Joseph, Old Testament

In the Old Testament, stories featuring war, violence and destruction seem more common than stories of redemption, hope and love. If seeking the latter, however, the wonderful account of Joseph and his brothers is found in the latter chapters of Genesis.
Joseph's father, the family patriarch Jacob (whose name is changed to "Israel" is the grandson of Abraham. He enjoys the gifts of the spirit, and is aware of the promises given to Abraham to be the "father of many nations", but that carries no guarantee of an easy life. He fathers ( through four different women) twelve sons and a daughter. Joseph is the 11th son, but it is revealed that he will preside over the entire family some day. This is noted, and resented, by his older brothers.
Young Joseph is, in fact, a thorn in the side of his brothers, for he is not shy about reminding them about his promised status. They conspire to kill Joseph, but, instead, sell him off into slavery, then return to their father with a tall tale of Joseph's death from an animal attack, using his blood-soaked coat "of many colors" as evidence.
Joseph lands in Egypt, where his early life is marked by ups and downs. It would have been easy to simply discard his background and remake himself in the mold of his new masters, but Joseph never forgets who he is, and is finally assigned to serve one of  Pharaoh's high officials, Potiphar. He resists an attempt at seduction by Potiphar's wife, but is consigned to prison.
Josph probably would have stayed locked up, but Pharaoh has a dream which his spititual advisers are unable to comprehend, and someone recalls that young Joseph has correctly interpreted the dreams of others before. Brought before Pharaoh, he not only gives the details of the dream, which the monarch had claimed to have forgotten, but interprets it as pertaining to a future marked with seven good growing years to be followed by seven years of famine.
Convinced, Pharaoh realizes that planning for this disaster will be needed to preserve his nation, and that the man for this huge assignment is Joseph himself. Without any false modesty or hesitation, Joseph assumes powers in Egypt second only to Pharaoh himself - something akin to the Secretary of Agriculture, but much more powerful.
The famine forecast by Joseph occurs as predicted, and Israel and his family are not spared. He sends his sons to Egypt to bargain for food, where they meet the great administrater who had once been their younger brother Joseph. He recognizes them, and after making them sweat through a kind of test, finally reveals himself to them in a spirit of love and forgiveness. The entire family is brought to Egypt to live out the famine under Joseph's care.
While it is true that the Israelites are enslaved in Egypt years later, and that their liberation requires much suffering as recorded in Exodus, Joseph's life lesson for us is clear: in whatever circumstances you may find yourself, hold on to the righteous counsel you've received as a young person. And when it comes time to forgive, do so in sincerity of soul and without reservation.