LESSON XXIII.—PHARAOH'S DREAM.
1. Who gave Joseph favor with the keeper of the prison? Gen. 39:21. 2. How did the keeper manifest his confidence in Joseph? Verse 22. 3. What two men were finally cast into prison? Gen. 40:1-4. 4. What did the chief butler dream? Verses 9-11. 5. What was Joseph's interpretation of the dream? Verses 12, 13. 6. What was the chief baker's dream? Verses 16, 17. 7. What was its interpretation? 8. Who interpreted these dreams? 9. Did he claim to do it by his own wisdom? 10. What request did Joseph make of the chief butler? Verse 14. 11. On what grounds did he claim the right to be released? Verse 15. 12. How was Joseph's interpretation of the dreams fulfilled? 13. What remarkable dream had Pharaoh about two years after this? Gen. 41:1-7. 14. Who interpreted this dream? 15. Where was Joseph when Pharaoh had this dream? 16. How did Pharaoh learn of Joseph? 17. Why did he send for Joseph to come and interpret his dream? Verse 8. 18. What did Joseph say when called on to interpret Pharaoh's dream? Verse 16. 19. What interpretation did the Lord give him? 20. What advice did Joseph give Pharaoh? Verses 33-36. 21. How did Pharaoh regard this advice? Verses 37, 38. 22. Whom did Pharaoh set over the land of Egypt? 23. What power did Pharaoh give him? Verse 40. 24. What did Pharaoh put upon Joseph to show that such power had been given him? 25. In what other ways did Pharaoh honor Joseph? Joseph was not long kept chained in a dungeon; for the Lord gave the keeper of the prison such confidence in him that he was released from confinement, and appointed to take charge of the other prisoners. After a time, two of the king's officers, the chief butler and the chief baker, were cast into prison. While there, they each had a strange dream. Feeling very anxious about the meaning of these dreams, they told them to Joseph. He told them what the dreams meant, and three days afterward they were both fulfilled according to Joseph's interpretation. The chief butler was restored to his office, but he forgot to ask the king to release Joseph from prison, as Joseph had requested him to do. Two years afterward, Pharaoh, the king, had a dream which troubled him, and none of the wise men of his kingdom could interpret it. Then the chief butler remembered Joseph, and he was taken from prison and brought before Pharaoh to interpret this dream. Joseph did not take any honor to himself, but said, “It is not in me; God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” After Pharaoh had related his dream, Joseph told him what it meant. He said that there were to be seven years of great plenty in the land, and that these years of plenty were to be followed by seven years of grievous famine. Joseph advised that officers be appointed, who should take up a fifth part of the produce of the land during the seven plenteous years, and lay it up in store in the cities; so that there might be food during the years of famine. “And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said unto his servants, ‘Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?’” “And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, ‘Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 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.’” “And Pharaoh said unto 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 unto Joseph, ‘I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.’”