But your forefathers despised him, threw him into a pit, and sold him into slavery for 20 pieces of silver. By this, they convinced themselves that Joseph’s dream was of his own imagination.
But YHWH was with Joseph, and gradually raised him up. By the age of 30, Joseph had become lord over Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. All this was done while Israel his father assumed he was dead.
After a severe famine, people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, and even his brothers came down. But they did not recognize Joseph, even though he recognized them.
When he finally revealed himself to them, they were astonished, unable to speak. Here was their brother, whom they despised and sold into slavery, and whom Israel presumed to be dead, not only alive, but also lord over the most powerful nation on earth at the time!
Both Joseph and his brothers wept many tears, but Joseph said to them: “Do not be upset, and do not be angry with yourselves because you sold me here; because for the preservation of life God sent me before you.” 1
And he said to them again: “God sent me before you to set for you a remnant in the earth, and to preserve you alive by a great deliverance. So now, it was not you that sent me here, but God; and he has placed me as a father to Pharaoh, and as lord of all his house, and ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.”2
Even Pharaoh, when hearing the news about Joseph’s brothers, commanded that wagons be supplied for Israel and his family, and that the best of all the land should become theirs.
So we see that YHWH made careful preparation for the salvation of Israel, even though they first despised and rejected Joseph, his means of salvation.
But in doing this, they were really fulfilling the purpose of YHWH that was hidden to Israel, which was to first make Joseph lord to the Gentiles, before finally revealing himself in later days, and becoming YHWH’s means of salvation to Israel in their time of need.
Now, if YHWH laid such careful groundwork to prepare for Israel's move to Egypt, and again to bring them out of Egypt, how much more preparation would be needed to save his people in later times, when they are scattered throughout the earth?