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Towering Figures of the Old Testament |
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Joseph
Becomes the Caretaker of All Egypt |
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Introduction |
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After the bothers of Joseph
sells him to the Ishmaelites, he is in turn
sold to the Egyptians, where he finds favor
with his master, since the LORD is with him.
However,
Joseph later lands in prison after being
falsely accused by the wife of Joseph's
master. There he meets Pharaoh's cup bearer
and the baker, who each had dreams that
Joseph is able to to interpret.
Later Pharaoh
has a dream that no one can interpret. The
royal cup-bearer remembers Joseph. Pharaoh
summons Joseph and with
the guidance of the LORD is made the
caretaker of all of Egypt by Pharaoh because
Joseph is able to interpret Pharaoh's
dreams.
Find out how
Joseph handles the years of plenty and the
years of famine!
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Pharaoh’s Dream |
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After two years, Pharaoh has a dream. He sees
himself standing by the Nile, when up out of the
Nile comes seven handsome and fat cows. They
graze in the reed grass. Behind them seven other
ugly and gaunt cows come up out of the Nile.
Then Pharaoh sees the ugly, gaunt cows eat up
the seven handsome, fat cows. Then Pharaoh wakes
up.
He falls asleep again and has another dream.
This time he sees seven ears of grain, fat and
healthy, growing on a single stalk. Behind them
sprout seven ears of grain, thin and blasted by
the east wind; and the seven thin ears swallow
up the seven fat, healthy ears. Then Pharaoh
wakes up.
Next morning the agitated Pharaoh summons all
the magicians and sages of Egypt. Then he
recounts his dreams to them but no one could
interpret his dreams.
Then the chief cupbearer speaks up and tells
Pharaoh that once when he and the baker were
in prison they had dreams, which they could
not interpret. Then they met the slave of
the chief steward who interpreted their
dreams explained the meaning of his dream.
And it turned out just as he had told them:
He was restored to his post, but the baker
was impaled. |
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the Meaning
of Pharaoh's Dreams |
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Pharaoh therefore summons Joseph. After he
shaves and changes his clothes, he comes
into Pharaoh's presence. Pharaoh
then tells him that he had certain dreams that
no one can interpret and that the Pharaoh heard
Joseph can.
Joseph tells him he does not interpret dreams,
but it is God who will give Pharaoh the right
answer. Then Pharaoh recounts to Joseph his two
dreams.
Joseph says to
Pharaoh that both of dreams have the same
meaning. Joseph says that God has thus foretold
to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven
healthy cows and the seven healthy ears mean
seven years. Joseph continues that the seven
thin, ugly cows that came up after them are
seven years, as are the seven thin, wind-blasted
ears. |
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They are seven years of
famine that will follow the seven years of great
abundance are now coming throughout the land of
Egypt. When the famine has ravaged the land, no
trace of the abundance will be found in the land
because of the utterly severe famine that
follows it.
That Pharaoh had the same dream twice means that
the matter has been reaffirmed by God and that
God will soon bring it about. He also advises
Pharaoh to seek out a wise and discerning man
and to put him in charge of the land of Egypt.
Pharaoh should also take action to appoint
overseers, so as to control the land during the
seven years of abundance. They should store all
the food of the coming good years, and collect
the grain under Pharaoh's authority, to be
stored in the towns for food. This food will
serve as a reserve for the country against the
seven years of famine that are to follow in the
land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish
in the famine. |
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Joseph
Becomes Caretaker of All Egypt
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This advice
pleases Pharaoh and all his officials. The
Pharaoh appoints Joseph to be in charge of
his palace, and all his people shall follow
his command. He places Joseph in charge of
the whole land of Egypt, second only to
Pharaoh.
With that, Pharaoh takes off his signet ring
and puts it on Joseph's finger, making him
officially the seal-bearer of the king of
Lower Egypt. He also dresses Joseph in robes
of fine linen and puts a gold chain about
his neck, the symbol of high office in
Egypt.
Pharaoh then proclaims that without Joseph’s
approval no one shall move hand or foot in
all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh also bestows
the name of Zaphnath-paneah on Joseph, and
he gives him in marriage Asenath, the
daughter of Potiphera, priest |
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of
Heliopolis. Joseph is thirty years old when he
enters the service of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
After Joseph leaves Pharaoh's presence, he
travels throughout the land of Egypt. |
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Seven Years of Plenty, Seven Years of Famine |
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During the seven years of plenty, the land
produces abundant crops. Joseph husbands all
the food of these years of plenty and stores
it in the towns, placing in each town the
crops of the fields around it. Joseph
collects grain in quantities so vast like
the sands of the sea.
At this time Joseph becomes the father of
two sons, borne to him by Asenath, daughter
of Potiphera, priest of Heliopolis. He names
his first-born Manasseh and he names the
second Ephraim.
When the seven years of abundance enjoyed by
the land of Egypt comes to an end, the seven
years of famine set in, just as Joseph had
predicted. Although there is famine in all
the other countries, food is available
throughout the land of Egypt. When hunger
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comes throughout the land of Egypt and the
people cry to Pharaoh, Pharaoh directs all the
Egyptians to go to Joseph and do whatever he
tells them.
When the famine had spreads throughout the land,
Joseph opens all the cities that has the grain
stored within and rations it to the Egyptians.
Since famine is all over the whole world the
entire world comes to Joseph to obtain rations
of grain.
When Jacob learns that grain rations are
available in Egypt, he sends his sons to go down
to Egypt and buy some for them. Joseph's full
brother Benjamin stays behind with Jacob because
Jacob fears some disaster that might befall him.
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For the
Complete Story of Joseph, please use this
links. |
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Joseph is sold to Ishmaelites
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Joseph Meets His Brothers in
Egypt
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Joseph Is Reunited with his Father in
Egypt
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Samson and Delilah and Other Old Testament
Stories (Discovering the Bible)
(Hardcover) by Victoria Parker (Author), Retold
by Victoria Parker (Author)
This book provides known Bible stories from
Israel in the Promised land to the Story of
Ruth. It has the stories we grew up with but it
adds historical and religious facts to each
story. It tells the stories gearing them toward
elementary school children. |
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Moses Great Lives Series: Volume 4 ,
by Charles R. Swindoll. This book presents the
Bible's real Moses-the Moses who tried to
decline his assignment from God; the Moses who
dazzled Pharoh; the Moses who received the Ten
Commandments; the Moses who was disobedient and
weak; the Moses who was the greatest leader of
God's people in all of history. Through his
faith and selfless dedication, Moses continually
chose to follow God's will through difficult and
seemingly impossible situations.
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Jacob and Esau
by Harriette Augusta Curtiss and F. Homer
Curtiss (Paperback - Dec 30, 2005) |
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The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction &
Commentary
by J. A. Motyer
Recipient of a Christianity Today 1994 Critics
Choice Award! Among Old Testament prophetic
books no other equals Isaiah's brilliance of
style and metaphor, its arresting vision of the
Holy One of Israel and its kaleidoscopic vision
of God's future restoration of Israel and the
world. Now, after over three decades of studying
and teaching Isaiah, Alec Motyer presents a
wealth of commentary and perspective on this
book. |
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Saint of the Day: Lives, Lessons, and Feasts
(Paperback)
by Leonard Foley (Editor), Pat McCloskey
(Editor) |
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Lives of the
Saints You Should Know by Margaret R. Bunson,
Matthew E. Bunson |
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New Illustrated Book of Saints
Author: Catholic Book Publishing Company |
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One Hundred Saints: Their Lives and Likenesses
Drawn from Butler's
This is a coffee-table collection of 100 popular
saints illustrated with art works taken from
international galleries. The saints are listed
alphabetically in a valuable table of contents,
with a larger list of patron saints following
the text. Inclusion is based on popularity
within the Christian world and the
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availability of
atypical art works. Entries are generally based
on the 1926-38 edition of Butler's Lives of the
Saints, with the length of each entry varying
from one-half page to several pages. Short
entries giving written insight into the lives of
pious individuals are combined with depictions
rendered by artists such as Raphael and El
Greco. An inexpensive tribute to art and faith
more appropriate for gift-giving than for
libraries. |
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Apologetics |
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Mary
and the Saints |
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Mass
and the Eucharist |
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Prayers |
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Novenas |
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The Rosary |
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Traditional Prayers:
Discover the origin of your favorite prayer. We might
even have the original Latin version, too. |
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Novenas:
Learn how
to say a novena in honor of your favorite
Saint.
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Archived Articles |
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Prayer Requests |
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Tours and Pilgrimages |
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