The Story of Joseph
Jacob, had eleven sons, but his favorite was Joseph. He loved him so much that he made him a special robe of many colors, which in turn made his brothers jealous. One day Joseph told his family about a dream he had in which “The sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” (1) Jacob said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come and bow down to the earth before you.” (2) Because of the words Joseph had spoken, his brothers began to hate him. One day his father sent him to check on his brothers in the field to see if everything was all right. As Jacob approached, his brothers plotted to kill him; however, one brother, Judah, convinced the others to spare his life. Instead, they decided to sell him into slavery for a few silver coins to some traveling Arabs. The brothers then killed an animal from their flock and dipped Joseph’s robe in it. The bloody robe was then present to their father who cried out, ‘it is my son’s” and he mourned for him.
The Arabs sold Joseph to a man by the name of Potiphar, who was the captain of the guard for the Pharaoh of Egypt. The Lord was with Joseph, for even as a slave he prospered and Potiphar took notice of this. The Bible says that Joseph “Found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made overseer over his house, and all that he had he put in his hand.” (3) Because of this, God blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake. However, Potiphar’s wife began to develop an eye for Joseph, and it was not long before she was tried to tempt him into immorality. Joseph refused her advances and rebuked her by saying, “thou art his wife: how can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (4) Eventually, he was thrown in prison after being wrongfully accused by her of attempted assault.
Even in Prison Joseph was faithful to God, as Genesis chapter 40 says “The Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.” Because of his trust, the keeper of the prison was blessed for Joseph’s sake. One particular day Joseph entered the cell of two men who appeared visually upset. Joseph asked the two men why they looked so sad this morning. The men (Pharaoh’s chief butler and baker) had landed themselves in the prison after offending the Pharaoh. They told Joseph that each of them had a dream the previous night and that there was no interpreter of it. Joseph replied to them, “Do not interpretation belong to God? Tell them to me, please.” (5) The butler proceeded to tell his dream of how a vine with three branches blossomed in his hand. He went on to further describe that he found himself in the dream squeezing grapes into the Pharaoh’s cup. Joseph said that the three branches represented three days, and after three days, Pharaoh would lift up his head, and restore him to his previous position. Joseph asked the butler to remember him, and to speak well of him, for he had done nothing to warrant the charge of his imprisonment. The baker on hearing the favorable interpretation of the butler’s dream told Joseph his dream of birds eating out of three baskets on his head. Joseph told him that, “Within three days pharaoh will lift off your head from you and hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from you.” (6)
Two years later Pharaoh himself had a dream that needed interpreting. In his dream, Pharaoh was standing next to the Nile when he saw seven cows, fine looking and fat, come out of the water. After this came seven thin and ugly cows, and the seven thin cows consumed the healthy ones. The Pharaoh woke from his dream startled, but he eventually went back to sleep. That same night he had another dream in which he saw seven plump heads of grain on one stalk being consumed by seven thin heads of grain on another stalk. In the morning, Pharaoh was greatly disturbed and called upon all the magicians and wise men of Egypt, but no one could interpret the dream. The butler remembered Joseph on this particular day, and told Pharaoh about a Hebrew slave who had correctly foretold the fate of himself and the baker. Pharaoh instructed his guards to hurry and bring Joseph to him. He was told to come quickly, but Joseph insisted on changing clothes and shaving, before he presented himself before the ruler of Egypt. Pharaoh said to him, “I have heard it said of you, that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.” (7) Joseph replied that, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” (8) Pharaoh then proceeded to tell his dreams to the slave.
After listening to his story, Joseph told Pharaoh that the two dreams were one in the same. But because his dream had been repeated, it had therefore been established by God, and would shortly come to pass. Joseph interpreted the dream by telling Pharaoh that there would be seven years of plentiful harvest in Egypt, which would be followed by seven years of famine. He advised him that he should gather up one-fifth of all the produce of the land for seven years, and appoint a wise and discerning officer to oversee the operation so that Egypt would survive the famine. Pharaoh turned to his servant and said, “Can we find such a man as this, a man in whom is the spirit of God?” (9) Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In as much as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all of my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater then you.” (10)
From what Joseph called “the land of my affliction,” he was released from his shackles. His unblemished character was restored, and he was seated on the right hand side of the throne and given authority to rule over all the land. Joseph went through out the land of Egypt and gathered one-fifth of all that was produced. Just as he had foretold, the famine set in on the eighth year. As the famine grew worse, the people of Egypt cried out to Pharaoh for bread. He instructed them to go to Joseph and to do as he says so that they would have life. The people of Egypt went to Joseph, and he provided them the food they desperately needed. The famine quickly spread throughout the world and many people suffered. The Bible tells us that “The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.” (11) This bread, which was reserved for the Egyptian’s first, Joseph made available to all people of all nations so that they would also live.
Jacob, on hearing there was grain in Egyptian said to his sons, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down to that place and buy for us there, that we may live and not die.” (12) As instructed, all the brothers except Benjamin the youngest, set out for the journey. Reaching Egypt, they were directed to Joseph, the Governor of Egypt, who was the overseer of all purchases of grain. Jacob’s sons went before Joseph; but they did not recognize him, but he recognized them. As they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground, Joseph remembered the prophetic dream from his youth. He concealed his identify and acted as a stranger in their presence. He talked harshly to them, and eventually he placed them in prison as spies. Joseph was testing his brothers to see if their hearts had changed over the years. In prison one of the brothers said he believed they were being judged for how they had treated Joseph. “His blood is now required of us”, he told the rest of his brothers. (13)
After a few days Joseph released all but one of his brothers from bondage, as Simeon, the second son of Jacob, was held back as a ransom. Joseph told them to go and bring back their younger brother Benjamin, so that the truth of their words would be known. Reaching their father, the brothers explained how they had been falsely accused, thrown in prison, and released on the third day. They also told of how the ruler had kept Simeon as a ransom, and that his release was based upon them bringing Benjamin to him. The thought of turning over his most beloved son to this hostile ruler was too much for Jacob to bear, as he cried out, “Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin. All these things are against me.” (14) The brothers tried to convince their father to let them take Benjamin back, but Jacob said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone.” (15) Jacob told them if anything should happen to Benjamin the sorrow would bring him to his grave. Jacob could not depart with Benjamin, the last son of this wife Rachel, who died during his birth. Her last dying words were to name the infant Benoni, meaning son of my sorrow; however, Jacob later changed his name to Benjamin, which means son of my right hand.
After they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, Jacob said to them, “Go back, and buy us a little food.” (16) Judah reminded his father that they could not go back without Benjamin, as the ruler warned them not to come back without the younger brother. Judah asked his father to put the responsibility of Benjamin safe return on him, so that, “We may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones.” (17) Reluctantly, Jacob agreed to Judah’s offer and he sent his sons, including Benjamin, back to Egypt.
It was not long before they found themselves again before their brother Joseph. They had done as he had commanded and had returned with their younger brother. Joseph was pleased with their faithfulness and released Siemon. He also invited them to come to his house and dine. They were reluctant, as they felt he might force them to be his slaves, but they were compelled to accept. The brothers dined with Joseph and spent the night at his home; however, they remained fearful of his motives. Before they departed the next morning, Joseph told his steward to fill each of their sacks with food. He also gave instructions that his silver cup was to be hidden in Benjamin’s sack. He further instructed his steward to stop the brothers as they leave the city and search their bags. As planned, the brothers were stopped and accused of stealing the Governor’s silver cup. They replied, “Why does my lord say these words? Far be it form us that that your servants should do such a thing.” (18) They told the steward that, “With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.” (19) The steward replied, “Now let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.” (20) A search was made and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
The men returned to the city and threw themselves down at the feet of Joseph and cried, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear our selves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are my lord’s slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.” (21) However, Joseph said to them, “Far be it from me that I do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found so be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father.” (22) Judah, the leader of the brothers, stepped forth to intercede on Benjamin’s behalf. He told Joseph of how Jacob, his father, would die from sorry if anything happened to Benjamin. The same one, who had convinced his brothers to not kill Joseph, now offered himself up as a replacement for Benjamin. Joseph was overwhelmed by what he heard, for he now knew that his brother’s hearts had changed. When he could not restrain himself any longer, he wept out loud and told his brothers, “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.” (23) The sons of Israel stood shocked, for they now recognized the ruler as Joseph, the one whom they hated and had sold for a few silver coins. Joseph told them not to grieve for what they have done to him because, “God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” (24) It was the Lord’s will he reassured them, that he had been made the overseer of Pharaoh’s house and ruler of the land of Egypt. He comforted his brothers, kissed them, and told them to bring back their father, wives, and children, as he would provide for all of their needs.
The brothers returned and told the good news to their father. Shortly after this, Jacob and his sons, along with their families, set off for a new life in Egypt. Jacob appointed Judah to lead the way to the new land, to the region of Goshen and the land of Rameses, the best land in all of Egypt. Joseph met them on their way and a joyous reunion took play between himself and his father. Israel and his sons dwelled and multiplied in Egypt under the protection of Pharaoh.
After being in Egypt for seventeen years, Jacob reached the end of his life. Joseph was called for and informed that his father was very sick. Accompanied by his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, from his Egyptian wife Asenath, Joseph traveled quickly to reach his father. Lying on his death bed Jacob said to him: “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz (Bethel) in the land of Canaan and blessed me, and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’ And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt, before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. Your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance.” (25) He then blessed Joseph by saying: “God, before whom my father Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who had fed me all my life long to this day, the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; let my name be named upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” (26) Then Jacob said, “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of my fathers.” (27)
After this Jacob called for all of his sons and told them, “Gather together so that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days.” (28) To each of his sons he prophesized: to the first born Reuben he would be unstable as water and would not excel, the next sons, Simeon and Levi, would be divided and scattered in Israel, but to Judah, the fourth son he said, “you are he whom your brothers shall praise.” (29) He also told Judah that he would be like a lion and that, “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until He comes to Whom it belongs, and the obedience of the nations is His.” (30) Genesis 49:28 of the Bible tells up that, “All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them. And he blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing.”
REFERENCES:
1. Genesis 37:9
2. Genesis 37:10
3. Genesis 39:4
4. Genesis 39:9
5. Genesis 40:8
6. Genesis 40:19
7. Genesis 41:15
8. Genesis 41:16
9. Genesis 41:38
10. Genesis 41:39-40
11. Genesis 41: 53
12. Genesis 42: 2
13. Genesis 44:12
14. Genesis 42:36
15. Genesis 42:37
16. Genesis 43: 2
17. Genesis 43: 8
18. Genesis 44:12
19. Genesis 44:9
20. Genesis 44:10
21. Genesis 44:13
22. Genesis 44:17
23. Genesis 45:4
24. Genesis 45:7
25. Genesis 48:4-6
26. Genesis 48:15-16
27. Genesis 48:21
28. Genesis 49:1
29. Genesis 49:8
30. Genesis 49:10
©Preparing the way.net