Seven Years of Plenty

"And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number. And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him. And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house. And the name of the second called he Ephraim: for God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended." (Genesis 41:39-53)

In an amazing turn of events that only God could have brought about, Joseph, former slave and prisoner of Egypt, at age 30 (13 years after being sold off by his brothers into slavery) is now elevated to a position of political power that is only one place lower than the Pharaoh of Egypt himself. Joseph is given a new name which can be translated to mean either "treasury of the glorious rest" or "salvation or savior of the age;" both meanings acknowledge the God who guides Joseph with such wisdom. How incredible that the Pharaoh entrusts his entire kingdom to Joseph's God by giving it into the hands of Joseph to manage.

Joseph is also given a wife, probably one who had quite a bit of status for she was the daughter of the priest of Heliopolis or On. Her name was Asenath, meaning "belonging to the goddess Neith;" none of which tells us that the Egyptians changed over to believing in the God of Joseph, even though they recognize His power in Joseph; but that instead, Joseph was hooked by marriage to one who worshipped another god, or in this case goddess: Neith, the Egyptian goddess of war and hunting. Or perhaps, she did come around to Joseph's way of thinking concerning his God? We just aren't told.

Now, here is the question: what was Joseph's reaction to all of this? We are not told whether he was in a state of shock, or elated, or horrified or what. At the time of Pharaoh's decision to elevate Joseph we are not shown any of the emotions of Joseph to know what he was thinking. It is not until his children are born that we are given a clue.

Joseph names his firstborn son Manasseh which means "causing to forget." By this we can see that Joseph still mourned for his lost family and homeland. This firstborn child eased that pain somewhat by supplying Joseph once more with a family. This child also caused Joseph to somewhat forget all of his labors, certainly his past labors and possibly his current labors as well which kept him from his true homeland.

Joseph names his second son, Ephraim, which means "double ash-heap or double land: I am doubly fruitful;" and says that it is because "God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction." No matter his exalted position, Joseph does not recognize Egypt as his home; he is the Lord's pilgrim living in a strange land. Thus Egypt will always be the land of his affliction.

My take on all of this is that Joseph is still a slave; he is not really free to leave here and go seek out his family and homeland. When the Pharaoh of Egypt tells you what you will be, having just pulled you out of a prison that you have been in for anywhere from 2-10 years, you don't argue with him and plead to just be set free; what you do is what you are told to do while being grateful for being released from the dungeon and placed in a prison of a different sort even though privileges and comforts abound.

Yet in all of this, Joseph knows that God is sovereign and is in control of his situation; and he is willing to go where the Lord leads, even into the position of second highest ruler in all the land of Egypt. I believe he is grateful to the Lord for putting him into such a position, no matter how much he might long for his home.

And with the wisdom and administration abilities that God had gifted Joseph with, Joseph began to accumulate all the corn and food supplies that were available during the seven years of plenty and to lay them in store for the coming famine; a famine so severe that without the foreknowledge of the double dreams and Joseph's interpretations and management of food supplies, all of Egypt would have been lost, and many neighboring nations as well, including Joseph's own family. Yet all are saved…by God's own hand.

Such an amazing task could only have been accomplished by an amazing God…working through a humble and willing servant who trusted in his God…no matter where the circumstances of his life placed him. Joseph's trust of God throughout these circumstances should be a tremendous encouragement and inspiration to us all.