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SERIES B --- A CHOSEN PEOPLE --- LESSON 14

REVEALING DREAMS

THE KING’S MEN AND THEIR STRANGE DREAMS

From Genesis 40

While Joseph was in prison, two other men were sent there by Pharaoh, king of Egypt. The king’s chief baker and the man who tasted the king’s wine and carried his wine cup had each done something to make the king angry. To punish them, he sent them to Potiphar’s prison, with orders that they should stay there for a long time. It was Joseph’s job to take care of these two men, for Potiphar made him their personal servant. One morning, when they both looked sad, Joseph asked about the problem. [Why do you both look so sad?] Joseph asked them. [We have had strange dreams,] they answered. [There is no one to tell us what these dreams mean.] [YHVH can help us know what your dreams mean,] Joseph answered. [Tell me about them.] The cupbearer told Joseph what he had dreamed. [There was a vine with three branches,] he said. [Buds and blossoms came on those branches then grew into ripe grapes. With one hand I held Pharaoh’s wine cup, and with my other hand I squeezed the grapes into the cup and gave it to Pharaoh to drink.] [This is what your dream means,] said Joseph. [The three branches are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will take you out of here and give your job back to you. When he does, please tell him about me and ask him to get me out of here. I was kidnapped from my own country and now I’m in prison for something I didn’t do.] When the chief baker heard the good news about the cupbearer’s dream, he told Joseph about his dream. [There were three baskets of bakery goods stacked on top of my head,] he said. [The food in the top basket was for Pharaoh but some birds flew down and ate it.] [Your three baskets are also three days,] said Joseph. [Within three days, Pharaoh will cut off your head and put you on a pole for the birds to eat.] Three days later, Pharaoh gave himself a birthday party and invited all the important people in his government and household. At that time, he took the baker and cupbearer from prison. He let the cupbearer go back to work for him, but he had the baker put to death, just as Joseph had said. Happily, settled in his old job, the cupbearer completely forgot about Joseph and all the things that Joseph had asked him to do when he was released from prison.

COMMENTARY

WEALTHY LIVING IN ANCIENT EGYPT

In the centuries before the Bible was written, YHVH often communicated messages to men by dreams. But dreams must be understood. In prison Joseph was called on to interpret the dreams of two high Egyptian officials. YHVH revealed the meaning to Joseph and so prepared the way for Joseph’s later release. Only about three percent of Egypt’s population could be considered rich. These were members of royalty and the court, high government officials and priests. As trade with other countries grew, some merchants were included among the wealthy. The rich in the towns lived in three-story houses surrounded by walled courtyards. They were large enough to have separate rooms for all important activities -- cooking, dining, baking, sleeping, entertainment and storage. Homes in the country were many-acre estates. The living area, surrounded by a walled garden, was made up of several houses, one for each major activity. Almost any occasion was a reason for a party or banquet, and the ancient Egyptian calendar was full of holidays and feast days. The parties were large and elaborate. Tables were stocked high with food and drink. Dancers, musicians, acrobats, wrestlers, magicians and storytellers offered entertainment. They might be hired for the occasion, but the very rich frequently kept them permanently in one of their houses. For every day, wealthy Egyptians dressed simply, going barefoot as often as they wore sandals. But for special occasions, the women dressed in rich clothes, wore wigs and complicated makeup, and adorned themselves with much jewellery. Hunting and fishing trips were common. The household servants accompanied the group on these overnight expeditions. Animals were hunted with dogs, bows and arrows, spears, a kind of boomerang and slingshots. Fish, sought from light skiffs, were caught with nets and spears. Egyptians captured birds both for food and for their beauty. The insides of Egyptian homes were covered with colourful wall hangings and rugs. The dining hall was elegant, furnished with elaborately carved small tables and chairs. Plates, bowls, pitchers and cups were highly decorated and often made from precious metals or carved from one large piece of a semiprecious stone. Since gold was fairly common in Egypt, the rich used many utensils made of that metal, but the sign of true wealth was silver; it was much rarer, and therefore much more expensive. Wood was hard to come by, and alabaster; a white, translucent stone; was often used instead. It was made into boxes, headrests, jars, and even small chairs. Food was plentiful in ancient Egypt, certainly for the rich. Vegetables were common, with onions and leeks used in abundance. Figs, dates and melons were the usual fruits; pomegranates were considered a curious, rare food. Servants and slaves were everywhere. They did all the work in the household. But some were almost constantly with their mistresses or masters, helping them dress, adorn themselves, do their hair and apply makeup, even bathe. The wealthy three percent in ancient Egypt kept a much larger percentage of the population very busy indeed.

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
#proverbs 4:23

Springs of life flow from the heart only if the heart is intently learning and guarding wisdom, especially from God's Law. Otherwise, it produces death.

https://firstcenturychristiani....ty.net/evangelical-a

On this date in history, 12/16/1769: Alexander McDougall and the Sons of Liberty publish "To the Betrayed Inhabitants of the City and Colony of New York". #otd #tdih #nyc http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.....edu/history/burrows/

#goodmorning and #happyfriday! December 16 #biblestudy links to readings and study resources:

https://alittleperspective.com..../december-16-bible-r

Today’s Old Testament chronological reading is in Zechariah 13 and 14.

The Psalms/ Proverbs reading is in Proverbs 16.

The New Testament reading is in Revelation 12.

Links to previous studies.

Zechariah 13 and 14, Hebrew paragraph divisions, 7th prophetic message chiastic structure and explanation
https://alittleperspective.com..../zechariah-13-and-14

Zechariah 13 and 14, And the prophecy of the Day of YHVH
https://alittleperspective.com/zechariah-13-14/

The book of Zechariah chiastic structure
https://alittleperspective.com..../book-of-zechariah-c

Proverbs 16, Chiastic structure, and the balancing scales of mercy and truth
https://alittleperspective.com/proverbs-16-2016/

Proverbs 16, And a tale of two hearts
https://alittleperspective.com/proverbs-16/

Revelation 12, The identity of the woman and dragon
https://alittleperspective.com..../revelation-12-the-i

Revelation 12, The war in heaven
https://alittleperspective.com..../revelation-12-the-w

Revelation 12, Seven heads and ten horns
https://alittleperspective.com..../revelation-12-seven

Revelation 12, The woman in the wilderness
https://alittleperspective.com..../revelation-12-the-w

Revelation 12, Chiastic structure
https://alittleperspective.com/revelation-12-2016/

December 2022 Bible Reading Schedule
https://alittleperspective.com..../december-2022-bible

#bible #dailybread #fearnotfriday

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Twitter @ Christine982Mil
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Gab @ ChristineMiller
Torah Network @ ChristineMiller

John 10; 22—23, “At that time the Feast of Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple courts in Solomon’s porch.” The Feast of Dedication is Hanukkah, Solomon’s porch was an area on the temple mount where the followers of Yeshua/Jesus would gather.

SERIES B --- A CHOSEN PEOPLE --- LESSON 13

GODLY CHOICES

A HOME IN EGYPT FOR YOUNG JOSEPH

From Genesis 39

Jacob would have cried more for his young son if he had known what had happened to him. Down in Egypt, the slave traders had sold Joseph to an Egyptian named Potiphar, captain of the bodyguards for Pharaoh who was king of Egypt. But Adonai was working in Joseph’s life to make him successful in everything he did. Potiphar became increasingly aware of Joseph’s success and recognized that Joseph’s Elohiym was helping him. Before long, Joseph became Potiphar’s favourite and he made him a personal servant and business manager putting him in charge of his entire household. As time went on, Potiphar’s household began to prosper in an unusual way. Everything in his house went well, his crops were good, and his animals were healthy and profitable. Potiphar promoted Joseph again, giving him complete control over everything he owned. With Joseph in charge, Potiphar didn’t have to think about a thing except his own food. Joseph was not only a successful young man but also a very handsome fellow. Potiphar’s wife soon fell in love with him and wanted Joseph to lie with her. [Potiphar trusts me with everything that he has;’ Joseph said to her. Can’t you see how wrong it would be if I were to lie with my master’s wife?] But Potiphar’s wife wouldn’t give up easily and she pursued Joseph every day. Joseph tried to stay away from her as much as he could and would not listen to her when he had to be nearby. One day Joseph happened to be alone in the house with Potiphar’s wife. She came up to Joseph and grabbed the sleeve of his robe. Afraid of this sudden show of affection, Joseph pulled away, leaving his robe in her hands. Then he ran out of the house to get away from her. Potiphar’s wife was angry now. She stood there with only Joseph’s robe in her hands, not Joseph. He had run away from her and that did not please her. Quickly, she started screaming for the other men who worked in the house. When the other men came, Potiphar’s wife made up lies about Joseph. She cried and screamed and put on a fine act, saying that Joseph had tried to force her to lie with him. Later, when Potiphar came home, she told him the same story, adding a few details to make it sound true. [See!” she told her husband. Here is his robe which he left behind when I screamed!] Naturally, Potiphar was very angry. He had trusted Joseph with everything. Now he thought Joseph had done something very wrong to his wife and to him. Angry and hurt, Potiphar had Joseph thrown into prison. He could have had him put to death but Potiphar still liked Joseph so much that he put him into a prison for government officials that was in the same large building where he lived. But Adonai continued to help Joseph, even there in the Egyptian prison. The man in charge of the prison noticed that, and Joseph became his favourite. Before long, he put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners. When that happened, the man didn’t have to worry about a thing, for Joseph managed every detail in the best possible way.

COMMENTARY

WHAT DID A STEWARD DO?

Joseph stands in sharp contrast to his brothers. As a slave in the land of the Egypt, Joseph kept his faith in YHVH. And Joseph turned away from sin to choose good. The stories we read of Judah and of Israel’s other sons help us realize how special was Joseph’s commitment to YHVH. Sold as a slave while he was still in his teen years, Joseph was taken to Egypt and purchased by a wealthy Egyptian named Potiphar. Joseph soon became overseer or steward over Potiphar’s household. In the servants’ quarters on the ground level, some servants or slaves would spin and weave linen, while others prepared bread and drink. Stairs led to the roof where the cooking was done and grain was stored in bins. When Potiphar recognized Joseph’s good -- Management skills -- and promising attitude, he appointed him overseer, or steward, of the entire household business. This was a complex and demanding job, for the household of a wealthy Egyptian was a beehive of activity. As Potiphar’s steward, Joseph was in charge of all of the activities and workers. It was quite a responsibility.