Part-3 Exaltation

The two dreams of Pharaoh – One night, Pharaoh is shaken out of his slumber by two unpleasant dreams. In the first dream, he sees seven sleek and fat cows coming out of the river Nile, followed by seven ugly and gaunt cows which arise out of the river and devour the seven fat cows; In the second dream, he sees seven healthy ears of corn growing on a stalk, followed by seven withered ears of corn which devour the seven healthy ears of corn. None of Pharaoh's wise men or magicians succeed in interpreting these dreams. At this point, the chief cupbearer recalls his erstwhile fellow prisoner Joseph and mentions his gift of interpreting dreams. Joseph is instantly summoned and presented before Pharaoh. Joseph humbly credits God for the correct interpretation. Not only does Joseph accurately bring out the correlation between the dreams and the future of Egypt, but he also proposes an excellent plan of action to tackle the years of famine which the dreams seem to indicate. Joseph’s suggestions and wisdom please the king who immediately appoints him as his governor, second only to him in authority.

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Slavery v/s Freedom- How swiftly did life alter for Joseph! A day before, he was living a life of captivity bound with chains. Psalm 105:18 describes his imprisonment-His feet were hurt with fetters, his neck was put in a collar of iron. Now Pharaoh places a broad chain of gold around his neck and his own ring of authority on his finger. Suddenly, from a prisoner with no standing, he has become the second influential dignitary in the kingdom. One day, he was disrobed so heartlessly of his multicolored coat by his brothers, now he is arrayed in fine linen at the command of Pharaoh.

Every Egyptian bends his knee as his chariot passes by. He receives a new Egyptian name - Zaphenath-Paneah which means Savior of the world. He marries Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera a priest of On. He is blessed with two sons through whom he is consoled and comforted as their names suggest. Joseph names the eldest son Manasseh which means-‘making to forget’ as Joseph reasons “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house” and Ephraim which means ‘to be fruitful’ For “God has made me fruitful in the land of my misfortunes.”

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As predicted by Joseph, the years of plenty come to an end and the years of famine begin. Egypt is the only land prospering under the wise governance of Joseph. But Joseph’s life is set for another crucial turn.

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Encounter with his brothers- With the worsening of the famine, his brothers arrive in Egypt to buy corn since Egypt is the only region in the world where corn is available in plenty. The brothers come and bow down before Joseph little realizing that the most influential man in the world at that time, Zaphenath-Paneah -the governor of Egypt is their brother. Besides, he is barely recognizable. At least twenty years have passed since they last set their eyes on him. From a young lad, Joseph has blossomed into a grown man. He is no longer known by his Hebrew name. In all probabilities, as governor he was dressed in an Egyptian attire and headgear. Thus, on that day Joseph’s prophetic dream finally comes to its fulfillment.

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Joseph’s peculiar actions- Now there are a series of interactions between Joseph and his brothers which seem quite baffling at first glance. However, there is a genuine purpose behind Joseph’s seemingly odd behavior and strange demands. Without revealing his identity, Joseph wishes to know the truth about his father and his younger brother. So, he accuses them of being spies. That is when the brothers pleading innocence reveal that they are sons of Jacob and that his father and brother are alive. Now Joseph wants to validate their claims, so he asks them to bring Benjamin to him. He spares Reuben as Reuben had once sought to spare his life and instead holds Simeon in captivity. Jacob initially refuses to permit the brothers to take Benjamin with them but relents eventually when all the corn that his sons had bought from Egypt is exhausted. Joseph’s heart melts on meeting his younger brother after years of separation and he secretly sheds tears. But he is not yet ready to reveal his identity.

 

Joseph still needs to find out if his brothers have genuinely repented for their past deeds? How do they treat Benjamin their other half-brother? So, he holds a feast for his brothers at his palatial residence; has them seated according to their age and shows partiality towards Benjamin by giving him additional five portions as compared to his brothers. Joseph tries to figure out if this gesture of favoritism will incite his half-brothers against Benjamin. When the brothers show nothing except mere amazement, he puts them to the final test. Now, Joseph needs to find out if his brothers will be ready to part with Benjamin just like the way they had once heartlessly disowned him. His silver cup is deliberately put in Benjamin’s sack. The steward chases after them and accuses them of robbery. The brothers pledge their innocence promising that if the cup is found with any of them, they shall be Joseph’s slaves for life. To their utter dismay, the cup is discovered in Benjamin’s bag. Judah, who had once sold him into slavery, now offers himself to be a slave instead of Benjamin.

 

Reconciliation-One by one, when Joseph finds all his fears being laid to rest; when he witnesses the sincere transformation of his once stone-hearted brothers, their eagerness to spare their brother, their concern for their aged father (V 44:33-34), their repentance for their past deeds (V 42:21), he can no longer hide his tears or his identity. A touching reunion follows. Joseph invites his father and his entire family to Egypt. They are given residence in the fertile land of Goshen; an idle place for his family who are shepherds by profession. How touching must have been the meeting between father and son!! Joseph would have wondered all these years if he would ever set eyes on his father again. Likewise, Jacob too had presumed that he would die grieving the loss of his beloved son. But the compassionate God has willed such a beautiful reunion.

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Revenge v/s forgiveness- Joseph could have easily exacted revenge for what his brothers had done to him. As a prime minister, he had the power and authority to execute them, torture them or imprison them for life but he chose to forgive them instead. How much more are we who call ourselves followers of Christ, obliged to forgive those who have offended or hurt us after the supreme example of Jesus our Savior who forgave his enemies from the cross? What Joseph said to them, all of us should be able to say to the people who have caused us harm - You meant evil but God worked everything for my good (Genesis 50:20).

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A peaceful finale- Jacob spends the last years of his life with his favorite son Joseph, who receives the final blessings and privileges from him reserved especially for a firstborn son. Joseph too goes on to live till the ripe old age of one hundred and ten years, having seen his posterity to the third generation. Before dying, he shares what God has revealed to him, the exodus of his people from Egypt. His people will not occupy Goshen permanently; the ever-faithful God has planned a mighty deliverance for them. He makes his dying wish known- they must carry his bones back when the time comes for his family to leave Egypt- a prophecy that is fulfilled after four hundred years.

 

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