Joseph had made a great impression on Pharoah and it was about to pay off. Pharoah had discerned that God was with Joseph and that God was real. Not just any of the gods of Egypt, but the One True God Himself. Pharoah had recognized how Joseph’s abilities were from God and he made him second-in-command in all of Egypt. But who was it who had actually made Joseph a ruler in Egypt (Rom 13:1-7)?
Read verses 41-43. What are all the ways that Pharoah showed that Joseph was now second in charge in Egypt? Pharoah signet rings were symbolic, functional items which served as royal seals of authority. They represented power, authority, and divinity. With this ring, Joseph had power to rule as Pharoah. He was also dressed in fine linen and had a gold chain around his neck. As he walked, men went before him to call out, “Make way”.
In verses 44-45, Pharoah also changed Joseph’s name and gave him an Egyptian name, Zaphenath-Paneah. This was common for high-ranking officials and would have given him much more respect among the people. In addition, Pharoah gave him a wife, Asenath, who was the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. This put him in one of the highest family circles in all of Egypt. It was a very high honor. Joseph was now free to move throughout all of Egypt.
We see in verse 46 that Joseph was 30 years old when this occurred. He had been 17 when his brothers sold him as a slave, so he had been 13 years without his freedom. Now, he was a ruler in Egypt, second only to Pharoah himself. His circumstances had really changed. Verses 46-49 tell us how Joseph went throughout Egypt preparing for the famine. It all happened as God said, with so much grain that Joseph eventually even stopped keeping records. The harvest was beyond measure.
Read verses 49-52. We see that Joseph had two sons. They were born before the famine came. The first one was named Manasseh. This name sounds like the Hebrew word for ‘forget’ because God had made him forget all his trouble. The second son was named Ephraim. This name sounds like the Hebrew word for ‘fruitful’ because God had made him fruitful in the land of his suffering. Even after all that has happened to him, Joseph honored God and continued working hard (Col 3:23). How would you respond if you had been through something similar to Joseph? Would you serve Pharoah and do your best or would you be bitter?
In verses 53-55 we see that seven years of abundance have come to an end and the seven years of famine have begun. The famine was much larger than just Egypt and people from other lands were suffering also. When the Egyptians began crying to Pharoah for food, he sent them to Joseph.
In verses 56-57, we see Joseph opening the storehouses where he has stored up grain and selling food to those in need. People came from all over the world, not just Egypt, to buy grain. The famine was severe everywhere. God had used Joseph to provide a means for people to survive the famine. This is a partial fulfillment of the covenant promise that God will use Abraham’s descendants to bless all nations. God had placed Joseph in Egypt for a reason. When we find ourselves in difficult circumstances in life, we must learn to ask ourselves, why does God have us here? What is His plan for us? He is always in control and He always has a plan.
Responding to God: Praise God for His love and provision in times of need and in times of plenty. Thank Him for always having a plan to provide for our needs. Worship Him for always being in control. Ask for patience in those times when things are not going as we think they should and for the ability to trust Him. Ask for His help in always working to do our best as if we are working for Him. Thank Him for all He provides. Pray for the leaders God has put in place and for their wisdom to lead wisely.
Further Research: On the internet, search for archeological information concerning ancient Egypt and famines.
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