Iron In His Soul

Iron In His Soul

By Jon Peasey

Published by Peasey Publications

at Smashwords

Copyright 2012 Jon Peasey

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Preamble

Chapter 1 - Journey to Shechem

Chapter 2 - His Arrival

Chapter 3 - Jacob's Reaction

Chapter 4 - Journey to Egypt

Chapter 5 - Sold as a Slave

Chapter 6 - Potiphar's House

Chapter 7 - Promotion

Chapter 8 - Temptation

Chapter 9 - Prison

Chapter 10 - Dreams in the Night

Chapter 11 - Forgotten

Chapter 12 - Pharaoh's Dreams

Chapter 13 - In Pharaoh's Presence

Chapter 14 - Marriage, Power and Glory

Chapter 15 - The Land of Egypt

Chapter 16 - The Good Years

Chapter 17 - Famine

Chapter 18 - Food in Egypt

Chapter 19 - Jacob Comes to Egypt

Chapter 20 - Testing Times

Chapter 21 - Renewal

Chapter 22 - Jacob's Death and Burial

Epilogue

About the Author

Bibliography of Names

PREAMBLE

The Old Testament story of Joseph, in The Bible, has fascinated people for centuries. Here is a man who held a unique place in history. His is a true ‘rags to riches’ story, told out against the backdrop of the ancient Egyptian Empire. It is a story of hatred, of treachery, of slavery and prison. But above all this, it is the journey of a soul, of a man who through faith in his God prevails in seemingly impossible situations; to emerge as God’s man for the times.

Joseph’s loss of freedom eventually leads to God’s reward for his faithfulness under trying circumstances. The sovereignty, and omniscience, of God are revealed in the events that occur in the life of Joseph and others he comes in contact with.

Come with me, as we recreate the journey of a soul, a man called Joseph

Chapter One - Journey to Shechem

Joseph! Joseph!

Joseph hurried into his father’s tent.

Joseph, your brothers are feeding the flocks at Shechem. Go and see if everything is well with your brothers, and with the flocks; and come back and tell me.

Joseph was worried by his father’s words, but his face did not show it. He replied obediently, Yes, Father I will go and find them.

Joseph left his father and went to his tent to prepare for his journey. Joseph loved his father and was willing to go to Shechem for his sake; but, he knew his brothers hated him. He wondered what sort of reception they would give him.

Joseph’s thoughts turned to the journey ahead. He calculated how much food he would need for his trip away. He would be on the trail for several days. Joseph packed some bread, dates, nuts and fruit into a small sack. He filled two skin bottles with water. Next, he picked out two woollen rugs. The temperature dropped severely at night. Satisfied with his preparations, he rolled his food sack up into his rugs; tied the bundle up and slung it over his shoulder. He slung the two water bottles over his other shoulder and left the tent.

Jacob watched his favourite son walk through the campsite and walk up the Hebron Valley, towards Shechem. Jacob’s ageing eyes filled with pride. His thoughts turned inwards. ‘Joseph is now seventeen years old; a good lad, bright, honest and God fearing.’ Joseph held a special place in Jacob’s heart, and he had given Joseph a special multi-coloured coat as a sign of his affection for him.

Jacob’s face softened as he thought about Rachel, Joseph’s mother. Rachel had been Jacob’s favourite wife. Rachel’s older sister Leah was Jacob’s other wife; Leah and Jacob had several sons together. He had also sired sons with his concubines Bilhah and Zilpah, who were Rachel and Leah's hand maidens. Jacob was really pleased when Rachel became pregnant after many years of being childless. Joseph was Rachel’s first child. Rachel regrettably had died several years ago giving birth to Joseph’s brother, Benjamin.

Joseph looked back at the campsite. ‘The sooner this trip is over, the better I will feel. The way to Shechem will be hot and tiring. I would rather be here at Father’s camp’.

The valley entrance was just ahead. Joseph turned and looked down the valley towards his father’s camp. The tents and animals appeared tiny and seemed to be in a different world. He turned and strode purposefully out of the Hebron Valley and began his descent to Shechem.

The sun was slowly sinking in the sky. Joseph looked for a place to spend the night. He scrutinised the rocks and hills around him. There seems to be an opening in the rocks over to the left. he said to himself. He climbed up to investigate. The spot was ideal; there was enough room for him to lie down, also a rock overhang to protect him from the weather.

Joseph eased the water bottles and his pack from his shoulders and sat down. He was hungry and tired, his shoulders and back muscles were stiff. The rocks were still hot from the sun’s rays, but Joseph knew they would soon turn cold with the cool night air. He untied his pack and unrolled it. Then lifting up his eyes towards the heavens, he said, God of my father's watch over me and guide me on my journey.

As he ate he watched the sun disappear over the horizon. Its last fading rays cast a golden glow into the evening sky. Joseph reflected on the wonders in the starry heavens. The immensity of the night sky with its myriads of stars moved him to meditate upon the greatness of the God of his fathers, the Possessor of Heaven and Earth. Joseph was alone, and yet he did not feel alone. He sensed that God was with him. He pulled his rugs about him, stretched out and fell asleep.

Joseph woke up, the rock ledge was hard. He sat up and stretched his limbs. The eastern sky was showing the first tinges of light from the rising sun. The morning was cold. Joseph stood up and stamped his feet, briskly. As was his custom, he gave thanks to God and committed the day to Him.

Joseph climbed down from the rock ledge and strode down the trail. ‘Today, I want to cover as much ground as I can before the heat of the day saps my strength. Then I can rest and carry on later in the afternoon.’ As he walked his mind drifted back to the time his father gave him his multi-coloured coat. When his brothers saw the coat, they realised that Jacob loved Joseph more than them; and they hated Joseph and could not speak peacefully to him. 'Life has become more difficult since that time. Then there are the two dreams!’

Joseph had stood up before his brothers and said, Listen, I had a dream last night. We were all binding bundles of wheat at harvest time, in the field, and my bundle stood upright and your bundles stood around mine and bowed down to my bundle.

His brothers replied, Do you really think you will be a king and rule over us?’

Their hatred increased even more because of that dream. Not long after, he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and his father, Jacob.

Look, I had another dream. The sun and the moon and the eleven stars bowed down to me.

Jacob rebuked him, What’s that supposed to mean? Are your mother and I and your brothers all going to come and bow down in front of you?

Joseph in his naivety could not understand why his brothers were so upset over the dreams; but they envied him. He was relieved when they took the flocks to Shechem to find new pastures.

Joseph felt the sun’s rays getting hotter, so he stopped and had a small drink from one of his water bottles. The sun was nearly overhead, time to find a nice shady spot and have some food and a good rest. Joseph turned off the trail into a shady area behind a large boulder. The sun would not be over this part of the boulder until late afternoon. When he finished eating, Joseph decided to have a sleep and continue later. He made himself comfortable and drifted off to sleep. Sometime later, he awoke and stretched himself, got up, put on his pack and water bottles then continued on his way. He felt refreshed after his rest and set off at a good pace down the trail.

‘The next place I come to will be Ephrath. ’A surge of grief welled up inside him. Ephrath was the place they had buried his beloved mother, Rachel. She had died giving birth to Benjamin. The horror of losing his mother was still fresh in his memory; Joseph could not restrain the tears. He was just a small boy at the time, and even now, the memory was painful.

The days and weeks had turned into years; he and Benjamin had been looked after by Father’s other wife, Leah, and his concubines Bilhah and Zilpah. They did it as their duty, and lavished their love on their own children. Joseph and Benjamin always felt left out of their affections. Jacob loved all his children and did not sense the aloofness, as his wives were careful to hide it in his presence.

When Joseph reached Ephrath, it was nearly twilight; so he made camp for the night. He was physically and emotionally tired.

Next morning, after Joseph had eaten, he decided not to visit his mother’s burial place as he felt he would not be able to handle his emotions. Joseph set off towards Bethel. Joseph thought about Bethel as he walked; it was a significant place in his father’s life.

Joseph was only an infant, when the event had occurred, but, when he was older he could remember Jacob talking about the event. Bethel was the place Jacob had made an altar to God, for God had said to Jacob, Return to Bethel, where I appeared to you when you were running from your brother Esau. Make your home there and build an altar for me.

Jacob said to his family and to everyone else who was travelling with him; Get rid of your foreign gods then make yourselves acceptable to worship God, and put on clean clothes. Afterwards we will go to Bethel. I will build an altar there for God, who answered my prayers, when I was in trouble and who has always been at my side.

Jacob’s family and servants gave him their earrings and all their idols. Jacob hid them under an oak tree near Shechem; then they continued on to Bethel. At Bethel Jacob built an altar to God and called it ‘God of Bethel’.

God appeared to Jacob again. This time He gave Jacob a new name and blessed him by saying, I am God Almighty and from now on your name will be Israel instead of Jacob. You will have many children. Your descendants will become nations, and some of the men in your family will even be kings. I will give you the land that I promised Abraham and Isaac, it will belong to your family forever. Then God departed from Jacob.

Joseph pondered over the covenant that God had made with his father at Bethel ‘How will God bring it about? The land is inhabited by different tribes and nations at present, and we are just a small family.' With these thoughts to occupy his mind, Joseph continued on his way.

‘Bethel at last.’ He looked for the Oak of Weeping, where Deborah, his grandmother Rebecca’s nurse was buried. When he had found it he sat in the shade of the old oak. ‘I should be a bit over half way to Shechem. I hope I won’t have any difficulty finding my brothers and the flocks.’

Joseph made camp for the night and was pleased that he was about half way to Shechem; tomorrow should be the last leg of the trip.

Next day he saw Shechem in the distance. The last couple of days had been hot and tiring, and it was good to know that his journey was nearly over. He wondered where his brothers were pasturing the flocks. ‘After a meal and a rest in Shechem, I will look for my brothers and the flocks.’

Chapter Two - His Arrival

Joseph was a bit bewildered; he had searched all around Shechem and could find no signs of his brothers, or the flocks. As he was wandering in a field a man found him and asked him, What are you looking for?

Joseph replied, I am looking for my brothers, can you tell me where they are feeding their flocks?

The man said to him, They have gone; I heard them say, ‘Let’s go down to Dothan’.

Joseph was relieved, now he knew where they were, but he was not pleased at the prospect of further travel to catch up to them. He was glad he had packed some extra food; he would certainly need it now. Joseph decided to spend the night at Shechem.

Joseph’s thoughts turned again to his mother Rachel; she was still alive when they were at Bethel. Fond memories flooded into his mind as he prepared his camp for the night. Joseph made himself a meal, gave thanks to God for it and committed the rest of his journey to God’s care and protection. Then Joseph got comfortable for the night and fell asleep.

Next morning Joseph awoke refreshed and contemplated the trip to Dothan, he hoped his brothers were at Dothan. After a quick meal, he set off down the trail. 'My brothers will be surprised when they see me.’ He could not remember going to Dothan before, so the terrain was not familiar. ‘I should be there tomorrow.’

Joseph thanked God for watching over him; the trip had been hot and tiring, but it had been without danger or harm. As the sun’s rays disappeared into the western sky, Joseph made camp. 'Sometime tomorrow, I should catch up with my brothers. It will be good to check up on them and then head back to Hebron and Father.’ Joseph settled himself for the night and meditated on the goodness of God, before dropping peacefully off to sleep.

The following morning Joseph woke early and made an early start for Dothan. He had been walking for several hours when he spotted a large camp in the distance. 'That will probably be them, if it is, my trip will soon be over.' Joseph quickened his steps in anticipation.

Naphtali saw him in the distance and recognised the coat. Joseph is coming. He said loudly, and pointed to the person approaching their camp.

Simeon and Levi looked up and saw the solitary figure in the distance.

Yes, it’s him, look at that coat. said Levi.

I wonder what he’s doing here? said Simeon.

Probably come to lord it over us. said Levi.

Get the others together and we will decide what we will do to him, said Simeon.

The brothers quickly met together and said to each other, Look, the Master of dreams is coming. Let’s kill him and throw him into a pit and say that some wild animal ate him. Then we’ll see what happens to those dreams.

Reuben, the eldest brother heard what they had spoken and said to them, Let’s not kill him. Don’t murder him, or even harm him; let’s throw him into a dry well in the wilderness and leave him there. Reuben planned to rescue Joseph from the well and deliver him back to Jacob.

The ten brothers watched Joseph approach the camp, their hatred welling up inside them. Reuben hated Joseph also, but he could not bear to think of Jacob’s reaction if he found out that Joseph had been murdered by his own brothers.

Joseph drew near their camp; he had recognised his brothers a little way back and was glad that he had finally caught up with them. He could see his brothers standing together to meet him. 'I wonder if they will be happy to see me. Oh, well! I will know soon enough.’

Judah said to the others, As soon as he gets close, grab him and rip that coat off.

Good! said Dan.

Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher had strong reasons to hate Joseph. Joseph was always telling Jacob when they got up to mischief; consequently they were constantly reprimanded by Jacob. With the exception of Reuben, the brothers could hardly wait to get their hands on Joseph.

Joseph walked up to his brothers; from