Joseph was the first-born of Rachel but the twelfth in order in the family. Jacob loved Joseph more than his other children as he was born to him at his old-age and that too to his favourite wife. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him – Gen 37:4. That included Judah. Joseph was also a dreamer in its literal sense. He dreamt that all his brothers bowed and made obeisance to him. And they hated him yet the more for his dreams. – Gen 37:8. He had another dream. “Behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me”. – Gen 37:9. Even Jacob (now renamed Israel by the Lord) was offended by this dream. He rebuked Joseph but kept note of the dream.

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. – Rev 12:1,2. And the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. – Rev 12:4. This dragon is the antagonist in His-story. He had been waiting for the Child – the Seed of the woman – to devour It as soon as It was born. That is why Satan kept a strict vigil over every child that was born in the believing lineage of Jacob (even from Adam) and devised means to nip in the bud any possibility of the Seed bruising his head. Did he succeed?

The brothers were waiting for an opportunity to get rid of Joseph. And an opportune time came. Joseph visited them to know their whereabouts and their well-being, but they thought of slaying him. Reuben, the eldest, (remember, he is the seed of the Serpent) wanted to take him back to their father and so, suggested that they drop him into a pit. It was against the plan of God. Judah belonged to the believing generation suggested an alternative, the exact thing that God had in his unchangeable plan. The brothers were convinced (Reuben was absent when this decision was made and might not have known this twist in His-story even long afterwards) and so, sold him to Ishmaelite traders who were heading towards Egypt – God’s intended destination for Joseph.

Joseph was only seventeen years of age when the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard. – Gen 37:36. And the LORD was with Joseph. – Gen 39:2, 3. No wonder, Potiphar made Joseph overseer over his house and left all that he had in his hand. Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured. – Gen 39:6.

Could Satan allow things unfavourable to him to continue? No. Not again. He had another agent to support his evil devices. Potiphar’s wife.

The old Serpent provoked her to cast her eye upon Joseph. She enticed him to commit adultery with her many times; he avoided even being in her presence. When he was forced physically by her, he fled from the house, leaving his garment behind. Caught red-handed, the lady (!) of the house falsely accused Joseph of attempted rape. Subsequently, Joseph landed in prison. But the Lord was with Joseph. – Gen 39:21.

Children of God would not want to be even in an environment where there is a probability of temptation to sin. The Bible instructs “Abstain from all appearance of evil” – 1 Thes 5:24 because “sin clings so closely” – Heb 12:1 to beset us and, “Bad company ruins good morals” – 1 Cor 15:33.

Even in prison, he found favour in the eyes of the prison keeper and so, was made the supervisor over all the prisoners because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper. – Gen 39:23.

Joseph was not only a “dreamer” but also could interpret dreams. He interpreted one such dream to Pharaoh’s chief butler while in prison which came to pass exactly as he had interpreted. Joseph requested the chief butler to remember him when he would stand in from of Pharaoh again. And that was exactly what the chief butler forgot!

“Thank God” (!), Satan must have sighed. End of the plan of God? Satan would have loved to hear a “Yes”. “No” was the obvious answer.

Because, God has time in His hands! And, it is His-story!!

Two long years afterwards, Pharaoh (Para-oh / para-bho / Prabhu) himself was troubled by a dream but did not understand its meaning. He had a similar dream a second time which seriously troubled his spirit. None of the magicians nor any wise man could interpret the dreams of the Pharaoh. The chief butler now remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh about how the dream that he interpreted came true in his own life.

Joseph, a man of God, was summoned. Humbling himself he said, “It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace”. – Gen 41:16.

Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams. There were to be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of severe famine. God has established it and God shall bring it to pass, he said. Joseph did not stop there. He also advised Pharaoh on ways to handle the approaching famine so that the land would not perish. Pharaoh said, “Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?”. Pharaoh set Joseph over all the land of Egypt and said, “Only in the throne will I be greater than thou” – Gen 41:40. Joseph was thirty when he was made ruler over all the land of Egypt. The onus of drawing the risk mitigation plan and delegating responsibility, power and authority to execute it was on the shoulders of Joseph.

Joseph married an Egyptian woman, the daughter of an influential Egyptian priest of On and she begot two sons for Joseph – Manasseh and Ephraim. Notable names in His-story.

Then arrived the famine. A calamity of global proportions was unveiling. Jacob and his family were affected severely. There was no corn in the land. Would they have to die of hunger? Why should they? The Lord had His man at the helm of affairs in the neighbouring country Egypt. All they had to do is go and fetch grain. After a prolonged and interesting drama, Joseph’s brothers along with their ageing father Jacob were brought into the land to settle down. Joseph said, “God did send me before you to preserve life”. – Gen 45:5; to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: - Gen 45:7,8. The first portion of God’s prophecy to Abraham about his descendants going to Egypt was fulfilled.

Jacob continued to believe in the promise of the Seed God gave to his grandfather Abraham. He blessed Judah, the then head of the believing line, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh (Peace) come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be”. – Gen 49:10. All the believing will be gathered under Jesus Christ! There were also two other promises – one about the land that they would possess as inheritance and the other about the return of his descendants from Egypt to that promised land. So, by faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. – Heb 11:21. Joseph assured his brothers that they would live, “ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive” – Gen 50:20. And again, Joseph was himself a believer in the promise of God. By faith, Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones. – Heb 11:22.

All seventy of Jacob’s family were saved from death. God’s plan was on track. No contingency or mitigation plans. One plan and that is all.

All attempts so far by the Old Serpent, the dragon failed. But the scripture says, the dragon stood before the woman, which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. – Rev 12:4. As the believing population started growing, Satan now had a tough time identifying who would be responsible for bringing in the Seed of the woman. He had to widen his vigil and expand his strategy. His next target would be the whole nation of Israel. If he could destroy the Israelites, now in Egypt, he would put an end to the plan of God. He started strategizing and this time, he had enough time – four hundred and thirty years, to be precise. All he needed was a ruler who knew nothing about Joseph and his splendid administration; about how he saved Egypt from an imminent destruction.