Joseph's Life StoryBeispiel

From misery to prosperity

Joseph has told Pharaoh about the years of plenty and of famine to come, and advises him to store up food. Pharaoh agrees completely, and even appoints Joseph as overseer over this project. After years of imprisonment, Joseph is suddenly set “over all the land of Egypt” (Genesis 41:41)! Only Pharaoh himself is still greater than him.

This is an amazing transition, but it fits exactly in God’s plans for Joseph to save many people from starvation — including his own family, as we will see later. Joseph being unjustly imprisoned, the cupbearer also being imprisoned and having his dream, the cupbearer being near Pharaoh when Pharaoh has a dream that nobody can interpret… it all comes together and leads to Joseph’s exaltation. Nobody could have foreseen this, but looking back, it all fits together perfectly.

Joseph did not know beforehand that his future would change so drastically. He had had his dreams, but no clear and detailed predictions. We do. For some Christians, life on earth is really hard — because they are poor or ill, or because they are oppressed, or because they are lonely and persecuted for their faith. There can be so many hardships... But we know that these afflictions won’t last forever. Our future is safe in God’s hands! The righteous will “inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34) and they will enjoy “the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7). Jesus has prepared a glorious future for all of his children.

Are you looking forward to this future?