JOSEPH: MASTER OF DREAMS
After Jacob received the blessing from the Man he wrestled with, he came to dwell in the land of Canaan, with his wives, his children, and his flocks. Now Jacob loved Joseph more than all his other children, and made him a coat of many colors. When Joseph’s brothers saw this, they envied and hated their brother. Joseph then had a dream and told his family how the sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowed down to him. The sun and moon being Joseph’s parents and the eleven stars his brothers. So his brothers envied him, but his father observed the saying. Now Joseph’s brothers conspired against him to kill him. And it came to pass as Joseph went up to his brothers, that they stripped him of his coat of many colors and cast him into a pit. Then Judah told his brothers to sell Joseph to the Ishmeelites and not to kill him, and his brothers agreed.
Then Midianite merchants passed by, so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver, and they took Joseph to Egypt. The brothers then took Joseph’s coat, and killed a young goat and dipped the coat in the blood. When their father saw the coat he recognized it and said, “It is Joseph’s coat. A wild beast has devoured him. Without a doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.” Then Jacob tore his clothes, and put on sackcloth, and mourned for his son many days. His children tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. Now the Midianites had sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, and officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.
JOSEPH IN EGYPT
Starting off, things went well with Joseph in Egypt. Potiphar was pleased with him and entrusted everything in his possession to his care. Joseph was not only spiritually virtuous, but was also physically handsome and Potiphar’s wife took notice of him. Then there came a day when Joseph found himself alone in the house with her. And she caught him by his garment, and said, “lie with me,” but he left his garment in her hand and fled, and ran out. Scorned by this, Potiphar’s wife accused Joseph of rape and he was thrown into prison. While in the jail Joseph successfully interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh’s chief butler and chief baker. The Baker would be hanged, but the butler’s job was restored and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand. But the butler did not make mention of Joseph to Pharaoh, but forgot him.
And it came to pass at the end of two years, that Pharaoh King of Egypt began having dreams, and his spirit was troubled. So he sent and and called for all the magicians of Egypt, but none could interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. It was then that the chief butler remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh how he could interpret dreams. Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and spoke to him of the dreams. Pharaoh dreamed of seven fat and well fed cows, and seven gaunt and ugly cows. He also dreamed of seven good ears of corn, and seven thin and withered ears of corn. Joseph then interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams as thus: there were to be seven years of plenty, and following those seven years of plenty would come seven years of famine.
Joseph had the idea for a wise man to be set over Egypt and to take in a fifth part of the harvest of each of the seven years of plenty, in order to have grain during the seven years of famine. Pharaoh ended up assigning Joseph to this task and made him second in command over Egypt. And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath-Paaneah. And he gave him as a wife Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On. So Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
BROTHERS REUNITED
Time went on and during the years of famine, Jacob sent his sons to the land of Egypt in order to buy grain. When Joseph’s brothers arrived in Egypt they bowed down before him, but they did not recognize him, but Joseph knew them. Joseph then accused them as being spies as a way to see his younger brother Benjamin. So it was agreed that if they would bring to him their youngest brother, that their lives would be spared. And they did so. When the brothers arrived back in Egypt and Joseph saw Benjamin among them, he ordered his steward to prepare food for his brothers. Then Joseph turned to Benjamin and being deeply moved at the sight of his own mother’s son, he went out quickly to his chamber to weep. Then he washed his face and came back and ordered bread to be served.
As the time drew near for the brothers to depart, Joseph plotted a scheme to make sure Benjamin would stay behind in Egypt. He told his steward to fill the men’s sacks with food, and to put each man’s money in the sack. As for the youngest, Joseph instructed for his own silver cup to be placed in his sack. The next day as they were leaving, Joseph’s steward overtook them as Joseph commanded him. He found Joseph’s cup in Benjamin’s sack and said, “Why have you repaid evil for good?” But the brothers maintained their innocence. Then Joseph could no longer restrain himself, and he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it. Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph.”
And Joseph called his brothers to be near him and he said, “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But do not be angry with yourselves, for God sent me before you to preserve life. So it was not you who sent me here, but God; and he has made me a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.” Joseph then instructed his brothers to bring their father Jacob down to Egypt, and to their families Joseph would grant them to dwell in the land of Goshen. Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. They told Jacob that Joseph was alive, and Jacob’s heart stood still. Then Israel said, “Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.” So Israel took his journey with all that he had, and all the persons of the house of Israel who went to Egypt were seventy souls, and they settled in the land of Goshen.
JOSEPH AND HIS FATHER ISRAEL
So Joseph took his chariot to meet his father Israel, and they embraced and wept a good while. And Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive.” Joseph received permission from Pharaoh to allow his family to settle in Egypt, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. So Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen, and they had possessions there and multiplied exceedingly. And when the time drew near for Israel to die, he called Joseph and said to him, “Please do not bury me in Egypt, but with my fathers; carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.” Joseph then swore to his father that he would do so.
And Jacob called his sons together and prophesied of what would befall them in the last days. Then Israel blessed his sons, each one according to his own blessing. And he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered unto his people. Joseph commanded his physicians to embalm his father, and they did so. Pharaoh granted Joseph’s request to bury his father Jacob in the land of Canaan. So Joseph went up o bury his father along with all the elders of the land of Egypt.
So Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father’s household. And Joseph said to his brethren, “I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which he swore unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Then Joseph said, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones.” So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; and they embalmed him and put him in a coffin in Egypt.
References:
Brenton. The Septuagint with Apocrypha: Greek and English. (London: Samuel Bagster & Sons, Ltd., 1851).
Green, J.P. The Interlinear Hebrew-Greek-English Bible. (Lafayette, IN: Sovereign Grace Publishers, 2000).
Nelson. The Holy Bible, New King James Version. (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1984).
Zondervan. The Holy Bible, King James Version. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009).