The Story of Jacob and Joseph – A Father and Son’s Journey of Overcoming | Bible Stories

What if the dreams that destroy you today are the prophecies that will save nations tomorrow? Long before Egypt bowed, before famine ravaged the ancient world, before a family reunion would shake the foundations of history, there was a boy who saw too much. A boy whose visions of grandeur would cost him everything. His home, his freedom, 13 years of his life. But here's what his brothers didn't know as they threw him into that pit. You cannot kill a dream that God has authored. This is the story of Jacob and Joseph, two souls caught in the divine machinery of destiny, where a father's favoritism becomes the catalyst for redemption. Where betrayal is merely the first chapter of restoration, and where an empty coat drenched in deception holds secrets that will feed millions. The coat was a lie. The pit was real. The chains were heavy. But the dream, the dream was prophecy dressed as tragedy, waiting for its appointed time. 22 years of tears, 13 years of slavery and false imprisonment. But prophecy doesn't ask permission. It simply unfolds. Are you ready to witness how God turns graves into thrones? Jacob was a twin, but he was born second. His brother, Esau, came out first, covered in red hair, strong and wild. Jacob came out holding on to Esau's heel as if trying to pull him back. Their father Isaac loved Esau because he was a hunter who brought him tasty meat. But their mother Rebecca loved Jacob more. One day, Esau came home exhausted from the field and Jacob was cooking a red stew. Esau was so hungry he felt like he was dying. Genesis 25:31-33 tells us that Jacob saw his moment and said, "Sell me your birthright first." Esau, caring only about his empty stomach, replied, "I'm about to die. What good is a birthright to me?" So, Esau swore an oath and sold his birthright for a bowl of stew. Years passed. Isaac grew old, and his eyes became so weak he could barely see. He called Esau and asked him to hunt game and prepare the savory food he loved so he could give him his final blessing before he died. But Rebecca overheard everything. She quickly told Jacob and came up with a plan. She would cook the food Isaac loved and Jacob would pretend to be Esau. Jacob hesitated as Genesis 27:11 to12 shows. He said to his mother, "Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing." But Rebecca insisted. She covered Jacob's hands and neck with goat skins to make him feel hairy like Esau. She dressed him in Esau's clothes and sent him in with the food. Isaac was suspicious when Jacob approached. He asked, "Who are you, my son?" Jacob lied directly to his father's face, saying in Genesis 27:19, "I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Now sit up and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me." Isaac questioned how he found the game so quickly. Jacob's lies grew deeper as he answered in verse 20, "Because the Lord your God granted me success." Isaac asked Jacob to come closer so he could feel him. He touched his hands and said in verse 22, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau." Still uncertain, but persuaded by the hairy hands, Isaac ate the food. Then he asked Jacob to kiss him. When Jacob came close, Isaac smelled Esau's clothes on him and was finally convinced. He gave Jacob the blessing meant for Esau, declaring in verses 28-29, "May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine. Let people serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you." Jacob had barely left when Esau returned from hunting. He prepared the savory food and brought it to his father. Isaac trembled violently when he realized what had happened. Esau cried out with an extremely bitter cry in verse 34, "Bless me, even me also, oh my father." But Isaac explained that Jacob had come deceitfully and taken his blessing. Esau wept and begged for another blessing, but Isaac told him that he had already made Jacob his master. Genesis 27:41 reveals Esau's response. Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him. And Esau said to himself, "The days of mourning for my father are approaching. Then I will kill my brother Jacob." When Rebecca heard about Esau's murderous plans, she told Jacob to flee immediately to her brother Laban in Haran. She told Isaac that she was worried Jacob might marry a Canaanite woman, giving Isaac a reason to send Jacob away with his blessing. So Jacob, the deceiver who had stolen both birthright and blessing, had to run for his life. He left behind his elderly parents, his furious brother, and everything familiar. He set out alone toward a land he had never seen to live with an uncle he had never met. Jacob traveled away from Beersa toward Haran. The journey was long and lonely. He had no servants, no protection, just himself and the weight of what he had done. As the sun began to set, he found himself in a certain place and decided to spend the night there. Genesis 28:11 describes how he took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head and lay down to sleep. That night, something extraordinary happened. Jacob had a dream, and in that dream, he saw a ladder set up on the earth with its top reaching to heaven. Angels of God were going up and coming down on it. This wasn't just any dream. This was God breaking into Jacob's running, his fear, his isolation. Then at the top of the ladder, the Lord himself stood above it and spoke. In Genesis 28:13-15, God declared, "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham, your father, and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie, I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth. And you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south. And in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Think about this moment. Jacob was running away because of his own lies and schemes. He had manipulated and deceived to get what he wanted. Yet, here was God meeting him in his mess, making him promises he didn't deserve. God didn't mention Jacob's deception. He didn't scold him or reject him. Instead, he promised to be with him, to protect him, and to bring him home. When Jacob woke from his sleep, he was afraid. Genesis 28:16-17 captures his response. Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it." And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place? This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. Jacob had thought he was alone in the wilderness, but God was right there with him. Early the next morning, Jacob took the stone he had used as a pillow and set it up as a pillar. He poured oil on top of it and named the place Bethl, which means house of God. Then Jacob made a vow saying in verses 2022, "If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house, and of all that you give me, I will give a full tenth to you." Jacob's vow wasn't perfect faith. It was more like a bargain. If you do this, then you'll be my God. But God was patient with him. He had just met the man who would one day be called Israel, the father of 12 tribes. The journey ahead would shape him, break him, and rebuild him. But for now, Jacob continued his journey toward Haron, carrying with him the memory of angels and the voice of God. Jacob kept traveling until he reached the land of the people of the east. He came to a well in a field where three flocks of sheep were lying beside it waiting to be watered. There was a large stone over the mouth of the well. The custom was that when all the flocks gathered, the shepherds would roll the stone away, water the sheep, and then put the stone back. Jacob approached the shepherds and asked them where they were from. They said they were from Haran. His heart must have jumped. This was the place he was looking for. He asked if they knew Laban, the son of Nahor. They answered, "We know him." Then Jacob asked if Laban was well, and they said, "He is well, and see Rachel, his daughter, is coming with the sheep." Genesis 29-9:10 tells us what happened next. While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. Now, as soon as Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well's mouth and watered the flock of Laban, his mother's brother. That stone was so large, it usually took multiple shepherds to move it, but Jacob rolled it away by himself when he saw Rachel. Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. He told her that he was her father's kinsman, Rebecca's son. Rachel ran and told her father. When Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son, he ran to meet him, embraced him, kissed him, and brought him to his house. Jacob stayed with Laban, and helped him with his work. After Jacob had been there for a month, Laban said to him in verse 15, "Because you are my kinsmen, should you therefore serve me for nothing, tell me, what shall your wages be?" Now Laban had two daughters. The older was named Leah, and the younger was Rachel. Genesis 29-17 describes them. Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. Jacob had fallen in love with Rachel. When Laban asked about wages, Jacob answered in verse 18, "I will serve you 7 years for your younger daughter, Rachel." Laban agreed, saying it was better to give her to Jacob than to another man. So Jacob served 7 years for Rachel. But here's what's remarkable. Genesis 29:20 tells us, "So Jacob served 7 years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her. Seven years of hard labor felt like days because of love." Jacob worked in the hot sun, tended Laban's flocks, faced storms and seasons, all for Rachel. Every morning he woke up knowing he was one day closer to making her his wife. Love made the weight bearable. Love gave the work meaning. When the seven years were completed, Jacob went to Laban and said in Genesis 29:21, "Give me my wife that I may go into her, for my time is completed." The wait was over. Jacob had fulfilled his promise, worked faithfully for 7 years, and now he wanted to claim his bride. Laban gathered all the people of the place and made a feast. There was celebration, food, wine, and joy. But Laban was planning something. In the evening, when it was dark and the celebration was at its height, Genesis 29:23 records what happened. But in the evening, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went into her. Laban also gave his female servant Zilpa to Leah to be her servant. Imagine this moment. The wedding night Jacob had waited seven years for had finally arrived. The room was dark. The feast had gone on for hours. And in that darkness, Laban substituted Leah for Rachel. Jacob, who had once deceived his own blind father by pretending to be his brother, was now being deceived on the most important night of his life. When morning came, everything changed. Genesis 29:25 captures the shock. And in the morning, behold, it was Leah. Jacob went immediately to Laban, furious and confused, and said, "What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?" Laban's answer was calm and calculated. He replied in verse 26, "It is not so done in our country to give the younger before the firstborn." This was the custom of his land, Laban claimed. The older daughter must be married first. But why hadn't he mentioned this 7 years earlier? Why wait until the wedding night to reveal this rule? Laban had used Jacob's labor and taken advantage of him. Then Laban made an offer. He told Jacob in verse 27, "Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another 7 years. Finish Leah's wedding week, and then you can marry Rachel, too, if you agree to work another 7 years." Jacob was trapped. He had already been deceived. He had already married Leah, and the woman he actually loved, Rachel, was still just out of reach. So, Jacob agreed. Genesis 29:28 says, "Jacob did so and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. Laban also gave his female servant Bilha to Rachel as her servant." Verse 30 tells us the reality of the situation. So Jacob went into Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah and served Laban for another 7 years. Jacob now had two wives, but his heart belonged to only one. This wasn't what he wanted. This wasn't the plan. But the deceiver had been deceived. And the consequences of this wedding night would ripple through his entire family for generations to come. Jacob's household was now divided. He had two wives, but as Genesis 29:30 makes clear, he loved Rachel more than Leah. Everyone knew it. Leah knew it. Rachel knew it. And this inequality created a wound that would never fully heal. God saw Leah's pain. Genesis 29:31 tells us, "When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb. But Rachel was barren." Notice that word, hated. It doesn't necessarily mean Jacob treated Leah cruy. But compared to his love for Rachel, Leah felt unloved, unwanted, second best. So God intervened. He gave Leah what Rachel couldn't have, children. Leah conceived and bore a son. She named him Reuben, saying in verse 32, "Because the Lord has looked upon my affliction, for now my husband will love me." And ded the name Reuben means see a son. Leah believed that giving Jacob a son would finally make him love her, but it didn't. She conceived again and bore a second son. This time she named him Simeon, saying in verse 33, "Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also. The name Simeon means heard." God was listening to her pain, even if Jacob wasn't noticing her heart. Leah conceived yet again and had a third son. She named him Levi, and her hope was still the same. Genesis 29:34 records her words, "Now this time my husband will be attached to me because I have borne him three sons." The name Levi means attached. Three sons and still she was trying to win Jacob's affection through childbearing. Then she conceived a fourth time and bore another son. But something shifted in Leah. This time she said in verse 35, "This time I will praise the Lord." She named him Judah, which means praise. For the first time, Leah stopped looking to Jacob for validation and turned her focus to God. After that, it says she ceased bearing. Meanwhile, Rachel had watched all of this happen. She had Jacob's love, but she had no children. She saw her sister have one son, then two, then three, then four. Each birth was a reminder of her own empty arms. Each name Leah chose was a declaration of something Rachel didn't have. Genesis 31 reveals Rachel's desperation. When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, "Give me children or I shall die." Her pain had turned to jealousy and her jealousy had turned to despair. She felt like her life had no meaning without children. Jacob's anger burned against Rachel. And he answered in verse two, "Am I in the place of God who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?" Jacob couldn't give her what only God could provide. The question hung in the air between them. Rachel came up with a solution, the same one Sarah had used generations before. She said to Jacob in verse three, "Here is my servant Bilha. Go into her so that she may give birth on my behalf, that even I may have children through her." So Jacob slept with Bilhar, and she conceived and bore Jacob a son. Rachel named him Dan, saying in verse 6, "God has judged me and has also heard my voice and given me a son." The name Dan means he judged. Bilhar conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Rachel named him Naftali, saying in verse 8, "With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed." The name Naftali means my wrestling. Rachel saw her entire relationship with Leah as a battle, and she felt like she was finally winning. But Leah wasn't finished. When she saw that she had stopped bearing children, she took her servant Zilpa and gave her to Jacob as a wife. Zilpa bore Jacob a son, and Leah named him Gad, saying in verse 11, "Good fortune has come." Zilpa bore Jacob a second son, and Leah named him Asher, saying in verse 13, "Happy am I, for women have called me happy." The rivalry between the two sisters had turned Jacob's household into a competition. Each child became a point scored. Each birth a small victory in an endless war. Two sisters who should have supported each other had become enemies. All because one had love and the other had children and neither had both. The tension in Jacob's household continued to build. One day during wheat harvest, Reuben, Leah's oldest son, went out into the fields and found some mandrekes. Mandrekes were plants that people in that time believed could help with fertility. Reuben brought them to his mother, Leah. When Rachel heard about the mandrekes, she immediately went to Leah and said in Genesis 30:14, "Please give me some of your son's mandrekes." Rachel was still desperate for a child of her own. She was willing to try anything, even these plants that might help her conceive. But Leah's response was sharp and filled with years of hurt. She said in verse 15, "Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son's mandrekes also?" Leah's pain came pouring out. Rachel had Jacob's love, the one thing Leah had always wanted, and now she wanted the Mandrekes, too. Rachel, still desperate, made a deal. She said, "Then he may lie with you tonight in exchange for your son's mandras. So when Jacob came from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said in verse 16, "You must come in to me, for I have hired you with my son's mandras." Jacob slept with Leah that night, and God listened to Leah. She conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. She named him Issachar, saying in verse 18, "God has given me my wages because I gave my servant to my husband." The name Issachchar means wages or reward. Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. She named him Zebulun, saying in verse 20, "God has endowed me with a good endowment. Now my husband will honor me because I have borne him six sons." The name Zebulun means honor. After this, Leah bore a daughter and named her Dina. Leah now had seven children, six sons and one daughter. But Rachel still had none of her own. Then something powerful happened. Genesis 30:22 tells us, "Then God remembered Rachel and God listened to her and opened her womb." The word remembered doesn't mean God had forgotten her. It means God acted on her behalf. He had heard every prayer, every cry, every desperate plea. He had seen her pain, her jealousy, her longing. And in his timing, he answered. Rachel conceived and bore a son. After all the years of waiting, watching her sister have child after child, using her servant as a substitute, making deals for mandras, finally Rachel held her own baby in her arms. The relief and joy in her words are clear in Genesis 30:23. God has taken away my reproach. In that culture, a woman without children was often seen as cursed or shamed. Rachel had carried that weight for years. Every gathering, every family meal, every time someone asked about children, she felt the sting of being barren. But now that shame was gone. She had a son. She named him Joseph. And the name carried two meanings. Genesis 30:24 explains, "She called his name Joseph, saying, "May the Lord add to me another son." The name Joseph means both. He has taken away and may he add. Even in her moment of greatest joy, Rachel was already hoping for another child. One son wasn't enough. She wanted more. Joseph was born as the 11th son of Jacob. But he was the first son of Rachel, the wife Jacob truly loved. From the moment of his birth, Joseph held a special place in his father's heart that none of the other sons could touch. He was the son of the beloved wife, the answer to years of prayer, the child of Jacob's old age. Jacob's love for Rachel naturally extended to her son. Joseph was a living reminder of the woman Jacob had worked 14 years to marry. The woman he had loved from the moment he saw her at the well. Every time Jacob looked at Joseph, he saw Rachel's eyes, Rachel's smile, Rachel's beauty. This child was precious beyond measure. As Joseph grew, Jacob's favoritism became impossible to hide. Genesis 37:3 states it plainly. Now, Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons because he was the son of his old age. Notice that the text now calls Jacob by his new name, Israel, given to him by God after he wrestled with the angel. But even with a new name and a new identity, his favoritism remained. Jacob made Joseph a special coat. The text calls it a robe of many colors or a long robe with sleeves. This wasn't just a nice piece of clothing. It was a robe that set Joseph apart from his brothers. While his brothers wore simple working garments and spent their days in the fields tending sheep, Joseph wore a coat that marked him as special, as chosen, as different. This coat sent a clear message to everyone who saw it. Joseph was Jacob's favorite. He was destined for something greater than shephering. He wouldn't be doing the hard labor his brothers did. He was being groomed for leadership, for authority, for inheritance. Genesis 37:4 reveals the impact of this favoritism. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him. The hatred was real. It was deep. It was growing. They couldn't even have a normal conversation with Joseph. Every word was colored by resentment. Every interaction was tense. Joseph was probably around 17 years old at this time. He was young, perhaps naive about how his brothers felt. Or perhaps he knew but didn't care. He had his father's love, and that was enough. He wore his colorful coat proudly, unaware that it would soon become a symbol of betrayal and pain. The stage was set. Jacob's favoritism had created a household divided. Leah's sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, along with the sons of the servants, Dan, Napali, Gad, and Asher, all watched their father shower affection on Joseph, and later on Benjamin, Rachel's second son. The wounds from their mother's rivalry had been passed down to them. The competition that began between two sisters was now playing out in the hearts of 12 brothers. And Joseph, wrapped in his coat of many colors, stood at the center of it all. The coat itself became the symbol of everything wrong in Jacob's family. It wasn't just beautiful. It was a declaration. Every thread announced that Joseph was different, better, chosen. While his brothers wore rough garments suitable for working with animals in the fields, Joseph's robe had long sleeves and rich colors that made him stand out wherever he went. Genesis 37:3 explains the reason behind this gift. Now, Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons because he was the son of his old age and he made him a robe of many colors. Jacob didn't hide his favoritism. He put it on display for everyone to see. The coat was a public statement that Joseph held a special place in his father's heart that none of the others could claim. This wasn't just about clothing. In that culture, such a robe indicated status and position. It was the kind of garment worn by someone who wouldn't be doing manual labor. It suggested that Joseph was being set apart for leadership, perhaps even marked as the one who would receive the greatest inheritance. His brothers understood exactly what this coat meant, and it made their blood boil. Genesis 37:4 captures their response. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him. The Hebrew word for peacefully here literally means they couldn't speak to him with shalom, with peace, with wholeness, with goodness. Every word between them was poisoned. Every conversation was strained. The family was broken and everyone knew it. Joseph was young, just 17 years old, according to verse two. He spent his days tending the flock with his brothers, the sons of Bilhar and Zilpar, his father's wives. and Joseph brought a bad report about them to their father. We don't know exactly what they had done, but Joseph told on them. This didn't help his relationship with his brothers. He was already the favorite, already wearing the coat that reminded them daily of their father's preference. And now he was reporting their mistakes to Jacob. The coat became more than fabric and thread. It became a barrier between Joseph and his brothers, a visible reminder of the inequality in their father's love, a banner of favoritism that waved in their faces every single day. They couldn't escape it. They couldn't ignore it and they couldn't forgive it. Then Joseph had a dream that made everything worse. He couldn't keep it to himself. He had to tell his brothers about it. Genesis 3767 records what he said. Hear this dream that I have dreamed. Behold, we were binding sheav in the field, and behold, my sheath arose and stood upright, and behold, your sheav gathered around it and bowed down to my sheath." Think about how this sounded to his brothers. They were already furious about the coat, already resentful of Jacob's favoritism, already unable to speak kindly to Joseph. And now he was telling them about a dream where their bundles of grain bowed down to his bundle, where they would someday bow down to him. Their response was immediate and angry. Genesis 37:8 tells us, "His brothers said to him, are you indeed to reign over us, or are you indeed to rule over us?" So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. The dream ignited something deeper in them. It wasn't just annoyance anymore. It was hatred. The thought of Joseph ruling over them was unbearable. But Joseph wasn't finished. He had another dream. And once again, he told everyone about it. Genesis 37:9 describes it. Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, "Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and 11 stars were bowing down to me." This dream was even more grandiose than the first. The sun, the moon, and 11 stars. This wasn't just about his brothers anymore. This was about his entire family. When Joseph told this dream to his father and his brothers, even Jacob had to respond. Genesis 37:10 shows Jacob's reaction. But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?" Jacob recognized what the symbols meant. The sun represented him. The moon represented Rachel, though she had already died. And the 11 stars were the 11 brothers. The dream suggested that the entire family would one day bow before Joseph. Even Jacob, who loved Joseph more than all his other sons, found this dream troubling. He rebuked Joseph for it. But something interesting happens in verse 11. And his brothers were jealous of him. But his father kept the saying in mind. Jacob rebuked Joseph publicly, but privately he wondered, could there be truth in these dreams? could God be speaking through his beloved son? Meanwhile, Joseph's brothers were consumed with jealousy. It wasn't just hatred anymore. It was envy mixed with rage. Joseph had their father's love, the special coat, and now he had dreams of ruling over them. In their eyes, Joseph was arrogant, spoiled, and delusional. They wanted him silenced. They wanted him gone. And soon, they would get their chance. Time passed and one day Joseph's brothers went to pasture their father's flock near Sheckchham. They had been gone for a while when Jacob called Joseph to him. Genesis 37:13 2-14 records their conversation. And Israel said to Joseph, "Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Sheckchham? Come, I will send you to them." And he said to him, "Here I am." So he said to him, "Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word." Dee, so he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Sheckchham. Joseph obeyed his father. He traveled to Sheckchham, but when he arrived, his brothers weren't there. He wandered in the fields looking for them until a man found him and asked what he was looking for. Joseph said in verse 16, "I am seeking my brothers. Tell me please where they are pasturing the flock. The man told him they had moved on, saying he heard them say they were going to Dothan. So Joseph went after them and found them at Dothan. But his brothers saw him coming from a distance. Before Joseph could reach them before he could deliver his father's message, they began to plot against him. Genesis 37:1820 reveals their dark intentions. They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them, they conspired against him to kill him. They said to one another, "Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits, and then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams." Notice how they called him this dreamer. They didn't even use his name. He was just the dreamer. The one who thought he was better than them. The one who believed they would bow before him. Their plan was simple and brutal. Kill Joseph, throw his body in a pit, tell their father a wild animal ate him, and end the dreams forever. This wasn't a sudden impulse. This was calculated murder. They had time to think about it as they watched Joseph approach from far away. They had time to discuss it, to agree on it, to plan the story they would tell Jacob. The hatred that had been building for years was about to explode into violence. Joseph walked toward them completely unaware that his brothers had already decided he would not leave Dothan alive. But Reuben heard their plan, and something in him couldn't go through with it. Reuben was the oldest brother, Leah's first born. He had his own complicated relationship with his father. He had once slept with his father's concubine, Bilha, an act that would cost him his birthright. But despite his failures, Reuben didn't want Joseph's blood on his hands. Genesis 37:21-22 shows Reuben's attempt to save Joseph. But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, "Let us not take his life." And Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him, that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father." Reuben's plan was clever. He convinced his brothers not to kill Joseph directly. Instead, they should throw him into a pit and leave him there. No blood on their hands. Technically, they wouldn't be murderers. But Reuben had a secret intention. He planned to come back later, pull Joseph out of the pit, and return him safely to Jacob. He wanted to save Joseph without directly opposing all his brothers at once. The other brothers agreed to Reuben's suggestion. So when Joseph finally arrived wearing his beautiful robe, Genesis 37:23:24 describes what happened. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe. The robe of many colors that he wore, and they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty. There was no water in it. Imagine this moment. Joseph came to check on his brothers, sent by their father, who loved him. He probably expected a cold reception, maybe some harsh words. But instead, they grabbed him. They tore off the coat, that hated symbol of favoritism, and threw him into an empty pit. The pit was dry, which meant Joseph wouldn't drown, but it also meant he had no water to drink. He was trapped, unable to climb out completely at their mercy. Genesis 37:25 reveals what the brothers did next. Then they sat down to eat. They threw their brother into a pit and then calmly sat down to have a meal. They could probably hear Joseph's voice from the pit, calling for help, begging them to let him out, but they ate their food and ignored him. Reuben's plan to save Joseph was in motion. But he had to wait for the right moment. He couldn't act immediately or his brothers would know what he was planning, so for now, Joseph remained in the pit, and Reuben waited for his chance to rescue him. But something was about to happen that would ruin everything. While the brothers were eating, they looked up and saw something in the distance. Genesis 37:25 describes it. And looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishelites coming from Gilead with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrr on their way to carry it down to Egypt. These were traveling merchants, and they were headed to Egypt to sell their goods. This gave Judah an idea. Genesis 37:26-27 records what he said to his brothers. Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the IshRaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh." And his brothers listened to him. Judah's reasoning was practical and cold. Killing Joseph gained them nothing. But selling him, that would get him out of their lives forever, and they would make some money in the process. Plus, technically, they wouldn't be murderers. He was their brother after all, their own flesh and blood. Selling him seemed like a better option than leaving him to die in a pit. So, when the Midianite traders passed by, Genesis 37:28 tells us what happened. Then Midionite traders passed by and they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit and sold him to the Ishraelites for 20 shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt. 20 pieces of silver. That's what Joseph's brothers thought he was worth. They pulled him out of the pit, not to free him, but to sell him like property. Joseph must have been terrified. One moment his brothers were attacking him, the next he was in a pit and now he was being handed over to foreign merchants. He was being taken away from his home, his father, everything he knew. The text doesn't record his words, but Judah later mentions in Genesis 42:21 that they saw the distress of his soul when he begged us and we did not listen. Joseph pleaded with them. He begged them not to do this, but they ignored him and took the silver. The brothers watched as the caravan took Joseph away toward Egypt. The dreamer was gone. The favorite son was removed. The one who wore the special coat was now a slave being carried off to a foreign land. They divided the 20 pieces of silver among themselves, and Joseph disappeared over the horizon. But there was a problem. Reuben didn't know what had happened. He had left the group perhaps to tend to the flocks or to prepare for his plan to rescue Joseph. When he returned to the pit, Genesis 37:29:30 shows his horror. When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes and returned to his brothers and said, "The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?" Reuben was devastated. His plan had failed. Joseph was gone and Reuben knew their father would be destroyed by this news. He tore his clothes in grief and despair. He was the oldest. He was supposed to protect his younger brothers. Now he would have to face his father and somehow explain what happened. The question, "Where shall I go?" revealed his panic. What could he do now? How could he fix this? The brothers still had Joseph's coat, the robe of many colors that had started so much of this trouble. Now they used it to cover up their crime. Genesis 37:31-32 describes their deception. Then they took Joseph's robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, "This we have found. Please identify whether it is your son's robe or not. They killed a goat and soaked Joseph's beautiful coat in its blood. Then they brought it to Jacob with a carefully worded message. Notice they didn't directly say Joseph was dead. They just said, "We found this." And asked Jacob to identify it. They let the bloody coat tell the story. They let their father draw his own terrible conclusion. Jacob recognized it immediately. Genesis 37:33 captures his response. And he identified it and said, "It is my son's robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces." Jacob looked at the blood soaked coat and believed the worst. His beloved son, the child of his old age, the son of Rachel, whom he loved more than life, torn apart by a wild animal. What happened next shows the depth of Jacob's grief. Genesis 37:34:35 tells us, "Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, "No, I shall go down to shield to my son mourning." Thus his father wept for him. Jacob tore his clothes, a sign of deep mourning. He put on sackcloth, rough cloth worn during times of grief. And he mourned for many days, not just a few days, but an extended period of overwhelming sorrow. All his children tried to comfort him. Yes, even the sons who had caused this tragedy stood there pretending to comfort their father while knowing the truth. But Jacob refused to be comforted. He said he would go down to Shiel, the place of the dead, still mourning for Joseph. Jacob believed he would die grieving for his son. The brothers stood there watching their father's heartbreak. They saw his tears, heard his whales of grief, witnessed his refusal to be consoled. Did any of them feel guilty? Did any of them want to confess the truth? The text doesn't say. It only tells us that Jacob wept and the brothers who caused his tears said nothing. Meanwhile, Genesis 37:36 gives us one final update. Meanwhile, the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potifer, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, Adul. While Jacob mourned in Canaan, believing his son was dead, Joseph was very much alive, but in chains in a foreign land, sold to an Egyptian official named Potifer. Joseph arrived in Egypt as a slave. Everything had been stripped from him. His family, his freedom, his father's love, his special coat, his dreams of greatness. He was now property owned by Piper who was an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard. This was a powerful man and Joseph was at the very bottom of his household. But something remarkable began to happen. Genesis 392-3 tells us, "The Lord was with Joseph and he became a successful man and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. Even in slavery, even in a foreign land far from home, God was with Joseph. And this wasn't hidden. Poter himself could see that God's favor rested on Joseph. Everything Joseph touched prospered. When he was given a task, it succeeded. When he managed something, it flourished. Potifer was a smart man and he recognized what was happening. Genesis 39:4 shows the result. So, Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. Joseph went from being a slave to being the manager of Potifer's entire household. He was given authority over everything Potifer owned. This was an incredible rise, but it wasn't because of Joseph's manipulation or scheming. It was because God was blessing the work of Joseph's hands. Genesis 39:5-6 describes what happened next. From the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptians house for Joseph's sake. The blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in house and field. So he left all that he had in Joseph's charge, and because of him, he had no concern about anything but the food he ate. Potifer trusted Joseph so completely that he didn't worry about anything except what he would eat. Everything else was in Joseph's hands. Joseph had gone from the pit to the prison of slavery to a position of trust and authority. The text makes one more observation at the end of verse 6. Now, Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. This detail will become important in what happens next. But for now, Joseph was thriving in Potterer's house. He was faithful in his work, blessed by God, and trusted by his master. Joseph's success and appearance caught someone's attention, Piper's wife. Day after day, she saw Joseph in the house managing everything, strong and handsome. and she wanted him. Genesis 39:7 states it plainly. And after a time, his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, "Lie with me." This wasn't a subtle hint. It was a direct proposition. She was the wife of Joseph's master, a powerful woman in Egypt, and she was commanding him to sleep with her. But Joseph refused. His answer in Genesis 39:8-9 shows his integrity. But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Behold, because of me, my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" Joseph gave two reasons for refusing. First, it would be a betrayal of Piper's trust. Potifer had given Joseph authority over everything except his wife. To sleep with her would be to violate that trust completely. Second, and more importantly, it would be a sin against God. Joseph recognized that this wasn't just about human relationships. It was about his relationship with God. But Piper's wife didn't give up. Genesis 39:10 tells us, "And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her to lie beside her or to be with her." This wasn't a one-time temptation. Every single day, she pressured him. Every day, Joseph refused. He wouldn't even be around her if he could help it. Then one day, the situation came to a crisis. Genesis 39:11-12 describes what happened. But one day when he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was there in the house, she caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me." But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. She grabbed his garment and made her demand. Joseph's response was immediate. He ran. He left his garment in her hand and fled the house. He chose to escape rather than sin. But leaving his garment behind gave her the evidence she needed for revenge. When Piper's wife saw that Joseph had fled and left his garment with her, she called to the men of her household. Genesis 39:14-15 records her lie. And she called to the men of her household and said to them, "See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came into me to lie with me and I cried out with a loud voice. And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house. She twisted the story completely. She made Joseph the attacker and herself the victim. She kept his garment as proof. When Potterer came home, she told him the same story, adding in verse 17, "The Hebrew servant whom you have brought among us came into me to laugh at me. She emphasized that Joseph was a Hebrew, a foreigner, a slave, and she claimed he had tried to assault her." Genesis 39:19-20 shows Potifer's reaction. As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, "This is the way your servant treated me," his anger was kindled. And Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. Potifer believed his wife, or at least he had to act as if he did. His anger burned and he had Joseph thrown into prison, specifically the prison where the king's prisoners were kept. Joseph, who had done everything right, who had resisted temptation daily, who had fled rather than sin, was now imprisoned on a false charge. From favored son to pit to slavery to trusted overseer to prison, Joseph's journey kept taking him lower and lower. Joseph found himself in prison, locked away with the king's prisoners. He had done nothing wrong. Yet here he was punished for refusing to sin. But even in this dark place, something remained constant. Genesis 39:21 tells us, "But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison." God hadn't abandoned Joseph. Even in the dungeon, God's presence stayed with him. The prison keeper noticed something different about Joseph, just as Piper had noticed before. Genesis 39:22-23 continues, "And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph's charge because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed. Once again, Joseph rose to a position of authority. The prison keeper trusted him completely and put him in charge of all the other prisoners. This wasn't about Joseph's charm or manipulation. It was about God's hand on his life. Everything Joseph managed succeeded because the Lord was with him. Years passed. The text doesn't tell us exactly how long Joseph spent in that prison, but we know from later passages that he was 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh, and he had been 17 when his brothers sold him. That means 13 years passed between the pit and the palace. Much of that time was spent in prison, waiting, serving, trusting that somehow God had a plan in all of this. After some time, two new prisoners arrived. Men who had served in Pharaoh's court. Genesis 401:3 introduces them. Sometime after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker committed an offense against their lord, the king of Egypt. And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. And he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guard, that was Potifer. So these important prisoners ended up in the same prison where Joseph was held. Genesis 44 adds, "The captain of the guard appointed Joseph to be with them, and he attended them. They continued for some time in custody. One morning, Joseph came to attend them and noticed something was wrong. Genesis 46-7 describes the scene. When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. So, he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house, "Why are your faces downcast today?" The two men answered in verse 8, "We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them. In ancient Egypt, dreams were taken very seriously. People believed they carried messages about the future. But these men were in prison. They had no access to the professional dream interpreters who served in Pharaoh's court. They were stuck with troubling dreams and no answers. Joseph's response shows his faith. He said to them in the same verse, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me. Joseph knew he couldn't interpret dreams on his own, but he believed God could reveal their meaning through him. The chief cupbearer spoke first. Genesis 40:911 records his dream. So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him, "In my dream, there was a vine before me, and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth and the clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup and placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand. Joseph immediately understood. Genesis 40:12 gives the interpretation. Then Joseph said to him, "This is its interpretation. The three branches are three days. In 3 days, Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh's cup in his hand as formerly when you were his cup bearer. This was good news for the cup bearer. In 3 days, he would be released and returned to his former position. But Joseph added a personal request in verse 14. only remember me when it is well with you and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh and so get me out of this house. Joseph saw an opportunity. He asked the cup bearer to remember him and speak to Pharaoh on his behalf. Joseph explained his situation in verse 15. For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit." Joseph maintained his innocence. He had been kidnapped from his homeland, and even in Egypt, he had done nothing wrong. When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he wanted his dream interpreted, too. Genesis 4:16-17 records what he said. When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, "I also had a dream. There were three cake baskets on my head, and in the uppermost basket, there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head." Joseph's interpretation this time was grim. Genesis 40:18-19 reveals the meaning. And Joseph answered and said, "This is its interpretation. The three baskets are three days. In 3 days, Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat the flesh from you. Three days for both men, but two very different outcomes. The cup bearer would be restored to life and service. The baker would be executed. Genesis 40:2022 tells us what happened. On the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cup bearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. He restored the chief cup bearer to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand, but he hanged the chief baker as Joseph had interpreted to them. Everything happened exactly as Joseph had said. The interpretations came true. But there was one devastating detail in verse 23. Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. The cupbearer went back to his comfortable life in Pharaoh's palace and completely forgot about the Hebrew prisoner who had given him hope. Joseph remained in prison, waiting for someone to remember. Two full years passed. Joseph stayed in prison, probably wondering if the cup bearer would ever remember him, if he would spend the rest of his life locked away for a crime he didn't commit. Then something happened that would change everything. Genesis 4:11 sets the scene. After two whole years, Pharaoh dreamed that he was standing by the Nile. Pharaoh, the most powerful man in Egypt, had a dream. And in his dream, as verse two describes, behold, there came up out of the Nile seven cows, attractive and plump, and they fed in the reed grass. Then something strange happened. Genesis 41:34 continues, "And behold, seven other cows, ugly and thin, came up out of the Nile after them, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the Nile. And the ugly, thin cows ate up the seven attractive, plump cows. And Pharaoh awoke. Pharaoh woke up disturbed by the dream, but he fell asleep again. And he had a second dream. Genesis 4:15-7 describes it. And he fell asleep and dreamed a second time. And behold, seven ears of grain, plump and good, were growing on one stalk. And behold, after them sprouted seven ears, thin and blighted by the east wind. And the thin ears swallowed up the seven plump full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. And do two dreams in one night, both following the same pattern. Seven good things followed by seven bad things, with the bad consuming the good. Genesis 4:18 shows Pharaoh's reaction. So in the morning his spirit was troubled and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh. This was serious. Pharaoh had access to the best dream interpreters in Egypt. The magicians and wise men who studied such things, but none of them could tell him what his dreams meant. They had no answers for their king. Then finally the cupbearer remembered. Genesis 41:19-13 records what he said. Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, "I remember my offenses today when Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard. We dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own interpretation. A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each man according to his dream. And as he interpreted to us, so it came about. I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged. After 2 years, the cup bearer finally mentioned Joseph. He told Pharaoh about the Hebrew prisoner who could interpret dreams, whose interpretations had come true exactly as he said. This was Pharaoh's only hope for understanding his troubling dreams. Pharaoh acted immediately. Genesis 41:14 tells us, "Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit, and when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. Everything happened fast. Joseph was pulled from prison, cleaned up, shaved according to Egyptian custom, given new clothes, and brought before the most powerful ruler in the known world. One moment he was a forgotten prisoner, the next he was standing in Pharaoh's court. Pharaoh explained the situation in Genesis 41:15. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it. Joseph's response shows remarkable humility. Genesis 41:16 records his words. Joseph answered Pharaoh, "It is not in me. God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer." Joseph didn't take credit for himself. He made it clear that any interpretation would come from God, not from his own wisdom or ability. He was just the messenger. Then Pharaoh told Joseph his dreams. Genesis 41:17-24 gives the full account. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Behold, in my dream I was standing on the banks of the Nile. Seven cows, plump and attractive, came up out of the Nile and fed in the reed grass. Seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and thin, such as I had never seen in all the land of Egypt." And the thin, ugly cows ate up the first seven plump cows. But when they had eaten them, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as at the beginning. Then I awoke. I also saw in my dream seven ears growing on one stalk, full and good. Seven ears withered thin and blighted by the east wind, sprouted after them. And the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. and I told it to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me. Joseph listened carefully. Then he gave Pharaoh the interpretation that would change both their lives forever. Joseph began his interpretation by connecting the two dreams. Genesis 41:25 states, "Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, the dreams of Pharaoh are one. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do." Both dreams carried the same message. God was showing Pharaoh what was coming. Joseph explained the meaning in verses 26-27. The seven good cows are seven years and the seven good ears are seven years. The dreams are one. The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years. And the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine. Then Joseph made the message clear. Genesis 41:28:32 continues, "It is as I told Pharaoh, God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. There will come 7 years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt. But after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land and the plenty will be unknown in the land by reason of the famine that will follow for it will be very severe. And the doubling of Pharaoh's dream means that the thing is fixed by God and God will shortly bring it about. This was a prophecy, a warning, a glimpse into the future. 7 years of abundance were coming, harvests so good that food would be everywhere. But then seven years of famine would follow, so severe that people would forget there had ever been plenty. And because God gave Pharaoh the dream twice, it meant this was certain. It was going to happen and it would happen soon. But Joseph didn't stop with the interpretation. He also gave Pharaoh a solution. Genesis 41:33-36 records his advice. Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land, and take 1/5ifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine. Joseph's plan was brilliant and practical. Appoint someone wise to oversee the entire operation during the seven good years. Collect 20% of all the grain produced in Egypt. Store it in cities across the land. Then when the famine comes, there will be food reserves to keep the people alive. Egypt could survive the coming disaster if they prepared. Now Pharaoh and all his servants were impressed. Genesis 41:37-38 shows their response. This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants, and Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find a man like this in whom is the spirit of God?" Pharaoh recognized that Joseph had divine wisdom. This wasn't just clever thinking. God's spirit was in Joseph. Then Pharaoh turned to Joseph with an offer that must have seemed impossible. Genesis 41:39-41 records what he said. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are, you shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you." And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt." In one moment, Joseph went from prisoner to prime minister, from the dungeon to second in command of the entire nation. Pharaoh didn't just accept Joseph's plan. He put Joseph in charge of carrying it out. Genesis 41:42-43 describes the transformation. Then Pharaoh took his signate ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck and he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, "Bow the knee." Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. The signate ring gave Joseph authority to act in Pharaoh's name. The fine linen and gold chain showed his new status. The chariot and the command for people to bow, announced his position to everyone. Joseph, the Hebrew slave who had been falsely accused and imprisoned, now had absolute authority over Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself. Pharaoh made it official in verse 44. Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, and without your consent, no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. how nothing could be done in Egypt without Joseph's approval. He had complete administrative control over the entire nation. Pharaoh even gave Joseph an Egyptian name and a wife. Genesis 41:45 states, "And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zapanath Paneeria, and he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potifera, priest of On." So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. Genesis 41:46 adds an important detail. Joseph was 30 years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Dun 13 years had passed since his brothers threw him into the pit. 13 years of slavery, false accusation, prison, and waiting. But now, at 30 years old, Joseph stood at the height of power in the greatest nation on earth. Joseph immediately began his work. He traveled throughout Egypt during the seven years of plenty. And verse 49 tells us, "And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance like the sand of the sea until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured." The preparation was so successful that they stopped trying to count how much grain they had collected. Egypt was ready for the famine. During these years, something personal happened too. Genesis 41:5052 records. Before the year of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph. Asenth, the daughter of Petifera, priest of Anne, bore them to him. Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. For he said, God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house. that the name of the second he called Ephereim. For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction. The names Joseph chose were significant. Manasseh means making to forget. God had helped Joseph move beyond the pain of his past. Ephraim means fruitful. God had blessed him even in the land where he had suffered. Joseph had a new life, a new family, a new purpose. But he would soon discover that God hadn't forgotten his old family either. The seven years of plenty ended and the famine began just as Joseph had predicted. Genesis 41:54:57 describes what happened. And the seven years of famine began to come as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, "Go to Joseph what he says to you, do." So when the famine had spread over all the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. For the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. Moreover, all the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain because the famine was severe over all the earth. The famine wasn't just in Egypt. It affected all the surrounding lands. People from everywhere came to Egypt to buy grain because it was the only place that had food, and Joseph controlled it all. Back in Canaan, Jacob and his family were running out of food. Genesis 42:12 shows what happened. When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you look at one another?" And he said, "Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. go down and buy grain for us there that we may live and not die. So 10 of Joseph's brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain. Genesis 42:4 notes. But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with his brothers, for he feared that harm might happen to him. Benjamin was Rachel's second son, Joseph's only full brother. After losing Joseph, Jacob was terrified of losing Benjamin, too, so he kept him home. When the brothers arrived in Egypt, they had to appear before the governor to buy grain. They didn't know the governor was Joseph. Genesis 42:6 describes the moment. Now, Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground. They bowed before him. The dreams Joseph had told them about 20 years earlier. The dreams that had made them hate him. The dreams they thought they had destroyed when they sold him into slavery. Those dreams were coming true. His brothers were bowing down to him and they had no idea who he was. Genesis 42:7-8 continues. Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them. "Where do you come from?" he said. They said, "From the land of Canaan to buy food." And Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 20 years had changed Joseph. When they last saw him, he was a 17-year-old boy in a colorful coat. Now he was 39, dressed as an Egyptian official, speaking Egyptian, holding absolute power. They had no reason to think the governor of Egypt was their brother whom they had sold as a slave decades ago. Then Genesis 42:9 says, "And Joseph remembered the dreams that he had dreamed of them. Everything clicked into place. The dreams hadn't been destroyed. God's word hadn't failed. His brothers were bowing before him exactly as God had shown him all those years ago." Joseph didn't reveal himself immediately. Instead, he tested them. He accused them of being spies, speaking to them through an interpreter so they wouldn't know he understood Hebrew. Genesis 42:14:16 records his words. But Joseph said to them, "It is as I said to you, you are spies. By this you shall be tested by the life of Pharaoh. You shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here. send one of you and let him bring your brother while you remain confined that your words may be tested whether there is truth in you or else by the life of Pharaoh surely you are spies. Joseph wanted to see Benjamin. He put them all in custody for 3 days then changed his terms. One brother would stay in Egypt as a prisoner while the others returned home with grain and brought back Benjamin. Genesis 42:21-22 shows that the brothers understood this was judgment for what they had done to Joseph. Then they said to one another, "In truth, we are guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the distress of his soul when he begged us and we would not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us." And Reuben answered them, "Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood. But they didn't know Joseph understood every word. Genesis 42:24 says, "Then he turned away from them and wept. He returned to them and spoke to them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes." Joseph wept when he heard them confess their guilt, but he couldn't reveal himself yet. He kept Simeon as a prisoner and sent the others home. The brothers returned to Canaan and told Jacob everything. Jacob refused to send Benjamin. But when the grain ran out and the famine continued, they had no choice. Judah promised to personally guarantee Benjamin's safety. And finally, Jacob agreed to let him go. The brothers returned to Egypt with Benjamin. When Joseph saw Benjamin, his emotions overwhelmed him. He prepared a feast for them. And Genesis 43:30 tells us, "Then Joseph hurried out, for his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep, and he entered his chamber and wept there. Joseph tested them one more time. He had his silver cup hidden in Benjamin's sack, then accused Benjamin of stealing it. When the cup was found, Joseph said Benjamin would become his slave." This was the moment of truth. Years ago, they had abandoned Joseph without a second thought. Would they now abandon Benjamin to save themselves? But Judah stepped forward. In Genesis 44:33:334, he offered to take Benjamin's place. Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers. For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father. Judah was willing to become a slave so Benjamin could go free. The brothers had changed. Joseph couldn't contain himself any longer. Genesis 45:13 describes the moment. Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, "Make everyone go out from me." So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud so that the Egyptians heard it and the household of Pharaoh heard it. And Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. The brothers were terrified. The man they had betrayed now had complete power over them. But Joseph's next words changed everything. Genesis 45:48 records what he said. So Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, please." And they came near. And he said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here. For God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Joseph forgave them completely. He saw God's hand in everything that had happened. Yes, they had meant it for evil, but God had used it for good to save many lives, including their own family. Joseph told them to hurry back to Canaan and bring Jacob and the entire family to Egypt, where he would provide for them during the remaining 5 years of famine. When Jacob heard that Joseph was alive and ruler of Egypt, Genesis 45:26-28 tells us his response. And they told him, "Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt." A de and his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. And Israel said, "It is enough. Joseph, my son, is still alive. I will go and see him before I die." The family traveled to Egypt. When Joseph heard his father was near, Genesis 46:29 says, "Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshan. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while. Father and son were reunited after 22 years of separation." Jacob said in verse 30, "Now let me die since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive." Joseph settled his family in Gan, the best part of Egypt, and provided for them throughout the famine. Genesis 47:12 states, "And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their dependents. The family that had been torn apart by jealousy and betrayal was now together again, preserved by the very brother they had tried to destroy. If you were moved by this story of forgiveness, redemption, and God's faithfulness through impossible circumstances, please subscribe to this channel and hit the notification bell so you won't miss our next biblical journey. Share this video with someone who needs to hear that their story isn't over yet, that God can turn their pit into a palace, their pain into purpose, and their waiting into a testimony of his perfect timing. Leave a comment below telling us which part of Joseph's story spoke to you the most. Thank you for watching and may you trust God's plan even when the path seems