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| From birth, Joseph was considered a miracle child; he was born of a mother who was said to be unable to have children and a father who was of old age. Joseph was special indeed. He had a gift of interpreting dreams. Because of this, Joseph was his father's favorite, and his brothers were very jealous. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Genesis 37: 3-4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. 4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jacob, also referred to as Israel, didn't allow Joseph to work like his brothers, instead he educated Joseph. One day Joseph's father sent him to find his brothers, when they saw him coming they decided that they wanted to get rid of Joseph. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Genesis 37: 19-20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. 19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. 20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| His brothers took him, and took his coat and cast him into a pit. And when this brothers saw a company of Midianites passing they decided to sell him to them. They then killed a kid and dipped Joesph's coat in the blood of the kid. They then gave the coat to their father. Jacob then went onto believe that a beast devoured his son. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Midianites then sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officers. Joseph worked well for Potiphar, but Potiphar's wife liked Joseph and continually asked him to lie with her and be with her. After being rejected by Joseph, Potiphar's wife told Potiphar that Joseph attempted to lie with her, and Potiphar being very angry decided to cast Joseph in prison. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| While in prison, Joseph interpreted the dreams of some of the King's prisoner. He told King's butler that he was going to be restored to his butlership, and when that happened, Joseph asked him to remember him and tell the King about his gift of interpreting dreams. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| One day when the king was troubled by a dream and none of his men could tell him what it meant, the butler remembered Joseph and the king sent for him. Joseph was able to warn Pharaoh of a seven-year famine that would soon plague Egypt. Pharoah, being very grateful then named Joseph governor of Egypt. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Genesis 41: 45-46 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. 46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| During the famine, while the Egyptian government was passing out stored grain, Joseph saw his brothers, and when they came to ask for a portion of food they did not recognize Joseph. Joseph then called them spies and asked many questions of them. His brothers explained that they were from Canaan and there was twelve of them, ten present, one in Canaan and one who was not. Joseph then bound one of them, then gave them some corn and told them not to return without their youngest brother. And when the corn was finished and the house of Israel was without food, Jacob told them to return to Egypt, regretfully he had to send his youngest son, Benjamin, with them. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| And when they were again before the presence of Joseph, Joseph found it very difficult to hide his identity from them any longer. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Genesis 45: 1-5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. 2 And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard. 3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence. 4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. 5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Joseph forgave his brothers for all their wrongdoing, and invited them and all their family to live in Egypt. And when Israel saw his son Joseph he said "...Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive" (Genesis 46:30). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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