Joseph: A Man of Dreams

Genesis 45: 1 - 11 (NIV): Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, "Have everyone leave my presence!" So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh's household heard about it. Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?" But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. Now hurry back to my father and say to him, 'This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don't delay. You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me--you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.'

This passage is the climax of Joseph's story. It is told in the second half of the book Genesis. Most people are familiar with the basic plot: Joseph was his father's favorite and he didn't mind reminding his older brothers of that. So they sold him as a slave to an Egyptian caravan. He ends up a house slave to a man named Potiphar. You'll recall that Potiphar's wife lied about Joseph and he was thrown into prison. Through extraordinary circumstances, he was later released and became second only to Pharaoh in all of Egypt. This is when his brothers came to request food, not knowing of Joseph's rise to power.
This story is a great example of God using terrible circumstances for his ultimate purposes. Joseph was in a seemingly hopeless situation, but what happens to him is truly remarkable. He not only leaves slavery and prison to become a ruler over Egypt, he also saves his family -- and his people -- in the process.
One reason this story is so encouraging is that Joseph was treated horribly by his brothers, deceitfully by Potiphar's wife, unfairly by Potiphar, and God allowed it because he could see the big picture. He had a plan that there was no way Joseph could see. Joseph was forgotten by the cupbearer for two years while he was in prison, but God didn't forget about him. Paul says that God works all things for the good of those who love God and are in his will (Romans 8:28). Joseph's life is a stellar example of that.
It's good to put some perspective on Joseph's life. He suffered for about 15 years, but he ruled in Egypt for 80 years. When we find ourselves in absolutely hopeless circumstances, we don't have to despair, we can look at stories like this one and see that God is up to something good, even if it doesn't feel like at the time.