Download Pharaoh and Joseph - Joseph Rules in Egypt

THE FAMILY OF ISRAEL
In Egypt, the Family comes to be a People
Text: Genesis 41:33-57
— Pharaoh and Joseph — Joseph Rules in Egypt
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After Joseph gave God’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams, he was appointed to
rule over all the land of Egypt, 13 years after becoming a slave. He was made second
only to Pharaoh himself, and was given charge of everything in Egypt except the
throne itself. As a sign of his authority, he was given Pharaoh’s signet ring to wear.
And appropriate to his new position, he was dressed in robes of fine linen with a gold
chain around his neck. He was given the chariot of Pharaoh’s second-in-command,
and he rode throughout Egypt to be honored by all the people. And Pharaoh gave
Joseph a new name, Zaphnath-Paaneah, a name which fully honored him as “the
supporter of life”. His position was further heightened among the ruling class when
he was given a wife, Asenath, daughter of Poti-Pherah, priest of On. And so it was
that before the famine came, Joseph had two sons. He took comfort in these sons and
gave them Hebrew names, Manasseh and Ephraim. In the process of time, Jacob
adopted them as his own sons, and made them two of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Joseph Rules in Egypt
The dreams of Pharaoh came to pass. For the first seven years, the fertile Nile
land produced unprecedented quantities of grain and other produce for the people and
livestock. [Egyptians looked upon their livestock as the symbol of Isis, goddess of
earth, the one who nourishes : the cow represented earth, agriculture, nourishment.]
Joseph was 30 years old when he began to rule and went throughout all the land of
Egypt to set up the system for receiving and storing the grain. Joseph used great
wisdom in gathering one-fifth of all the produce in the land which came to fill
warehouses which were located in every city, production so bountiful that it could no
longer be counted. The greatness of his rulership was seen when the famine began.
For the next seven years, the effects of the famine were felt by the people to such
a great extent that the former fertility of the land was forgotten. The people became
hungry and appealed to Pharaoh for food. Pharaoh sent them to Joseph, who sold
them food in exchange for money. Even with the plenty that had been stored, Joseph
wisely rationed the food over the seven years of famine.
But the famine was not only in Egypt, it was throughout the lands of the world;
and people from other countries came to Egypt to buy grain. Foreigners needed
permission from Joseph to buy grain. The land of Canaan, where Joseph’s father and
brothers lived, was also affected by the famine. Jacob heard that there was food in
Egypt and roused his sons to make the trip to buy grain, so that they would not die.
Jacob had two sons by his beloved wife Rachel – Joseph and Benjamin. He believed
Joseph to be dead, so he would not let Benjamin make the trip because he could not
bear the thought of losing him also. He sent only his 10 oldest sons to Egypt.
En 701-034 Pharaoh and Joseph – Joseph Rules in Egypt
The Story of the Bible Meredith R. Childress 2008
34-1
Pharaoh and Joseph — Joseph Rules in Egypt
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The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s
authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made
it prosper. Gen 39:23
You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your
word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you. Gen 41:40
1. Who gave Joseph the interpretation of the dreams?
2. Pharaoh acknowledged that the Spirit of God was in Joseph. Did this contribute to
the decision of Pharaoh to appoint Joseph as the ruler of Egypt?
3. What was the extent of Joseph’s authority?
4. Discuss how he was honored before the people to demonstrate to them that
Joseph was the ruler in Egypt.
5. Pharaoh gave Joseph a name. What does it mean?
6. Pharaoh gave Joseph a wife. What was her name?
Who was she?
7. How old was Joseph when he began to rule?
8. Where did he go to do his work?
9. It is apparent that Joseph built warehouses to store the grain which he would
gather and save for the 7 years of famine. Where were the warehouses?
10. Describe the productivity and the amount of grain that was stored.
11. The 7 years of plenty ended. The 7 years of famine began. The people came to
Pharaoh to ask for food. To whom did Pharaoh send them?
12. What did Joseph require from the people who received food?
13. Were other countries affected by the famine?
What did they do?
14. Joseph had 2 sons. What were their names?
- This lesson tells the story of Joseph and how he came to be the ruler of
Egypt. It tells about his wisdom and discernment. It shows how God is with Joseph. It
tells how God used His power to warn the king of Egypt of future abundance
followed by famine. This warning allowed Pharaoh to prepare. Joseph was appointed
by Pharaoh to rule over the land of Egypt in order to gather and store grain so that
there would be food during the years of famine. Joseph prepared beyond the needs of
the Egyptians – he was able to sell grain to people from other countries. We see in
this story the significance of Jacob’s love for Rachel and their 2 children – Joseph
and Benjamin. We see also the significance of Joseph’s 2 sons to him and to Jacob.
Suggestions
1) Memory Verses – Students should memorize and repeat in class.
2) Books of the Bible– Repeat from memory the first 17 books of the Old Testament:
Genesis through 2 Chronicles. (5 books of law; 9 books of history)
3) Use these questions or prepare some which are more suitable for your students.
En 701-034 Pharaoh and Joseph – Joseph Rules in Egypt
The Story of the Bible Meredith R. Childress 2008
34-2