Jehovah Never Forgot Joseph

While Joseph was in prison, Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, had dreams that no one could explain. One of his servants told Pharaoh that Joseph could tell him what his dreams meant. Pharaoh immediately sent for Joseph.

Pharaoh asked him: ‘Can you explain my dreams?’ Joseph told Pharaoh: ‘Egypt will have plenty of food for seven years, followed by seven years of famine. Choose someone wise to store up food so that your people will not starve.’ Pharaoh replied: ‘I choose you! You will be the second most powerful man in Egypt!’ How did Joseph know what Pharaoh’s dreams meant? Jehovah had helped Joseph.

Over the next seven years, Joseph stored up food. Then there was famine over all the earth, just as Joseph had said. People came from everywhere to buy food from Joseph. His father, Jacob, heard that there was food in Egypt, so he sent ten of his sons there to buy some.

Jacob’s sons went to Joseph, who immediately recognized them. But his brothers did not know that it was Joseph. They bowed down to him, just as he had dreamed when he was young. Joseph wanted to know if his brothers were still hateful. So he said to them: ‘You are spies. You want to find out where our country is weak.’ They said: ‘No! We are 12 brothers from Canaan. One of our brothers is dead, and the youngest is with our father.’ Joseph then said: ‘Bring your youngest brother to me, and I will believe you.’ So they went home to their father.

When the family ran out of food again, Jacob sent his sons back to Egypt. This time they took Benjamin, their youngest brother, with them. To test his brothers, Joseph hid his silver cup in Benjamin’s bag of grain and then accused his brothers of stealing it. When Joseph’s servants found the cup in Benjamin’s bag, his brothers were shocked. They begged Joseph to punish them instead of Benjamin.

Now Joseph knew that his brothers had changed. Joseph could not hold back his feelings any longer. He burst into tears and said: ‘I am your brother Joseph. Is my father still alive?’ His brothers were very surprised. He told them: ‘Don’t feel bad because of what you did to me. God sent me here to save your lives. Now hurry and bring my father here.’

They went home to tell their father the good news and to bring him to Egypt. After so many years, Joseph and his father were finally together again.