events, even though what they foretold came to pass, if they had any tendency to promote idolatry (Deut 13:1-4).

But they were not forbidden, when they thought they had a significant dream, to address the prophets of the Lord, or the high-priest in his ephod, to have it explained (Num 12:6; compare the case of Saul, 1 Sam 28:6,7).

False and true dreams are expressly contrasted in Jer 23:25,28.

• Ps 105:17-18

• 17 He sent a man before them,

• Joseph, who was sold as a slave.

• 18 They afflicted his feet with fetters,

• He himself was laid in irons;

Comfort in Suffering

• 2 Cor 1:3-4• Blessed be the God and Father of our

Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

• NKJV

• Acts 26:24-29

• Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!"

• 25 But he said, "I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. 26 For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe."

• 28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian."

• 29 And Paul said,"I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains."

• NKJV

• Heb 13:1-3

• Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. 3 Remember the prisoners as if chained with them — those who are mistreated — since you yourselves are in the body also.

• NKJV

• Philem 8-11

• Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, 9 yet for love's sake I rather appeal to you — being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ — 10 I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, 11 who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.

• NKJV

• Dungeon

• house of the pit, Ex 12:29; Jer 37:16), is properly distinguished from the ordinary prison as being more severe, and usually consisting of a deep cell or cistern

• 1 Cor 3:5-6• Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but

ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

• 2 Cor 6:1-2• 6:1 As God's fellow workers we urge you

not to receive God's grace in vain.

Matthew 10:20• 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your

Father who speaks in you. 2 Corinthians 3:5• 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of

anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God

Philippians 2:13• 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do

for His good pleasurPhilippians 4:13• 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens

me.

• Luke 10:21-22

• In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.

• 1 Cor 1:27-29• 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world

to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.

• NIV

ChainAs a Badge of office

• placed about Joseph's neck (Gen 41:42 ), and that promised to Daniel (Dan 5:7, )

• In Egypt it was one of the insignia of a judge, who wore a jeweled image of Thmei or Truth attached to it .

• it was also worn by the prime minister.

LINEN

• Fine linen. Shes, an Egyptian word. The unique dress of the Egyptian priests (Gen 41:42). Pharaoh arrayed Joseph in it as a dress of state; not cotton, nor silk

• The Egyptian fine linen was equal to the best now made in general texture, and superior in evenness of threads without knot or break.

• Joseph

• The Colored shirt

• He left his garment and fled

• Gen 41:42• he clothed him in garments of fine

linen

• Christ• John 1:14• And the Word became flesh and dwelt

among us• John 19:23• 23 Then the soldiers, when they had

crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece.

• John 20:6-7• 6 Then Simon Peter came, following

him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.

• NKJV

Hebrew

• Zaphnath-paaneah = "treasury of the glorious rest“

• OT:6847

• Egyptian (D§-pnut§-ef-±œn—),

• Saf= Garin

• Onkh= Life

• John 6:53-58

• 53 Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven — not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever."

• NKJV

Asenath = "belonging to the goddess Neith“

Poti-pherah = "he whom the Ra gave"

On = "strength or vigor"

• a city in lower Egypt, bordering the land of Goshen, the center of sun-worship; the residence of Potipherah (priest of On and father-in-law of Joseph)

• Questions:

• How to reconcile between Gen 46:

• And Acts:7:14