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What a strange and unfamiliar name. I’m not even sure that my pronunciation is right as it is a foreign name that means nothing to me unless we open up our Bibles to see that this name is contained therein and placed in Genesis 41:45. When reading this scripture realisation sets in that the name Zaphnath-Paaneah was given to Joseph by Pharaoh. In the footnotes of the NKJV it states that this Egyptian name “probably means for God Speaks and He Lives”. Indeed Pharaoh gave Joseph great power over all Egypt and second only to himself, however it was because God allowed it to be so. After reading about the 10 plagues in Egypt and how Moses with Aaron came repeatedly to Pharaoh to ask for the release of God’s people, we know that God softened one ruler’s heart and later hardened another’s (Exodus 7:14-25; Exodus 8, 9, 10, and chapter 11). It really is about God’s will over all that happens on the earth despite some of the most unwise choices made from Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to the present day, and the time left in the future as we live on during the end times until Christ’s return shortly.
This article is mainly written for the purposes of highlighting just how easy it is to read over a name that is hard to pronounce and unfamiliar, or indeed anything we may skim over in our daily reading, or within our studies. In our home we enjoy reading through the Bible between Feasts and so we have begun again once home from the Feast of Tabernacles. Each time we are always humbly assured of acquiring a deeper understanding to see things we scratch our heads over that were obviously always there but have not really caught our attention before, as they then do when made fully aware, as we increase in knowledge and wisdom via God’s Holy Spirit. This is of great excitement and delight to us and also continues to reinforce that we are indeed reading a supernatural book written through divine inspiration directly from God. Our Father gets all the glory as He should. Just what would we do without the Bible? Hopefully we will never need to find out!
The Bible informs us that Joseph was born to parents named Jacob and Rachel in the Mesopotamian town of Haran, travelled and lived in the land known as Canaan from the age of six, eventually settling in Hebron. His grandparents were Isaac and Rebekah, while his great-grandparents were Abraham and Sarah. He had a very eventful life from being the favoured child by his parents, to having divinely inspired dreams as God was with Joseph, treated abysmally by his 10 half brothers who were jealous, they envied and hated him — they even plotted to kill him, but then sold Joseph as a slave for just 20 pieces of silver to a travelling caravan of Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt. If that was not enough, he was imprisoned for years after false accusations of attempted rape, but eventually released. Joseph was plucked from relative obscurity and given great meteoric rise to power in Egypt as God was working with him. Potiphar, an officer working for Pharaoh knew this (Genesis 39:1-6) as did the keeper of the prison (Genesis 39:20-23). Pharaoh knew this too (Genesis 41:38).
Most people have heard of Joseph’s coat of many colours which is thought to be like those we now know of in Scotland and referred to as tartan. His Hebrew name of Yosef means “increase”. His Egyptian name is thought to have many meanings as outlined by the following link from Wikipedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaphnath-Paaneah. There are many interesting facts about Joseph in the Bible throughout the latter part of the book of Genesis. Joseph is also mentioned in Exodus 1:8, Psalm 105:16-19 as well as in the New Testament, in Acts 7:9-16 and in Hebrews 11:22. Below is another link for some further information: http://www.biblecharts.org/oldtestament/interestingfactsaboutjoseph.pdf. Joseph was the father of Ephraim and Manasseh — the two sons who were the head of the modern day English speaking nations of the British Isles, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and America, respectively (Genesis 41:50-52).
Pharaoh placed Joseph into the office of Vizier in Egypt, and he was only second in power right under Pharaoh. A Vizier in ancient Egypt was like the role we know of as Prime Minister, and the highest official under the Pharaoh. While in office they were expected to abide by a certain code of behaviour to show that they were acting by the law, judging people fairly, and were not intervening with their power willfully or with inappropriate headstrong behaviour. Pharaoh entrusted Joseph and thought very highly of him due to God’s blessings of his gifts and talents because he carried out his duties faithfully and with Godly wisdom. Throughout his life people were jealous and envious of Joseph beginning with his 10 half brothers partly because God gave him dreams, the content of which revealed that God had big plans for Joseph and he excitedly shared these with his brothers, and because he was Jacob and Rachel’s favourite child of his father’s old age. Potiphar’s wife repeatedly attempted to seduce Joseph as he was a handsome young man in the prime of his life — early 30s, for which he went to prison even though he resisted any temptation and was falsely accused (Genesis 39).
Joseph eventually was released from imprisonment due to God blessing him with the ability to interpret dreams. These accounts are fascinating for those with an interest and can be found in Genesis 40 and 41. Pharaoh was delighted that Joseph was able to interpret his troubling dreams, for which he believed the meaning provided by Joseph and therefore wisely ensured that Joseph was elevated after his term in prison in order to bring his vast country and the peoples of Egypt through the worst famine, which lasted 7 years after 7 years of abundance or plenty. Indeed, Joseph saved not only the Egyptians from starvation but all the people far and wide who came to Egypt for food during the long famine that plagued the land. Joseph became a hero, their saviour, and stood for righteous character despite living in a pagan land full of pagan gods, and false worship intertwined in lustful, hedonistic ways that were far from the God who created them.
How are we doing living in lands full of paganism while the god of convenience rears his ugly head in all facets of society with wickedness and evil abounding each day as people promote and continue to do what is right in their own eyes rather than looking to their Creator who gave them life. It is frustrating and sad, disappointing, repulsive and almost unbelievable at times depending on the atrocities committed. Joseph saw and experienced paganism all around him yet he continually remained faithful to God and dedicated his life to Him through righteous living and obedience and that is why Joseph is referred to as a “type of” Jesus Christ. If we determine to do the same and allow God’s Holy Spirit to lead us and we follow, then we can also live successfully in the midst of the darkness that surrounds us.
Lessons from the life of Joseph are plentiful for me. One thing that stands out is that we do not see anything in Scripture to say that Joseph complained or murmured at any time against anyone. He may have had these thoughts and no doubt he must have felt terribly hurt by those whom he would have trusted, especially his brothers. I see Joseph looking up to his older siblings wanting their love and acceptance despite having different mothers. Never complaining despite the situation — that is a very big deal and it seems as though his character was formed at a very young age when he was young and naïve, especially concerning his brothers who did not have his best interests at heart. Joseph did not harbour any thoughts of revenge but instead forgave those who treated him badly. His parents taught him well to respect God and this Joseph did through his everyday actions.
Another lesson noted is that Joseph always gave God the credit and glory for his abilities and gifts, not himself (Genesis 41:16, 25, 28, 32, 39). His life was full of forgiveness towards others, always looking to God for his help as Joseph believed the promises God gave to him (Genesis 37:6-9) and knew God was with Him. Do we know that God is with us? If He is with us it is the most peaceful and wonderful knowledge we can have as we live in this very troubled world. Let us take great encouragement and inspiration from the example set by Joseph, for it is written for us to glean from and determine in our hearts that we will behave in such a way as to bring blessings upon all those with whom we interact. As we prepare for the 2021 Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread season we examine ourselves by taking stock of where we are, where we have come from, and where we are headed — to the Promised Land, and let’s ensure we have forgiven any and all who may have treated us less than well in order to come before God with a repentant, humble heart full of Godly love and service to our Father and to humanity.