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In today’s class, we will be talking about how Joseph responded to the call of service. Enjoy the class!
Joseph Responded to the Call of Service
Joseph was sold to Egypt (Genesis 37:12-36)
He (Joseph) was the son of Jacob who was also called Israel. Jacob loved Joseph more than all of his brothers because he was the son of his old age. He bought many beautiful clothes for him among which was a coat of many colours. Because of this love, his brothers hated him. They hated him more when he narrated a dream he had to them. He said that in the dream, they were binding sheaves in the field, and his sheaf rose up and stood upright, while his parents and brothers’ sheaves gathered around him and bowed down. This definitely means that he would reign over them.
Joseph also had another dream, which revealed that the sun and moon and eleven stars bowed down to him. This meant that his father, his mother, and his brothers would bow before him. Jacob rebuked him when he narrated the dream to him.
On a particular day when his brothers went to graze their father’s flock in the field, Jacob sent Joseph to them. As the brothers saw him, they planned to kill him. It was Reuben who suggested that they put him in a pit in Dothan. Joseph was later brought out from the pit and sold to the Ishmaelites. The Ishmaelites then sold him in Egypt to Potiphar who was a captain of Pharaoh’s guard. By the time, Reuben returned he could not find Joseph in the pit. When he was told that he had been sold, he was sad and he tore his clothes. The brothers decided to deceive their father about Joseph’s fate. They took Joseph’s robe and dipped it in the blood of a goat they killed. They told their father that a wild beast killed him. Jacob was very sad and he mourned the supposed death of his son.
Joseph Served in Egypt (Genesis 41:37:57)
Joseph did all his work well in Potiphar’s house. Potiphar liked him and as a result, made him the head of his household. One day, the wife of Potiphar, wanted Joseph to have sexual intercourse with her, but Joseph did not fall to this temptation.
Potiphar’s wife was annoyed with Joseph for refusing to have sex with her. She held his dress and Joseph fled leaving his dress in the woman’s hand. When her husband returned, the woman used the dress to lie that Joseph wanted to force himself on her. Joseph was therefore put in prison. Joseph remained more responsible in prison. In prison, he was loved by the prisoners. He had the opportunity to meet Pharaoh’s officials, the butler and the baker who were put in the prison because of some offences they committed.
Both of them had a dream and Joseph interpreted the dream for them. The butler was released from the prison as Joseph interpreted his dream and the baker was killed as Joseph interpreted his dream. Two years later when Pharaoh had a dream, the butler remembered Joseph who interpreted the dream that preceded his release from the prison. As none of the wise men of Pharaoh could give meaningful interpretation to the dream, he informed Pharaoh of Joseph.
In Pharaoh’s dream, Pharaoh was beside River Nile where he saw seven healthy robust cows coming out of the river. There were other seven thin cows. The thin ugly cows then swallowed up the fat and robust cows. King Pharaoh also had another dream in which seven cobs of fat corn grew on one stalk. Again seven thin cobs of corn grew and swallowed the seven fat cobs of corn.
Joseph interpreted the dream that there would be seven years of the fruitful and plentiful harvest that will be followed by another seven years of serious famine. Joseph then advised King Pharaoh that he should store up plenty of food during the seven years of abundance so as to cater for the seven years when there would be famine.
Consequently, Pharaoh made Joseph a governor in Egypt to supervise the storing up of food in the time of plenty and share it carefully to make it last during the time of famine.
Joseph was committed to his duty and made sure the harvests were carefully stored. The famine actually came and it spread all over Egypt and Canaan. People came to buy food from Joseph and this brought a lot of money to the coffers of Pharaoh. Subsequently, people resorted to exchanging their land and animals for food. Joseph rendered true service to Pharaoh during the years of famine.
Students and Christians generally can learn many lessons from the service of Joseph.
Lessons from the Service of Joseph
- Joseph was talented in dreaming and giving an interpretation to dreams. He dreamt about his brothers and parents. However, the dreams landed him in trouble yet he was later freed because God who gave him the talent was with him, his dreams led him to greatness in the land of Egypt where King Pharaoh made him a governor.
- Joseph had a forgiving spirit. He did not revenge the evil done to him by his brothers. He welcomed them and cared for them when they came to Egypt to buy food.
- Joseph was a good planner and manager. He suggested that enough food should be stored up during the time of plenty so that there would be enough food during the period of famine.
- Joseph was a disciplined, loyal and responsible servant. He refused to be lured into having unlawful sexual intercourse with the wife of his master.
All of us, either male or female must emulate the examples of Joseph.
In our next class, we will be talking about Ruth Serve Her Mother In Law. We hope you enjoyed the class.
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