articlesforchristians

Joseph
God reaffirmed His covenant with Jacob (Israel), and Jacob fathered twelve sons (Genesis 35:22-26). One of Jacob’s sons, Joseph, was chosen by God to be a preserver of the family of Jacob (Genesis 45:5).

• Joseph Sold into Egypt
  • Joseph was sensitive to the Lord and a person of high moral character. His brothers became jealous of him when they saw that their father loved him above the other sons. Later, Joseph had some dreams which suggested that his brothers and mother and father would bow down to him. Predictably, their hatred for him increased.
  • One day, when Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers, they saw an opportunity to rid themselves of him forever. After casting him into a pit, they sold him to some Midianite merchants for twenty pieces of silver. The Midianites took him into Egypt, where they sold him to Potiphar, who was one of Pharaoh’s officers and a captain of the guard.
• Jacob Deceived
  • After having disposed of Joseph, his brothers took a goat and killed it, dipping Joseph’s coat in the blood. They brought the coat to their father and asked, “Is this thy son’s coat?” “It is my son’s coat,” Jacob declared. “An evil beast hath devoured him. Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. In his despair, Jacob refused to be comforted and mourned with tears for Joseph (Genesis 37:31-35).
  • Meanwhile, Joseph, being the conscientious, godly man that he was did his very best as a servant to Potiphar. He had every reason for bitterness and an excuse to be sullen. Instead he served his master diligently. Potiphar saw that God was with him and that everything Joseph did prospered. Finally, Potiphar made Joseph the overseer of all that he had. Potiphar concerned himself only with the food that was set before him to eat Joseph took care of everything.
• Joseph’s Temptation
  • Joseph’s trials were not over, however. Potiphar’s wife became infatuated with Joseph and daily tempted him to commit immorality with her. He steadfastly refused her advances, until one day, as he fled from her presence. she grasped part of his clothing. Seeing that she was rebuffed, she contrived to blame Joseph with trying to assault her, using his clothing as proof. Potiphar, his wrath kindled, put Joseph in the prison where the king’s prisoners were kept.
• Joseph in Prison
  • Even in the prison, Joseph kept the right attitude. He refused to be bitter and looked for opportunities to serve God. The keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners and the complete management of the prison. Even in prison, God blessed Joseph and prepared the way for the fulfillment of His plan.
  • In the prison were two men who had served Pharaoh as the chief of the butlers and the chief of the bakers. They both had dreams, which Joseph Interpreted. True to Joseph’s interpretation, the butler was restored to his office, while the baker was hanged.
• Joseph’s Elevation under Pharaoh
  • At the end of two years, Pharaoh had a dream that which none of his men could interpret. Then the butler remembered Joseph and suggested to Pharaoh that Joseph might be able to interpret Pharaoh’s dream. Pharaoh called for Joseph, who told him the significance of his dream: Egypt would experience seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine.
  • Pharaoh promoted Joseph to the position of second most powerful ruler in all of Egypt and gave to this thirty-year-old Hebrew the responsibility of storing up food during the seven years of plenty in preparation for the drastic famine that was to follow (Genesis 41:46).
• Joseph’s Brothers Come to Egypt
  • When the famine came to Egypt, it also affected the land of Canaan, where Joseph’s family still lived. When Jacob heard that Egypt had grain, he sent his sons-all except the youngest son, Benjamin-to buy some. The person in charge of selling grain was Joseph, and just as he had dreamed many years previously, his brothers came before him bowing down to the earth!
  • Recognizing them, Joseph disguised himself and spoke roughly, trying to find out if his father was still alive and attempting to devise a plan to bring his father to Egypt. He accused his brothers of being spies. When they denied the charges and said that they were all the sons of one man, Joseph took one of them, Simeon, and bound him until the others could return with their youngest brother, Benjamin, as proof of their innocence.
  • Jacob was greatly troubled and refused to send Benjamin for fear that he too would never return. But when the famine grew worse, the family had no choice but to comply with Joseph’s instructions. Judah took personal responsibility for Benjamin, and the brothers traveled to Egypt once again.
  • This time, Joseph devised a plan to keep Benjamin, which involved secretly returning the brothers’ money in the mouth of their sacks and putting his personal silver cup in the sack of Benjamin. When the brothers were stopped by Joseph’s servant and returned to him, Joseph could no longer refrain from revealing to them exactly who he was. He wept aloud, and said, “I am Joseph; doth my father yet live?”
• Joseph Forgives His Brothers
  • His brothers, troubled and surprised, could not answer. Then Joseph, who had every reason to be bitter, harsh, and unforgiving, said, “Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life” (Genesis 45:5).
  • Long before the New Testament was ever written, Joseph had learned one of the most valuable lessons that we can ever learn: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose’ (Romans 8:28). As he was to say later, “Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive’ (Genesis 50:20).
• Jacob and His Family Settle in Goshen
  • Joseph supplied his brothers with wagons and equipment. They returned to Canaan and brought their father, Jacob, back to Egypt to settle in the land of Goshen, the choice land of all Egypt. Here they enjoyed many years of blessings, peace, and plenty while Joseph was alive.
• Israel in Egyptian Bondage
  • After Joseph’s death, a new king arose in Egypt who did not know Joseph. This pharaoh began to be fearful of the Israelites, for they were numerous and strong. He was afraid that they would side with his enemies to help them overthrow Egypt in war. In his fear, the new pharaoh set taskmasters over the Israelites and made slaves of them. But the more the Egyptians afflicted the Israelites (Hebrews), the more the Israelites multiplied and grew. God was preparing them for the great exodus from Egypt back to their promised land of Canaan.