Welcome to the One Great Story!. George B. Thompson
and wise ones were at a loss to explain them. Then the cupbearer remembered Joseph, so the Pharaoh brought him from the dungeon, and he was allowed to clean up and dress. When Joseph heard Pharaoh recount the two dreams, the young Hebrew explained that Egypt had seven years to prepare for a major famine, itself to last seven years. Joseph gave credit where it was properly due: “God has shown to Pharaoh what [God] is about to do” (Gen 41:28b). Joseph urged the Pharaoh to appoint competent people to make proper arrangements, so Pharaoh looked at his servants and appointed Joseph! The monarch said to them, “Can we find anyone else like this—one in whom is the spirit of God?” (Gen 41:38).
This appointment was no minor decision or position. Pharaoh took off his own signet ring and placed it on Joseph’s hand; he dressed him up in fancy clothing and gave him a gold necklace; Joseph rode in a big chariot, and the people shouted accolades (Gen 41:41–45). Now, the man who had been his father’s pet child, who was sold away by his brothers, who managed a military officer’s household, and survived in a dungeon caring for other prisoners, ascends to the second-highest rank of authority in the most powerful nation of the time. It is clear in the story that the listener is to see, not only the hand of God at work, but also Joseph’s trust in God—and even the mighty Pharaoh’s acknowledgement: “Since God has shown you all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you” (Gen 41:39).
A Blast from His Past
Joseph proceeded with the plan of storing food all across Egypt. As he foresaw, the seven years of plenty ended, and a famine gripped the land, not only in Egypt, but it “became severe throughout the world” (Gen 41:57b). Word got out that Egypt had grain to sell, so “all the world” traveled to Egypt to buy some from Joseph. Even Joseph’s father, Jacob, heard the word and sent his ten oldest sons to Egypt to buy grain (Gen 42:1–5). Once more, The Story becomes filled with intrigue and deception.
Once more, The Story becomes filled with intrigue and deception.
When the brothers arrived, they had to meet with Joseph in order to make the transaction. Recognizing them (although they did not recognize him), Joseph acted as though they were strangers. He accused them of spying on Egypt and threw them in prison. Then he made a deal with them: leave one brother in Egypt, take your purchased grain home, and bring back your youngest brother (Benjamin). The brothers consented, and then began fussing with each other about this turn of events being retribution for what they did to Joseph—although they had no idea that it was with Joseph with whom they had just made this deal, and that he could understand everything they were saying (Gen 42:6–23)!
This segment of The Story—about Joseph, Egypt, and the eventual rescue of Jacob’s clan—is the longest section in the Book of Genesis, comprising eleven or so chapters in a fifty-chapter book. It is filled with elaborate details, an intricate story line, dramatic dialogue, emotional outbursts, and surprising turns of events. On their return to drop off the grain and retrieve Benjamin, the brothers discovered that their money was back in their sacks and became terrified. Once home, they told their father all that had transpired in Egypt and the request by “the lord of the land”; but Jacob still grieved for Joseph and would not let Benjamin go, even though Simeon was imprisoned in Egypt (Gen 42:24–38).
The Joseph episode is filled with elaborate details, an intricate story line, dramatic dialogue, emotional outbursts, and surprising turns of events.
Yet the famine worsened, and Jacob told the brothers to return for more food. After a long conversation with them, Jacob agreed that Benjamin would accompany his brothers, along with extra money and gifts. All of the remaining brothers traveled again to Egypt, and this time Joseph—still incognito—arranged a small banquet with them. He released Simeon, asked about the family, and met Benjamin; the sight of his only younger brother moved Joseph so deeply that he left the room for a time and wept in private. During the meal, the brothers were stunned to see food from Joseph’s table brought to theirs (Gen 43).
At this point, it looks like this episode with Joseph and his brothers would be drawing to a warm outcome. Not so! Joseph sent the brothers back on their way but secretly planted an expensive religious object in Benjamin’s bag. Then Joseph sent his steward after the brothers, accusing them of theft. They denied the act, but the object—a silver cup—turned up in Benjamin’s sack, for sure. On returning to Joseph’s house, Judah pleaded their case, offering to become Joseph’s slave if Benjamin were allowed to return home to Jacob (Gen 44).
Finally, the pressure overcame Joseph. He sent all of his Egyptian assistants out of the room and then began weeping, “so loudly that . . . the household of Pharaoh heard it” (Gen 45:2). He told his brothers who he actually was and asked about their father. Incredulous, the brothers stood dumb, so Joseph repeated himself and assured them that their action against him so many years earlier was used by God: “for God sent me before you to preserve life” (Gen 45:5c). Joseph urged them to return for the rest of the family, whom he would settle in Goshen, since the famine would last for five more years. Once the explanations were over, the brothers hugged Joseph, wept heartily, and talked together (Gen 45:1–15).
Pharaoh heard of this revelation and gave Joseph’s brothers a royal escort for their return. Of course, Jacob was astounded when he heard the story that his sons recounted about Joseph, the “ruler over all the land of Egypt” (Gen 45:26b). So the old man and all of his family journeyed to Egypt to live. At night, Jacob had visions of reassurance from God that the trip to Egypt would turn out for good (Gen 46:2–4). Father and son wept together freely when they met in Goshen. Jacob’s family settled with their flocks and herds, and Joseph supported them with food. As time went by, the clan grew in number and thrived there (Gen 46:5—47:12).
Jacob had visions of reassurance from God that the trip to Egypt would turn out for good.
Joseph had wanted to see his father Jacob before the old man died, and his wish had come to pass. As Jacob’s death drew near, the patriarch granted many blessings—first, to Joseph, through his sons Manasseh and Ephraim (Gen 48:8–22) and then to all his sons (Gen 49:1–28). His final request was to be buried in the cave near Mamre with Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Leah. Then Jacob died (Gen 49:29–33). Joseph wept over Jacob and then instructed the Egyptian doctors to embalm Jacob according to Egyptian custom. Pharaoh honored Joseph’s request to take Jacob’s body back to Canaan, to Mamre, for the burial that he requested. A grand procession with chariots and a large party accompanied Joseph. They all returned to Egypt following the burial (Gen 50:1–14).
For the last time in this segment of The Story, we encounter fear and deceit, but they are trumped by words that reinforce a key theological message throughout it. Joseph’s brothers worried that he would seek revenge against them, now that their father was gone. So they made up a story that Jacob had asked them to ask Joseph to forgive them for harming him. Once again, Joseph expressed deep emotion—and honorable faith—as he responded to their effort to save themselves through their father’s name. Once again, Joseph wept freely and assured them of his continued care for them and their families. He insisted that he could not act for God and that God had turned their harmful intentions into good: the clan was preserved (Gen 50:15–21).
Pause to Reflect What is the most dramatic moment of forgiveness about which you have knowledge? What were the circumstances, and who was involved? Do you know what motivated the person to forgive? How did it change the situation, if at all? In what ways did blessing result?
This clan, as Joseph remembered and reaffirmed here, carried a promise from God, a promise that it would receive a land of its own. Before Joseph died, his kinfolk agreed to carry his bones with them, once God “comes to you” to take them to that land. And so Joseph died in Egypt and was buried there—for the time being (Gen 50:22–26).
This clan carried a promise from God, that it would receive a land of its own.
Closing This Chapter
Creation, Fall, Flood, Rainbow, Babel, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob, Rachel and Leah, Joseph and his brothers—The One Great Story starts out in a cosmic-style setting and introduces one colorful set of individuals after another. Over