Friday Facts - Joseph

"These are the records of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, when seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers while he was still a youth, along with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father. 'Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.' And his brothers listened to him." Genesis 37:2,27

Sold into slavery at 17 years old... can you even begin to imagine what that must have been like? Each time I read the story of Joseph I am more amazed than the time before at the way Joseph chose to live his life. He chose to live for God regardless of the obstacles placed in front of him along the way. And, I would say, he had at least a few obstacles. Sold into slavery, wrongly accused of seducing Potiphar's wife, wrongly placed in prison, and the list continues on.

Today I'm sharing a few facts about Joseph. Some well known and others probably not so well known.

Did you know that....

The name Joseph means "adding"?

Joseph was later called Zaphnathpaaneah which means "revealer of secrets"?

Joseph was the 11th son of Jacob and the 1st son of Rachel?

Jacob was 91 years old when Joseph was born?

Joseph worked as a shepherd on his father's land in Canaan?

That after Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery they dipped his multi-colored coat in the blood of a slaughtered goat and presented it to their father so he would believe Joseph had been killed by an animal?

That Potiphar hired/bought Joseph as his slave?

While in prison Joseph interpreted the dreams of the butler and the baker of the Pharoah?

That Joseph had two sons named Ephraim and Manasseh?