Bible Commentary: Genesis 24-41

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Bible Commentary for Genesis 24-41

Genesis Chapter 24

Abraham had his servant swear on oath that he would not allow Isaac to return to the land of his relatives. He also had him swear that he would not allow Isaac to take a wife from among the pagan inhabitants of the land because of Jehovah's sworn oath to him to give his offspring the land where they were sojourning. He wanted Isaac's full attention to be focused on the land in which he was dwelling, as this was the land Jehovah promised to give to his descendants. He had his servant make this promise to him just in case he did not survive to see Isaac married. He was 139 years of age at this time.

Abraham wanted Isaac's full attention to remain focused on Jehovah's promises. Hebrews 11:15 explains it this way: "If they had been thinking of the country they had left, then they would have had opportunity to return." Like Abraham, Isaac was to focus his attention on the "city with foundations, whose architect and builder was God." - Hebrews 11:10, NIV

Abraham acted in harmony with Jehovah's will and sent his servant back to his ancestral home to get a wofe for his son, Isaac. After arriving in the town of Nahor, Abraham's servant prayed to Jehovah because he wanted to be absolutely sure that he would make the right choice in harmony with Jehovah's will. He stipulated certain conditions to be met that would enable him to know what Jehovah's choice was in this matter. If a woman came to the well to draw water, he would ask her for a drink. If she gave him some water and would additionally volunteer to water his camels, then he would know that he was in the right place. Rebekah came to the well to draw water and she acted just as he had stipulated. The servant now had proof that he had come to the right place.

After being invited into Rebecca's home and apprising her family of his mission, Rebecca, when asked by her brother if she would go with Abraham's servant, immediately agreed to do so.This was further proof that his mission was successsful.

Jehovah grants success to his servants when they willingly rely on him for direction. Abraham was positive that this would be the case because he said to his servant, "Jehovah would send his angel before him" to guarantee success.

Genesis Chapter 25

After listing the descendants of Ishmael and where they located, this statement is made: "And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers." This verse confirms what Jehovah's angel told Hagar when she ran away from Sarah. When he found her, he told her that the child that she was carrying would be "a wild donkey of a man; his hand would be against everyone and everyone's hand against him; and he will live in hostility towards his brothers." (Genesis 16:12)

A footnote in the NIV for this verse states this: "Away from human settlements, Ishmael would roam the deserts like a wild donkey. The hostility between Sarah and Hagar was passed on to their descendants."

Rebekah, like Sarah, is barren for many years. It was twenty years after their marriage that she conceived. Jehovah told her that she would have twins, and that the older son would serve the younger son. Even while still in the womb, the two offspring were struggling with each other.

Since the normal course of events during that time period was that the younger son would have served the older son, there would have to be a good reason for a reversal of roles. The Apostle Paul explains what that reason was in this situation. At Romans 9:6-13, NIV, he writes:

"Not only that, but Rebekah's children, had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad - in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls - she was told, "The older will serve the younger." Just as it is written "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.""

The important fact that escapes the notice of most individuals who give consideration to this account is that it is Jehovah who does the choosing of the one He will use to carry out his purposes. He decreed before the birth of both sons that Jacob would be the one to receive the promises. That is what the Apostle Paul was conveying in the above verses.

As it turned out, Esau proved Jehovah to be correct in His choice, as the scripture stated, “Esau despised his birthright.” (Genesis 25:34) He "did not appreciate sacred things.” (Hebrews 12:16). Consequently, Jehovah could rightly say of him: “Esau I have hated.” - Malachi 1: 2, 3; Romans 9:13

Genesis Chapter 26

An examination of this chapter and chapters 20 and 21 reveal that the lives of Abraham and Isaac ran a similar course during their stay among the Philistines. Some of these similarities are listed below.

1. Both faced a famine in the land of Canaan. (12:10; 26:1)
2. Abraham went into Egypt during the first famine while Isaac had intended to do so but was warned by Jehovah not to go into Egypt. (12:11; 26:2)
3. Both settled in Gerah in Philistine territory. (20:1 26:6)
4. Both faced the possibility of being killed because of their wives (20:2; 26:2)
5. Abimelech did take Sarah into his household when he was told that she was Abraham’s sister; Abimelech did not take Rebekah into his household but had been told that she was Isaac’s sister. (20:2; 26:7)
6. Both Philistine rulers accused Abraham and also Isaac of creating a situation that would have brought shame on these rulers. (20:9; 26:10)
7. Both quarreled with the Philistines over wells that had been dug by each of them. (21:25; 26:19)
8. Both were blessed materially while living among the Philistines (20:14; 26:12-14)
9. Both Abraham and Isaac, while living in Beersheba, were approached by the respective Philistine rulers and asked to conclude a covenant with them because they recognized that “God was with them.” (21:32; 26:28)

It is believed that the events of chapter 26 occurred before those recorded in Genesis 25:19-34.

Genesis Chapter 27

The name "Jacob" means "taking hold of the heel of" or "supplanter." Others believe that his name also means "deceiver" on the basis of what Esau and Isaac later said of him. It had been revealed from the outset what the outcome of their lives would be in reference to the carrying out of Jehovah’s will. He said that "the older would serve the younger."

It was Rebekah, not Jacob, who set into motion the events that led to Jacob getting the promised blessings. Genesis 25:27, 28 tells us that “Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.” Isaac’s regard for Esau was due, in part, to his love of certain food that Esau could provide, and, in part, because he was his firstborn son, but not because he was a righteous man. It was Rebekah who urged Jacob to take those steps that would insure that Isaac pronounced the promised blessings on the one who was Jehovah's choice. - Romans 9:11

When Esau returned from hunting and then preparing the "tasty dish" that his father craved, the blessings had already been given to Jacob. Esau responded to this news this way: “ Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? He has deceived me these two times: He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing. Then he asked “Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?” (Verse 36)

Is there a difference between the birthright and the blessing? The NIV footnote for verse 36 states: “The Hebrew word for "birthright" is bekorah, and for "blessing" is berokah. Though Esau tried to separate birthright from blessing, the former led inevitably to the latter, since both involved the inheritance of the firstborn.”

These blessings, once given, were irrevocable. Again Jehovah is proven to be right when he said that the “older would serve the younger.” Isaac did give Esau a blessing but it was a more mundane one and had nothing to do with the promises given to Abraham.

Genesis Chapter 28

After Isaac blessed Jacob he sent him to Paddan Aram, at the urging of Rebecca, saying to him, “Do not marry a Canaanite woman.” Esau then realized that his Hittites wives were displeasing to his parents, this realization coming after nearly forty years of being married to them. He, in an attempt to change Isaac’s mind about giving him the promised blessings, took a wife from Ishmael’s clan. He did not, however, get rid of his two Hittites wives.

Jacob is 77 years old when he leaves Beersheba and sets out for Paddan Aram. When he stops for the night to sleep, he has a dream. In the dream he sees “a stairway resting on the earth with its top reaching into the heavens. Angels were ascending and descending on it.” This stairway represents the means by which Jehovah communicates with humans. Jesus made reference to this means of communication in John 1:51. He said: “He then added, “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.””

Jehovah is shown as standing above the stairway. He then restates the covenant promises to Jacob that he had given to Abraham and to Isaac. Jacob is His choice to continue the covenant blessings. Jacob then vows to Jehovah that if He brings him back to his father’s house in safety, then “Jehovah would be his God.”

Genesis Chapter 29

When Jacob arrived in Paddan Aram, he came to a well where shepherds were waiting to water their flocks. Jacob said to them “Look, the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.” They answer that they had to wait until all the flocks had gathered, then the shepherds would roll the stone away, and they could then water the sheep. This indicates that the stone must have been of some size if all the shepherds were needed to roll it away. When Rachel came to the well, Jacob then single-handedly proceeded “to roll the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep.” The NIV Bible Commentary, Volume I, page 39 states this: “Jacobs physical strength was perhaps meant as further evidence that God was with him and that he had not forsaken his promises (28:15;cf. 24:27).”

After being invited to live with Laban, Jacob has agreed to work for him seven years for his daughter, Rachel. At the completion of these seven years, Laban gave him Leah instead of Rachel. Afterwards Laban agrees to give him Rachel in exchange for another seven years of work. It was not unlawful at that time for a man to be married to two sisters at the same time. Later the Law given to Moses prohibited this situation. It is stated at Leviticus 18:18 this: “Do not take your wife’s sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living.”

Because Jacob expressed more love for Rachel than for Leah, Jehovah was kind to Leah and he opened her womb. She gave birth to four sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, then she left off bearing children.

Genesis Chapter 30

Rachel was still barren. She is now in the company of women like Sarah and Rebekah who had to wait until Jehovah saw fit to give them children. She now gives her maidservant, Bilhah, to Jacob as his wife so that she could have children through her. Bilhah gives birth to Dan and Naphtali. Leah then gives her maidservant, Zilpah, to Jacob in order that she could continue to have children. Zilpah gives birth to Gad and Asher. Leah again gives birth to two sons and a daughter, Issachar, Zebulun and Dinah. It wasn’t until Leah had given birth to six sons and a daughter that God remembered Rachel. He opened her womb and she gave birth to Joseph. Joseph was to play a very important role in the lives of his father and his brothers as we shall later learn.

Jacob is now ready to return to his homeland when Laban suggests that he continue to work for him because he has seen that his wealth has increased since Jacob has been working for him. Jacob agrees to stay if Laban would pay his wages in animals from his flocks. Jacob agreed to take “every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat as his wages.” Laban agrees to this wage. But, here again Laban acts deceitfully towards Jacob by removing “every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat” from the flock and taking them some distance from his regular flocks.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament, page 77 makes an interesting point concerning these events. It states:

“Jacob proposed a plan by which (ostensibly) he would gain little. He would receive as wages for his work the black and multicolored goats – the rarer kind - and speckled and spotted sheep which would be born. Laban thought this over and quickly closed the deal. He could see only advantages for himself. Jacob’s plan was most risky. Nevertheless, he was hoping to prosper from this. But Laban’s ploy added to the risk. For greater security, Laban immediately removed all the animals of abnormal color, giving them to his sons and not to Jacob. And as an additional precaution he placed a three-day journey between them. Thus he was seeking to ensure that Jacob would have a difficult time acquiring a large herd.”

But Jehovah thwarted Laban’s plan by causing Jacobs efforts to succeed to the point that he became a very wealthy man.

Genesis Chapter 31

In a dream, Jehovah assures Jacob that he has seen what Laban has been doing to him and He, Jehovah, has blessed Jacob just as He promised him at Bethel. He now tells Jacob to return to his native land. Jacob then speaks to his wives to make sure that they are willing to leave their father’s household and return with him to the land of Canaan. Jacob learns that they also believe that their father has cheated them as he had done to Jacob. They said “Do we still have any share in the inheritance of our father’s estate? Does he not regard us as foreigners? Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us.” They then encourage Jacob to obey Jehovah. As they leave Rachel steals her father’s household gods.

The footnote for verse 19 in the NIV says of these household gods: “Small portable idols, which Rachel probably stole because she thought they would bring her protection and blessing. Or perhaps she wanted to have something tangible to worship on the long journey ahead, a practice referred to much later in the writings of Josephus, a first-century Jewish history historian. In any case, Rachel was not yet free of her pagan background.”

The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament, page 78, adds this:

“Perhaps she told herself she deserved them since Laban had turned the tables on her in the name of custom and had deprived her of her right to marry first. Whatever the reason, her hardheaded self-interest almost brought disaster.”

Of course, Jacob did not inform Laban of his decision to leave. When Laban learned that Jacob had gone, he pursued him and in seven days, caught up with him. Laban proceeds to claim concern for his daughters but more importantly, he is concerned about his gods. He asks Jacob why has he stolen his gods. Jacob is unaware of what Rachel has done and so avows that anyone found with Laban’s gods shall not live.

After Laban searches the tents, he finds nothing because Rachel has hidden the gods in her saddlebags and she is sitting on them. She pleads an indisposition and does not arise when her father comes into her tent.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament further comments on the importance of Laban’s household gods to him. It states on page 78:

“To have the teraphim may have meant the right to inheritance; it certainly meant Laban was without what he thought was his protection. That is why Laban pursued Jacob. It was one thing for Jacob to take his flocks and family; but his gods too? Perhaps Jacob would try to steal back to Haran someday and claim all of Laban’s estate.” This Commentary states further: “Apparently Laban never dreamed that a woman would dare take a chance to contaminate the idols. But what a blow this was to the teraphim-they became “nothing gods,” for a woman who claimed to be unclean sat on them.”

Laban and Jacob conclude a covenant that Jacob would not mistreat Laban’s daughters and that the two men would not make any attempt to meet each other again. They took stones and piled them into a heap and Jacob called this heap, Galeed. It was also called Mizpah, which means Watchtower. This heap or pillar was to be a boundary marker of which Laban said: “I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap and pillar to my side to harm me.” The two men then sealed the covenant by having a meal together.

Naturally Laban wishes to take the credit for all that Jacob has accumulated (verse 43), but Jacob knows that it is Jehovah who has helped him and protected him because of the covenant promise he reiterated to him while at Bethel and also in Haran (verse 42). Psalms 105:9-11 says: “The covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac, He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant; to you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit.”

Genesis Chapter 32

Jacob continues on his way to the land of Canaan and the angels of Jehovah meet him. They are there to insure his safety into the land. He is now in the land of Gilead located east of the Jordan. This area was not a part of the land of Canaan although later when Moses defeated the kings who governed this land, it is given to Israel. Jacob calls the place where he met the angels, Mahanaim, which means "two camps," his camp and the camp of God. Mahanaim is probably most famous as the place where David fled when he was running from his son, Absalom, who had usurped his throne. -- 2 Samuel 17:27-29

Jacob prepares to meet his brother, Esau. After sending his wives and children across the Jabbok, he is left alone. A man begins to wrestle with him until daybreak and because he could not overpower Jacob, he caused his hip socket to go out of joint. We have already seen the power Jacob possessed when he moved the stone away from the well for Rachel. Because Jacob refused to end the struggle until the man had blessed him, the man, or we should say angel, told Jacob that he would no longer be called Jacob, but "Israel" because he had "contended with God and man and had overcome." Jacob’s descendants were later called "Israelites."
- Hosea 12:3, 4

A modern day fulfillment of this event is noted at Isaiah 49:3, where Jehovah refers to his "servant" as "Israel." It states this: “He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”" (NIV) Therefore, the name "Israel" refers to both an individual, as well as a nation of people and as the name Israel implies, those who are called Israel must be contenders who gain the victory.

Genesis Chapter 33

Jacob had been fearful of meeting Esau because he did not know if Esau’s hatred of him still persisted. As we stated above, Jehovah had sent his angels to meet Jacob to assure that his return to Canaan would be in safety. As the events unfold, we learn that Esau has had a change of heart. He even, initially, refuses the gift that Jacob offers him, as he stated “I already have plenty.” Jacob refuses Esau’s offer of assistance on his journey and he continues on until he reaches the city of Shechem where he settles. Genesis 12:6 tells us that this is the same city that Abraham came to when he left Haran. At the great tree of Moreh Jehovah appeared to him and there he built the first altar to Jehovah.

Genesis Chapter 34

As with Abraham and Isaac, now Jacob is faced with the problem of intermarriage with the pagan inhabitants of Canaan. Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, was raped by Shechem, son of Hamor, ruler of Shechem. Hamor proposes a marriage alliance between the two families. Their aim in making this proposal is greed (verse 23) and, of course, to pollute the "seed" or lineage of Abraham. Satan was ever busy trying to thwart Jehovah’s purposes.

A footnote in the NIV for this verse states this: “The Canaanites wanted to absorb Israel in order to benefit from the blessings Jacob had received from the Lord. This was a danger Israel constantly faced from other peoples and nations - either absorption or hostility, both of which are perpetual threats to the people of God."

Simeon and Levi took violent action against Shechem that Jacob at the time condemned. This course of action would later come back later to haunt these two sons. Jacob stressed their undesirable behavior when he blessed each tribe before he died. He said of Levi and Simeon: “Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel. I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.” (Genesis 49:7) Both Levi and Simeon were given land within the boundaries of other tribes’ territory when Joshua assigned the land. - See Joshua 19:1; Joshua 21:2, 3

Genesis Chapter 35

Jehovah now tells Jacob to return to Bethel and settle there. Jacob commands his household “Get rid of the foreign god you have with you and purify yourselves and change your clothes.” This edict would include the teraphim idols that Rachel had taken from her father’s house. Jacob proceeded to bury them under an ‘oak at Shechem,’ possibly the same tree that Abraham called the great tree of Moreh. - Genesis 12:6

Jacob proceeds to Luz (later called Bethel) and there he builds an altar because it was here that “God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.” Here Jehovah reconfirms the changing of Jacob’s name to Israel and reiterates the covenant promises of Abraham to him. Jacob now has achieved what he had been striving for all these years, even while in the womb, the right to be the heir to promises of God.

Jacob had moved to a region near Migdal Eder, where Reuben, his firstborn son, has intercourse with Jacob’s concubine, Bilhah. Jacob makes reference to Reuben’s treachery in his deathbed prophecy. He said: “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power, Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father’s bed, onto my couch and defiled it.” (Genesis 49:3,4) As a result of this act, Reuben lost his right as firstborn son.

Genesis Chapter 36

In this listing of Esau’s descendants, Eliphaz, his eldest son has a son named Teman. There may be some connection to the friend of Job named Eliphaz the Temanite. (See Job 2:11). Eliphaz is an Edomite name and Teman was a village in Edom, south of the Dead Sea. A listing of the families of the Horites, the sons of Seir, is given also. They were living in Seir before Jacob's son Esau came there.

Genesis Chapter 37

Joseph was the firstborn of Jacob’s beloved wife, Rachel. And the scripture tells us that "Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons" which caused these brothers to hate him. Joseph has two dreams in which he is shown to be in a leadership role whereby his family would bow down to him. In the first dream, Joseph’s family is pictured as sheaves of grain. In the second dream, his family is pictured as the "sun, moon and eleven stars." This descriptive language draws our attention to Revelation 12:1 where a woman is shown to be clothed with "the sun and moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head." We know that in this account modern-day Israel, the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses, is being described. The meaning of these dreams will be borne out in a later discussion.

The fact that the dream was given in two forms indicates the sureness of its fulfillment. When Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream, he said this: “The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God and God will do it soon.” - Genesis 41:32

We note also that Jehovah is showing His right to choose in that He makes His statement to Rebekah come true again, that is "the older will serve the younger." (Genesis 25:23) This was an idea that Joseph’s older brothers could not endure, that their younger brother would rule over them. They took steps that, as far as they were concerned, would ensure that this would never happen.

Joseph’s brothers finally acted on their hatred for him. Israel sent Joseph to see how his brothers were doing. They saw him coming towards them and made plans to kill him. But Reuben suggested that they should not kill him but throw him in a nearby cistern that was dry. He hoped to rescue him later. But as events would have it, a scheme was devised to sell him to a passing caravan going into Egypt, and this without telling Reuben. When Reuben returned to rescue Joseph, he was not in the cistern. His brothers had paid no attention to his suggestion. Reuben was now beginning to experience what Jacob would later prophecy about him. He was losing his influence as firstborn over his younger brothers. It also appears that he joined them later in lying to their father.

Genesis Chapter 38

After this incident, our attention now focuses on Judah and the first mention of levirate marriage. Judah marries a Canaanite woman and has three sons by her. Jehovah put the first son to death because of his wickedness. He died without producing an offspring. Onan, his second son was told to “lie with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother.” But he “spilled his semen on the ground” to keep from producing an heir for his brother. Jehovah put him to death for this wicked act. The practice of levirate marriage later became a part of the Law of Moses, "a legal and binding obligation within Israel." - See Deuteronomy 25:5, 6

Judah had a third son, Shelah. Jacob told Tamar she would have to "live as a widow" until Shelah grew up. But Judah had no intention of allowing Shelah to marry Tamar. After Judah’s wife dies, Tamar disguises herself as a prostitute and waits beside the road where Judah will have to pass. He does not recognize her as she is wearing a veil. Judah asks to have relations with her and promises to send her a young goat. She wanted a pledge immediately and he gave her his seal and its cord and his staff. Tamar becomes pregnant and this is reported to Judah. He wants to have her killed but she tells them that she is pregnant by the one who owns the seal, cord and the staff in her possession. Judah recognized that Tamar has in fact acted in a more righteous manner than he did. He does not have relations with her again. Tamar gives birth to twins and the line of Judah is continued through the one born first, Perez.

Genesis Chapter 39

Rachel had remained barren for years before Jehovah opened her womb. The first son that she gave birth to, as we are about to learn, will be used by Jehovah to carry out a very important role. In these chapters, we learn how Jehovah maneuvers things in order to get Joseph where He wants him to be.

Joseph was sold to an official of Pharaoh and because Jehovah is with him, he prospers. He is given charge of all that Potiphar owns. All goes well until the wife of Potiphar takes notice of him and wants him to sleep with her. His refusal of her offer infuriates her and she accuses him of attempting to rape her. Potiphar has Joseph put in prison where the king’s prisoners were kept. Eventually he pleases the warden of this prison and is put in charge of all in the prison.

Genesis Chapter 40

Later, Pharaoh imprisons two of his officials, his cup-bearer and baker. Joseph is put in charge of these two men by the captain of the guard. Each of these men has a dream. Both were very unhappy and they said to Joseph “We both had dreams but there is no one to interpret them.” According to the footnote on this verse, (NIV), we learn: “Throughout the ancient Near East it was believed that dreams had specific meanings and that proper interpretation of them could help the dreamer predict his future.”

Joseph encourages both officials to tell him their dreams and he then, with Jehovah’s help, interprets them, one has a good consequence and the other a bad one. Each of Pharaoh’s officials would have their dreams fulfilled within three days of Joseph’s interpretation of them.

Three days hence Pharaoh celebrates his birthday and restores the cup-bearer but hangs the baker. Joseph waits for the cup-bearer to report to Pharaoh what he did, but of course, he forgets Joseph.

Genesis Chapter 41

Two years later, Pharaoh has a dream that no one can interpret. The cup-bearer then remembers Joseph and goes to Pharaoh to tells him how Joseph interpreted his dream and that of the baker while they were in prison. Pharaoh then sends for Joseph and asks if he is able to interpret dreams. Joseph tells him that it is Jehovah “who can give Pharaoh the answer he desires.” Joseph is now where Jehovah wants him to be. He will of course give him success. It is Jehovah’s exact timing for these events to occur.

Pharaoh proceeds to tell Joseph his dream. Joseph interprets the dream and explains why the dream has been given in two forms. He says to Pharaoh “The reason the dream has been given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.”

Joseph then suggests that Pharaoh act immediately and put a wise man in charge of collecting one fifth of Egypt’s harvest for the next seven years of abundance. These foods are to be stored in cities to be held in reserve for use during the seven years of famine. This seems a good plan to Pharaoh so he consulted with his officials and they agreed that Joseph “a man in whom is the spirit of God” should be put in charge, not only of the collection of grain, but of Pharaoh’s palace and all the people. Pharaoh said that "Only with respect to the throne will I be greater that you.” The stage is now set for the dreams that Joseph had as a boy of seventeen years to be fulfilled. - See Genesis 37:1-11

Joseph is now thirty years old and Pharaoh has given him a wife and changed his name to Zaphenath-Paneah. He now begins his work of storing grains. The land produced so bountifully during these seven years that it was likened to the "sands of the sea," meaning that it was not measurable, and Joseph stopped keeping a record of the amount. During this time Joseph’s sons Manasseh and Ephraim were born.

Psalms 105:16-22 (NIV Study Bible) describes how Jehovah set the above events in motion. It reads:

“He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food; and he sent a man before them – Joseph, sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the LORD proved him true. The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free. He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed, to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom.”

The seven years of plenty ended and the seven years of famine begins. Verse 56 says of this period: “When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt.” Not only was the famine in Egypt but it had spread to other nations as well. Verse 57 records this: “And all the countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the world.” Joseph’s family is now affected by the famine as well.



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