Why did Pharaoh give Joseph so much power?

Joseph had known suffering; he had known the treachery of his brethren; he had known imprisonment with its trials. He had, suggestively, suffered at the hands of Jews and Gentiles. However, in the ordering of God, the moment of exaltation had arrived. Hear the word of Pharaoh, "Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?" And to Joseph, "Thou shalt be over my house, and according to thy word shall all my people be ruled." The recognition of Joseph's wisdom, divinely endowed, was the cause of Pharaoh's pronouncement.

The interpretation of the dream was so simple and appropriate that Pharaoh had no difficulty in believing Joseph and therefore in approving of his advice. But not only this, he realized that Joseph was the very man who was qualified for the great work of supervising the storing of Egypt's produce. It was evident to him that the Spirit of God was in Joseph, and since God had revealed the interpretation of the dream to him, then there was no-one so discerning and wise as he (vs.37-39). 1 Corinthians 2:15 tells us, "he who is spiritual judges all things," that is, he judges in the sense of discerning. Not only does he discern spiritual things, but he discerns rightly temporal matters better than any unbeliever does, simply because God is the Creator of material things just as well as things that are spiritual.

Thus God used the imprisonment of Joseph as a step toward a far higher dignity than he had enjoyed in the house of Potiphar. He is set over the house of Pharaoh. By Joseph's word all the people of Egypt were to be ruled. Pharaoh would of course not give his throne to Joseph, but would depend on Joseph to be the administrator of all his affairs. The dignity of Pharaoh's position remained, but he gave authority into Joseph's hand (v.40). There is an analogy here. God remains always in the dignity of eternal glory, yet He has given His beloved son the place of supreme authority over His creation.

Joseph then gave Pharaoh some sound advice as to how to prepare for the future. He must appoint a wise, dependable man to manage the great work of gathering produce into storehouses throughout the land of Egypt. This would require many to help. During the seven years of plenty, they would require only one-fifth of the produce of the land to be kept for the future (vv. 33-36). The abundance of the first seven years must have been great. Often when people are greatly blessed they do not consider wisely what the future may hold. After they have squandered the large amount the Lord has given them, they find that the lean years come unexpectedly and they are not prepared. Similarly, when a nation has lived lavishly it is likely that a recession will strike and the whole atmosphere is filled with bitter complaining. Through such things God speaks loudly to men.

The interpretation of the dream was so simple and appropriate that Pharaoh had no difficulty in believing Joseph and therefore in approving of his advice. But not only this, he realized that Joseph was the very man who was qualified for the great work of supervising the storing of Egypt's produce. It was evident to him that the Spirit of God was in Joseph, and since God had revealed the interpretation of the dream to him, then there was no-one so discerning and wise as he (vv. 37-39). 1 Corinthians 2:15 tells us, “he who is spiritual judges all things,” that is, he judges in the sense of discerning. Not only does he discern spiritual things, but he discerns rightly temporal matters better than any unbeliever does, simply because God is the Creator of material things just as well as things that are spiritual.

Thus God used the imprisonment of Joseph as a step toward a far higher dignity than he had enjoyed in the house of Potiphar. He is set over the house of Pharaoh. By Joseph's word all the people of Egypt were to be ruled. Pharaoh would of course not give his throne to Joseph, but would depend on Joseph to be the administrator of all his affairs. The dignity of Pharaoh's position remained, but he gave authority into Joseph's hand (v. 40). There is an analogy here. God remains always in the dignity of eternal glory, yet He has given His beloved Son the place of supreme authority over His creation.

"Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon," and presented him duly before the king. His interpretation carried its own light and evidence along with it; and Pharaoh recognized the wisdom of God not only in this but also in the counsel that Joseph gave. And what wiser man than Joseph could take in hand the critical case of Egypt, to husband its resources during the seven years of plenty, and to administer the stores during the seven years of famine that would surely follow? So the king felt at once, and his servants too in spite of the usual jealousy of a court. Joseph was the man to carry out what he had seen beforehand from God; and Joseph accordingly becomes ruler next to Pharaoh over all the land of Egypt.

"And Pharaoh said to 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 to 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 Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. 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. And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth handfuls. And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number. And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On bare to him. And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, has made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house. And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, Go to Joseph; what he says to you, do. And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold to the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands."

Brought into Pharaoh’s presence, interpreting his dreams, foretelling the years of great plenty to be followed by the years of biting famine, he made such an impression on the mind of that mighty monarch, but, with no previous knowledge of him, he appointed this young man of only thirty years of age to the amazing position of food controller of Egypt, giving him a position only second to his own.

He interpreted his dreams, that there were to be seven years of great plenty, of abundant harvests, to be followed by seven years of biting famine. He gave Pharaoh good advice as to preparing for the years of famine with the result that Pharaoh on the spot chose Joseph to be the greatest food controller the world has ever seen. In one day this slave only thirty years of age, apparently in hopeless captivity from man’s standpoint, was lifted out of his dungeon to be ruler over the whole of Egypt.

Now we see how God fulfilled the dreams of the lad of seventeen, and in the intervening years was preparing him for this wonderfully exalted position by passing him through this dreadful experience, that, like as steel, heated and cooled, heated and cooled, should be well tempered, Joseph might develop character and trust in God, that would stand him in good stead. Remember he was only thirty years of age when this amazing transformation took place.

Joseph not only interpreted the dreams but he indicated to Pharaoh what should be done since these things were impending, and that what was needed was the man of wisdom who should be entrusted with the carrying of them out. Joseph was really speaking on God's behalf and he indicated that on the human side all that was needed in the presence of these acts of God, was A MAN.

As a ruler of men, Pharaoh had doubtless acquired a measure of discernment, and he at once saw that in Joseph the man for this emergency was found. It was indeed the Spirit of God who was speaking and acting through Joseph, though Pharaoh, being an idolater, only thought of "the spirit of the gods." Still he recognized at once that here was superhuman wisdom and executive power. In result he straightway appointed Joseph as administrator of all Egypt with authority only second to his own.

Nor was Joseph content only to interpret the dreams of the king, though this he did with a quiet simplicity and decision which so approved itself to Pharaoh's conscience, that he too had not the least doubt that God was in the matter. He saw that the case demanded the most energetic and prudent measures to turn to account the light given from above on the long super-abundant plenty against the no less long, sure, and extreme years of scarcity which were to follow. He therefore rose above all scruples which ordinarily would hinder one emerging from the obscurity and the shame of a prison from tendering advice to a king and his courtiers on affairs of state and of the most urgent and important kind. Confidence in the revealed mind of God took away the fear of slight, as it also drew out his heart in goodwill to the king and his people, not to speak of others, so intimately concerned. Otherwise they might soon forget the dream and its interpretation, as a nine days' wonder, and fall into the usual listlessness of unbelief, wasteful of the coming plenty, and heedless of the scarcity to follow. God indeed was not before the eye of the vast majority, ready on second thoughts to accredit Joseph with no more than ingenuity or, as even professing Christians would say, a lucky hit. The king at once was struck and solemnised, as the rest in measure; so that Joseph was encouraged to advise with prompt seriousness.

"And now let Pharaoh look himself out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do [this]: and let him appoint overseers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt during the seven years of plenty; and let them gather all the food of these good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and keep [it]. And let the food be a store to the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land perish not through the famine. And the word was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, Shall we find [one] as this, a man in whom the Spirit of God [is]? And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Since God has made all this known to thee, there is none discreet and wise as thou. Thou shalt be over my house, and according to thy word (mouth) shall all my people order themselves: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in clothes of byss, and put a gold chain about his neck. And he caused him to ride in the second chariot that he had: and they cried before him, Bow the knee (Abrech)! and he set him over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I [am] Pharaoh: and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt" (vers. 33-44).

Joseph then gives beautiful counsel to Pharaoh. His counsel is this. "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" (Gen. 41:33-36). The point was this, the future was to be provided for. Now there is a great principle there. Whatever you do not have, as regards this life, make sure for eternity. Look ahead. The future is there. Well, when Pharaoh hears this wise counsel, he says to Joseph, "Forasmuch as God has showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art; thou shalt be over my house, and according to thy word shall all my people be ruled; only in the throne will I be greater than thou" (Gen. 41:39-40).

Egypt's palaces were very grand. Everything was the best. But why did such a mighty king need a prisoner, Joseph? Because God wanted to speak to Pharaoh. Only Joseph knew the true God, so he only in all Egypt could help Pharaoh. In Pharaoh's dream he stood on the bank of the River Nile. In Egypt there is no rain. Without the Nile all Egypt would be dry like the desert. The Nile has a great flood every year, so that both sides are watered. The Egyptians always plant their crops at the place where the flood water has been and so get good crops. Therefore the Egyptians did not worship the true God in heaven, but they worshipped the River Nile, and crocodiles from it, and such things. Pharaoh saw in his dream seven cows come up out of the river, good looking and fat-fleshed, and they fed on the nice green grass. Then seven other cows came up after them, bad looking and lean-fleshed, Pharaoh had never seen such poor cows. Then what? The thin cows ate up the first seven fat cows and when they had eaten them, they were still just as thin and bad looking. Again Pharaoh slept and dreamed. This time he saw seven ears of grain come up in one stalk, full and good, then seven ears of grain, thin and empty, sprung up after them. Then the thin ears which sprung up last ate up the seven full ears, but they were still as thin as before. What strange dreams! Who could ever think what these dreams meant? Yet God told it to Joseph. So Joseph told Pharaoh that the two dreams are one, and that God had shown Pharaoh what He was going to do. The seven cows are seven years, and the seven ears are seven years, too; the good ones are seven years of good harvest, the bad ones are seven years of famine, when the fields would not give crops. So the whole land would be in great trouble, but because God is kind, He told Pharaoh.

Then Joseph told Pharaoh that it would be best to gather much food in these seven good years, so in the bad years they might not be starved. And he advised Pharaoh to find a wise man to manage this. Let him save up in storehouses one part out of five of the grain of the land in the seven good years. This was very good advice. Pharaoh took Joseph's advice and said, "Can we find such a man in whom the Spirit of God is?" So he made Joseph the chief man to rule over all Egypt. One day Joseph was in prison, the next he was the greatest ruler in all Egypt, except Pharaoh. He wore beautiful clothes and had the king's ring. Now Joseph had a fine house and a chariot to ride in. Men ran before him, and cried, "Bow the knee!" and all bowed down before him.