Background to the story of Joseph
The story of Joseph can be found in the first book of the Bible, Genesis. It forms part of a series of stories which reveal God鈥檚 relationship with his people.
These stories start with Joseph鈥檚 great-grandfather Abraham.
Abraham was promised three things when he made a covenantAn agreement or promise. with God:
- A son
- Through that son he would have many descendants and they would become a great nation
- A land for his people
This promise passed onto Abraham鈥檚 son Isaac and then onto Isaac鈥檚 son Jacob, who was also called Israel. Israel had two wives with whom he had sons. He also had sons with two of his wives鈥 servants.
This was not something that God wanted, but it was something that Israel did. In total Israel had 12 sons, one of whom was Joseph.Joseph was his father鈥檚 favourite child which caused his brothers to dislike him.
His father treated him differently; not making him work like the others and giving him a special coat of many colours. Naturally, this made his brothers jealous.
Added to this, Joseph had unusual dreams, the meanings of which annoyed his brothers further.
Joseph's dreams
In the first dream, Joseph saw himself and his brothers binding corn in the fields. Suddenly the sheaves of corn belonging to his brothers bowed down to his.
This suggested that Joseph was going to rule over his brothers who would bow to him.
In his second dream, the sun, moon and eleven stars bowed to Joseph. This suggested that his brothers and parents would bow to him.
Joseph鈥檚 brothers decided to get rid of him. One day when they were out in the fields, they saw Joseph coming. They took him, threw him in a pit and then, when they saw traders coming, sold him.
They took Joseph鈥檚 coat, killed a goat and put its blood on the coat and told their father that a wild animal must have killed him.
Meanwhile, the traders took Joseph to Egypt where he was sold to a man called Potiphar. Potiphar soon realised how useful and successful Joseph was and put him in charge of the household.
Potiphar鈥檚 wife decided she wanted to sleep with Joseph. However, Joseph refused saying it would be a sinAn immoral act against the law of God. against God and against his master.
When Potiphar鈥檚 wife saw that she had been rejected, she was so enraged that she accused Joseph of trying to rape her.
Joseph ended up in prison where he met the butler and baker of the Egyptian King, the Pharaoh. One night the butler and baker had dreams which no one could explain. Joseph told them that God could reveal the meaning of the dreams.
The butler described how he saw three bunches of grapes and he was squeezing these into the Pharaoh鈥檚 cup. Joseph told him that in three days he would be restored to his job as the Pharaoh鈥檚 butler.
Then the baker said he was carrying three baskets of bread, but the birds ate the bread.
Joseph said that this meant in three days the Pharaoh would have the baker killed and the birds would eat his flesh. Both dreams came true.
However, the butler forgot about Joseph.
Pharoah's dreams
Some years later the Pharaoh had two dreams which no one could interpret. Then the butler remembered Joseph and suggested that he could help the Pharaoh.
Joseph was brought to the Pharaoh who told Joseph his dreams.
Dream one:
Seven fat and healthy cows came out of the Nile. Then seven thin cows came out of the Nile.
The thin, unhealthy cows ate the fat cows, but the thin cows got no fatter.
Dream two:
There were seven healthy heads of corn on a stalk.
Then seven thin heads of corn which were shrivelled and dry appeared and ate the healthy stalks.
Meaning of the dreams:
Joseph interpreted that both dreams meant the same thing: There would be seven years of a great abundance of food in Egypt followed by seven years of severe famine. Also, the Pharaoh should prepare for what was to come. Immediately the Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of making Egypt ready for the famine.
When the famine finally arrived it was severe, just as Joseph had warned. The famine hit the land of Egypt but also the land where Joseph鈥檚 father and brothers still lived.
His brothers heard there was food in Egypt and they went to ask for help.
Joseph and his brothers
When Joseph鈥檚 brothers arrived in Egypt, they did not recognise him and bowed to him. They asked for food, but Joseph recognised them and accused them of being spies.
His brothers protested and said they were just brothers looking for food for their father and family.
They said that one brother, Joseph, was no more and another, the youngest, Benjamin remained with their father.
Joseph wanted to see if his brothers鈥 jealous hearts had changed and so he tested them in two ways.
First test | Joseph told them to go and get Benjamin, but one brother would remain as his hostage. |
Second test | When they returned with Benjamin, Joseph gave them grain, hid his silver cup in Benjamin鈥檚 grain bag and sent them home. Soon after they left, Joseph sent his soldiers to find the silver cup. When it was discovered that the cup was in Benjamin鈥檚 bag, his brothers begged for Benjamin鈥檚 life and Judah offered to go to prison in his place. |
Joseph saw that his brothers had truly changed and he revealed himself as the brother they had sold to the traders many years before.
Joseph told his brothers to go home and get his father and bring him to Egypt.
The significance
This story shows that God is in control.
Even though Joseph鈥檚 brothers鈥 actions of selling him into slavery were meant for evil, God used that action to save the people from famine.
Joseph faced many difficulties; he was abandoned by his brothers, left for dead, sold into slavery and imprisoned but God never left him.
The story shows that God keeps his promises.
God promised Joseph that his brothers would bow to him, that the Pharaoh would save the butler and kill the baker and that there would be seven years of plenty and seven years of famine in Egypt. Each of these promises came true.
The story teaches the importance of forgiveness.
Joseph could have taken revenge against his brothers by denying them food or even worse by imprisoning or executing them, such was his power in Egypt. Instead, he chose to forgive them.
Forgiveness is not an easy action and people often point to needing God鈥檚 help to forgive.
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