Genesis 42:21

Genesis 42:21says, And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.  Joseph's brothers were not talking about what was happening at that time, but they were remembering when they sold Joseph into slavery.  They acknowledged their guilt and their lack of compassion for Joseph.  If we are guilty of sin, we may hide the fact from the world, but we can never hide it from our self.  Verse twenty-two states, And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.  Reuben reminded his brothers that he had asked them not to sin against the child and they wouldn't listen.  Still, Reuben could not exonerate himself, because he went along with them, even if his plan was to rescue Joseph later.  We cannot excuse ourselves if we go along with sinful actions, even if we really believe that they are wrong.  Of course, I believe that even if we act in a sinful way toward other people that we sin against God.  Verse twenty-three declares, And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.  His brothers did not know that Joseph understood them, since he spoke to them through an interpreter.  They truly did not recognize Joseph, but thought that he was simply an Egyptian in power over them.  The brothers thought that what they were discussing was not known to Joseph, and we may think that we have hidden our sins today, but like Joseph with his brothers, God will always know our sins, whether we confess them to Him or not.  Verse twenty-four adds, And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.  Joseph was not enjoying his position of power and wanting to see his brothers suffer.  He turned away from them and wept.  I don't believe that this was because of pity for himself, but because Joseph felt compassion for them.  I don't believe that God ever takes joy in our suffering from our sins, unconfessed or otherwise, but that He weeps over our refusal to come to Him and ask forgiveness.  Joseph had them leave Simeon behind.  Verse twenty-five declares, Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.  Joseph had his brother's sacks filled with grain, and put their money in as well.  Joseph was not doing this so he could falsely accuse them of cheating him, but he was doing it to test their character.  The question was since they had the corn and the money, would they return for Simeon or abandon him as they had Joseph.  We can be certain that God will never attempt to trap us into sin, but He may allow our faith in Him to be tested.  Verse twenty-six says, And they laded their asses with the corn, and departed thence.  Having agreed to leave Simeon behind as a promise that they would return, the other brothers left.  As followers of Christ, we have gotten out of a bad situation in God's eyes, but others are still left behind in sin.  The question is how concerned are we for them.  The brothers could have felt that sacrificing one was acceptable, since they got what they came for.  We cannot believe that leaving other people lost is acceptable as long as we are saved ourselves.  Verse twenty-seven states, And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack’s mouth.  When the brothers stopped to feed the animals, one of them opened his sack and found the money.  Verse twenty-eight adds, And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?  When he told his brothers that the money was in his sack, they were afraid.  Their first reaction was to accuse God of causing their problem.  We may also be quick to blame God with our problems, but we should instead look to God for help in understanding the situation.  Whether they knew it or not, it was the unconfessed sin of the brothers that was causing their problem.  We will never come out ahead through sin, even if it may seem so at the time.

Genesis 42:9

Genesis 42:9 says,  And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.  Joseph remembered his dreams about his brothers when he recognized them and they did not recognize him.  Joseph then accused them of being spies sent to see if Egypt was suffering from the draught as other nations were.  I personally don't believe that Joseph did this as a way to make the dream come true, since God would be the One Who would cause the dream to be fulfilled if it was really a revelation from God.  We cannot force God's revelations to happen, but I believe that we sometimes try to, especially in relationship to the second coming of Christ.  Verse ten states, And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. His brothers said that they weren't spies, but had only come to buy bread.  Of course, they weren't noted for speaking and dealing honestly with Joseph.  If someone has dealt dishonestly with us in the past, we may question their honesty when we deal with them again.  Verse eleven adds, We are all one man’s sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies.  Joseph's brothers told a partial truth.  They were the sons of one man, but Joseph knew this.  It was the second part, that the were true, or truthful, men that was not entirely correct as far as Joseph was concerned.  Verse twelve declares, And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.  Joseph again accused them of being spies.  I don't believe that Joseph was doing this simply to enjoy his position of power over them, and we cannot treat the lost of the world today as if we are better than them simply because of our position in the world, or really even because of our relationship to Christ.  We are all simply sinners saved by grace.  Verse fifteen says, And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.  The brothers told Joseph what they thought was the truth.  Though they did not know if Joseph was dead, which he obviously wasn't, as far as they were concerned, he no longer existed.  Verse fourteen states, And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:  Then verse fifteen adds, Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.  Joseph said that in order to prove that they weren't spies, they had to bring their younger brother there.  I believe that the fact that Benjamin wasn't there showed that he was being treated as special by Jacob, and this was Joseph's way to see if his brothers would treat Benjamin as they had treated him.  Verse sixteen continues, Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies.  Joseph proposed sending one of the brothers to bring Benjamin back while the others remained in prison there.  Again, I believe that this was to test the character of the brothers and not simply so Joseph could show his power over them.  When someone professes to accept Christ as their Savior, if they have harmed us in the past we may question their sincerity.  Still, we can never hold their past against them, even if we feel the need to check the sincerity of their declaration of faith, but I don't believe that we should continually look for ways to disprove their faith.  Verse seventeen states, And he put them all together into ward three days.  Then verse eighteen adds, And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God:  Joseph gave them three days together before he spoke to them again.  This would have given them time to plan how to deal with the situation.  Joseph then told them what they needed to do, and he said that this was because he feared God.  As followers of Christ, when we deal with other people, it must be with a fear, or awesome respect, for God.  I don't believe that fear of God means that we believe that He is just waiting to crush us at any moment.  Verse nineteen adds, If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:  Joseph said that they could leave one brother bound, or imprisoned there while the others took corn for their families.  This was basically a test to see if they would value the one brother enough to return.  Verse twenty concludes, But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.  Joseph said that if they did this and brought their youngest brother back that it would prove that they were telling the truth.  Though we cannot demand a test of some else's faith, I believe that when we come to Christ in faith that we cannot attempt to hold back anything that we feel is too valuable to us to surrender to God.

Genesis 42:1

Genesis 42:1 says, Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?  Jacob and his family were suffering in the famine, but Jacob had heard there was corn in Egypt.  Evidently Jacob's sons still lived close to him and were just standing around in despair, and Jacob asked them why.  When things go badly, God does not expect those who follow Him to simply stand around and complain or despair, even if we are where He has called us.  Jacob was where God had led him, and even if he had faith that God would provide, it did not mean that Jacob was not to be actively involved in the process of God providing for him.  Verse two states,  And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.  Jacob told his sons that he had heard that there was corn in Egypt, so they needed to quit standing around and go to Egypt and buy corn.  Money was not the problem.  The lack of food was.  All the wealth in the world will not help us if we have nothing to eat.  The lost of the world today are spiritually starving, and the bread of life, Jesus Christ, is freely available to any who will come to Him.  There is no charge for this bread, and no amount of money will buy salvation any other way than through the cross of Christ.  People can either stand around in despair when they hear the gospel, or they can come to Christ.  The gospel will never be forced on anyone, but all must come willing to Christ.  Verse three declares, And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.  Ten of Jacob's sons went to Egypt, but not all.  Verse four adds, But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.  Benjamin was left behind.  Jacob said this was done so that nothing bad would happen to Benjamin.  It seems that Jacob was still playing favorites, since he didn't seem concerned about something bad happening to his other sons.  As discussed before, we cannot play favorites with people, especially our children.  We should have the same love and concern for all of them.  Verse five says, And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.  The brothers went with others from Canaan to buy grain.  We cannot claim some special status when we come to the cross for salvation.  Just like Jacob's sons in Egypt, who were the children of the promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who came to Egypt as everyone else did, even if we are from a Christian family, we still come to the cross as anyone else does.  Verse six declares, And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.  Joseph had correctly interpreted the dreams of others by the power of God, and now his personal dream of so many years before was being fulfilled.  We can be certain that God's promise of everlasting life will come true, no matter how bad things may become in this world.  Verse seven adds, And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.  Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.  I believe that this was in part because Joseph had aged and in part because the brothers never expected to see Joseph in a position of power or authority.  They had sold Joseph into slavery, never expecting to see him again.  Verse eight concludes, And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.  As just discussed, Joseph's brothers did not know him.  Until we come to Christ in a personal relationship, He will know us, but we will not recognize Him.  Everyone comes to Christ as a stranger to Him.  Just hearing about salvation without coming to that personal relationship with Christ leaves us standing around in despair like the brothers were until they went to Egypt where the corn was.  Again, God does not force salvation on anyone, but He makes it freely available to all who will come to Jesus in faith.

Genesis 41:46

Genesis 41:46 says, 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.  Joseph was now thirty years old.  A lot had happened to him during those thirty years, but he was now in a position of authority once more.  He might have been tempted to use the position in a self serving way and have felt justified by doing so, but we know he didn't.  When we become a follower of Christ, we like Joseph, are set free, but it is freedom from slavery to the power of sin.  We are set free to serve God and not for self gratification.  Verse forty-seven states, And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.  The interpretation of Pharaoh's dream was coming true.  There were seven years of much better than normal crops.  Verse forty-eight adds, 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.  Joseph had the crops gathered, but he knew that the seven years of good would come to an end, so he stored up for the coming bad years.  I believe that too often people, even followers of Christ, feel that when things are going well materially that they are always only going to get better, so they spend everything they have and more on themselves.  I do not believe that this is what God wants.  I believe that we are to use what God blesses us with for His glory.  Verse forty-nine continues, And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.  The crops were vast during this time as stated above, just as God had promised in the dream.  A sure way to know if a dream is God speaking to us is if it comes true.  Verse fifty says, And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him.  Joseph had two sons during this time.  Life was definitely better for Joseph, and he could have forgotten about God during this time, but he didn't.  Sometimes during times of prosperity, we as followers of Christ may be tempted to forget about God and simply feel that we deserve all that we can get, but I believe that God expects us to remember that He is the reason for our prosperity.  Verse fifty-one adds, And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.  As stated before, names meant something, and the name of Joseph's first son, Manasseh meant that God had caused Joseph to forget all his toil and his father's house.  When we become a follower of Christ, we must forget all that happened before then as far as allowing it to influence our attitude about life and other people, even those who may have done us wrong.  Verse fifty-two continues, And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.  The second son was named Ephraim, meaning God had made Joseph fruitful in his affliction.  As Christians, we are set free from the affliction of sin and are caused to prosper spiritually.  Verse fifty-three declares, And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.  As Joseph had said when interpreting Pharaoh's dream, the seven years of plenty came to an end.  This was not a surprise to Joseph, and if we are following God's will, we should not be surprised if bad things happen to us while we are enjoying the blessings of God.  We have already been warned to expect this, but too often we want to blame God.  I believe that we are often more ready to blame God for bad things than to praise Him for the good things.  Verse fifty-four adds, 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.  The bad years came, and the rest of the world was suffering, but in Egypt there was bread.  I believe that we can say that while the rest of the world is suffering in a spiritual draught, that we as followers of Christ have the Bread of Life to share with them.  Verse fifty-five declares, And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.  The people of Egypt were not immune to the effects of the draught.  They cried out to Pharoah and he told them to go to Joseph and do what he told them to do.  I believe that it is safe to make the analogy that when people are spiritually starving and call out to God that He will tell them to go to Jesus and do what He directs them to do.  If they come to us, the followers of Christ, we must likewise point them to Him.  Verse fifty-six adds, And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.  Joseph sold the grain to the Egyptians.  Verse fifty-seven concludes, And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.  Joseph did not limit the sale of food to the Egyptians, but sold to all in need.  Though we cannot buy salvation, as it is a free gift from God, neither can we attempt to limit it to just certain people.  Salvation is available to all who will come to Christ and accept His gift.

Genesis 41:33

Genesis 41:33 says, Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.  After interpreting Pharaoh's dreams, Joseph advised him to appoint a wise and discreet man in charge of all the land of Egypt.  Joseph had no reason to believe that Pharaoh would believe him, and he might have even risked angering Pharaoh by offering him advice.  If we believe that God has given us advice that will help others, we must not allow fear or even indifference to keep us from sharing it with them.  Verse thirty-four states, 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.  Joseph expands on what he thinks Pharaoh should do.  Joseph said Pharaoh should appoint officers over the land and set aside a fifth of the crops in the good years.  Verse thirty-five adds, 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.  Joseph said that Pharaoh could still feed the people well on the rest of the crops.  I believe that God expects us to set aside something in the good years to help us through the bad ones, but we should also acknowledge that He will meet our needs.  I don't believe that God ever expects us to be wasteful though.  Verse thirty-six says, 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.  Joseph said that the food stored during the seven good years would be enough to see Egypt through the seven bad years.  As followers of Christ, we are not to worry about having our needs met daily, because God promises us He will meet them.  Still, God may meet our needs in time of adversity by our using His provisions wisely in times of prosperity.  Verse thirty-seven declares, And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.  The plan sounded good to Pharaoh and his servants.  This really was not Joseph's plan, but God's plan shared with Pharaoh through Joseph.  As followers of Christ, we can only share God's plan with others, starting with His plan of salvation.  We have no plans that will work ultimately except the plans that God reveals to us.  Verse thirty-eight asks, And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?  Pharaoh asked where could they find another man such as Joseph, in whom was the Spirit of God.  Hopefully, when people see us as Christians today they will see the Spirit of God in us by the way we act.  Verse thirty-nine states, And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:  Pharaoh said that since God had shown Joseph this, that Joseph was the best man for the job.  Pharaoh had to believe that God was really speaking to Joseph.  Verse forty adds,  Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.   Pharaoh said that Joseph would be over everyone except for Pharaoh himself.  Joseph was once again saved from suffering and placed in a position of power, because the time was now right in God's plan.  We may have to suffer in this life, but ultimately we will be delivered if we put our faith in Christ, but it will be when God says this time is right.  Verse forty-one states, And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.  Then verse forty-two adds, 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;   Pharaoh telling Joseph that he was in charge might not have been enough to make others believe him, but Pharaoh gave Joseph things that would prove his authority.  Verse forty-three says, 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.  It may not have been his brothers but knees were now indeed bowing down to Joseph, but I don't believe that he took any pride in it.  Verse forty-four adds, And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.  Basically, Pharaoh said that he was putting Joseph in total control.  Fortunately for Pharaoh Joseph was not out to claim power for himself.  If we are given authority to act on behalf of someone else today, we must not abuse our position.  Verse forty states, And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.  Joseph was given an Egyptian name and the daughter of an Egyptian priest as a wife.  Joseph was becoming more and more identified with the Egyptians than with the Israelites.  I personally do not believe that this was God's plan but that God still worked through Joseph's life in spite of the circumstances.

Genesis 41:15

Genesis 41:15 says, And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.  When Pharaoh called Joseph out of prison, he told Joseph why.  Pharaoh told Joseph that he had a dream and had heard Joseph could interpret it.  Verse sixteen declares, And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.  Joseph could have seen this as an opportunity to get out of prison and just put all the emphasis on himself, but he didn't.  Joseph said it wasn't him, but God that could give Pharaoh an answer of peace.  When we are asked to help people today, as followers of Christ we must make sure that people understand that God is the One at work through us and never seek self glorification.  In the next few verses, Pharaoh simply repeats his dream to Joseph.  Verse seventeen states,And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:  Verse eighteen adds, And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:  This was the dream of the cattle.  Verse nineteen continues, And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:  Verse twenty goes on, And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:  Then verse twenty-one concludes, And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke.  This was Pharaoh's first dream, and now he would tell Joseph his second dream.  Verse twenty-two says, And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:  This was the dream of the corn, which Pharaoh saw as a continuation of the first dream evidently, though he had been awake in between the two.  Verse twenty-three adds, And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:  Verse twenty-four concludes, And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.  After finishing telling Joseph his dreams, Pharaoh also told him that none of his magicians could tell him what the dreams meant.  People today may look for answers to questions in life, but the Only One Who can give them real answers is God.  As Christians, we must point them to God if they come to us with questions.  Verse twenty-five declares, And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.  Joseph told Pharaoh that God was speaking to him through the dream and was using it to reveal what was to happen.  As followers of Christ, we can share with people the good news of what will be the ultimate outcome of all life, and that is victory over sin and death through our faith in Christ.  Verse twenty-six states, The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. Then verse twenty-seven adds, And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.  Joseph said that the seven cattle and the seven ears both represented years.  The first seven in both cases would be seven years of prosperity and the second seven would be years of famine.  Though we may not have a specific warning from God, we need to realize that there will be times when life goes very well, but there will also be times when we may be in need in this world.  We simply have to keep our faith in God in either case.  Verse twenty-eight declares, This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.  Joseph said that God had shown Pharaoh what was about to happen, and it was up to Pharaoh to believe it or not.  God has shown us today what is ultimately going to happen in the world, the coming judgment, and it is up to each individual whether to believe it or not.  As followers of Christ, we can simply share the gospel with them.  Verse twenty-nine adds, Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: Then verse thirty adds, And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;  Verse thirty-one continues, And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.  Then verse thirty-one concludes, And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.  Joseph said the dream meant that there would be seven good years in Egypt, followed by seven very bad years, and that God had Pharaoh dream basically the same thing twice to emphasize that this was going to happen.  It was now up to Pharaoh whether he believed it or not.  With the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, God has already revealed to the world what the ultimate outcome of life will be.  We can either accept salvation by faith in Christ, or we can continue to live in spiritual poverty.  Our relationship to God is what will always make the difference, no matter what happens in life.

Genesis 41:1

Genesis 41:1 says, And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.  Two years after the chief butler was restored to his position, Pharaoh had a dream.  Joseph may have given up on his dream of being heard by this time.  Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by a river.  Then verse two adds, And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.  So far, this would seem to be a good dream and nothing to be concerned about.  Verse three continues, And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.  The dream now might be considered a little more omnibus, but still nothing really disturbing.  Then verse four concludes, And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.  The ill favored and weak cattle ate the well favored and fat cattle, and then Pharaoh awoke.  The dream bothered Pharaoh enough to wake him up.  Pharaoh believed that the dream meant something, and it bothered him.  If our dreams wake us up and disturb us, that does not mean that God is trying to tell us something, nor does it mean that He isn't.  I personally don't believe that God has ever spoken to me through a dream, but that doesn't mean that He hasn't to someone else.  Verse five says, And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.  When Pharaoh was asleep again, he had another dream.  This time, there were seven good ears of corn on one stalk.  Verse six adds,  And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.  As with the cattle, after what started as a good dream now turned a little worse.  Verse seven concludes, And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.  Once more, the bad devoured the good, and the dream awoke Pharaoh.  Verse eight declares, And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.  The dreams disturbed Pharaoh enough that the next morning he called all the magicians and wise men of Egypt and told them his dreams.  They could not tell Pharaoh what these dreams meant.  He was looking in the wrong place for answers.  If God is speaking to us through dreams today, we cannot expect people of the world those who do not know God, to tell us what the dreams mean.  Today, some people who call themselves followers of Christ still look to horoscopes and fortune tellers to tell them the future, but they never will.  If we have concerns about the future, we need to look to God for answers.  Verse nine states, Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:  The chief butler now remembered Joseph, and at least acknowledged his fault in not speaking to Pharaoh earlier on Joseph's behalf.  Too often if we help others, once they have what they want they will forget us and any promise they may have made to us.  Unfortunately, people are sometimes the same way with God, promising obedience and then forgetting all about God when they get what they want.  Verse ten adds, Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker:  Verse eleven continues, And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.  Verse twelve goes on, And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.  Then verse thirteen concludes, And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.  The chief butler told Pharaoh about the dreams that the chief baker and he had, and that Joseph had interpreted them correctly.  Hopefully, if we have shared the gospel with someone they will eventually realize the truth of the gospel, even if it is at a much later date.  I know it was not the gospel that Joseph had shared, but he had given God the credit for his being able to interpret the dreams, and if we help someone today we must point them to God as the reason that we are willing and able to help them.  Verse fourteen declares, Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.  Joseph was finally brought out of the dungeon by Pharaoh's order, and was allowed to clean up before he went to Pharaoh.  This may have been more for Pharaoh's benefit than for Joseph's.  God is much more powerful than Pharaoh was, and if we go into God's presence, we should clean ourselves up spiritually.  Since the Holy Spirit is with us always, this means that we should always attempt to be clean spiritually.