Pharaoh: The King Who Exalted Joseph. Pharaoh, the unnamed king of Egypt during Joseph’s rise, played a decisive role in Israel’s history. By elevating Joseph from prisoner to ruler, Pharaoh became an instrument in God’s plan to preserve Jacob’s family during famine. Though a foreign monarch, his openness to Joseph’s wisdom contrasts with later pharaohs who opposed Israel.

Joseph and Pharaoh: From Forgotten Prisoner to Exalted Ruler. Genesis 41 records one of the most dramatic reversals in Scripture. Joseph, forgotten in prison for two years, is suddenly summoned before Pharaoh to interpret dreams that baffle Egypt’s wisest men. In a single day, the slave becomes second in command over the greatest empire of the time.