The Story of Joseph

    

    Joseph was born in the Mesopotamian town of Haran, to his parents Jacob and Rachel. At the age of six,2 he left Haran along with his family and journeyed to the land of Canaan, eventually settling in Hebron.

    Jacob displayed extra affection to Joseph, who was born to his father’s old age, presenting him with a specially-crafted garment. This prompted feelings of jealousy within his brothers, especially the sons of Jacob’s other wife, Leah. These ill feelings exacerbated when Joseph repeated two of his dreams to them, in which he was portrayed as ruling over his brethren. In the first, the brothers were gathering wheat in the field, and the brothers’ bundles bowed to Joseph’s bundle. In the second, Joseph envisioned the sun, the moon, and eleven stars (symbolizing his parents and brothers) bowing to him.

    Soon enough, when Joseph was seventeen, the tension came to a head.

    One day, Jacob instructed Joseph to visit his brothers in Shechem, where they were tending their sheep. Little did he know that this would be the last time he would see his dear son, until their reunion a long twenty-two years later.

    Seizing their chance, the brothers threw the unsuspecting Joseph into a pit. A short while later they spotted an Arab caravan passing the scene, and the brothers sold Joseph to the traders. He was eventually brought to Egypt, where he was sold to Potiphar, one of King Pharaoh’s ministers.

    For a while, things started to look up for young Joseph. Divine success enabled him to find favor in his master’s eyes, and he was appointed head of Potiphar’s estate. However, this would not last for long.

    Attracted by his handsome looks, Potiphar’s wife desired to be intimate with him. To her consternation, Joseph continuously refused. One day, when no one was home other than the two of them, the mistress grasped Joseph’s garment, demanding that he consent. Thinking quickly, Joseph slid out of his cloak and ran outside. This self-control earned him the appellation, “Joseph the righteous.”3

    But Potiphar’s wife turned the tables on Joseph, telling her husband that it was Joseph who had tried to entice her. The angry master reacted by placing his trustworthy assistant in prison.

    Joseph’s charisma followed him to prison as well, and the warden soon appointed him as his right-hand man. In time, his unique qualities expressed themselves in an additional area: when the king’s royal cupbearer and baker were imprisoned, Joseph successfully interpreted their dreams, correctly predicting that the cupbearer would be released and the baker, hanged.

    Two years later, King Pharaoh himself envisioned two dreams, which none of his advisors were able to explain. Remembering the Hebrew youth from his prison days, the cupbearer suggested that Joseph be summoned. Joseph, then thirty, interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams as being a Divine prediction for seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine, and advised Pharaoh to prepare by storing grain during the first seven years. Impressed by Joseph’s wisdom, Pharaoh appointed him as his viceroy, second only to the king himself, and tasked him with readying the nation for the years of famine.

    Meanwhile, the effects of the famine were felt in nearby Canaan. Hearing that there was grain in Egypt, Joseph’s brothers journeyed there to buy precious food from the viceroy, not realizing that he was their very own brother.

    Joseph decided to utilize this opportunity to observe whether his brothers truly regretted having sold him. Using a succession of dramatic maneuvers, Joseph tested his brothers’ determination to save their youngest brother Benjamin—Joseph’s only maternal brother—from the plot he set up for him. Once he saw their devotion toward Benjamin, Joseph finally revealed his identity to his astonished siblings.

    Following this heartfelt reunion, Jacob and his family settled in the Goshen section of Egypt. This series of events served as the backdrop for Israel’s ultimate enslavement in Egypt and the subsequent Exodus.

After appointing Joseph as viceroy, Pharaoh gave him as a wife Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. Midrashic sources identify Potiphera as none other than Potiphar, Joseph’s previous master.4

    Joseph and Asenath had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, both born during the seven years of plenty. Before Jacob’s death, he gave Joseph a gift: his children would be the only ones from among Jacob’s grandsons to be treated as independent tribes.5 Indeed, throughout the Jews’ journey in the desert, the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim received equal status to the other tribes, and they inherited individual portions of the Land of Israel.

-THE END-

    When Joseph gets a lovely coat from his parents, his brothers become even more envious of him, and they are forced to sell him to desert merchants who transport him to Egypt. He was hired as a servant by a wealthy Egyptian, who misunderstands him and gets him imprisoned because of his actions. Interpreting the dreams of two other convicts shows his God-given ability. After a while, the Pharaoh is disturbed by nightmares, prompting him to summon Joseph, who interprets them and rescues Egypt from extinction. He is promoted to the position of second in command to Pharaoh, and he is to store most of Egypt's grain. The day comes when he must forgive his brothers for having arrived in Egypt to purchase food because of the famine. Then he discovered that the dreams that had enraged his brothers were divine prophecies sent to him by God.

    Several places are mentioned in the account, including the massive valley of Hebron in Canaan, the lovely valley of Shechem in Canaan (50 miles distant), and a prosperous country in Egypt. The characters are Joseph: as a young boy, he is modest and respectful; as an adult, he is humble, an excellent dream interpreter, a successful ruler, and administrator; as a child, he is quiet and respectful. Baker: one who has a dream that he is beheaded, Butler: one who is set free, Pharoah: King of Egypt, Rachel: Joseph's mother, Jacob: Joseph's father, Reuben: the eldest, Benjamin: the youngest, Potiphar: the one who assisted Joseph, and Potiphar's wife: the one who attempted to seduce Joseph are all characters in the book of Genesis that appear.

    The issue is brought to the forefront early in the story when Jacob treats Joseph more favorably than his other sons. The tension between Jacob and his sons and Joseph and his brothers is escalated even more when the siblings angrily notice this special treatment and develop strong resentment and hate against Joseph and his brothers. The tension was unintentionally exacerbated when Joseph foolishly revealed to his brothers a vivid and profoundly important dream in which he would reign over them - and that even his mother and father will submit to him in adoration. His siblings' resentment and hostility became even more vital because of this revelation.

    The climax of the story came when Joseph burst into tears. He couldn't keep his emotions under control anymore, so he kicked the Egyptian guys out of the home. And it was then that he confessed to them he was, in reality, their younger brother Joseph. He sobbed so loudly that even the Egyptian families could hear him from the street. The boys were utterly still and unable to say anything. He drew them closer to him and informed them about the events that had transpired, ensuring them that what they had arranged for evil, God had planned for good. When they arrived in Egypt, he instructed them to take care of their father and his whole family, who would be housed in the province of Goshen.

    The thing I learned from the narrative was that envy could bring a family to its knees. Sibling rivalry is typical in a family, but anything as extreme as Joseph's brothers did was unacceptable. Another point is that even though Joseph has gone through incredible experiences, his character has not changed. Others continue to see him with admiration and confidence. In addition, it taught us to be conscientious and productive workers for the Lord's cause. At this point, God will always be there for us, protecting us even while we are in the thick of difficulties. Last, I learned that choosing forgiveness over resentment is an essential lesson.

Source: https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1968257758451477648/6890299014808885623