Joseph's life

Joseph was the 11th son of Jacob and the first son of Rachel. He had eleven brothers and one sister. His brothers included Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, and his sister was Dinah. Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other sons and gave him a richly ornamented robe, often referred to as the "coat of many colors. Joseph was special and had two significant dreams. In one, his brothers' sheaves of grain bowed down to his sheaf. In the other, the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed down to him. These dreams indicated that he would one day rule over his family.

 Joseph's brothers were jealous of him and hated him. They plotted to kill him but eventually decided to sell him into slavery instead. They sold him to a caravan of Ishmaelites (Midianites) going to Egypt and deceived their father, Jacob, by dipping Joseph's robe in goat's blood and suggesting he had been killed by a wild animal.

In Egypt, Joseph was sold to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh. He earned Potiphar's trust and was put in charge of his household. However, Potiphar's wife falsely accused Joseph of attempting to seduce her, leading to his imprisonment.

Two years later, Pharaoh had two troubling dreams that none of his wise men could

interpret. The cupbearer remembered Joseph and suggested him to Pharaoh. Joseph interpreted the dreams as a warning of seven years of abundance followed by seven years of severe famine. Impressed by Joseph's wisdom, Pharaoh appointed him as the vizier (second-in-command) of Egypt. Joseph managed the collection and storage of surplus grain during the years of plenty to prepare for the famine. During the famine, Joseph's brothers came to Egypt to buy grain. They did not recognize Joseph, but he recognized them. After testing their characters, Joseph eventually revealed his identity to his brothers. Joseph invited his father and entire family to settle in Egypt in the land of Goshen, where they would be provided for during the famine.

Before his death, Jacob blessed his sons and

gave a special blessing to Joseph's two

sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, effectively granting Joseph a double portion of inheritance. Joseph lived to be 110 years old. Before he died, he made the Israelites promise to carry his bones out of Egypt when God would deliver them and bring them to the Promised Land, which they did during the Exodus.

Joseph's story is often seen as a narrative of divine providence, forgiveness, and reconciliation. His journey from being sold into slavery to becoming a powerful leader in Egypt is a testament to his faith, integrity, and resilience.