Three dreams, three interpretations...three wonders worked, and Joseph skyrockets from able prisoner/prison administrator to Grand Vizier of Egypt. His interactions with people of increasing clout prove to them time and again his gift for administration, his political savvy, and his ability to interpret prophecies. Through all of this, Joseph never forgets that both his hardships and his talents were undeserved and that God has been with him the whole time. Now to get "Go go go Joseph" out of my head...
The butler comes, like an innocent and humble man, directly to Joseph with his dream. He doesn't even necessarily jump to favorable conclusions when Joseph's interpretation includes the ambiguous phrase "lift up your head" (could mean restore former glory, or just behead you). The guilty baker, on the other hand, only speaks up when he hears the good news the other guy got. These two are much like the good and bad thieves who hung next to Jesus, each demonstrating his own character. In the end, though, human failing leaves Joseph with only God in whom to place his trust. The butler forgets him, at least for the moment. The lesson in this is clear: Trust God. The righteous Joseph isn't protected from hardship as a result of his character...bad things he doesn't deserve still happen, but God blesses him through all of this.
Pharaoh's dream, then, gives God a chance to prove His power and display the gifts He has given Joseph. Joseph does what he can to make the situation turn out well, shaving himself and making himself as much as possible like a clean, smooth, ritually pure Egyptian priest. He wants to give the impression to Pharaoh that he can fit in, and that his God is just like the Egyptian gods in terms of requiring respect and ritual purity but that His power is so much greater and more awesome. The God-given interpretation also conveniently points to Joseph's other God-given talent: administration.
Joseph from here on out becomes very Egyptian, taking an Egyptian name, marrying a very very high class Egyptian woman and giving his sons names that are based in words borrowed from the Egyptian language. Unlike the warnings God has given others against marrying foreign, pagan women, God does not seem to mind this. It is not "foreign-ness" that God is warning against, but rather the corrupting influence of particular cultures and religions that can be tempting. God does not want to see us stray from Him and foresake His ways, and if that means warning us against something that might tempt us away, so be it. Joseph, on the other hand, was faithful and trusting, less likely to be tempted away. Also, the blessing God had bestowed in the position of Prime Minister would have been ruined if Joseph had been inflexible culturally (rather than morally or spiritually). He can dress differently and speak differently, but he is still a faithful follower of God, and a prime minister has to act culturally appropriate. By the time all this is done, Joseph is unrecognizable as an ethnic Hebrew, even to his brothers.
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