Don’t know about y’all but I’ve had a long week already and it’s barely over!! I’ve been trying to place a lot of thought and prayer onto this subject because I think it deserves to be treated with passion and truth. Here goes… Joseph really comes foremost into my mind. Joseph was a “dreamer”. He had many dreams and could interpret dreams. Joseph was very brave to step out in faith before his family and his peers to speak of these gifts God had given him and all the while was repeatedly smacked down for his faith in God, especially by his brothers. He was doubted by his own father. In Genesis 37:10 it backs this up saying “And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?” In Genesis 37:12-14 it says “And his brethren went to feed their fathers flock in Shechem. And Isreal said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send the unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. And he said to him, Go I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.” So again we have to remember that Joseph’s brothers were really very separate from Joseph and they envied him as it says in verse 11 “And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.” So when Joseph’s brothers take note of the fact that he is following up behind them they decide to kill him or “slay” him, Genesis 37:18 “And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say; Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.”
Pretty evil huh?? So, Joseph had one brother that convinced the rest rather than destroy his life to instead sale Joseph to the Ishmeelites that were nearby. Genesis 37:27-28 “ Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph to Egypt” Now Joseph kept up his good faith through all of this, he remained faithful and continued to follow Gods path for him even though he had to have felt so abandoned and betrayed and unwanted by anyone. God placed him in the hands of an officer to the pharaoh that purchased him from the Midianites. “Genesis 37:36 “And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto the Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, and captain of the guard” God used this position to propel Joseph into Pharaoh’s favor by the wickedness of the Potiphar’s wife, she threw herself at Joseph and when Joseph denies her she lies to her gaurds and tells them that Joseph had tried to sleep with her instead and had Joseph arrested by the Potiphar and his gaurds. Genesis 39:12-20 “And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, and he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice: And she laid up His garment by her, until his lord came home. And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me: And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out. And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled. And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.”
Now, God was with Joseph throughout and placed Joseph in a position to be used by the Pharaoh. Sometimes people only want you when it serves their purpose to have you around. God knew this and used that purpose to place Joseph in a highest place right under the Pharaoh. So…The Pharaoh angered with his chief baker and chief butler and imprisoned both, during which time they both had separate dreams that Joseph was able to interpret for them. Genesis 40:5-19 “And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, which were bound in the prison. And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad. And he asked the Pharaoh’s officers that were with him in the ward of his lord’s house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day? And they said unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? tell me them, I pray you. And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, in my dream, behold, A vine was before me; and in the vine were three branches: end it was as though it budded, And her blossoms shot forth; and the clusters there I have brought forth ripe grapes: And pharaohs cup was in my hand: and I took the grapes, and press them into pharaohs cup, and I gave the cup into pharaohs hand. And Joseph said unto him, this is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days: yet within three days shall pharaoh lift up thy head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver pharaohs cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler. But think on me when it shall be well with the, And shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.
When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and behold, I had three white baskets on my head: and in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head. And Joseph answered and said, this is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days: Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off the.”
Indeed these things came to pass, BUT the chief butler forgot ALL about Joseph for two whole years in that dungeon. At the end of these two years, the Pharaoh dreamed two dreams. Dreams that the Pharaoh could not make sense of, not any of Pharaoh’s magicians or wise men could interpret the dream….except NOW the the chief butler REMEMBERS Joseph!!
Genesis 41:9-13
“Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day: Pharoah was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the gaurd’s house, both me and the chief baker: And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and He; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the gaurd; and we told him, And he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.”
Joseph is led before Pharaoh and asked to interpret Pharoah’s dream. Because Joseph was so wise within the Pharoah’s eyes. The Pharaoh chooses to bring Joseph into his court to offer him a position right under the Pharaoh to save Egypt from seven years of famine. Genesis 41:53-57 “And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.”
Genesis 41:37-43 “ and the thing was good in the eyes of pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. And pharaoh said unto his servants, can we find such a one as this is, A man in whom the Spirit of God is? And pharaoh said unto Joseph, forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have sent the over all the land of Egypt. And pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it up on Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in ventures of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck; and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.”
Many years pass and Joseph becomes mighty in the sight of the Lord and mighty in his calling. He keeps Egypt from famine and continues to be a great ruler with much wisdom. As all the land starved except Egypt all people begin to come to Egypt to buy corn. Even Jacob, Joseph’s father and Joseph’s brothers. When Joseph’s brothers appear before him they don’t realize that it’s him but Joseph knows immediately. He’s wise not to let it be known straight away but tests the brothers in their loyalty to one another before he reveals to them who he really is.
Genesis 45:1-8
“ then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, While Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. And he wept aloud: And the Egyptians and the house of pharaoh heard. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence. And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now, therefore be NOT GRIEVED, nor be angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.”
OKAY!!!! Now if anyone can go through ALL THAT and still find the GLORY of GOD to Repent and find forgiveness and GIVE FORGIVENESS they are MY HERO!!! Because let me tell ya I can relate many times over personally in my own life to what Joseph went through. Sometimes it’s the hardest thing in the world to humble yourself before the Lord and drop your anger before the Lord when you KNOW you have every right to be angry at the fact you’ve been sold out, pushed out, left for dead, lied on and cheated of whatever should have been yours?! BUT!!!! GOD is GREATER than any plans we can hope for ourselves. Through God all things are restored and remember we may spend an hour or three on earth but ETERNITY is FOREVER!!! Let God rip that hanging bandaid off!!! Love y’all💝💯
From The Well 