The Story

Joseph arrived in Egypt as a slave, far from home and family. He was bought by Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard. But Joseph was not really alone, because "the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man". Potiphar could see that God blessed everything Joseph did, so he put Joseph in charge of his whole house. Everything in the house and in the field was blessed because of Joseph.

Then trouble came. Potiphar's wife wanted Joseph to do wrong with her, day after day. Joseph refused every time. He said, "how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" When she grabbed his coat one day, Joseph ran away and left the coat in her hand — and then she told lies about him. Potiphar believed her lies, and Joseph was thrown into prison, though he had done nothing wrong.

Prison was a hard, dark place — but Joseph had not been forgotten by God. Our memory verse tells us the LORD was with him there too, and showed him mercy, and even the keeper of the prison came to trust him and put all the prisoners in Joseph's care. Two of Pharaoh's servants were put in the prison, and both of them had puzzling dreams in one night. With God's help, Joseph told them what their dreams meant — and everything came true, just as Joseph had said. Joseph asked the chief butler to remember him to Pharaoh — but the butler forgot him, and Joseph stayed in prison two more years.

Then Pharaoh himself had two strange dreams: seven fat cows came up out of the river and were eaten by seven thin cows, and seven full ears of corn were swallowed up by seven thin ears. None of Pharaoh's wise men could explain the dreams — and suddenly the butler remembered Joseph! Joseph was brought quickly out of the dungeon, and Pharaoh told him his dreams. Joseph answered humbly: "It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace." The dreams meant seven years of plenty were coming, then seven years of hunger. Joseph advised Pharaoh to store up food during the good years.

Pharaoh saw that the Spirit of God was in Joseph, and he set him over all the land of Egypt! Joseph rode in the second chariot, with men crying, Bow the knee, before him. And Joseph gathered up food in the years of plenty — "Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea". When the hungry years came, people from every country came to Joseph for bread, and no one starved. The slave boy God never left had become the ruler who fed the world.