Memo 951: Pharaoh

This week, let's look at a man who I consider to be one of the finest leaders in the Bible. No, he was not a Jew, or a part of the covenant/faith community, or someone who knew the Bible or wrote a psalm. He was the leader of Egypt, given the title Pharaoh, but he is not the Pharaoh that probably first comes to your mind. He was not the Pharaoh of Moses, he was the Pharaoh of Joseph. How can I make such a bold claim? Read on and then see if you agree with me that this Pharaoh was indeed a Proverbs 31 man.

SOME HISTORY

Egypt in Joseph’s times was the most powerful nation in the world. When Joseph first arrived, Egypt prospered under Pharaoh’s leadership and there was no end in sight. While Joseph was imprisoned, the drama played out that led to Pharaoh’s famous doubleheader dreams. Joseph helped Pharaoh understand the dreams and what the nation needed to do to prepare. The period leading up to the dream, the dream interpretation, and the dream application all give us valuable lessons from Pharaoh’s leadership that we would do well to emulate. We will see that he embodied a few of the characteristics of a Proverbs 31 man, which include:

1. Using leadership power to benefit and not harm those who are weaker.
2. Being concerned for social justice.
3. Honoring women.
4. Serving in leadership capacities as "elders at the gate," where wisdom and justice are dispensed.

Pharaoh met the qualifications for three of those four traits. Let' see how he did it.

THE QUALIFICATIONS

Here are the reasons I make the claim that Pharaoh was a great leader and Proverbs 31 man.

1. Pharaoh used his power not to build his own kingdom but to serve those who were weaker and not in a position to help themselves. Joseph was a man with a shady past and a prison record, but Pharaoh saw wisdom and potential in the young man and he promoted him. When you think of it, he also promoted the man who eventually introduced him to Joseph for he restored his butler and "fired" his baker after they were placed on "probation." Pharaoh's objective all along was to care for his people, not to concentrate all his power into one super Pharaoh position.
2. Pharaoh saw the need and the opportunity to prepare for the coming famine, so he exalted Joseph to a high position so food could be stored for the people. Yes, eventually Pharaoh bartered food for land and ended up owning all the land, but the people were willing partners in the process and he provided for their needs, including the needs of Joseph, who received power, honor, a wife, and a place for his family during the famine. Pharaoh knew how to treat those within his employ and he was concerned with justice by ensuring that all his people could be fed—not just the rich.
3. Pharaoh concluded that he did not have the vision for the future, and was not threatened to give Joseph a high position with all the authority he needed to carry out the plenty-to-famine plan. Pharaoh was secure in who he was and served as an elder at the gate of his society and culture, and his wisdom was to let go and let Joseph. The results were astounding, for not only did the plan save Egypt, it saved the entire population around Egypt who came to buy food. What's more, God used those circumstances to relocate His people to Egypt of their own free will, thus providing a good example of God's sovereignty operating in the context of man's free will. 

If you want to read more about Joseph's Pharaoh, you can access an article I wrote on my website titled  Leadership Lessons from Egypt. As you read, I hope you will not only be convinced that my claim of his superb leadership is true but that also you will set a goal to be like him, whether you are a man or women, leader or future leader, person with a title or only a vision for the future. This series is titled Proverbs 31 men, so I do hope that my male readers will take these lessons to heart and follow in the steps of one of the Bible's truly great leaders, Joseph's Pharaoh. Have a blessed week!