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Spiritual Gifts, Volume 3
will shortly bring it to pass. Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man
discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.”
The king believed all that Joseph said. He believed that God was
with him, and was impressed with the fact that he was the most suitable
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man to be placed in authority at the head of affairs. He did not despise
him because he was a Hebrew slave. He saw that he possessed an
excellent spirit. “And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such
a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh
said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is
none so discreet and wise as thou art. Thou shalt be over my house,
and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled, only in the
throne will I be greater than thou.”
Although Joseph was exalted as a ruler over all the land, yet he
did not forget God. He knew that he was a stranger in a strange land,
separated from his father and his brethren, which often caused him
sadness, but he firmly believed that God’s hand had overruled his
course, to place him in an important position. And depending on God
continually, he performed all the duties of his office, as ruler over the
land of Egypt with faithfulness. “And in the seven plenteous years the
earth brought forth by handfuls. And he gathered up all the food of
the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food
in the cities, the food of the field which was round about every city,
laid he up in the same. And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the
sea, very much, until he left numbering, for it was without number.”
Joseph traveled throughout all the land of Egypt, giving command
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to build immense store-houses, and using his clear head and excellent
judgment to aid in the preparations to secure food, necessary for the
long years of famine. At length the seven years of plenteousness in the
land of Egypt ended. “And the seven years of dearth began to come,
according as Joseph had said, and the dearth was in all lands, but in all
the land of Egypt there was bread. And when all the land of Egypt was
famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. And Pharaoh said
unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you do. And
the famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the
store-houses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore
in the land of Egypt.”
The famine was severe in the land of Canaan. Jacob and his sons
were troubled. Their supply of food was nearly exhausted, and they