The Dream

Jacob had twelve sons. He had 10 sons by his first wife, Leah,and her handmaidens and two sons by his second wife Rachel. Joseph was one of the sons of the second wife. Joseph also had a younger brother who came along later. Joseph was a young sheep herder. Jacob loved him especially because he came along later to a wife that Jacob truly loved and worked by the sweat of his brow to obtain permission from her father to marry. 14 years of toil altogether. His first wife was given to him after his soon to be father in law deceived Jacob after having worked 7 years for the woman he loved--he was given Leah instead of Rachel.

Jacob worked an additional 7 years to get Rachel for his wife. Jacob and Rachel married but Rachel could not have children. Then years later, the Lord opened Rachel's womb and she and Jacob were blessed with Joseph. The other 10 sons, many years older were jealous and hateful of Joseph.  

As a young teen, Joseph had a dream that the universe would bow down to him. He shared the dream with his brothers and his father. The brothers hated Joseph all the more. Joseph's father said, "do you mean that I and your brothers and your family will bow down to serve you? A few days later Jacob sent Joseph to go and check on his brothers. The brothers saw Joseph coming and said let us kill the lad and say that he was attacked by an animal. One of the brothers said, "we can't kill him. Let's throw him in that well over there."

The brothers threw Joseph in the well but first stripped him of his coat of many colors that his father had made especially for him. The brothers took the coat and smeared it in animal blood to show the father that Joseph was eaten or attacked by a ferocious animal. While Joseph was in the well, slave traders came by in their wagons and heard Joseph yelling for help. The slave traders pulled Joseph from the well and took him to Egypt where slaves were being bought and sold.

The Egyptians from Pharaoh's house purchased Joseph and took him to Pharoah. Joseph was thrown in the slave house first, washed up, and presented to Pharoah. Joseph was given a special role in Pharaoh's house because Pharaoh took notice that Joseph's God was with him. Pharaoh's' wife repeatedly tried to seduce Joseph. She became so angry that Joseph would refuse her advances that she snatched his robe and kept it and used it to show Pharoah, as false proof, that Joseph tried to seduce her. Pharaoh was angry and had Joseph thrown in the prison.

Joseph was given a special role in the prison over all the prisoners because the head guard noticed that Joseph had God's favor on him. Joseph interpreted dreams while he was in prison. Joseph interpreted a dream indicating that there would be 7 years of famine and 7 years of harvest in the whole earth (Genesis 41). Joseph shared this information with Pharaoh and Pharaoh set Joseph in charge of all his kingdom and Egypt. Pharaoh told Joseph that you are in charge of everything, except for the chair that I sit in.

The famine came. Joseph's father back home, told his sons to go to Egypt and buy food for the family, lest we die. Joseph's ten brothers came to Egypt and bowed before Joseph their brother (Genesis 42), who they had left for dead in a well, many, many, years earlier.