Chapter I: The Slave Boy

GENESIS, CHAPTERS 39 TO 50

GOD prepares wonderful things for those who love Him!

Some of the things we see now, in this life. Some of them we must be content to wait for, till we go to be with God in Heaven.

God says in Isaiah 64 that "Since the beginning of the world, men have not heard . . . neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside Thee, what He hath prepared for him that waiteth for Him."

But even in this life, if we love God, and watch to see the answers to our prayers, we shall see numbers of things which God our Heavenly Father helps us in—numbers of pleasures which He puts in our lives; numbers of dangers that He saves us from; numbers of times when He brings good out of what seemed to us to be only disappointment and trial.

Well! That was how it was with Joseph!

You remember about his dreams and the jealousy of his brothers? You remember how he was sent by his father Jacob, quite a long journey, to carry messages to his brothers, and to bring back word whether they and their flocks were well and in safety.

Joseph was seventeen at this time, and he went, willingly enough, for he did not know that his brothers' hearts were full of hatred towards him.

At last he found the place where they were feeding their flocks; and as they saw him coming, they said to each other, "Behold this dreamer cometh!" And they at once began to plan his death!

Nothing was easier, all that long distance away from his father, in a wild uninhabited country where but few strangers passed, and where there were caves and pits in which evil deeds might easily be hidden.

But all this while, unknown to those cruel brothers, God was watching over Joseph.

When his eldest brother, Reuben, heard the others plotting to kill him, he advised their putting him into a pit, instead of taking away his life, intending to come back himself, and to take him out, and deliver him safely to his father.

But while Reuben was away tending his flocks, Joseph came to the rest of his brothers, and they at once stripped him of the beautiful coat his father had made for him, and then they cast him into an empty pit. But they sat down to eat a meal themselves!

Presently they saw a band of Merchants coming towards them on camels, and Judah said to his brothers, "Let us not kill Joseph, but let us sell him to these Ishmaelites!" So they drew Joseph up from the pit, and sold him for twenty pieces of silver.

Then the Ishmaelites passed on with their camels; but they did not know that they were carrying away one whom the holy God was watching over.

So the brothers were left, and the coat of many colours was left too.

But when Reuben came back, and looked into the pit, and found it empty, his heart failed him.

He tore his clothes, exclaiming, "What shall I do?" For he knew how dearly old Jacob loved this boy of his, and how could he go back to his father and tell him the truth?

But the other brothers killed a kid and dipped Joseph's coat in the blood, and sent it to their father, saying that they had found it like this, and that probably some evil beast had devoured him.

Then Jacob grieved for his son, with bitter grief, and said he should go to his grave mourning for him.

Now God loved Jacob very much; and though He allowed him to pass through this great sorrow, yet He was, in His own way, preparing a great joy for him in the future. For that young lad who was carried away on those camels, down to Egypt, was bought by a kind master, and lived happily in his house for years.

It is true that after a time, troubles came; for Joseph was falsely accused, and was cast into prison for two years.

But God was with him there (as He is always with those who love and serve Him), and Joseph behaved so nicely, that the Keeper of the prison began to trust him, and at length gave him the care of all the other prisoners. Everything that Joseph did was prospered, because God blessed him so much.

By and bye Pharaoh, King of Egypt, had a dream which he could not understand, and as they all knew in the prison, that Joseph could tell the meaning of dreams, Pharaoh was told about him, and the Great King sent for him, and explained his trouble to him.

Then God told Joseph the meaning of Pharaoh's dream, which was, that there would be seven years of rich harvests, and then seven years of very poor harvests.

So Joseph advised Pharaoh to look out a wise man to save up all the corn in the plentiful years, so that the people might have food in the scanty years.

And Pharaoh chose Joseph to be over everything, and to see to the corn, and save it up; and Pharaoh dressed Joseph in beautiful clothes, and put a ring on his hand.

Joseph was very humble, and he loved God very much. He kept on telling Pharaoh that it was God who helped him to do all these wonderful things.

At length the seven years of plenty were over, and the famine came into all the countries round Egypt, and everybody came to Egypt to buy corn of Joseph. And among them his ten brothers came too!

You can read in your Bibles in the 45th and 46th Chapters of Genesis, how Joseph forgave his brothers, and how he told them how God had meant it for good to save much people alive.

Then he gave his brothers food; and sent wagons to Canaan to fetch his dear old father down to Egypt to live near him, and be taken care of.

And this was how God brought it about, that old Jacob saw his beloved son again.