Jacob & Joseph
JACOB AND JOSEPH are the next two famous Bible characters in line. Jacob, one of Isaac’s twin sons, eventually became the father of twelve sons.1 Among these twelve was Joseph, one of the best-known men of the Bible.
1Genesis 35:22-26.
JOSEPH WAS THE FIRSTBORN SON of Jacob’s beloved wife, Rachel. He was born after his father was old. Therefore Jacob was partial to Joseph. He gave him a fancy coat of many colors. Because of this partiality the older brothers resented Joseph.1 Despite his troubled life, Joseph found happiness because of his deep faith in the Heavenly Father.
1Genesis 37:3, 4.
WHILE STILL A BOY Joseph dreamed that his brothers’ sheaves bowed down to his sheaf. He dreamed also that heavenly bodies bowed down to him. These dreams were a prediction that the time would come when his brothers and parents would bow before him. These dreams increased his brothers’ envy,1 but later events fulfilled these predictions. God was speaking to Joseph through these dreams.
1Genesis 37:5-11.
WHEN JOSEPH WAS ABOUT SEVENTEEN years old his father, Jacob, sent him to see about his brothers. They were herding sheep about fifty miles away.1 This was a dangerous mission. Joseph’s brothers hated him. He departed, little knowing that he would not see his father again for twenty-two years.
1Genesis 37:12-14.
“JOSEPH IN EGYPT” is an accurate title for the rest of Joseph’s life. The Bible tells how Joseph’s brothers sold him to slave traders. The slavers sold him to an Egyptian officer. But ultimately Joseph rose to the second highest position over all Egypt.
WHEN JOSEPH ARRIVED at his brothers’ camp, they took him prisoner. They stripped him of his beautiful coat, threw him into a pit and sat down to eat, devoid of pity for their own brother. When a caravan headed for Egypt came by, the brothers sold Joseph to them as a slave. They dipped his many-colored coat in goat’s blood in order to deceive their father. When they showed their father the bloody coat he concluded that Joseph had been killed by a wild beast.1 For years he mourned Joseph’s death.
1Genesis 37:17-35.
IN EGYPT, Joseph was sold to Potiphar, captain of the guard.1 Potiphar soon placed Joseph over all his financial affairs. This was a very prestigious position.Things went well until Potiphar’s wife fell in love with Joseph. When he did not respond to her, she lied to her husband. She accused Joseph of making advances towards her. Potiphar believed his wife. In anger he put Joseph in prison.2
1Genesis 37:36; 39:1. 2Genesis 39:2-20.
EVEN IN PRISON Joseph continued to experience God’s protection and care. Soon he was placed in charge of all the other prisoners. God also empowered Joseph to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh’s butler and baker, who were in the prison. The butler dreamed that he again served wine to the king. The baker dreamed that his bread was eaten by birds. Joseph told the butler that his dream meant that he would be restored. He told the baker that his dream meant he would be hanged. Both predictions came true.1
1Genesis 39:21-40:23.
ABOUT TWO YEARS LATER Pharaoh had a dream. He saw seven fat cows come up out of the Nile River. The fat cows were eaten by seven lean cows, but the lean cows grew no fatter.1
1Genesis 41:1-4.
IN A SIMILAR DREAM the king saw seven full ears of grain swallowed up by seven lean ears, but the lean ears grew no larger. None of the king’s wise men, magicians or servants were able to interpret the dreams.1
1Genesis 41:5-8.
FINALLY, THE KING’S BUTLER remembered how Joseph had interpreted his dream in prison two years previously. Immediately Pharaoh summoned Joseph from prison to interpret his dreams. After stating that only God could interpret dreams, Joseph revealed that the fat cows and fat ears of grain meant seven years of plenty. But the lean cows and lean ears meant that a seven-year famine would follow.1
1Genesis 41:9-37.
THE KING WAS SO IMPRESSED that he placed Joseph in charge of gathering grain for the coming famine. Joseph was exalted to be the ruler of all Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself.1 In recent years great underground bins with hundreds of tons capacity have been discovered in Egypt. These bins resemble huge cisterns. Scholars believe that these bins are the ruins of ancient granaries.
1Genesis 41:38-45.
AFTER SEVEN PROSPEROUS YEARS, a severe famine descended on the Biblical world, including the land of Canaan. Joseph’s brothers were forced to come from Canaan to Egypt to buy food. They had to bow down before the Egyptian ruler to make their request. That ruler was Joseph. But twenty-one years had gone by and the brothers did not recognize him. As they bowed down before Joseph, his childhood dreams were being fulfilled.1
1Genesis 41:53-42:8.
LATER, JOSEPH IDENTIFIED HIMSELF to his brothers. Since he believed his presence in Egypt was in keeping with God’s plans, he forgave them for selling him as a slave. He then introduced his brothers to Pharaoh who welcomed them to Egypt. At Pharaoh’s invitation their father, Jacob, moved all of his descendants and possessions to Egypt. They settled in Goshen, one of Egypt’s choicest areas.1 There they dwelled for several generations. They grew into a mighty people known as the children of Israel or Israelites.2
1Genesis 45:1-46:28. 2Exodus 1:7.
JOSEPH DIED when he was 110 years old. He had known that his people would return to the promised land some day. He took an oath from them that they would preserve his body and carry it with them for burial in Canaan.1 This promise was finally fulfilled many years later under the leadership of Moses and Joshua.2
1Genesis 50:22-26; Hebrews 11:22. 2Exodus 13:19; Joshua 24:32.