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[B][COLOR=#ff0000]†.[/COLOR] Gen 41:47-49 . . During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.[/B]

When there's small amounts ...

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[B][COLOR=#ff0000]†.[/COLOR] Gen 41:46b . . Leaving Pharaoh's presence, Joseph traveled through all the land of Egypt.[/B]

That reminds me of how U.S. Presidents fly over disaster areas in a helicopter to "assess" the situation. Well Joseph didn't have a whirlybird at his disposal. If he was going to assess Egypt's agricultural assets first hand, and decide where to strategically locate his granaries, then he would have to do it in that spiffy government-provided ...

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[B][COLOR=#ff0000]†.[/COLOR] Gen 41:37-38 . . Joseph's suggestions were well received by Pharaoh and his advisers. And Pharaoh said to his courtiers: Could we find another like him, a man in whom is the spirit of the gods?[/B]

If there was one thing those old-time pagans valued, it was a connection to the spirit world, and they sensed that Joseph had it. I think they were not only in awe of him, but maybe even just a bit afraid of him too.

The Hebrew ...

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[B][COLOR=#ff0000]†.[/COLOR] Gen 41:33-36 . . Now therefore I suggest Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 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.

. . . And have them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up grain under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. And that food shall ...

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[B][COLOR=#ff0000]†.[/COLOR] Gen 41:25a . .Then Joseph said to Pharaoh:[/B]

Note Joseph's quick response time. He didn't even go off and pray about it and wait for an answer from God-- no: right to it. Since Genesis doesn't say that God spoke inside Joseph's head, or by an audible dictation that only his own ears could hear; then I have to assume he figured out the meanings of those dreams by intuition.

That's not an unreasonable assumption. Even ...