God Preserves His People

KEY VERSE: “As for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” —Genesis 50:20

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Genesis 50:15-26

THE story of Joseph and how the Lord used him in a very special way is one of the most touching accounts in the Bible. Joseph was the favorite son of Jacob. His relationship with his father made the other sons jealous and in time they conspired to kill Joseph. They left him in a pit to die, but by the Lord’s providence he was found by slave traders and was sold as a slave in Egypt. Because of his ability, he soon rose to a position of responsibility in his master’s household, but he was falsely accused of a transgression and was put into prison. While he was there, two who were in prison with him each had a dream. Joseph, with the Lord’s help, was able to interpret both dreams and the interpretations proved to be true. One of the prisoners, who had been a butler in the king’s house, was restored to his former position and favor with the king. The other, who was a baker, was hanged in accordance with the interpretation of the dream. Joseph asked the butler to remember him in the prison and speak a good word for him with the king, to the end that he might be released. But the butler soon forgot about Joseph, who continued to languish in prison.

After a time, Pharaoh had a dream and no one in the court was able to interpret it. The butler finally remembered Joseph, and recommended him to the king. Joseph was brought before the king and again with the Lord’s help he was able to tell him the meaning of the dream. The interpretation was that there would be seven years of bountiful harvests to be followed by seven years of drought. Joseph suggested that someone who was wise should be appointed to manage the time of plenty and store part of the crop against the time of drought. Pharaoh very wisely appointed Joseph to oversee this project, and he made him the chief deputy next to himself.

When the drought came, Egypt was able to feed herself and was in a position to barter with her neighbors for money, and when the money was gone they took lands, and eventually the people themselves were willing to become slaves in order to have food. It was during this time that Jacob and his family in the land of Canaan began to experience hardship because of the drought. So Jacob sent ten of his sons down to Egypt to buy grain. Remembering the terrible loss he had experienced when Joseph was lost, he refused to allow the youngest son, Benjamin, to go out of his sight. When the ten sons arrived in Egypt they were recognized by Joseph, and while he felt compassion toward them, he did not want to make himself known until he had tested them as to their condition of heart and remorse for the crime they had committed against him. He treated them with suspicion and, even though he gave them grain, he held one of them as a hostage and demanded that when they returned they were to bring with them Benjamin as proof of their identity. This, of course, was very difficult for Jacob, but he finally relented.

When the ten brothers, including Benjamin, arrived in Egypt for more grain, they were met by Joseph, who then released the hostage and invited them all to eat with him. But Joseph wanted to impose one final test on them before he identified himself. He had his silver cup secreted in Benjamin’s bag. After they left to return home, Joseph had the little group intercepted and the cup was found in Benjamin’s bag. They were all returned to face Joseph. It was Judah’s impassioned plea on behalf of Benjamin and on behalf of Jacob that let Joseph know there had been a change of heart with his brethren; he then identified himself and there was a joyful reunion.

Later the entire family was moved to Egypt, and Joseph cared for them. When his brothers expressed remorse, Joseph answered, “God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.” (Gen. 45:7,8) On his deathbed Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, and said unto me, Behold I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.”—Gen. 48:3,4

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