(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)
Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of the whole land of Egypt.
Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of the whole land of Egypt.
He put his signet ring on Joseph’s finger. Ancient kings used signet rings to designate
authority, honor or ownership. A signet
contained an emblem unique to the king.
Official documents were sealed with a dollop of soft wax impressed with
the king’s signet, usually kept on a ring on his finger. Such a seal certified the document as genuine,
much like a notary public’s stamp today.
Later in biblical history we can read in Kings
21:8 of the evil Queen Jezebel taking King Arab’s signet ring and writing
letters in Ahab’s name and sealing them with his seal. The ring’s stamp gave her letters the king’s
authority.
In Daniel 6:17 a signet ring was used to seal a
stone covering a lions’ den. A stone was
brought and laid on the mouth of the den and the king sealed it with his own
signet and with the signet of his lords that nothing might be charged
concerning Daniel.
A royal
signet ring is also featured in Genesis 41:41 and Esther 8:8. We read in Haggai 2:23; “On that day,
declares the LORD Almighty, I will take you, my servant, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel” declares the LORD, ‘and I will make you like
my signet ring, for I have chosen you.”
In Haggai’s prophecy God is giving Zerubbabel encouragement and hope. The governor is “chosen” for a unique and
noble purpose. As God’s signet ring, Zerubbabel is given a place of honor and
authority. He sits in the place of the authority of God. God is reinstating the
Davidic line and renewing His covenant with David. Judah still has a future as they look forward
to the coming Son of David, the Messiah, who would one day overturn royal
thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. But this is another story for another day!
For now, just realize the power of the signet ring. It means all authority of the King! Joseph was given this much power over Egypt, yet he was a foreigner and a man who had educated himself after his childhood captivity and enslavement. The one who had once been an innocent prisoner now stood with all the power of the land because of the ring on his finger.
For now, just realize the power of the signet ring. It means all authority of the King! Joseph was given this much power over Egypt, yet he was a foreigner and a man who had educated himself after his childhood captivity and enslavement. The one who had once been an innocent prisoner now stood with all the power of the land because of the ring on his finger.
The fact that Pharaoh removed his own ring and
placed it on Joseph’s finger also carries great significance. It is as if this event wiped the slate clean for
Joseph, and nothing would ever be held against his honor again, much like when
the prodigal son came home and the happy Father gave him a ring and a
robe.
Pharaoh could have ordered another ring to be
made, but he did not; he removed HIS ring and placed the only ring that made
the signet within the power of Joseph. What
had once belonged only to Pharaoh now belonged equally as well to Joseph. This showed Pharaoh’s great royal favor and
was a token of the high office and great dignity to which Joseph was being
promoted.
This act of “favor” has often played out down
through the halls of history.
We know among the Romans when anyone was put into the equestrian order,
a ring was given to him, even though originally none but knights were allowed
to wear rings. Sometimes rings were used
to designate a successor in the kingdom, such as the time when Alexander was
dying and he took off his ring from his finger and gave it to Perdicca and it
was then understood though he did not express it, that Perdicca should become
his successor.
In the Apocrypha 1 Maccabees 6 speaks of this
act of the significance of rings: “Then
called he for Philip, one of his friends, who he made ruler over all his
realm. And gave him the crown, and his
robe, and his signet, to the end he should bring up his son Antiochus, and
nourish him up for the kingdom.
In today's story, though Pharaoh was not pointing Joseph out as
his successor to his kingdom, he did give him his ring as a mark of honor and trust. It stood as a mark of Joseph being in place next to Pharaoh's viceroy or deputy and the ring
contained all the rights for him to seal public deeds and patents.
Also, Pharaoh dressed Joseph in robes of fine
linen and put a gold chain
around his neck.
Again, this was a way of showing honor and dignity and a way of
proclaiming Pharaoh’s permission for Joseph to hold high power in the
kingdom.
The same honor was later bestowed upon Daniel
when he revealed the meaning of the writing on the wall to the pagan king who
let Jerusalem fall to waste.
Also, one cannot help but recall the story of the
evil villain named Haman telling the king that one who honors him should be
dressed in fine linen and given a purple robe and a gold chain and led through
the city with someone proclaiming his honor.
Then the king gave it to Mordecai and crushed the evil plot of Haman to
his own disgrace and he was humbled by having to lead the horse and make the
public announcement.
All through the ages rings and robes and gold chains have been used to honor men and show them in a place of authority. One cannot help but pause here to remember how Joseph had been stripped of his beautiful coat of many colors and robbed of the heritage and authority of his Father's house as a young boy. Now God had restored all that Joseph had lost and more. Good men should not worry about their innocent loses; they should do as Joseph did and wait on God, who sees and knows all, to restore what was wrongfully done to them. The scales of justice always swing around to those who follow God in due time.
All through the ages rings and robes and gold chains have been used to honor men and show them in a place of authority. One cannot help but pause here to remember how Joseph had been stripped of his beautiful coat of many colors and robbed of the heritage and authority of his Father's house as a young boy. Now God had restored all that Joseph had lost and more. Good men should not worry about their innocent loses; they should do as Joseph did and wait on God, who sees and knows all, to restore what was wrongfully done to them. The scales of justice always swing around to those who follow God in due time.
Pharaoh gave Joseph a chariot and made Joseph
second in command. When Joseph rode by
people shouted “Make way!” because Joseph was in charge of all of Egypt and the
people looked up to him with great respect.
Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “I am Pharaoh, but
without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all of Egypt.”
Joseph was given the Egyptian name of Zaphenath-Peneah. This name means “revealer of secrets.” Some have even translated it to mean “Savior of the World.” The Spirit of God in Joseph had revealed very important and valuable information, valuable enough to have saved the lives of all the people in all the land. Pharaoh recognized this and appreciated this. He honors Joseph with the new name and the new name commands the total respect and loyalty of the people of the land. One day God will give each and every one of us a new name, a name that will proclaim the purposes He designed for our lives, a name that will replace the lies of the world and announce the truth of God. A new name was an honorable thing for Joseph. He would not longer be remembered as that slave, that prisoner, that man who had nothing.
Joseph was given the Egyptian name of Zaphenath-Peneah. This name means “revealer of secrets.” Some have even translated it to mean “Savior of the World.” The Spirit of God in Joseph had revealed very important and valuable information, valuable enough to have saved the lives of all the people in all the land. Pharaoh recognized this and appreciated this. He honors Joseph with the new name and the new name commands the total respect and loyalty of the people of the land. One day God will give each and every one of us a new name, a name that will proclaim the purposes He designed for our lives, a name that will replace the lies of the world and announce the truth of God. A new name was an honorable thing for Joseph. He would not longer be remembered as that slave, that prisoner, that man who had nothing.
Joseph was given Asenath, the daughter of
Potiphera, the priest of On, as a wife.
It would seem that Joseph had no choice in the giving of his wife, but God used this marriage to strengthen Joseph's new position as a national leader.
The city of On was also known as Heliopolis, 'The City of the Sun.' It was the center of worship of the sun god, Ra and it was located 10 miles northeast of modern day Cairo. This pagan woman and her family certainly would not have been Joseph's choice had he been given power over the decision, nonetheless, it happened. I can imagine that a few of the family gatherings might have been very uncomfortable though, and maybe the children might have been a bit sheltered from their grandfather! Joseph certainly would have NEVER participated in any type of pagan worship.
The high priest in On, Joseph's Egyptian father-in-law held the title of "Greatest of Seers." When Joseph married into this family, he joined a social class befitting a national leader. Also implied in the marriage arrangement was Pharaoh's confidence that Joseph, too, was a 'seer,' or prophet, of the highest caliber. The Egyptians believed in many gods, so they would not have thought this arrangement strange. We do not know whether or not Asenath was truly a pagan, or if maybe there might have been a chance that she became a believer in The One True God of Joseph. I like to hope that was the case. At any rate, though it was a strange arrangement of a marriage, Joseph did not sin by taking Asenath as his wife. He was given no choice in the matter.
Further, the Old Testament Law had not yet been given. The New Testament teachings regarding marriage did not yet exist. There were no laws or guidelines set at the time of Joseph. All marriages were honorable. In addition, God worked through Joseph's marriage for it to serve as a blessing to many and to become an important part of the history of God's people.
Joseph was only thirty years old when he was given charge of Egypt under Pharaoh. He began to travel throughout Egypt and during his time of reign the land produced abundantly. When the crops came in Joseph collected all the food produced for the next seven years and stored it in the cities. He put the food grown in the cities fields inside storage buildings within that city. In other words, each city was commanded to store away its own grain.
The quantities of grain Joseph stored were like the sands of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.
During these times of plenty Joseph and Asenath
had two sons.
They named the first born Manasseh and Joseph said “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.”
He named the second son Ephraim and on his birth Joseph said: “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”
The seven years of abundance passed quickly, and
just as the dream had foretold, the seven years of famine came. There was famine in all the lands, but Egypt
had food! It would seem that Joseph had no choice in the giving of his wife, but God used this marriage to strengthen Joseph's new position as a national leader.
The city of On was also known as Heliopolis, 'The City of the Sun.' It was the center of worship of the sun god, Ra and it was located 10 miles northeast of modern day Cairo. This pagan woman and her family certainly would not have been Joseph's choice had he been given power over the decision, nonetheless, it happened. I can imagine that a few of the family gatherings might have been very uncomfortable though, and maybe the children might have been a bit sheltered from their grandfather! Joseph certainly would have NEVER participated in any type of pagan worship.
The high priest in On, Joseph's Egyptian father-in-law held the title of "Greatest of Seers." When Joseph married into this family, he joined a social class befitting a national leader. Also implied in the marriage arrangement was Pharaoh's confidence that Joseph, too, was a 'seer,' or prophet, of the highest caliber. The Egyptians believed in many gods, so they would not have thought this arrangement strange. We do not know whether or not Asenath was truly a pagan, or if maybe there might have been a chance that she became a believer in The One True God of Joseph. I like to hope that was the case. At any rate, though it was a strange arrangement of a marriage, Joseph did not sin by taking Asenath as his wife. He was given no choice in the matter.
Further, the Old Testament Law had not yet been given. The New Testament teachings regarding marriage did not yet exist. There were no laws or guidelines set at the time of Joseph. All marriages were honorable. In addition, God worked through Joseph's marriage for it to serve as a blessing to many and to become an important part of the history of God's people.
Joseph was only thirty years old when he was given charge of Egypt under Pharaoh. He began to travel throughout Egypt and during his time of reign the land produced abundantly. When the crops came in Joseph collected all the food produced for the next seven years and stored it in the cities. He put the food grown in the cities fields inside storage buildings within that city. In other words, each city was commanded to store away its own grain.
The quantities of grain Joseph stored were like the sands of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.
They named the first born Manasseh and Joseph said “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.”
He named the second son Ephraim and on his birth Joseph said: “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”
When all of Egypt began to feel the famine the people cried out to Pharaoh and Pharaoh told them to go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you to do. So Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians.
Soon the famine spread throughout the whole world and all the people of the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph.