COME AS A CHILD LESSON 103 THE EGYPTIANS BECOME SLAVES OF PHARAOH

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

          So Jacob and all of Joseph’s brothers settled in the land of Egypt and Pharaoh gave them choice land in the district of Ramses, just as he had promised.  They prospered and did well there.  They, their children and grandchildren and their herds had food and shelter because of Joseph’s favor with Pharaoh.

          It wasn’t too long until Joseph had collected all the money in the land and placed it inside Pharaoh’s treasury in exchange for food.  Both Canaan and Egypt continued to suffer from drought and produced no crops.  When all of the people ran out of money they cried out to Joseph, “Give us food!  We have given you everything that we have and we are still hungry!”

          Joseph told the people to bring their cattle,sheep, goats, horses and donkeys  in exchange for food from Pharaoh.  They did and everyone came through that year of famine by trading all of their livestock to Pharaoh for food.

          The next year was the same story.  The horrible famine continued. The people came before Joseph needing food.  They said they had nothing left to trade for seed to plant to grow food, so they offered themselves as servants to Pharaoh and their land as collateral for food.  So Joseph bought every citizen and all of their land and put them into service for Pharaoh, except for the priest of the land, because Pharaoh allotted them land and had allotted them seed to grow their own food and they were not in need.  The rest of the Egyptians though, were now Pharaoh’s slaves.  Pharaoh owned all of their land and all of their livestock. 

          Joseph, however, was a fair man.  When all the people became slaves, he gave each of them seed to plant to grow and harvest for food.  He made a new law in the land, which remained in effect throughout time, that all of the people would give one fifth of their produce to Pharaoh.  They were able to keep four fifths of the crops they grew for seed and for food for themselves, and the other portion belonged to Pharaoh.  I guess you could say that Joseph established the first official government tax system.  Only the land that belonged to the priest of the land was not taken or taxed.  That land remained free and was used by the priest for sustaining their households.

          Not only does one begin to see how the first government taxes came about here, one also begins to see that taxation by the government is also a form of slavery.  The people were in bondage to Pharaoh, yet they were able to take what he allowed in order to sustain themselves.  It was only preferable if one had no other choice but death by starvation.  This was the case.  It could be said that Pharaoh gained all of his wealth from the suffering of his people.  They bargained with him in order that they might live.  Joseph brought balance into this equation.  He allowed the people to flourish in spite of their bondage to their leader.

          By this time Jacob's family was well established in the land of Goshen.  They multiplied and grew and were very fruitful in the land.  Their numbers increased greatly. 

          Jacob lived in Egypt for seventeen years.  He lived to be 147 years old.  When Israel was so old and tired that he could only worship God by leaning on his staff, he requested a promise from Joseph.  “Bury me in the land of my fathers.  Do not forget this!  Do not leave my bones here in the land of Egypt but let me rest with my fathers in the land of my heritage.”

          Joseph made this faithful promise to the father that he loved with all of his heart.

COME AS A CHILD LESSON 100 JOSEPH REVEALS HIS IDENTITY

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Judah was deeply troubled that Joseph thought Benjamin had taken his silver cup.  He had offered himself as a substitute for Benjamin’s punishment, knowing that if he did not return with Benjamin his father would never forgive him.  He had also told his father that his own sons would be the one’s punished if anything happened to Benjamin.  This must have been a terrible time for Judah, who had done no wrong and was caught in the middle of Joseph’s scheme.

But, as Judah was pleading with Joseph, Joseph could no longer control himself and he cried out in a loud voice.  “Have everyone leave my presence!” 

When there was no one left in the room with Joseph, except his brothers, Joseph made himself known to them.  He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him.  Even Pharaoh’s household became aware of Joseph’s state. 

Finally, Joseph said to his brothers; “I am Joseph!  Is my father still living?”

Upon hearing his words his brothers became terrified!  They could not speak or answer.

Joseph beconed for them to come closer to him.  He said; “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!  And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.  For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping.  But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.  So then it was not you who sent me here, but God.  He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.  Now hurry back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says:  God has made me lord of all Egypt.  Come down to me; don’t delay.  You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me – you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have.  I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come.  Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.”

Joseph turned to his brothers who were still in amazement and continued:  “You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you.  Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen.  And bring my father down here quickly.”

At that point, Joseph threw his arms around Benjamin and wept.  Benjamin embraced Joseph, weeping too.  Joseph kissed all of his brothers and wept over them.  Afterward they talked and talked.  They had a lot of catching up to do!

With all the commotion and the confusion of Joseph’s assistants, the news soon reached Pharaoh and all of his officials were pleased.  Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this:  Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan, 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.”

Pharaoh also told them:  “Take some carts from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come.  Never mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours.”

So the sons of Israel did as they were instructed.  Joseph gave them carts as Pharaoh had commanded and he also gave them provisions for their journey.  He gave them all new clothes, and to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothes.  He sent ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt and ten female donkeys loaded wit grain and bread and other provisions to his father for his journey back. 

He said goodbye to his brothers and sent them on their way admonishing them not to quarrel on the way.

They left Egypt in a daze.  When they reached their father Jacob in the land of Canaan they told him that Joseph was still alive!  Then they told him he was ruler of Egypt!

Jacob was stunned. 

At first he did not believe them.  The carts full of provisions that Joseph had sent finally convinced him.

 Jacob’s spirit revived!  Can you imagine his amazement?  He was full of joy knowing that Joseph was still alive and he would see him again!  

God was granting Jacob unexpected happiness in his old age!  It was a glorious impossible that only God could have brought about.  

COME AS A CHILD LESSON 98 TRAVELING BACK TO EGYPT

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

For a long time Israel/Jacob was very stubborn about letting the brothers of Joseph take Benjamin back to the land of Egypt.  He did not want them to take him away! 

But the grain they brought was beginning to dwindle down, and they soon would be hungry again.   One day Jacob told them to go back to Egypt and buy more food.  Judah reminded their father that they had been warned that they would not be allowed to buy any more food unless they brought Benjamin with them.  They could not go without him.

Jacob in all of his sorrow asked the logical question:  “Why did you tell the man you had a younger brother in the first place?”

They replied:  “The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family.  “Is your father still living?  Do you have another brother?”  We simply answered his questions.  How were we to know he would say, “Bring your brother down here?”

Then Judah said to his father, Israel (Jacob) “Send the boy along with us and we will go at once so that we all can live and not die.  I will guarantee the safety of Benjamin.  You can hold me personally responsible for him.  If I do not bring him back to you I will bear the blame before you all of the rest of my life.  By now we could have already made the journey and returned twice.  It is not good to wait any longer."  

Finally Israel agreed.  He really had no choice. 

He told the brothers to put some of the finest products of the land into their sacks to give to the man.  They took balm and honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.  They took double the amount of silver, one amount to pay for new food and one amount to repay what had been returned to them, and they took Benjamin. 

Israel stayed behind and mourned.  He prayed for God to have mercy on all of them. 

The brothers hurried to Egypt and presented themselves before Joseph.  When Joseph saw them and that they had Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his household:  “Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare a meal, they are to eat with me at noon.”

The servant did exactly as he was told.  The brothers were very frightened when they were taken to Joseph’s house.  They thought, ‘we were brought here because of the silver that was put into our sacks the first time.  He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys.’  

They went up to Joseph’s steward and said “We beg your pardon, our lord; we came down here the first time to buy food.  But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver – the exact weight – in the mouth of his sack.  So we have brought it back with us.  We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food.  We don’t know who put our silver in our sacks.”

“It is alright” the servant said.  “Do not be afraid.  Your God, the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks.  I received your silver.

Then the servant of Joseph brought Simeon out to them.  After they gladly and warmly greeted Simeon the servant took them into Joseph’s house and gave them water to wash their feet and provided fodder for their donkeys.  They prepared their gifts for Joseph’s arrival at noon, because they had heard they were to eat with him. 

When Joseph arrived and greeted them, they presented their gifts and they bowed down to the ground before him.  He asked them how they were doing and he inquired about the health of their aged father.  He asked if the father was still living.

Once again, they bowed and answered Joseph that the father was alive and well. 

Joseph walked over to Benjamin and asked if he was the youngest brother.  They nodded and Joseph said “God be gracious to you, my son.” 

Joseph was so deeply moved at seeing his brother Benjamin, the only other son of his own mother, that he had to hurry out of the room and look for a place to weep.  He went into his own private room and wept.  He finally composed himself again, came back out and said “Serve the food.”

Egyptians do not eat with Hebrews.  That is detestable to Egyptians.  So they served Joseph by himself in one area of the room, the other Egyptians that were there in another section of the room, and the brothers of Joseph were separated into the section of the room with Joseph.   Joseph’s brothers were then seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest.  This astonished them, and they looked silently at each other in wonder  

When the food came, from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s portions were five times as much as anyone else’s.  They did not know what to make of all this, they simply feasted and drank freely with him.  

COME AS A CHILD LESSON 96 HOW JOSEPH SAVED EGYPT

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

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. 

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.  

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 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!  

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. 

COME AS A CHILD LESSON 95 PHARAOH HAS A DREAM

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Years went by.  Joseph continued his imprisonment.  The cupbearer went happily about his own life, never mentioning Joseph.  One thing to note about Joseph.  He didn't get bitter.  He didn't whine about how unfair life was to him.  He didn't blame God for his bad circumstances.  As a matter of fact; he leaned on God to help him through his circumstances.  Joseph was content and thankful in every place where God put him.  He simply trusted God for better days when things were not so well.  He did not lose faith.

One night, Pharaoh had a dream.  In this dream he was standing by the Nile River.  Out of the river came up seven cows.  They were sleek and fat and they grazed among the reeds.  After those cows came seven other cows.  They were ugly and gaunt.  They came up out of the Nile and stood beside the fat cows on the riverbank.  Then the cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows.  After that Pharaoh woke up.

Perhaps this dream disturbed him, but he didn’t speak of it to anyone.  He was probably pondering what it meant and wondering if it was significant.  Maybe he would have let it pass, but he had yet another dream.  In the second dream he saw seven heads of grain.  They were healthy and good to eat and were growing on a single stalk.  After that he saw seven other heads of grain.  They were sprouted and thin and scorched by the east wind.  The seven thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy heads of grain. 

Well, this time Pharaoh WAS troubled.  Two similar dreams that he knew meant something, but he wasn’t sure what they meant.  It troubled him so much that he sent for his magicians and wise men.  Each man listened carefully to Pharaoh’s dream, but not one of them had an interpretation. 

Of course, the Chief Cupbearer was standing guard over Pharaoh and watching all of this as it transpired.  Suddenly he regained his memory!  He thought of Joseph.  He said to Pharaoh:  “Today I am reminded of my shortcomings.  Pharaoh was once angry with his servants, and he imprisoned me and the chief baker in the house of the captain of the guard.  Each of us had a dream the same night.  Each dream had a meaning of its own.  Now a young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard.  We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, giving each man the interpretation of his dream.  And things turned out exactly as he interpreted them to us.  I was restored to my position, and the other man was impaled.

On hearing this Pharaoh sent immediately for Joseph.  They brought him out of the dungeon, allowed him to shave and change his clothes and sent him to meet Pharaoh.  Pharaoh said to Joseph:  “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it.  But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.

Joseph, always quick to give God the Glory for what God allowed him to do said:  “I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”

Pharaoh just kept talking:  “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, when out of the river there came seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds.  After them, seven other cows came up – scrawny and very ugly and lean.  I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt.  The lean ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first.  But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before.  Then I woke up.

Joseph didn’t say a word and Pharaoh kept talking.  He began to tell Joseph about the second dream.

“In my dream I saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk.  After them, seven other heads sprouted – withered and thin and scorched by the east wind.  The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads.  I told this to the magicians, but none of them could explain it to me.”

God gave Joseph the meaning of both dreams.  He said to Pharaoh:  “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same.  God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.  The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and same dream.  The seven lean, ugly cows that came afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind.  They are seven years of famine.  It is just as I said to Pharaoh.  God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.  Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them.  Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land.  The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe.  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.   And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt.  Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.  They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food.  This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.”

Pharaoh accepted Joseph’s interpretation of the dreams, and Joseph’s advise seemed good to him.  So Pharaoh asked those who ruled under him:  “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?”  He turned to Joseph and said:  “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you.  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.”   

God had given Joseph a good day!  

Little did anyone realize that God had given the sons of Abraham and the Family of God a way to keep from starving in the years to come.  He did it through His servant Joseph.  Because of Joseph Israel and His children would maintain life.  Because the Family of Abraham was being provided for by God; the children of Egypt benefited also.  Not one person realized exactly all that was going on.  No one saw or knew that Joseph had been put into his circumstances in order to preserve the ancestors of the coming Messiah.  They were simply thinking of their own stomachs.  Sometimes God even uses our greed and our twisted human nature for the benefit of The Kingdom of Heaven.  All anyone knew was that their own set of circumstances might bring them trouble and they must begin to prepare.  What better person to help them do this than Joseph, the one who interpreted dreams, who remembered details, who followed instructions and finished things well.

Joseph was released from prison and moved into a palace all in one day.  When God is in control, things can change quickly.  This was the moment Joseph had waited and prayed for.  God’s answer was better than any he could have visualized for himself.  Joseph went right to work managing Pharaoh’s palace.  

COME AS A CHILD LESSON 92 JOSEPH ENCOUNTERS MORE TROUBLE

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Back in Egypt, young Joseph was beginning his life as a slave in the house of Potipher.

 

Potipher was one of Pharaoh’s top officials.  Potipher’s Captain of The Guard had purchased Joseph from the Ishmaelites.

 

In his life as a slave, everything that Joseph touched seemed to go well.  This was soon observed by Potipher.  Joseph knew this blessings happened to him because he worshiped The One God of Heaven and Earth.  Joseph knew God was looking down on him and showing him favor in his circumstances.  Potipher just knew Joseph was a perfect servant.  He listened well.  He followed instructions well.  He did his job thoroughly.  He could be counted upon.  Potipher eventually trained Joseph to be his personal assistant.  He trusted Joseph with all that he owned and he noticed more and more that the hand of God was upon Joseph. 

Eventually Potipher put his whole house under the good leadership of Joseph.  Because Joseph was living in the household of Potipher, God blessed Potipher’s home.  His house was blessed and his fields were blessed because of the presence of Joseph, who worshiped God.  With Joseph in charge Potipher had no concerns but to eat, drink and be merry.

Joseph grew into a handsome young man.  Every woman noticed him.  Eventually, so did Potipher’s wife.  She tried to seduce Joseph and entice him to have an affair with her.  Joseph did not respond, yet she did not give up.  Finally Joseph had a conversation with her and explained that Potipher had trusted him with his whole household and God had blessed Potipher because of Joseph.  Because of this loyalty and honesty between them, if Potipher was blessed, Joseph was blessed.  Joseph explained that the only thing God had not given to him that he had given to Potipher was her.  She was Potipher’s wife, and it would be a sin against the God who was blessing them so for him to take her.  She did not seem to follow the conversation.  Joseph began to avoid her in his days.  She continued to speak with him every chance she got.  She tried very hard to wear him down, but Joseph did not encourage her or go to bed with her. 

One day Joseph came to work and no one was in the house but Joseph and Potipher’s wife.  She grabbed him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me.”  Joseph ran out of the house.  She had hold of his cloak, so he slipped out of it, pulled free, and left her standing there holding his cloak in her hands.  

Now we have learned earlier that a man’s “cloak” was usually an outer garment that symbolized who he was.  It usually had something on it that spoke of him as an individual.  It was worn as a decorative outer garment, much like liturgical priests wear over robes to liturgical services today.  It is more the size of a large scarf than a coat and it is worn on the top of the main outer shirt or garment.  

Perhaps this “cloak” could have been what Joseph had used to replace the “coat of many colors” that his father had given to him as a boy.  The coat of many colors was probably a cloak also. 

Perhaps Joseph had fashioned his new cloak in the same way as the old one that he loved so much, which his jealous brother’s had taken to his father stained with blood on it.  The blood had probably covered all the special designs and symbols that Jacob had fashioned for Joseph. 

The cloak was easy to pull off, since it was an “outer garment” used only for decoration and not worn as a full garment or a coat, but only for decorating the plain garment it topped.  The cloak was something that Hebrew men received when they became of age and wore throughout their lifetime.  It was individualized over the years to be symbolic of the events and decisions of a man’s life.  Significant things about the man were added over time, such as symbols for each child, or symbols for battles fought, or symbols for the land they owned, or things that pertained to their household; whatever was significant to the man.   Remember how Tamar had the cloak of Jacob?  It was positive proof of the fact that she had been with Jacob and no other man.  What was Potipher’s wife trying to pull with removing the cloak?  It could belong to no one else but Joseph.  The cloak clearly identified him. 

Joseph made the strong decision not to sin against God, even at the risk of losing something special that belonged to only him, something that symbolized his heritage and his life as a man; something that he had made to replace the special cloak which had been ripped away from him when he was sold into slavery.   Once again, out of evil and wrong motives, the identity of Joseph and everything he stood for was being ripped away from him and he was again totally innocent in the process. 

So Potipher’s wife was VERY mad and angry with Joseph for refusing her advances.  She was humiliated and probably very worried of what Joseph would say to her husband later. Most likely she was a very spoiled woman, used to always having her way.  She probably did not know the proper way to handle rejection.  She fumed around trying to decide what to do, now that she was in this strange predicament that she was not at all used to encountering.   

She devised a quick scheme, messed up her hair and her clothes and the room and called loudly to her servants for help.  They came running in from outside.  Some of them had probably seen Joseph leaving in a hurry and wondered what his haste was all about.  Some of them had probably seen the perplexed expression on his face.

When the servants entered the room where Potipher’s wife was screaming she was standing there crying and upset holding Joseph’s cloak.  She indicated to them, both through words and actions, that he had tried to rape her and she had resisted.  She explained that he left so fast when she screamed for help that he left his cloak behind.  The cloak made it clear that she was talking about Joseph.  After all, they had seen him running out of the house with that strange look on his face!  Poor Mrs. Potipher!  I wonder how many of the servants got a little raise in wages that week?

Later when Potipher came home, the story was repeated to him. All the witnesses were there. There was the cloak.  There were the faces of the servants who testified to her scream.  There was a sobbing, but unharmed wife clinging to Potipher for dear life.  Not wanting to hurt him, Joseph had never spoken to Potipher about his wife. 

It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day for Joseph!

Potipher, in his great anger, put Joseph in prison.  He must have been very hurt and confused that his faithful and loyal assistant had turned on him.  He probably blamed it all on his wife’s irresistible beauty and charm.  He must have comforted himself by saying to himself that at least her honor and dignity had been salvaged and she had not been hurt.  He must have been very proud of her bravery and willingness to resist such a handsome man as Joseph in order to stay true to him.  Oh bother! 

Too bad for Potipher and his household that the favor shown to Joseph by God in Potipher’s house followed Joseph to prison. 

While Joseph was in prison the warden found him to be a worthy and honorable man.  He discovered he could trust Joseph with anything.  He saw that Joseph listened well and respected others.  Joseph paid attention to detail and he followed instructions well.  He saw that Joseph was wise, much wiser than all the other prisoners.  Eventually, the warden put Joseph in charge of one thing after another, each time Joseph proved true.  Finally the warden put Joseph in charge of all the prison and all the prisoners.  The warden knew he did not have to worry about anything as long as Joseph was in charge.

No matter where Joseph went, or what circumstances he was in, The LORD was with him and gave him success.   

COME AS A CHILD LESSON 91 JOSEPH IS BETRAYED

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

So Jacob/Israel was living out his mature years in the land of Canaan where Isaac had lived before him.  Jacob/Israel had two sons by Rachel that he loved very much.  There was Benjamin whom she died giving birth to; he was the youngest son.  The oldest son was Joseph.  The name Joseph means "he will add."  Joseph was the eleventh and favored son of Israel.

When Joseph was seventeen he was tending the flocks with his brothers (the ones born to Leigh, Bilhah and Zilpah) and he brought their father a bad report of them.  Israel always listened to Joseph and Benjamin, his youngest two sons born in his old age from his beloved deceased wife Rachel.  Israel favored these two sons above all the others.  He was always giving them special gifts.  

One day Israel gave Joseph a very ornate robe that made the other brother’s envious.  They became so jealous of Israel’s love for Joseph that they hated Joseph and never had one kind word for him again. 

One day Joseph had a dream that they all were binding sheaves of grain out in the field.  Suddenly Joseph’s sheaves rose and stood upright and all the other’s sheaves bowed down to Joseph’s sheaves.  When Joseph told this dream to his brothers they hated him even more.  They scoffed at him and asked if he intended to rule over them? 

Then Joseph had another dream and again he told it to his brothers.  In this dream the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to Joseph.  The brothers hated him even more.  Joseph told the dream to his father and his father rebuked him this time.  Israel said to the young Joseph; “What is this dream you had?  Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?”  Afterwards Israel wondered at the meaning of the dream. 

A few days later Joseph’s brothers went to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem and Israel said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem.  Come, I am going to send you to them.”

“Very well.”  Joseph replied.  So Israel said to Joseph; “Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks and bring word back to me.”  So Joseph left from the Valley of Hebron and headed toward Shechem.  When he arrived at Shechem a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him what he was looking for.  Joseph replied that he was looking for his brothers and asked the man if he could tell him where they were grazing their flocks.  The man answered Joseph that they had moved on from there.  He said he had heard them say “Let’s go to Dothan.” 

So Joseph went to Dothan and found them.  They saw him coming in the distance and before he reached them they plotted to kill Joseph.   They said “Here comes that dreamer!  Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him.  Then we will see what comes of his dreams.”

When the oldest brother, Ruben heard this, he tried to rescue Joseph from their hands.  “Let’s not take his life,” he said.  “Don’t shed any blood.  Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.”  Reuben was hopeful he could come back and rescue Joseph and take him back to their father.     

So as soon as Joseph approached they stripped him of his robe and they took him and threw him into the cistern.  The cistern was empty; there was no water in it. 

The brother’s then stopped to eat lunch and as they sat there eating they saw a caravan approaching.  The men in the caravan were Ishmaelites coming from Gilead.  Their camels were loaded down with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.   

Judah had an idea for his brothers to consider.  He said “What will we gain if we kill out brother and cover up his blood?  Let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.”  The other brothers agreed with him.  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 then took Joseph to Egypt. 

Ruben had been away tending to something else when they sold Joseph.  He came back to the cistern hoping to save him and take him home.  When he saw that he was not there he was terribly upset.  He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there!  Where can I turn now?”    

Then they all got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood.  They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, “We found this.  Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.”

Israel recognized the robe right away and exclaimed that it belonged to Joseph.  He thought some ferocious animal had devoured him and imagined that Joseph had been torn to pieces. 

Terribly upset, Israel tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and mourned for his son for many, many days.  All of his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted.  “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave.  So Joseph’s father wept for him. 

Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials.  Potiphar was the Captain of The Guard.