Egypt was a flourishing nation during the time of Joseph, and its prosperity continued until the Israelites eventually departed. After interpreting Pharaoh’s dream about the coming years of abundance followed by famine, Joseph was elevated to a high-ranking position — essentially serving as Egypt’s prime minister.

When famine struck the land, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt seeking grain. This marked a turning point in Joseph’s life, as reconciliation with his family began to heal old wounds. After several emotional encounters, Joseph sent chariots and wagons to bring his father Jacob and their entire household to Egypt. Pharaoh welcomed them warmly and granted them the best land in Egypt — the region of Goshen.

“All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons’ wives—numbered sixty-six persons.” Genesis 46:26

This small group of people grew exponentially over the centuries.

“The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Sukkoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children.” Exodus 12:37

Based on this, the total number of Israelites during the Exodus could have reached around 2 to 2.5 million. It was a remarkable season of multiplication and divine favor.

However, around the 300th year of their stay in Egypt, a new king rose to power — one who did not know Joseph.

“He said to his people, ‘Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and, in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land.’ So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses.” Exodus 1:9–11

Pharaoh’s fears were rooted in national security and the rapid population growth of the Israelites. To suppress them, he imposed harsh slavery and ordered the killing of all newborn Hebrew boys.

This Pharaoh was tragically ignorant of Joseph and his vital role in Egypt’s prosperity. Whether due to his own neglect or the failure of his advisers, he overlooked the legacy that had once saved his nation. But ignorance comes at a cost — and Egypt would soon pay a heavy price.

Let’s explore that in the next post.