Why did Pharaoh give Joseph so much power?

Answer

Pharaoh granted Joseph a position of power in Egypt because Joseph accurately interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams. God bestowed upon Joseph the gift of interpreting the king’s dreams and the wisdom to propose a course of action. Joseph’s suggestion “pleased Pharaoh and all his officials. So Pharaoh asked them, ‘Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?’ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall oversee my palace, and all my people are to obey your commands. Only in terms of the throne will I outrank you’” (Genesis 41:37-40).

Pharaoh believed that Joseph possessed a spiritual power that would benefit his nation. Spiritual abilities were highly regarded in Egypt at that time, and Pharaoh promptly elevated Joseph to be his second-in-command. Interestingly, this marks the third instance in the Genesis narrative where Joseph’s spiritual life captivates non-believers.

The initial occurrence transpired while Joseph was in Potiphar’s household. “When [Potiphar] saw that the Lord was with [Joseph] and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field” (Genesis 39:3-5).

The second incident occurred during Joseph’s imprisonment. “The Lord was with [Joseph]; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the

Warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did” (Genesis 39:21-23).

In all three cases—with Potiphar, with the warden, and with Pharaoh—the Lord was with Joseph and caused him to prosper. The emphasis in Genesis is not on how great Joseph was but on how God blessed him. Joseph was used by God to preserve the descendants of Abraham, through whom God would bless the entire world «and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. », (Genesis 12:3).

In contrast to the favor shown to Joseph by the Egyptians, Joseph’s older brothers despised him on three occasions and then sold him into slavery. The first time, they resented Joseph’s coat of many colors, which represented authority «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. », (Genesis 37:4). The second time, the brothers took issue with a dream of Joseph’s that indicated his family would someday bow before him—a dream that eventually came true «And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. », (Genesis 37:8). The third time, the brothers were “jealous” after Joseph shared a similar dream «And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying. », (Genesis 37:11). Soon after, they threw Joseph into a pit, sold him into slavery, and led their father to believe Joseph had been killed by wild animals.

The shameful actions of Joseph’s family stand in stark contrast to God’s work in Joseph’s life in Egypt. In his family, Joseph was despised three times then rejected. In Egypt, Joseph interpreted dreams on three occasions and was accepted as a leader by a pagan ruler. God took an unlikely person from the lowest of positions to the highest levels of influence. Joseph’s political power was a gift of God’s ultimate power in the fulfillment of His plan see Daniel 2:21.