09. The Language of Concern!

09. The Language of Concern! Pharaoh was troubled by his dreams. So he called all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for him. Genesis 41:8 Two years passed. Although Joseph was in prison and the princess was in the palace, they were happy. Their thrilling meetings, despite the slight danger of walking from the palace to the prison, brought their hearts and love closer and deeper. Around that time, the king of Egypt had a troubling issue. It was his strange dreams that he had every night. In his dream, he was standing by the Nile River, and seven beautiful, fat cows came up out of the river and grazed among the reeds. Then, seven other cows, ugly and gaunt, came up out of the Nile and stood beside those on the riverbank. The ugly, gaunt cows ate up the seven beautiful, fat cows. Then Pharaoh woke up. He fell asleep again and had a second dream. Seven heads of grain, healthy and good, were growing on a single stalk. After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted—thin and scorched by the east wind. The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads. Then Pharaoh woke up;  it had been a dream. Pharaoh was troubled by these strange dreams. He tried to dismiss them as mere dreams, but as they recurred night after night, he began to think they might have some significance. The problem was that he couldn’t understand their meaning, which caused him great distress. The princess, who had always wanted to be close to the king, was given the authority to participate in state affairs without an official title. She was always by the king’s side, discussing matters of state. When the king told her about his dreams and asked her opinion, she too had no idea what they meant. The princess, curious about the strange dreams, couldn’t focus on anything else. While wandering around the palace to clear her head, she smelled the aroma of food being prepared and remembered an incident from years ago involving the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. Joseph had interpreted their dreams, and they came true exactly as he had said. The princess wondered why she hadn’t thought of Joseph sooner. As soon as her duties were over, she rushed to Joseph. Now, with her official status, she could visit Joseph in prison without any concern. Joseph, busy with his duties as the head of the prisoners, was surprised to see her. “Before, you used to sneak in, but now you come officially?” Joseph teased. The princess replied,  “I applied for a transfer today, so I might be assigned here soon. My first task will be to deal with a certain arrogant prisoner.” Joseph laughed,  “I guess I spoke too soon. What brings you here today, Princess?” “I came on official business,”  she said confidently.Joseph, sensing she was serious, asked,  “What is it?” The princess explained the king’s dreams to Joseph. After hearing the dreams, Joseph became serious. “Princess, these are not ordinary dreams. Interpreting them incorrectly could lead to serious consequences.” “What do they mean?” she asked. Joseph whispered the interpretation in her ear, and the princess was shocked.“Is it true?”she asked. Joseph cautioned her to keep it a secret. The princess nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation.The next morning, the king gathered all his officials and told them about his dreams, asking if anyone could interpret them. No one could. The princess then offered her interpretation, slightly modifying Joseph’s words to gauge the king’s reaction. “Father, I believe the fat cows and healthy heads of grain represent a period of prosperity, while the thin cows and scorched heads of grain represent a period of decline.” The king, though not entirely pleased, found her interpretation the most plausible so far. However, he needed a clear and definite explanation to base his policies on. With no immediate solution, the king dismissed the officials, asking them to think more about the matter.Days passed, but no one could provide a satisfactory interpretation of the king’s dreams. The king, now older and weary, found it increasingly difficult to manage state affairs. While the king was exhausted, the chief officer in charge of food and drink brought a cup of tea with a subtle fragrance and offered it to the king. “Your Majesty! You have become very gaunt due to the recent troubles with your dreams. Please drink this tea and regain your strength!” “Indeed. There are so many talented people in this country, yet it is frustrating that we cannot find the solution. Thank you for bringing me this tea and taking care of my health!” "Your Majesty! It seems you have been overworking yourself lately, and as I thought about it quietly, I remembered that two years ago, I was blessed by Your Majesty’s grace and have been in charge of food and drink until today. The reason I was able to be in this position is that when I was in prison, the chief baker and I both had strange dreams on the same night. We were troubled because we couldn’t understand the direction of the dreams, but a Hebrew prisoner interpreted our dreams, and they came true exactly as he said. Would Your Majesty consider calling him to interpret your dream?" “A Hebrew, you say?”“Yes, Your Majesty. He is the one who won the top prize at the Egyptian dance competition and was supposed to perform with the princess.” “Hmm! Now that you mention it, I remember hearing about him when he first came to the palace to practice dancing with the princess. He told me about his hometown and how he had interpreted his own dreams there, which eventually led him to be exiled here.” “Your Majesty! No one in Egypt has been able to interpret your dreams so far. It might be a good idea to let him interpret your dream.” “Alright! I will do that. Summon General Potiphar immediately.” “Yes, Your Majesty. Did you call for me?” “Is there a man named Joseph imprisoned right now?” “Yes, Your Majesty!” “Bring him to me at once and summon all the ministers.” “Yes, Your Majesty. I will do so immediately.” Potiphar, following the king’s orders, brought Joseph before the king. In the presence of all the ministers, Joseph met the king for the second time since their first meeting two years ago. The king, looking more gaunt than before, explained the situation to Joseph and said, “I hear you have a special ability to interpret dreams. Is that true?” Joseph replied, “It is not I who have the ability, but God will give Your Majesty a peaceful answer.” The king then told Joseph his dream. Joseph, having already heard the dream from the princess and interpreted it for her, immediately explained the dream to the king. "Your Majesty! The two dreams have the same meaning. The seven good cows and the seven ears of grain represent seven years. The fact that the cows and ears of grain are good and healthy means there will be seven years of abundance. The seven thin cows and the ears of grain scorched by the east wind also represent seven years, but their thinness means there will be seven years of famine. Therefore, there will be seven years of unprecedented abundance,followed by seven years of severe famine that will make the previous abundance forgotten, and Egypt will eventually perish due to the famine. Moreover, the fact that Your Majesty had the dream twice means that God has firmly decided on this matter and will carry it out. If this situation is not handled properly, Egypt will be ruined."Joseph conveyed the thoughts given by God to the king. Upon hearing this, the king suddenly became angry and shouted, “Are you saying that Egypt will be ruined? How dare you! Even though the princess had a similar interpretation, I did not believe it, and now your interpretation is the same!” Joseph was startled by the king’s sudden outburst. He realized that his life could be in danger. At that moment, the princess, who had been watching the situation, stepped forward. "Father! I was distressed to see you suffering from your dreams, so I remembered that Joseph had interpreted dreams in his hometown.  On the eve of your birthday, Joseph told me in detail about the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, but I thought it was just a joke. However, when you commanded, the interpretation Joseph gave was exactly the same, down to the smallest detail, which surprised me. So that evening, I went back to Joseph and asked how he knew about it. Joseph’s initial reaction was to ask if anything had changed, and when I asked if he was sure about what he had said, he replied that he believed it because God had told him. So, nothing had changed, but the events of yesterday and today were so identical that I wanted to confirm‎ it. Joseph then told me about the two officials’ dreams and said that he had only conveyed what God had revealed to him.I thought this was no ordinary matter, and when you were suffering from the same dream, I told Joseph about it, and the interpretation he gave was exactly what you heard today.However, I deliberately softened the interpretation a bit when I told you, so that you would not be too shocked and could objectively accept Joseph’s interpretation. Therefore, I believe Joseph’s interpretation is correct." “Father! Please consider the humble opinion of your daughter.” After the princess finished explaining in the presence of the king and all the ministers, the king asked the princess, “So, you have been visiting the prisoner Joseph in the prison all this time?” The princess, caught off guard by the unexpected question, hesitated and stammered. The king asked again, “It seems your answer is not clear. Have you been visiting Joseph in prison?” The princess could no longer avoid answering. “Father, I am sorry, but yes, I have been visiting him for several years.” “So, you have been secretly visiting Joseph in prison all this time?” The king’s questioning made the princess answer in a barely audible voice. “Yes, Your Majesty.” “How could this be!” The king seemed displeased and asked, “General Potiphar! Did you know about this?” Potiphar, caught off guard by the king’s sudden question, could only respond, “Your Majesty! I did not know.” The king continued, “It seems that the princess has been meeting Joseph freely, and Joseph has not been living like a prisoner. The princess has been deceiving me by meeting such a criminal, and Potiphar, who should have reported this to me, was completely unaware of it! What is happening to this country!” When the king shouted in anger, not only the parties involved but all the ministers repeated in unison, “Your Majesty, we are deeply sorry.” The king then turned his attention to Joseph and asked, “Joseph, if your God has revealed the contents of the dream to you, He must have also given you the solution. Tell me the solution. If you cannot provide it, I will punish you severely for mocking me and causing confusion among many people, including the princess!” It was indeed a stern command from the king. However, Joseph, without any sign of fear, replied, “Your Majesty, since my God has also revealed the solution, I will now present it to you. If Your Majesty tries to handle all these matters alone, it will be difficult to maintain your health.” At this point, Potiphar interrupted angrily, “Joseph! How dare you speak such nonsense in this place!” But the king raised his hand to stop Potiphar from speaking further and signaled Joseph to continue. Joseph then continued, “Therefore, Your Majesty should choose a wise and discerning man to oversee the land of Egypt. Let him appoint officials under him to collect a fifth of the produce of the land during the seven years of abundance. They should gather all the food of these good years and store the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.” The ministers, who had been at a loss due to the sudden mention of the king’s dream, nodded in agreement after hearing Joseph’s words, and the king also nodded. After a moment of silence, the king suddenly called General Potiphar. “General Potiphar!” Startled by the sudden call, the general responded, “Yes, Your Majesty! I am here!” “You have been observing Joseph all this time. How well do you know him?” “Yes, Your Majesty! I believe I know Joseph better than anyone else here.”“Then tell me about Joseph as you have observed him.” "Yes, Your Majesty! I first met Joseph when I was escorting the princess to the market on your orders. I saw Joseph being sold as a slave in the market, and the princess also met him there. However, Joseph did not seem like an ordinary slave. He seemed extraordinary. Considering my duties often required me to be away from home, I thought Joseph would be useful in managing my household. I paid a high price of 200 silver coins, ten times the price of other slaves, and brought him to my house. I taught him the Egyptian language, and surprisingly, he mastered it quickly. I entrusted him with the duties of a steward, and he managed the household efficiently. In his spare time, he studied Egyptian politics, economy, history, and culture, and he could discuss these topics with scholars without being outmatched. I thought it was a waste for him to remain just a steward. I wanted to give him opportunities to interact with scholars, politicians, and economists, so I planned to take him to social gatherings. However, he was unfamiliar with dancing. I asked my wife to teach him, and he not only learned quickly but also studied the characteristics of dances from different eras and added his own interpretations,bringing life to the dances. He became a better dancer than my wife, who was considered the best dancer. It seemed that his God gave him special opportunities. When Your Majesty held a dance competition across Egypt, Joseph won and danced with the princess. They grew closer while practicing together. Later, due to a misunderstanding, Joseph was imprisoned. Even in prison, he was exemplary and handled tasks well, earning the trust of the warden and prisoners. He became the leader among the prisoners and helped the warden and prisoners. Notably, he assisted the chief baker and the chief cupbearer, who were also imprisoned, allowing the princess to visit him freely. This is what I know about Joseph." After hearing Potiphar’s report, the king, who had been angry earlier, softened his expression‎ and spoke, “Oh, is that so?  So, there is no one in Egypt who can surpass Joseph in knowledge and wisdom in all fields?” “Your Majesty, while some specialists may excel in specific areas, no one can surpass Joseph in overall knowledge and wisdom.” “Is that so! Then I have one more question for General Potiphar.” “Yes, Your Majesty! Please ask!” “General Potiphar, recognizing and training a talent like Joseph is truly remarkable!” “Thank you, Your Majesty!” “I have a proposal for you. I want to know your thoughts.” “Please ask, Your Majesty!” “You have done a great job in selecting and training Joseph. Although you have freed him from slavery, I want to buy Joseph from you. What do you think?” “Your Majesty, that is an impossible request.” “Why? I will pay you a hundred times the price you paid for Joseph and a thousand times the price of other slaves. Will you not yield Joseph to me?”“Your Majesty, it is not about the price. If you wish to use Joseph, it is my duty to comply without expecting any reward. Please understand!” “No, no, General Potiphar! I will pay you a hundred times the amount you paid for Joseph.From now on, I will own Joseph. Do you understand? Bring 2,000 gold coins to General Potiphar immediately.” “Yes, Your Majesty!” At the king’s command, the ministers quickly brought 2,000 gold coins and placed them at General Potiphar’s feet. General Potiphar bowed to the king. “Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your grace!” The king, smiling as if he had gained a valuable talent, then changed his expression‎ to a serious and solemn one and spoke again, “Princess, listen!”“Yes! Father!” “How could you, as a princess, even though you were the precious son of a chieftain in your homeland, now show affection towards a lowly slave? Your actions have already revealed this, and General Potiphar’s words have confirmed it as a fact. This has brought shame upon me, the king, in front of all the people and ministers. You deserve to be punished. If you have any explanation, speak now!” The king, who had always cherished and loved the princess the most, was greatly angered and rebuked her. All the ministers were at a loss, not knowing what to do, and the tension in the office where they had gathered was palpable. Then, some ministers spoke to the king: “Your Majesty! This is utterly unreasonable! Please reconsider!” As the ministers unanimously expressed their disapproval, the king raised his hand to silence them and looked at the princess. The princess then calmly spoke to the king: “Father! It is true that I have harbored feelings for Joseph, who was a slave, and have nurtured love for him over a long time.If you wish to punish me for this, I will accept any punishment.” The ministers were greatly agitated by these words. No one knew what kind of wrath might fall from the king. However, the king remained silent, and the princess continued: “Because of me, I have brought disgrace upon you, Father, and have damaged your dignity in front of the people and ministers. I deserve to die a hundred times for this. However, I believe that the current Egypt, unlike the previous 12 kingdoms or other countries, has established this dynasty by breaking away from the long-standing authoritarianism and allowing the descendants of the Semitic people from the north to come down and establish the current dynasty. Therefore, depending on individual circumstances, one can be a slave or a merchant, but in personal relationships, saying who can and cannot be together is not the true kingdom that our dynasty has pursued. I earnestly hope that as a king who maintains such a true kingdom, you will be loved and respected by all the people. If your daughter, regardless of status, meets and becomes happy with someone she loves, a good person, it will give hope to the people. Therefore, I did not consider the current status, and if I must argue, Joseph, who was trained as a leader in the chieftain’s house, is also a descendant of the Semitic people, just like our royal family, and as General Potiphar confessed, he has exceptional personal abilities and has already proven his ability to solve all problems appropriately. I believe he is qualified to meet the princess.” After hearing the princess’s words, everyone was silent for a while. Then the king spoke again: “It is difficult for me to argue against the princess’s answer!” “Thank you, Father!” “No, the princess’s words also make sense. However, as with everything, it is best to proceed with a balance between the past and the future. The princess will soon realize this, as will I.” The king continued, looking at all the ministers: “Today is a truly joyous day! I have been tirelessly searching for a good talent, and through Potiphar, I have found one today. Not only have I confirmed in front of all the ministers that there is no one more wise and discerning than him, but also, where else can we find a person moved by his God? Therefore, from now on, I will appoint Joseph as the prime minister of Egypt and grant him authority second only to mine, to save Egypt from the upcoming challenges.If any ministers have other opinions, speak now!” All the ministers responded in unison: “Your grace is immeasurable.” The king officially declared that Joseph would be appointed as the prime minister of Egypt and granted all authority. He announced that a month later, there would be an inauguration ceremony for the new prime minister in front of all the people. All the ministers rejoiced together, keeping in mind that the future political landscape would lean towards Joseph. The one who was most pleased was none other than General Potiphar. After everyone had congratulated Joseph, the princess also approached him to offer her congratulations. “Joseph! Congratulations!” Joseph replied to the princess: “Thank you, Princess!” All the ministers, watching the two, cheered and encouraged them. After everyone had finished congratulating Joseph, the king spoke again: “Listen, Princess! I have always worried and been concerned that you might go astray, but you have grown up well, and I am grateful. However, there was one very important issue left, which was who would be a good husband for you. After much consideration, along with General Potiphar, who is like a foster father to Joseph, and all the ministers, we have recognized him. Moreover, you love him, and recently, he has been appointed as the prime minister of Egypt. To prevent anyone from taking him away, I have paid a high price to secure him as your husband. Now, I present him to you as a gift, and we will hold the wedding ceremony along with the prime minister’s inauguration. From now on, I will not interfere in your matters anymore. You two should handle your issues well together!” At the king’s astonishing command, all the ministers shouted in unison: “Your grace is immeasurable!” The ministers cheered enthusiastically, and the princess and Joseph stood there, blushing and not knowing what to do. Then the king commanded again: “New prime minister, embrace your new mistress, the princess.” At the king’s command, all the ministers burst into laughter, feeling that Egypt would become a more prosperous and strong country. A month later, as the king had proclaimed, the inauguration ceremony for the new prime minister, Joseph, and the wedding ceremony of Joseph and the princess, Asenath, the adopted daughter of the priest Potiphera, were held in front of all the people. The newly appointed prime minister and the princess marched together, forming a new family. “From now on, I appoint Joseph as the prime minister of Egypt and grant him all authority to rule this country second only to the king. All ministers and people must obey him!” The king officially declared, removing the signet ring from his hand and placing it on Joseph’s hand, dressing him in fine linen clothes, and putting a gold chain around his neck. He then had Joseph ride in his chariot and parade through the city. The soldiers attending him shouted loudly: “Bow down! Bow down!” As they paraded, all the people bowed before him and obeyed his commands. Soon after, Joseph inspected the entire land of Egypt and stored the abundant grain from the seven years of plenty in the cities, as much as the sand of the sea, beyond measure. During this time, Joseph had two sons with the princess, named Manasseh and Ephraim. After the years of plenty ended, a famine began in all the surrounding countries, but only Egypt had stored grain. People from Egypt and other countries came to buy grain, and the journey to Egypt continued.