Bible
Story
The Story of Joseph
Joseph
was one of the twelve sons of Jacob, who was the grandson of Abraham. Joseph
was born in Canaan and was his father's favorite son. This made his brothers
jealous of him, and they plotted to get rid of him. They sold him as a slave to
some Ishmaelite traders who were on their way to Egypt.
In
Egypt, Joseph was sold to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials. Joseph was a
hard worker and soon gained Potiphar's trust. However, when Potiphar's wife
tried to seduce Joseph, he refused her advances. She accused him of trying to
assault her, and Potiphar had Joseph thrown into prison.
While
in prison, Joseph met two of Pharaoh's officials who had been thrown into jail.
They had both had dreams that they couldn't interpret, and Joseph was able to
interpret their dreams for them. One of the officials was later released and
returned to Pharaoh's service.
Two
years later, Pharaoh had a dream that he couldn't interpret. The official who
had been in prison with Joseph remembered Joseph's ability to interpret dreams
and recommended him to Pharaoh. Joseph was brought before Pharaoh, and he
interpreted the dream to mean that there would be seven years of plenty
followed by seven years of famine.
Impressed
with Joseph's wisdom, Pharaoh put him in charge of managing the food supply for
Egypt. During the seven years of plenty, Joseph stored grain in preparation for
the seven years of famine. When the famine hit, people from neighboring
countries came to Egypt to buy food from Joseph.
Among
those who came to buy food were Joseph's own brothers. They didn't recognize
Joseph, but he recognized them. Joseph tested them by accusing them of being
spies and then putting them in jail. Eventually, he revealed his identity to
them and forgave them for selling him into slavery.
Joseph
invited his father Jacob and the rest of his family to come to Egypt to live.
They settled in the land of Goshen, which Pharaoh gave to them. Joseph was
reunited with his father and lived out the rest of his days in Egypt, becoming
a powerful and respected figure.
Moral of the story
The
story of Joseph teaches several morals, including the importance of
forgiveness, the rewards of hard work and diligence, and the power of trusting
in God even in difficult circumstances.
Joseph's
forgiveness of his brothers demonstrates the importance of letting go of
grudges and resentments and choosing to extend grace to others. Joseph's
success in Egypt, despite being sold into slavery and thrown into prison,
illustrates the value of working hard and persevering through difficult times.
Additionally,
Joseph's story emphasizes the importance of trusting in God's plan, even when
it is not clear how things will turn out. Through his experiences, Joseph
learned to rely on God's guidance and providence, which ultimately led to his
success and prosperity.
Faith and Forgiveness
In
Canaan's land, a son was born,
His
father's favorite, loved and adored,
But
envy grew in brothers' hearts,
And
from their midst, he was torn apart.
Sold
as a slave, he traveled far,
In
Egypt's land, his new life did start,
From
Potiphar's house to prison cell,
But
faith in God, he didn't quell.
In
prison walls, two dreams he read,
And
to their meanings, he was led,
One
man was freed, the other hung,
But
his name was remembered, on a Pharaoh's tongue.
Pharaoh's
dreams, no one could explain,
But
Joseph's gift, brought clarity again,
Seven
years of plenty, then famine and despair,
But
Joseph's wisdom, Egypt did prepare.
As
people starved, from all around,
Joseph's
grain, they sought and found,
Among
them came his brothers too,
And
to his mercy, they did bow.
Forgiveness
flowed, from his heart,
No
grudge or hate, tore him apart,
His
brothers wept, their guilt confessed,
Their
lives, by Joseph, were blessed.
In
Egypt's land, Joseph rose high,
A
trusted leader, under Pharaoh's eye,
Through
trials and hardships, he did prevail,
And
in the end, his faith did not fail.
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