Daniel’s Mentor Joseph: The Imhotep Connection
Interesting enough, the prophet Daniel of the time of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon was not the first Israelite to interpret dreams and end up as chief counsel to the head of an important country. Let us review the history of Joseph and his influence in Egypt. As you may well remember, Joseph, a child of Jacob, was sold into slavery out of his brother’s jealousy of him and his special relationship with their father. Joseph was the first son of Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel, for whom he had worked fourteen years as her dowry. Genesis tells us:
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
And his brethren said to him, Shall thou indeed reign over us? or shall thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.[1] In other words, Jacob wondered what all those dreams Joseph was having really meant. Could there be something to them? As a young adult, he himself had had a dream from God.
And he dreamed a dream, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou lies, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shall spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goes, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.[2]
Interesting enough, Mary the mother of Jesus had a similar reaction as Jacob to the events surrounding Jesus’ birth. When the shepherds come and proclaim they have seen angels announcing Jesus’ birth, Mary also becomes pensive wondering what it all can mean. We can read from Luke:
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.[3]
Parents have been wondering for thousands of years what the future will hold for their children. Even so, both Jacob and Mary had similar reactions to the obvious unusual events of their child’s childhood.
Getting back to our history in Canaan, you may remember that out of hatred and jealousy, Joseph’s brothers sell him to merchants traveling down to Egypt. It’s a beautiful story which you can read in the book of Genesis in the Old Testament. Eventually, Joseph ends up in prison on a false accusation.
And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison. But the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his (Joseph’s)
hand; because the Lord was with him (Joseph), and that which he (Joseph)
did, the Lord made it to prosper.[4] So Joseph even prospered in his situation in prison in so much that the prison warden put Joseph in charge of the prisoners. In the process of time, two men, the Pharaoh’s chief butler and chief baker, offend him and are thrown into prison. An investigation is made. During the time they are in prison, both men dream a dream which Joseph accurately interprets. On their release, one man is found guilty and killed and the other is restored to his place of service, just as Joseph had predicted. Joseph had pleaded with the man who was to be released to remember him to Pharaoh.
But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and show kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.[5]
But the man refrains from mentioning him to the Pharaoh at that time.
Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgot him.
[6]So Joseph remains in prison. But after two years, Pharaoh dreams a dream.
And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.[7] Finally, the chief butler reminds the Pharaoh of Joseph in prison and his ability to accurately interpret dreams. Pharaoh calls for him.
Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.[8]
Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dream, and in the end the Pharaoh appoints Joseph to the office of Prime Minister of all of Egypt.
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
[9] Various scholars have researched secular history for confirmation of the Bible’s accuracy. If the Biblical account is true, surely we should be able to find a mention of Joseph in Egyptian history. Making careful and reasonable studies some scholars have concluded that the famous Imhotep of Egypt may in fact have been none other than Joseph.[10]
We will continue from the Bible.
And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh King of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.[11] Isn't the Bible a fascinating book? Joseph even got to marry the daughter of the most important religious personality, the Priest of On. Now he was not only the Prime Minister, but probably would also have influence on the religious institution through his marriage to the High Priest’s daughter. He may even have been next in-line to inherit the High Priest position himself. We don’t know for sure that the position could be inherited, but Joseph would be a natural candidate, especially with his spiritual background and ability of interpreting dreams and hearing from God. From Egyptian history we know that Imhotep did become the High Priest of Heliopolis, the Greek name for On. Could Imhotep have been Joseph?[12]
To go to previous chapter click
HERETo go the next part of the chapter click
HERE
0 Comments:
Post a Comment