The answer is: Interpreted dreams

Gen 41:39-44

Joseph’s rise to power feels almost like a plot straight out of a fairytale. He starts life as a favored son but quickly faces betrayal, imprisonment, and disappointment. It’s fascinating how his gift for dream interpretation becomes the golden key to his success. When Pharaoh had troubling dreams depicting seven healthy cows being devoured by seven gaunt ones, it was powerful symbolism—representing the forthcoming seven years of plenty followed by years of famine.

What’s nuggets-rich in this story is how dreams play a central role throughout Joseph’s life. Early on, he dreams about his brothers bowing to him, foreshadowing his future reliance on their respect and subsequence of unity lost but eventually restored. In a culture riddled with hieroglyphics and supernatural interpretations, dreams were viewed as significant messages from the divine. Pharaoh, seeking wisdom in his dreams, wasn’t just looking for a prediction; he sought a guiding hand.

Moreover, when Joseph interprets those dreams, he doesn’t merely convey the bad news of pending famine. He goes a step further, laying out a detailed strategy to save Egypt from disaster. Talk about impressing the boss! You could almost say Joseph blended business acumen with divine insight—immediate insights that set the stage for a great Testament correlation of providence and wisdom when life's dreams inevitably clash with harsh realities. Life’s twists and turns often lead to fulfilling purposes in unexpected ways!