Bible character overview - Joseph

Written by: My Store Admin

June 3, 2024

Time to read 6 min

Introduction:

Welcome to an insightful character overview of Joseph. Here you'll learn about who Joseph was, what he did, and his strengths and weaknesses. Also, we have provided questions related to the story of Isaac to provoke thought. They can also be used for personal/small-group studies.

Who was Joseph from the Bible?

Key facts

When: roughly around 1700 - 1600 B.C
Where: Canaan
Name meaning: ‘God will add’ or ‘God will give’

Glimpse: Joseph was very young when God began to open his eyes to the calling upon his life. Joseph began having dreams that revealed he was to be a ruler one day. He goes on a journey that starts with betrayal and loneliness and ends with the fullness of all God has in store for him and his family

Joseph's dreams

Joseph was the son of Jacob living in the land of Canaan. At 17, Joseph was a shepherd boy and was loved by his father more than all his brothers. Because of this love, Joseph's father made a coat of many colors for him, which led his brothers to despise Joseph.

One night, Joseph had a dream and told his brothers about it, saying, "We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it." This led them to hate him even more. Joseph then had another dream in the same manner, and the hatred of his brothers increased further.

Joseph explaining his dream to his brothers

Questions

→ Do you believe dreams have meaning?

→ What should we do with these types of dreams?

"He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it."

Genesis 37:6-7

Joseph betrayed

One day, Joseph's brothers plotted to kill him. At the word of Reuben, the eldest brother, they did not shed any blood but stripped him of his robe before throwing him into a cistern. He was later sold by his brothers to some Midianite merchants who took him to Egypt. The brothers returned to Jacob and deceived him into thinking Joseph had been killed by an animal. The Midianite merchants eventually sold Joseph to the captain of the guard, Potiphar.

God was with Joseph in all that he did and caused him to prosper. This pleased Potiphar, so he placed Joseph in charge of his whole household. However, because of Joseph's strong build and good looks, Potiphar's wife began to pursue him. Joseph refused her advances, and she became angry and deceived Potiphar into thinking Joseph was in the wrong. Joseph was put into prison and continued to be favored by God in all he did, being placed in charge of all the prisoners.

Questions

→ Have you ever felt betrayed? How did God help you through that?

→ Why does God allow difficult things to happen in our life?

"But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. ''

Genesis 39:20-21

Elevation in the kingdom

One day, Joseph began speaking with the chief cupbearer and chief baker, who had both been placed in prison. They told Joseph about the distressing dreams they had had, and Joseph provided them with interpretations. It turned out that the chief cupbearer was to be restored to his position, but the baker was to be executed. These things came to pass, and Joseph asked the cupbearer to remember him, but he did not.

Two years passed, and the king himself had a dream that no one could interpret. The cupbearer remembered Joseph and told the king about him. Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dream and concluded that there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine, and they needed to prepare. Pharaoh was well pleased with Joseph and placed him in charge of the whole land of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself. He was also given the name Zaphenath-Paneah and Asenath to be his wife.

The Joseph card from the bible bumps game

Questions

→ Why did Joseph go through so much before being elevated to 2nd in command?

→ Have you ever experienced God's elevation? Did this come out of a bad time like Joseph?

“Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”

Genesis 40:8

Foresight

When the famine hit, all of Egypt came for food. Joseph used the seven years of plenty to store enough food for the seven years of famine, and soon the whole world came to Egypt to buy food, making them very prosperous. Joseph's brothers had also been affected by the famine and heard about the grain for sale in Egypt. When they came to Egypt, they bowed before Joseph but did not recognize him.

Joseph spoke harshly with them and accused them of being spies. He ordered them to bring their youngest brother to him; otherwise, they would not receive any food, keeping some of the brothers in prison. They proceeded to do this, and when they came back, Joseph was moved when seeing his younger brother Benjamin and began to weep. Joseph eventually revealed his identity to his brothers and told them to bring their families and livestock to be with him in Egypt.

Joseph continued to walk in blessings and favor. Before Jacob died, he blessed Joseph's sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and blessed Joseph too. Joseph finally died in Egypt at the age of 110.

Questions

→ Why is it important to trust God, especially when we don't know the future?

→ What stands out to you in Joseph's story?

“ Israel said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.””

Genesis 46:30

Strengths:

Vision: Joseph knew the call on his life even from a young age and did not stop in the face of adversity
Gifted: Joseph was gifted with the ability to interpret dreams, but also to give great advice with sound wisdom and understanding
Humble: Even after all that had happened to him, Joseph forgave his brothers and invited them to live with him

Weaknesses:

Social awareness: Joseph's brothers already didn't like him so telling them all about how he's going to rule them one day probably wasn't the smartest move

Conclusion

We learn from Joseph that when God has a plan for your life, nothing will stop that plan from happening. God has a plan for all our lives and if we just keep pushing forward whilst also using our giftings to honor and glorify God, He will use us in ways we could never have even imagined.

''For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life''

John 3:16

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The Author: OluKoye Williams

Koye Williams is the creator of the international game biblebumps. His mission is to see the people of the Bible brought to life in a new and exciting way whilst also providing opportunities to spend quality time with the family.

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