Bible Study Online Article

In the last article we begin to see that finally things seem to be turning around for Joseph, being that he had (both mentally and physically), suffered in the land of Egypt for the past thirteen years.

In spite of his situation, Joseph stayed true to who he was when it came to the Lord.

Then one day he finds himself being summoned by the great Pharaoh, the one who ruled the land that he was prisoner of.

Joseph would enter the Egyptian courts early that day, being known as a prisoner who had been confined to the King's Prison because of some alleged adultery charge that was placed against him, by Potiphar's wife.

He'd been summoned by Pharaoh and we now find Joseph entering into the Egyptian palace courts dressed in his prison garb while dragging his shackles and chains, as he comes before Pharaoh. But before the day would end, this same person, this same prisoner, would be elevated to the second highest position within all the land of Egypt.

For he was no longer dressed in prison garb, but now in soft linen... no longer shackled and chained, but now he wears a chain of gold and the signet ring of the most powerful man in that region (perhaps the world)... no longer introduced by his prisoner number or ID... but now his introduction is that of second-in-command as he rides in a royal chariot throughout the entire land of Egypt.

"Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and men shouted before him, 'Make way!' Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt." -- (Genesis 41:42-43)

But the Egyptian ruler would not stop there: "Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Poti-pherah, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt." -- (Genesis 41:45)

Now let's take a closer look at this passage for a moment...

1) "Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah" :

As we can see, not only did Joseph get a new position, but he also received a new name in the process. This name "Zaphnath-Paaneah" is a name that signified the type of reputation that Joseph had earned for himself, which meant - The Revealer of Secrets.

2) "...gave him Asenath daughter of Poti-pherah daughter of Poti-pherah, priest of On to be his wife..." :

This little bit of information might not seem important, for you might assume that Joseph was blessed to finally marry, after all -- he deserved it right? Normally I would agree with that sentiment, but it's these little details that help to set the Sacred Record (when it comes to depth and credibility) far apart from anything else that's out there. So therefore, it's my duty to relay it to you. Be that as it may, let's move forward.

Now there are some who believe that "Poti-pherah the priest of On" is the same person as -- "Potiphar the captain of the guard." It would seem so at first glance being that the names "Poti-pherah" and "Potiphar" are quite similar in there context.

And although the names are close, I don't believe that the two are connected to the same person. Just like the Sacred Record informs us that Asenath was the virgin daughter of Poti-pherah the priest of On and not, Potiphar the captain of the guard:

"...gave him Asenath daughter of Poti-pherah daughter of Poti-pherah, priest of On to be his wife..."

So let's explore these names a little deeper before we move on:

Understand that when it came to the Egyptians, there were a set of words that would accompany, or be attached to names that would identify the importance of one's family or ancestry.

First, you would have the name "Phar" and this would signify that the person came from a family of inferior, or less important officers or officials. Notice that the name "Potiphar" has this attached within its context.

Next you would have the name "Pherah" and this would signify that a person came from a family of higher power or esteemed dignity. Notice how the name "Poti-pherah" has this attached within its context.

And just for the sake of curiosity: the name "Pharaoh" was the surname that was given to the Egyptian king, in which his royal family operated under. And also while were here, I might as well mention that the "City of On" was a very popular city that was located within the land of Egypt. This city was also known as "Aven" and perhaps later on known as "Heliopolis" and it's very well possible that this city is now known as "Damiata" or "Damiatta."

Just throwing a little bit more extra out to you.

I can't help but to sit and wonder: Oh, what a wonderful place to be in, to have the favor of the Lord raining down upon you...

Joseph although worried at times (okay most of the time), stayed true to who he was when it came to his beliefs and standards. He spent thirteen years in a foreign land that was filled with things that did not please the One True God. And in spite of his current life situation Joseph never tried to "coexist", compromise, or yielded his position as a servant to the One True God.

Everything he did, he gave credit to the Lord and because of that, God Almighty has rewarded him out in the open for all to see. Sure Joseph had to travel through a dark valley of hardships for a period of his life. But when he emerges from this dark valley, he's not the same as he was when he first entered into it.

One might ask: "Who is this person that has been elevated from the depths of the king's dungeons, to now sit in the king's palace as second-in-command and ruler over the land he was once a prisoner of?" But as soon as the question is put forth, it could easily be answered by a simple reply: Oh, you don't know... he's the highly favored -- Zaphenath-Paneah the Revealer of Secrets.

The favor of God was on Joseph and because of this he was elevated to the highest position in perhaps the most powerful kingdom that stood at the time. But what I would like to do, is take a quick look at how God might have caused some major events to take place from within this mighty kingdom, that would later benefit Joseph. Hint: Was this Pharaoh a true Egyptian or was his ancestry closer to Joseph's than we might think?

The Introduction of Abraham

The Birth of Isaac

The Birth of Esau & Jacob

Jacob - The Path of Uncertainty

Jacob - Wrestles with God

Joseph the Favorite Son

**YOUR CURRENT BIBLE STUDY ONLINE SERIES WOULD BE HERE**

83) Pharaoh's Dark Dreams

84) Joseph's Dark Dreams Interpretation

85) Joseph the Overseer of Egypt

86) <-CURRENT PAGE->

87) The Unveiling of Pharaoh

88) The Seven Years of Abundance

89) The Famine of Seven Years

90) Joseph the Egyptian Prime Minister

91) Joseph's Temptation of Revenge

92) Joseph's Tipping Point

93) The Confessions of the Ten Tribes

94) The Returning Nine Tribes

95) Jacob the Bereaved

96) Jacob's Reality Check

97) Joseph's Secret Delight

98) Joseph the Great Host

99) Judah Pleads For Benjamin

100) The Unveiling of Joseph