JW subtitle extractor

In the present system of things,
all of us experience trials.
Do you ever wonder
whether Jehovah will act in your behalf?
And if so, when?
We can be certain that Jehovah
will support us during our trials.
Why?
Because Jehovah’s foremost attribute
is an especially heartwarming quality
—love.
To learn about this quality,
including how we can show it ourselves,
let’s examine the Bible account of Joseph.
Joseph was born
more than 3,700 years ago in Mesopotamia.
His father was the patriarch, Jacob,
also known as Israel.
Joseph had ten half brothers
and one full brother, Benjamin.
At a tender age, Joseph began to face adversity
because of the jealousy of his ten older brothers.
Yet, Joseph’s trials
led to the saving of his whole family from famine.
More than that, as a result of his trials,
we can receive everlasting blessings.
I invite you to read along in your Bible
as you listen to Genesis 37:2-11.
“When Joseph was 17 years old,
“the young man was tending the flock
“with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah,
“the wives of his father.
“And Joseph brought a bad report
about them to their father.
“Now Israel loved Joseph
more than all his other sons
“because he was the son of his old age,
“and he had a special robe made for him.
“When his brothers saw that their father
loved him more than all his brothers,
“they began to hate him,
and they could not speak peaceably to him.
“Later Joseph had a dream
and told it to his brothers,
“and they found further reason to hate him.
“He said to them:
“‘Please listen to this dream that I had.
“‘There we were binding sheaves
in the middle of the field
“‘when my sheaf got up and stood erect
“‘and your sheaves encircled
and bowed down to my sheaf.’
“His brothers said to him:
“‘Are you really going to make yourself
king over us and dominate us?’
“So they found another reason to hate him,
“because of his dreams and what he said.
“After that he had still another dream,
“and he related it to his brothers:
“‘I have had another dream.
“‘This time the sun and the moon
“and 11 stars were bowing down to me.’
“Then he related it to his father
as well as his brothers,
“and his father rebuked him and said to him:
“‘What is the meaning of this dream of yours?
“‘Am I as well as your mother and your brothers
“really going to come
and bow down to the earth to you?’
“And his brothers grew jealous of him,
but his father kept the saying in mind.”
Joseph’s family find it difficult
to accept the meaning of his dreams!
Yet, Jacob ‘keeps the saying,’
that is, he keeps Joseph’s dreams “in mind.”
How so?
He keeps thinking the matter over.
Perhaps he realizes
that his son’s dreams are from Jehovah.
Joseph’s brothers, however,
have a different reaction.
Follow along in Genesis 37:18-36.
“Now they caught sight of him from a distance,
“and before he reached them,
“they began plotting
against him to put him to death.
“So they said to one another:
“‘Look! Here comes that dreamer.
“‘Come, now, let us kill him
and pitch him into one of the waterpits,
“‘and we will say
that a vicious wild animal devoured him.
“Then let us see
what will become of his dreams.’
“When Reuben heard this,
he tried to rescue him from them.
“So he said:
“‘Let us not take his life.’
“Reuben said to them:
“‘Do not shed blood.
“‘Throw him into this waterpit in the wilderness,
“but do not harm him.’
“His purpose was to rescue him from them
“in order to return him to his father.
“So as soon as Joseph came to his brothers,
“they stripped Joseph of his robe,
the special robe that he wore,
“and they took him
and threw him into the waterpit.
“At the time the pit was empty;
there was no water in it.
“Then they sat down to eat.
“When they looked up,
“there was a caravan of Ishmaelites
coming from Gilead.
“Their camels were carrying labdanum gum,
“balsam, and resinous bark,
“and they were on their way down to Egypt.
“At this Judah said to his brothers:
“‘What profit would there be
if we killed our brother
“‘and covered over his blood?
“‘Come, now, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites,
“‘and do not let our hand be upon him.
“After all, he is our brother, our flesh.’
“So they listened to their brother.
“And when the Midianite merchants
were passing by,
“they lifted Joseph up out of the waterpit
“and sold him to the Ishmaelites
for 20 pieces of silver.
“These men took Joseph into Egypt.
“Later when Reuben returned to the waterpit
“and saw that Joseph was not in the waterpit,
“he ripped his garments apart.
“When he returned to his brothers, he exclaimed:
“‘The child is gone!
“And I
—what am I going to do?’
“So they took Joseph’s robe
and slaughtered a male goat
“and dipped the robe in the blood.
“After that they sent the special robe
to their father and said:
“‘This is what we found.
“Please examine
whether this is your son’s robe or not.’
“Then he examined it and exclaimed:
“‘It is my son’s robe!
“‘A vicious wild animal must have devoured him!
“Joseph is surely torn to pieces!’
“With that Jacob ripped his garments apart
“and put sackcloth around his waist
“and mourned his son for many days.
“And all his sons and all his daughters
“kept trying to comfort him,
“but he kept refusing to take comfort, saying:
“‘I will go down into the Grave mourning my son!’
“And his father continued weeping for him.
“Now the Midianites
sold him in Egypt to Potiphar,
a court official of Pharaoh
and the chief of the guard.”
What a drastic change
—from favorite son to lowly slave!
Joseph’s brothers
not only fail to show loyal love to him,
but they fail to show love
to their father, Jacob,
and, most important,
to their heavenly Father, Jehovah.
Faithful servants of Jehovah
are not always shielded from injustice.
At times, injustice may befall us
even at the hands of a fellow believer.
Are you in the middle of a trial like that?
Actually, your trial gives you a unique opportunity
to prove your love for Jehovah.
How so?
Consider how Joseph responded to his trial.
Note what Genesis 39:1-23 says.
“Now Joseph was taken down to Egypt,
“and an Egyptian named Potiphar,
“a court official of Pharaoh
and chief of the guard,
“bought him from the Ishmaelites
who had taken him down there.
“But Jehovah was with Joseph.
“As a result, he became successful
“and was put over the house
of his master, the Egyptian.
“And his master saw
that Jehovah was with him
“and that Jehovah was making
everything that he did successful.
“Joseph kept finding favor in his eyes,
“and he became his personal attendant.
“So he appointed him over his house,
“and he put him in charge of all that was his.
“From the time he appointed him over his house
“and in charge of all that was his,
“Jehovah kept blessing
the house of the Egyptian because of Joseph,
“and Jehovah’s blessing
came to be on all that he had
“in the house and in the field.
“He eventually left everything
that was his in Joseph’s care,
“and he gave no thought to anything
except the food he was eating.
“Moreover, Joseph grew
to be well-built and handsome.
“Now after these things,
“the wife of his master
“began to cast her eyes on Joseph and say:
“‘Lie down with me.’
“But he refused and said to his master’s wife:
“‘Here my master does not know
what is with me in the house,
“‘and he has entrusted
everything he has into my care.
“‘There is no one greater in this house than I am,
“‘and he has not withheld from me anything at all
“‘except you, because you are his wife.
“‘So how could I commit this great badness
“and actually sin against God?’
“So day after day she spoke to Joseph,
“but he never consented to lie
with her or to remain with her.
“But on one of the days
when he went into the house to do his work,
“none of the household servants
were in the house.
“Then she grabbed hold of him
by his garment and said:
“‘Lie down with me!’
“But he left his garment in her hand
and fled outside.
“As soon as she saw
that he had left his garment in her hand
“and had fled outside,
“she began to cry out
to the men of her house and to say to them:
“‘Look! He brought to us this Hebrew man
“‘to make us a laughingstock.
“‘He came to me to lie down with me,
“‘but I began to cry out at the top of my voice.
“‘Then as soon as he heard me
raising my voice and screaming,
“he left his garment beside me and fled outside.’
“After that she laid his garment beside her
“until his master came to his house.
“Then she told him the same thing, saying:
“‘The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us
“‘came to me to make me a laughingstock.
“‘But as soon as I raised my voice
and began to scream,
“he left his garment beside me and fled outside.’
“As soon as his master heard the words
his wife spoke to him, saying:
“‘These are the things your servant did to me,’
“his anger blazed.
“So Joseph’s master took him
and gave him over to the prison,
“the place where the prisoners
of the king were kept under arrest,
“and he remained there in the prison.
“But Jehovah continued with Joseph
and kept showing loyal love to him
“and granting him favor
in the eyes of the chief officer of the prison.
“So the chief officer of the prison
“put Joseph in charge
of all the prisoners in the prison,
“and everything that they were doing there,
“he was the one having it done.
“The chief officer of the prison
“was looking after absolutely nothing
that was in Joseph’s care,
“for Jehovah was with Joseph
and Jehovah made whatever he did successful.”
Joseph remains under Jehovah’s watchful care,
and Jehovah makes
whatever Joseph does successful.
Why is Jehovah so attached to Joseph?
Because Joseph maintains
unshakable love for God.
Joseph’s experience teaches us
that if we maintain our love for Jehovah,
He will not abandon us!
Rather, He will provide
just what we need at the right time
so that we may endure.
Returning to Joseph’s story,
we find he’s assigned
to care for two special prisoners
—Pharaoh’s personal cupbearer
and his chief baker.
One night, they each have a puzzling dream.
Jehovah enables Joseph
to interpret those dreams accurately,
and the dreams are fulfilled.
Notice that at Genesis 40:14,
Joseph entreats the cupbearer with the words:
“You must remember me
when things go well with you.
“Please show me loyal love
and mention me to Pharaoh,
in order to get me out of this place.”
But the cupbearer forgets all about Joseph.
Eventually,
Pharaoh himself has two baffling dreams
—one of plump cattle eaten by skinny ones
and the other of choice ears of grain
swallowed by shriveled ones.
None of the priests and wise men in Egypt
were able to interpret these dreams.
Finally, the cupbearer tells Pharaoh
about Joseph’s amazing ability
to interpret dreams.
Joseph is quickly summoned from prison.
As we resume our reading from Genesis 41:25,
Joseph, now 30 years old,
is standing before the king.
“Then Joseph said to Pharaoh:
“‘The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same.
“‘The true God
has told to Pharaoh what He will do.
“‘The seven good cows are seven years.
“‘Likewise,
the seven good ears of grain are seven years.
“‘The dreams are one and the same.
“‘The seven skinny and bad cows
“‘that came up after them are seven years,
“‘and the seven empty ears of grain,
scorched by the east wind,
“‘will prove to be seven years of famine.
“‘This is just as I told to Pharaoh:
“‘The true God has caused Pharaoh
to see what He will do.
“‘There are to be seven years
of great abundance in all the land of Egypt.
“‘But seven years of famine
will certainly arise after them,
“‘and all the abundance
in the land of Egypt will certainly be forgotten,
“‘and the famine will exhaust the land.
“‘And the previous abundance in the land
“‘will not be remembered
because of the famine afterward,
“‘for it will be very severe.
“‘The dream was given twice to Pharaoh
“‘because the matter
has been firmly established by the true God,
and the true God will soon carry it out.’”
Joseph lays out a detailed strategy
to deal with the coming famine.
Pharaoh is so pleased
with Joseph’s interpretation
and his sound advice
that he installs Joseph as ruler over all Egypt,
second only to himself!
Eight years later, famine dominates the region.
Joseph’s family suffers too.
Jacob directs his sons
to try to buy food in Egypt.
Jacob’s ten oldest sons leave for Egypt.
However, his youngest, Benjamin,
stays safely at home.
The ten brothers meet Joseph
and bow down to him,
fulfilling Joseph’s dream from years earlier.
Joseph recognizes his brothers,
but they don’t recognize him.
He speaks to them
only in Egyptian through an interpreter
and keeps his true identity secret.
Joseph now has a decision to make.
Will he use his authority
to make life hard for his brothers?
Will he dismiss them indifferently,
feeling that they don’t deserve his help?
Or will he look for any opening
to reconcile with them?
Will he imitate Jehovah’s loyal love?
What would you have done?
Joseph wants to know
if their attitude has changed
or if they’re still filled with hatred and envy.
Thus, he accuses them of being spies,
telling them he’ll keep
their brother Simeon under arrest
until they return with Benjamin.
Let’s read Genesis 42:21-24.
“‘We are surely being punished
on account of our brother,
“‘because we saw his distress
“‘when he begged us to show compassion,
“‘but we did not listen.
“That is why this distress has come upon us.’
“Then Reuben answered them:
“‘Did I not say to you,
“‘“Do not sin against the child,”
“‘but you would not listen?
“Now his blood is certainly being asked back.’
“But they did not know that Joseph understood,
“for there was an interpreter between them.
“So he turned away from them
and began to weep.
“When he returned and spoke to them again,
he took Simeon from them
and bound him before their eyes.”
Reuben expresses remorse
over their mistreatment of Joseph.
But are Reuben and his brothers
genuinely repentant?
To find out, Joseph demands
that his brothers return to Canaan
and then bring Benjamin,
their youngest brother, to Egypt.
How does Jacob respond
to the demand that Benjamin
be brought to Egypt?
Genesis 42:36, 37 answers:
“‘It is I you have bereaved!
“‘Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more,
“‘and you are going to take Benjamin!
“It is upon me that all these things have come!’
“But Reuben said to his father:
“‘You may put to death my own two sons
if I do not bring him back to you.
Give him over to my care,
and I will return him to you.’”
Jacob is adamant!
He will not allow Benjamin out of his sight.
However, by the second year of the famine,
the food supplies run out at home
for Jacob and his household.
Will Jacob now be persuaded
to let Benjamin join his brothers
in their trek back to Egypt
for more food supplies?
Let’s find out
by reading Genesis 43:8-10, 13, and 14.
“Judah then urged Israel his father:
“‘Send the boy with me, and let us go on our way
“‘so that we may live and not die
“‘—we and you and our children.
“‘I will be a guarantee for his safety.
“‘You may hold me responsible.
“‘If I fail to return him to you
and present him to you,
“‘I will have sinned against you for all time.
“‘But if we had not delayed,
“we could have been there
and back twice by now.’
“‘Take your brother and go, return to the man.
“‘May God Almighty grant you pity from the man,
“‘so that he may release to you
your other brother and Benjamin.
“‘But as for me, if I must be bereaved,
I will be bereaved!’”
Although earlier
Judah had displayed insensitivity
toward his father’s favored son, Joseph,
now he’s willing to take full responsibility
for his father’s beloved son Benjamin.
So Jacob permits his sons to return to Egypt,
bringing Joseph a large gift.
Let’s continue reading Genesis 43:26-30.
“When Joseph went into the house,
“they brought their gift to him into the house
“and prostrated themselves to him to the ground.
“‘How is your aged father
of whom you have spoken?
“Is he still alive?’
“To this they said:
“‘Your servant our father is well.
“He is still alive.’
“Then they bowed down
and prostrated themselves.
“When he looked up
and saw Benjamin his brother,
“the son of his mother, he said:
“‘Is this your brother, the youngest one
of whom you have spoken to me?’
“He added:
“‘May God show you his favor, my son.’
“Joseph then hurried out,
“because he was overcome
with emotion for his brother,
“and he looked for a place to weep.
So he went into a private room
and gave way to tears there.”
Joseph wants to discern
his brothers’ true feelings,
so he tests them.
How?
Joseph has his servants
fill each of his brothers’ bags with food.
Secretly, he also has his special silver cup
slipped into Benjamin’s bag.
After they all leave
and have traveled a short distance on the road,
Joseph sends his servants after them.
When they catch up with them,
the servants demand:
‘Why have you stolen
our master’s silver cup?’
Joseph’s brothers
strongly deny any wrongdoing and add:
‘If you find the cup with any one of us,
let that person be killed.’
So the servants search through all the bags,
and they find the cup in Benjamin’s bag!
The brothers show their grief
by ripping their garments apart.
Perplexed, they all return
with Benjamin to Joseph’s house.
Now,
having fallen to the ground before Joseph,
Judah says:
“The true God
has found out the error of your slaves.
We are now slaves to my master.”
Joseph, continuing his test, replies sternly:
‘As for the rest of you, return home,
but Benjamin must stay here as my slave!’
Judah moans:
‘If I fail to bring Benjamin back,
‘my father will surely die
and I will have sinned against him forever.’
Judah is unwilling to cause his father
the pain of losing another favored son,
so he volunteers to become
a slave in place of Benjamin.
Let’s read of Joseph’s emotional reaction
at Genesis 45:1-15:
“At this Joseph could no longer control himself
before all his attendants.
“So he cried out:
“‘Have everyone leave me!’
“No one else stayed with him
“while Joseph
made himself known to his brothers.
“Then he began to weep so loudly
“that the Egyptians heard it
and Pharaoh’s house heard it.
“Finally Joseph said to his brothers:
“‘I am Joseph.
“Is my father still alive?’
“But his brothers
were unable to answer him at all,
“because they
were astonished on account of him.
“So Joseph said to his brothers:
“‘Come close to me, please.’
“With that they came close to him.
“Then he said:
“‘I am Joseph your brother,
“‘whom you sold into Egypt.
“‘But now do not be upset
“‘and do not reproach one another
because you sold me here;
“‘because God has sent me ahead of you
“‘for the preservation of life.
“‘This is the second year
of the famine in the land,
“‘and there are yet five years
in which there will be no plowing or harvest.
“‘But God sent me ahead of you
“‘in order to preserve for you
a remnant on the earth
“‘and to keep you alive
by a great deliverance.
“‘So, then,
it was not you who sent me here,
“‘but it was the true God,
“‘in order to appoint me
as chief adviser to Pharaoh
“‘and lord for all his house
“‘and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
“‘Return quickly to my father,
and you must say to him,
“‘“This is what your son Joseph has said:
“‘“‘God has appointed me lord over all Egypt.
“‘“‘Come down to me. Do not delay.
“‘“‘You must dwell in the land of Goshen,
where you will be near me
“‘“‘—you, your sons, your grandsons, your flocks,
“‘“‘your herds, and everything you have.
“‘“‘I will supply you with food there,
“‘“‘for there are yet five years of famine.
Otherwise, you and your house
and everything you have will come to poverty.’”
“‘You and my brother Benjamin
can now see with your own eyes
“‘that I am really the one speaking to you.
“‘So you must tell my father
about all my glory in Egypt
“‘and everything you have seen.
“Now hurry and bring my father down here.’
“Then he embraced his brother Benjamin
“and gave way to weeping,
“and Benjamin wept
with his arms around his neck.
And he kissed all his brothers
and wept over them.”
Accordingly, Jacob, with about 70 of his family,
moves down to Egypt.
Pharaoh gives them
the land of Goshen to dwell in.
For 215 years,
Jacob’s descendants live in Egypt
until the day when all three million
or more of them pass
between the walls of the parted Red Sea
and eventually take possession
of the Promised Land.
Jehovah used Joseph
to preserve the line of descent
leading to the Messiah.
What can the story of Joseph teach us?
No matter what situation he faced,
Joseph showed loyal love to Jehovah.
For years,
he was battered by one trial after another,
but he never became resentful.
Today, we may have little control
over the trials we face in this imperfect system.
But we can control our reaction to them.
We refuse to become embittered
against Jehovah.
We love Jehovah,
and we are determined to prove our love
by rejecting any conduct that would hurt him.
Later, when Joseph’s circumstances changed,
he showed loyal love to his family,
despite his brothers’ unjust treatment.
In fact, Joseph’s loyal love toward his family
helped to fulfill a prophecy!
In the days
of Joseph’s great-grandfather Abraham,
Jehovah had set
the precise time to deliver His people
—exactly 430 years later.
If Joseph had not shown
loyal love toward his family,
how would that prophecy have been fulfilled?
Obviously, our loyal love
for our brothers matters to Jehovah.
So if you are ever hurt by your spiritual brother,
reject the temptation
to spread negative talk about him
or to hurt him in kind.
Do whatever is necessary to restore peace.
After all,
our brothers are loved by Jehovah.
They deserve our loyal love too!
The finest example of loyal love in this account
is Jehovah.
Joseph was abandoned by his family,
slandered by his employer’s wife,
and finally thrown into prison;
but Jehovah “continued with Joseph
and kept showing loyal love to him.”
Why?
He saw that Joseph remained loyal,
so he acted in loyalty toward Joseph.
Jehovah’s treatment of Joseph
was also an expression
of loyal love toward the nation of Israel.
By using Joseph to preserve his family,
Jehovah preserved the line of the Messiah
and ensured that His promise
to deliver the Israelites
was fulfilled right on time.
Isn’t that reassuring?
Imperfect humans may let you down,
you may face ridicule or even slander,
or you may be treated unjustly.
But if you remain loyal,
Jehovah will never abandon you.
He never forgot Joseph,
and he will not forget
any of His loyal servants today.
Stick close to Jehovah,
and he will continue showing loyal love to you.

Jehovah Kept Showing Loyal Love
- 

Jehovah Kept Showing Loyal Love

In the present system of things,
all of us experience trials.
Do you ever wonder
whether Jehovah will act in your behalf?
And if so, when?
We can be certain that Jehovah
will support us during our trials.
Why?
Because Jehovah’s foremost attribute
is an especially heartwarming quality
—love.
To learn about this quality,
including how we can show it ourselves,
let’s examine the Bible account of Joseph.
Joseph was born
more than 3,700 years ago in Mesopotamia.
His father was the patriarch, Jacob,
also known as Israel.
Joseph had ten half brothers
and one full brother, Benjamin.
At a tender age, Joseph began to face adversity
because of the jealousy of his ten older brothers.
Yet, Joseph’s trials
led to the saving of his whole family from famine.
More than that, as a result of his trials,
we can receive everlasting blessings.
I invite you to read along in your Bible
as you listen to Genesis 37:2-11.
“When Joseph was 17 years old,
“the young man was tending the flock
“with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah,
“the wives of his father.
“And Joseph brought a bad report
about them to their father.
“Now Israel loved Joseph
more than all his other sons
“because he was the son of his old age,
“and he had a special robe made for him.
“When his brothers saw that their father
loved him more than all his brothers,
“they began to hate him,
and they could not speak peaceably to him.
“Later Joseph had a dream
and told it to his brothers,
“and they found further reason to hate him.
“He said to them:
“‘Please listen to this dream that I had.
“‘There we were binding sheaves
in the middle of the field
“‘when my sheaf got up and stood erect
“‘and your sheaves encircled
and bowed down to my sheaf.’
“His brothers said to him:
“‘Are you really going to make yourself
king over us and dominate us?’
“So they found another reason to hate him,
“because of his dreams and what he said.
“After that he had still another dream,
“and he related it to his brothers:
“‘I have had another dream.
“‘This time the sun and the moon
“and 11 stars were bowing down to me.’
“Then he related it to his father
as well as his brothers,
“and his father rebuked him and said to him:
“‘What is the meaning of this dream of yours?
“‘Am I as well as your mother and your brothers
“really going to come
and bow down to the earth to you?’
“And his brothers grew jealous of him,
but his father kept the saying in mind.”
Joseph’s family find it difficult
to accept the meaning of his dreams!
Yet, Jacob ‘keeps the saying,’
that is, he keeps Joseph’s dreams “in mind.”
How so?
He keeps thinking the matter over.
Perhaps he realizes
that his son’s dreams are from Jehovah.
Joseph’s brothers, however,
have a different reaction.
Follow along in Genesis 37:18-36.
“Now they caught sight of him from a distance,
“and before he reached them,
“they began plotting
against him to put him to death.
“So they said to one another:
“‘Look! Here comes that dreamer.
“‘Come, now, let us kill him
and pitch him into one of the waterpits,
“‘and we will say
that a vicious wild animal devoured him.
“Then let us see
what will become of his dreams.’
“When Reuben heard this, 
he tried to rescue him from them.
“So he said:
“‘Let us not take his life.’
“Reuben said to them:
“‘Do not shed blood.
“‘Throw him into this waterpit in the wilderness,
“but do not harm him.’
“His purpose was to rescue him from them
“in order to return him to his father.
“So as soon as Joseph came to his brothers,
“they stripped Joseph of his robe,
the special robe that he wore,
“and they took him
and threw him into the waterpit.
“At the time the pit was empty;
there was no water in it.
“Then they sat down to eat.
“When they looked up,
“there was a caravan of Ishmaelites
coming from Gilead.
“Their camels were carrying labdanum gum,
“balsam, and resinous bark,
“and they were on their way down to Egypt.
“At this Judah said to his brothers:
“‘What profit would there be
if we killed our brother
“‘and covered over his blood?
“‘Come, now, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites,
“‘and do not let our hand be upon him.
“After all, he is our brother, our flesh.’
“So they listened to their brother.
“And when the Midianite merchants 
were passing by,
“they lifted Joseph up out of the waterpit
“and sold him to the Ishmaelites
for 20 pieces of silver.
“These men took Joseph into Egypt.
“Later when Reuben returned to the waterpit
“and saw that Joseph was not in the waterpit,
“he ripped his garments apart.
“When he returned to his brothers, he exclaimed:
“‘The child is gone!
“And I
—what am I going to do?’
“So they took Joseph’s robe
and slaughtered a male goat
“and dipped the robe in the blood.
“After that they sent the special robe 
to their father and said:
“‘This is what we found.
“Please examine
whether this is your son’s robe or not.’
“Then he examined it and exclaimed:
“‘It is my son’s robe!
“‘A vicious wild animal must have devoured him!
“Joseph is surely torn to pieces!’
“With that Jacob ripped his garments apart
“and put sackcloth around his waist
“and mourned his son for many days.
“And all his sons and all his daughters
“kept trying to comfort him,
“but he kept refusing to take comfort, saying:
“‘I will go down into the Grave mourning my son!’
“And his father continued weeping for him.
“Now the Midianites
sold him in Egypt to Potiphar,
a court official of Pharaoh
and the chief of the guard.”
What a drastic change
—from favorite son to lowly slave!
Joseph’s brothers
not only fail to show loyal love to him,
but they fail to show love
to their father, Jacob,
and, most important,
to their heavenly Father, Jehovah.
Faithful servants of Jehovah
are not always shielded from injustice.
At times, injustice may befall us
even at the hands of a fellow believer.
Are you in the middle of a trial like that?
Actually, your trial gives you a unique opportunity
to prove your love for Jehovah.
How so?
Consider how Joseph responded to his trial.
Note what Genesis 39:1-23 says.
“Now Joseph was taken down to Egypt,
“and an Egyptian named Potiphar,
“a court official of Pharaoh
and chief of the guard,
“bought him from the Ishmaelites
who had taken him down there.
“But Jehovah was with Joseph.
“As a result, he became successful
“and was put over the house
of his master, the Egyptian.
“And his master saw
that Jehovah was with him
“and that Jehovah was making
everything that he did successful.
“Joseph kept finding favor in his eyes,
“and he became his personal attendant.
“So he appointed him over his house,
“and he put him in charge of all that was his.
“From the time he appointed him over his house
“and in charge of all that was his,
“Jehovah kept blessing
the house of the Egyptian because of Joseph,
“and Jehovah’s blessing
came to be on all that he had
“in the house and in the field.
“He eventually left everything
that was his in Joseph’s care,
“and he gave no thought to anything
except the food he was eating.
“Moreover, Joseph grew
to be well-built and handsome.
“Now after these things,
“the wife of his master
“began to cast her eyes on Joseph and say:
“‘Lie down with me.’
“But he refused and said to his master’s wife:
“‘Here my master does not know
what is with me in the house,
“‘and he has entrusted
everything he has into my care.
“‘There is no one greater in this house than I am,
“‘and he has not withheld from me anything at all
“‘except you, because you are his wife.
“‘So how could I commit this great badness
“and actually sin against God?’
“So day after day she spoke to Joseph,
“but he never consented to lie
with her or to remain with her.
“But on one of the days
when he went into the house to do his work,
“none of the household servants
were in the house.
“Then she grabbed hold of him
by his garment and said:
“‘Lie down with me!’
“But he left his garment in her hand
and fled outside.
“As soon as she saw
that he had left his garment in her hand
“and had fled outside,
“she began to cry out
to the men of her house and to say to them:
“‘Look! He brought to us this Hebrew man
“‘to make us a laughingstock.
“‘He came to me to lie down with me,
“‘but I began to cry out at the top of my voice.
“‘Then as soon as he heard me
raising my voice and screaming,
“he left his garment beside me and fled outside.’
“After that she laid his garment beside her
“until his master came to his house.
“Then she told him the same thing, saying:
“‘The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us
“‘came to me to make me a laughingstock.
“‘But as soon as I raised my voice
and began to scream,
“he left his garment beside me and fled outside.’
“As soon as his master heard the words
his wife spoke to him, saying:
“‘These are the things your servant did to me,’
“his anger blazed.
“So Joseph’s master took him
and gave him over to the prison,
“the place where the prisoners
of the king were kept under arrest,
“and he remained there in the prison.
“But Jehovah continued with Joseph
and kept showing loyal love to him
“and granting him favor
in the eyes of the chief officer of the prison.
“So the chief officer of the prison
“put Joseph in charge
of all the prisoners in the prison,
“and everything that they were doing there,
“he was the one having it done.
“The chief officer of the prison
“was looking after absolutely nothing
that was in Joseph’s care,
“for Jehovah was with Joseph
and Jehovah made whatever he did successful.”
Joseph remains under Jehovah’s watchful care,
and Jehovah makes
whatever Joseph does successful.
Why is Jehovah so attached to Joseph?
Because Joseph maintains
unshakable love for God.
Joseph’s experience teaches us
that if we maintain our love for Jehovah,
He will not abandon us!
Rather, He will provide
just what we need at the right time
so that we may endure.
Returning to Joseph’s story,
we find he’s assigned
to care for two special prisoners
—Pharaoh’s personal cupbearer
and his chief baker.
One night, they each have a puzzling dream.
Jehovah enables Joseph
to interpret those dreams accurately,
and the dreams are fulfilled.
Notice that at Genesis 40:14,
Joseph entreats the cupbearer with the words:
“You must remember me
when things go well with you.
“Please show me loyal love
and mention me to Pharaoh,
in order to get me out of this place.”
But the cupbearer forgets all about Joseph.
Eventually,
Pharaoh himself has two baffling dreams
—one of plump cattle eaten by skinny ones
and the other of choice ears of grain
swallowed by shriveled ones.
None of the priests and wise men in Egypt
were able to interpret these dreams.
Finally, the cupbearer tells Pharaoh
about Joseph’s amazing ability
to interpret dreams.
Joseph is quickly summoned from prison.
As we resume our reading from Genesis 41:25,
Joseph, now 30 years old,
is standing before the king.
“Then Joseph said to Pharaoh:
“‘The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same.
“‘The true God
has told to Pharaoh what He will do.
“‘The seven good cows are seven years.
“‘Likewise,
the seven good ears of grain are seven years.
“‘The dreams are one and the same.
“‘The seven skinny and bad cows
“‘that came up after them are seven years,
“‘and the seven empty ears of grain, 
scorched by the east wind,
“‘will prove to be seven years of famine.
“‘This is just as I told to Pharaoh:
“‘The true God has caused Pharaoh
to see what He will do.
“‘There are to be seven years
of great abundance in all the land of Egypt.
“‘But seven years of famine
will certainly arise after them,
“‘and all the abundance
in the land of Egypt will certainly be forgotten,
“‘and the famine will exhaust the land.
“‘And the previous abundance in the land
“‘will not be remembered
because of the famine afterward,
“‘for it will be very severe.
“‘The dream was given twice to Pharaoh
“‘because the matter
has been firmly established by the true God,
and the true God will soon carry it out.’”
Joseph lays out a detailed strategy
to deal with the coming famine.
Pharaoh is so pleased
with Joseph’s interpretation
and his sound advice
that he installs Joseph as ruler over all Egypt,
second only to himself!
Eight years later, famine dominates the region.
Joseph’s family suffers too.
Jacob directs his sons
to try to buy food in Egypt.
Jacob’s ten oldest sons leave for Egypt.
However, his youngest, Benjamin,
stays safely at home.
The ten brothers meet Joseph
and bow down to him,
fulfilling Joseph’s dream from years earlier.
Joseph recognizes his brothers,
but they don’t recognize him.
He speaks to them
only in Egyptian through an interpreter
and keeps his true identity secret.
Joseph now has a decision to make.
Will he use his authority
to make life hard for his brothers?
Will he dismiss them indifferently,
feeling that they don’t deserve his help?
Or will he look for any opening
to reconcile with them?
Will he imitate Jehovah’s loyal love?
What would you have done?
Joseph wants to know
if their attitude has changed
or if they’re still filled with hatred and envy.
Thus, he accuses them of being spies,
telling them he’ll keep
their brother Simeon under arrest
until they return with Benjamin.
Let’s read Genesis 42:21-24.
“‘We are surely being punished
on account of our brother,
“‘because we saw his distress
“‘when he begged us to show compassion,
“‘but we did not listen.
“That is why this distress has come upon us.’
“Then Reuben answered them:
“‘Did I not say to you,
“‘“Do not sin against the child,”
“‘but you would not listen?
“Now his blood is certainly being asked back.’
“But they did not know that Joseph understood,
“for there was an interpreter between them.
“So he turned away from them
and began to weep.
“When he returned and spoke to them again,
he took Simeon from them
and bound him before their eyes.”
Reuben expresses remorse
over their mistreatment of Joseph.
But are Reuben and his brothers
genuinely repentant?
To find out, Joseph demands
that his brothers return to Canaan
and then bring Benjamin,
their youngest brother, to Egypt.
How does Jacob respond
to the demand that Benjamin
be brought to Egypt?
Genesis 42:36, 37 answers:
“‘It is I you have bereaved!
“‘Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more,
“‘and you are going to take Benjamin!
“It is upon me that all these things have come!’
“But Reuben said to his father:
“‘You may put to death my own two sons
if I do not bring him back to you.
Give him over to my care,
and I will return him to you.’”
Jacob is adamant!
He will not allow Benjamin out of his sight.
However, by the second year of the famine,
the food supplies run out at home
for Jacob and his household.
Will Jacob now be persuaded
to let Benjamin join his brothers
in their trek back to Egypt
for more food supplies?
Let’s find out
by reading Genesis 43:8-10, 13, and 14.
“Judah then urged Israel his father:
“‘Send the boy with me, and let us go on our way
“‘so that we may live and not die
“‘—we and you and our children.
“‘I will be a guarantee for his safety.
“‘You may hold me responsible.
“‘If I fail to return him to you
and present him to you,
“‘I will have sinned against you for all time.
“‘But if we had not delayed,
“we could have been there
and back twice by now.’
“‘Take your brother and go, return to the man.
“‘May God Almighty grant you pity from the man,
“‘so that he may release to you
your other brother and Benjamin.
“‘But as for me, if I must be bereaved,
I will be bereaved!’”
Although earlier
Judah had displayed insensitivity
toward his father’s favored son, Joseph,
now he’s willing to take full responsibility
for his father’s beloved son Benjamin.
So Jacob permits his sons to return to Egypt,
bringing Joseph a large gift.
Let’s continue reading Genesis 43:26-30.
“When Joseph went into the house,
“they brought their gift to him into the house
“and prostrated themselves to him to the ground.
“‘How is your aged father
of whom you have spoken?
“Is he still alive?’
“To this they said:
“‘Your servant our father is well.
“He is still alive.’
“Then they bowed down
and prostrated themselves.
“When he looked up 
and saw Benjamin his brother,
“the son of his mother, he said:
“‘Is this your brother, the youngest one
of whom you have spoken to me?’
“He added:
“‘May God show you his favor, my son.’
“Joseph then hurried out,
“because he was overcome
with emotion for his brother,
“and he looked for a place to weep.
So he went into a private room
and gave way to tears there.”
Joseph wants to discern
his brothers’ true feelings,
so he tests them.
How?
Joseph has his servants
fill each of his brothers’ bags with food.
Secretly, he also has his special silver cup
slipped into Benjamin’s bag.
After they all leave
and have traveled a short distance on the road,
Joseph sends his servants after them.
When they catch up with them,
the servants demand:
‘Why have you stolen
our master’s silver cup?’
Joseph’s brothers
strongly deny any wrongdoing and add:
‘If you find the cup with any one of us,
let that person be killed.’
So the servants search through all the bags,
and they find the cup in Benjamin’s bag!
The brothers show their grief
by ripping their garments apart.
Perplexed, they all return
with Benjamin to Joseph’s house.
Now,
having fallen to the ground before Joseph,
Judah says:
“The true God 
has found out the error of your slaves.
We are now slaves to my master.”
Joseph, continuing his test, replies sternly:
‘As for the rest of you, return home,
but Benjamin must stay here as my slave!’
Judah moans:
‘If I fail to bring Benjamin back,
‘my father will surely die
and I will have sinned against him forever.’
Judah is unwilling to cause his father
the pain of losing another favored son,
so he volunteers to become
a slave in place of Benjamin.
Let’s read of Joseph’s emotional reaction
at Genesis 45:1-15:
“At this Joseph could no longer control himself
before all his attendants.
“So he cried out:
“‘Have everyone leave me!’
“No one else stayed with him
“while Joseph
made himself known to his brothers.
“Then he began to weep so loudly
“that the Egyptians heard it
and Pharaoh’s house heard it.
“Finally Joseph said to his brothers:
“‘I am Joseph.
“Is my father still alive?’
“But his brothers
were unable to answer him at all,
“because they
were astonished on account of him.
“So Joseph said to his brothers:
“‘Come close to me, please.’
“With that they came close to him.
“Then he said:
“‘I am Joseph your brother,
“‘whom you sold into Egypt.
“‘But now do not be upset
“‘and do not reproach one another
because you sold me here;
“‘because God has sent me ahead of you
“‘for the preservation of life.
“‘This is the second year
of the famine in the land,
“‘and there are yet five years
in which there will be no plowing or harvest.
“‘But God sent me ahead of you
“‘in order to preserve for you
a remnant on the earth
“‘and to keep you alive
by a great deliverance.
“‘So, then,
it was not you who sent me here,
“‘but it was the true God,
“‘in order to appoint me
as chief adviser to Pharaoh
“‘and lord for all his house
“‘and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
“‘Return quickly to my father,
and you must say to him,
“‘“This is what your son Joseph has said:
“‘“‘God has appointed me lord over all Egypt.
“‘“‘Come down to me. Do not delay.
“‘“‘You must dwell in the land of Goshen, 
where you will be near me
“‘“‘—you, your sons, your grandsons, your flocks,
“‘“‘your herds, and everything you have.
“‘“‘I will supply you with food there,
“‘“‘for there are yet five years of famine.
Otherwise, you and your house
and everything you have will come to poverty.’”
“‘You and my brother Benjamin
can now see with your own eyes
“‘that I am really the one speaking to you.
“‘So you must tell my father
about all my glory in Egypt
“‘and everything you have seen.
“Now hurry and bring my father down here.’
“Then he embraced his brother Benjamin
“and gave way to weeping,
“and Benjamin wept
with his arms around his neck.
And he kissed all his brothers
and wept over them.”
Accordingly, Jacob, with about 70 of his family,
moves down to Egypt.
Pharaoh gives them
the land of Goshen to dwell in.
For 215 years,
Jacob’s descendants live in Egypt
until the day when all three million
or more of them pass
between the walls of the parted Red Sea
and eventually take possession
of the Promised Land.
Jehovah used Joseph
to preserve the line of descent
leading to the Messiah.
What can the story of Joseph teach us?
No matter what situation he faced,
Joseph showed loyal love to Jehovah.
For years,
he was battered by one trial after another,
but he never became resentful.
Today, we may have little control
over the trials we face in this imperfect system.
But we can control our reaction to them.
We refuse to become embittered 
against Jehovah.
We love Jehovah,
and we are determined to prove our love
by rejecting any conduct that would hurt him.
Later, when Joseph’s circumstances changed,
he showed loyal love to his family,
despite his brothers’ unjust treatment.
In fact, Joseph’s loyal love toward his family
helped to fulfill a prophecy!
In the days
of Joseph’s great-grandfather Abraham,
Jehovah had set 
the precise time to deliver His people
—exactly 430 years later.
If Joseph had not shown
loyal love toward his family,
how would that prophecy have been fulfilled?
Obviously, our loyal love
for our brothers matters to Jehovah.
So if you are ever hurt by your spiritual brother,
reject the temptation
to spread negative talk about him
or to hurt him in kind.
Do whatever is necessary to restore peace.
After all,
our brothers are loved by Jehovah.
They deserve our loyal love too!
The finest example of loyal love in this account
is Jehovah.
Joseph was abandoned by his family,
slandered by his employer’s wife,
and finally thrown into prison;
but Jehovah “continued with Joseph
and kept showing loyal love to him.”
Why?
He saw that Joseph remained loyal,
so he acted in loyalty toward Joseph.
Jehovah’s treatment of Joseph
was also an expression
of loyal love toward the nation of Israel.
By using Joseph to preserve his family,
Jehovah preserved the line of the Messiah
and ensured that His promise
to deliver the Israelites
was fulfilled right on time.
Isn’t that reassuring?
Imperfect humans may let you down,
you may face ridicule or even slander,
or you may be treated unjustly.
But if you remain loyal,
Jehovah will never abandon you.
He never forgot Joseph,
and he will not forget
any of His loyal servants today.
Stick close to Jehovah,
and he will continue showing loyal love to you.


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