Genesis: Joseph

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1. Joseph was born to Rachael while Jacob was still serving Laban at Paddam Aram in Haran.
25 After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland. 26 Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you, and I will be on my way. You know how much work I've done for you."
Genesis 30: 25

2. Israel favored Joseph the most among all his eleven sons born to him.
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
Genesis 37: 3 - 4

3. God gave Joseph the ability to interpret dreams. Joseph prophesied that he will rule over his brothers and his parents one day.
5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it."
8 His brothers said to him, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?" And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.
9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me."
Genesis 37: 5 - 9

4. Joseph's brothers became very jealous of him that they sold him away to the Midianites for twenty shekels of silver.
28 So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
Genesis 37: 28

5. Eventually, the Midianites sold Joseph to Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh's officials and a captain of the guard. God prospered Joseph in everything Joseph did that even Potiphar took notice that God was with Joseph. Thus, Potiphar placed everything that he owned into the care of Joseph because he trusted Joseph.
1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.
2 The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. 5 From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. 6 So he left in Joseph's care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.
Now Joseph was well-built and handsome,
Genesis 39: 1 - 7

6. Potiphar's started to take a liking of Joseph, and tried to seduce Joseph to bed with her, but Joseph refused and ran away from her. However, he left his cloak behind. Thus, she used this cloak to accuse Joseph for seducing her to bed instead. Potiphar was so angry that he throw Joseph into jail.
16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him this story: "That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18 But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house."

19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, "This is how your slave treated me," he burned with anger. 20 Joseph's master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined.
But while Joseph was there in the prison,
Genesis 39: 16 - 20

7. While in prison, God was still with Joseph and He showed His favor to Joseph by putting him in-charged of all the prisoners.
21 the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.
Genesis 39: 21 - 23

8. The chief cupbearer and the chief baker were also thrown in prison. They became very troubled of their dreams that they asked Joseph to help interpret them. However, Joseph told them that he was unable, but God is able to help them interpret for them.
8 "We both had dreams," they answered, "but there is no one to interpret them."
Then Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams."
Genesis 40: 8

9. On the third day, God fulfilled what Joseph told them. The chief cupbearer was restored to his position, while the chief baker was hanged.
20 Now the third day was Pharaoh's birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: 21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh's hand, 22 but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.
Genesis 40: 20 - 22

10. The Pharaoh was very troubled with his dreams that he summon all the magician and wise men of Egypt but none of them were able to interpret his dreams. Thus, the chief cupbearer who remembered Joseph recommended Joseph to the Pharaoh. God interpreted the Pharaoh's dreams, and Joseph told the Pharaoh that a famine was coming, which would last for seven years after seven years of abundance in Egypt.
28 "It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, 30 but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. 31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. 32 The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.
Genesis 41: 28 - 32

11. The Pharaoh eventually made Joseph the second-in-command of the whole of Egypt.
39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you."
Joseph in Charge of Egypt
41 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt." 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and men shouted before him, "Make way!" Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.
Genesis 41: 39 - 43

12. The famine was so bad that Jacob the father of Joseph had to send his ten sons to Egypt to buy grain.
1 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you just keep looking at each other?" 2 He continued, "I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die."
Genesis 42: 1 - 2

13. Joseph eventually made his ten brothers send for their younger brother Benjamin who did not come to Egypt to buy grain by claiming that their were spies.
14 Joseph said to them, "It is just as I told you: You are spies! 15 And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!" 17 And he put them all in custody for three days.
Genesis 42: 14 - 17

14. When his younger brother Benjamin came to Egypt, Joseph asked about Jacob, his father, and eventually revealed himself to his brothers that he was Joseph. Next, Joseph started to weep and reconcile with his brothers.
12 "You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. 13 Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly."
14 Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.
Genesis 45: 12 - 15

15. When the Pharaoh heard of the arrival of Joseph's brothers, he welcomed the whole household of Israel into Egypt by giving the best lands of Egypt, which was Goshen. The Pharaoh even sent carts to help transport Israel's family into Egypt. That was how the people of Israel came to settle in Egypt just to tide through the famine.
16 When the news reached Pharaoh's palace that Joseph's brothers had come, Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased. 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Tell your brothers, 'Do this: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan, 18 and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land.'
Genesis 45: 16 - 18

16. Jacob died in Egypt. Before his death, Jacob requested Joseph and the whole of Israel to bury him in the land of Canaan.
28 Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven. 29 When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, "If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried."
"I will do as you say," he said.
31 "Swear to me," he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
Genesis 47: 28 - 31

17. Jacob also took Manasseh and Ephraim, both sons of Joseph, and made them his sons, so that they were able to inherit in his blessings just like the other twelve sons of his.
5 "Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. 6 Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers.
Genesis 48: 5 - 6

18. Joseph too eventually died, and he made the whole Israel swore on an oath to take his body out of Egypt to be buried along with his forefathers.
24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." 25 And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place."
26 So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.
Genesis 50: 24 - 26

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