This week, I've been reflecting on one of my favorite stories from the Old Testament: the story of Joseph. What I appreciate about this story is that it teaches us that often a difficult trial can lead to something better in the end, or to put it another way, sometimes the pits and the prisons lead to a palace.
If you are confused because you are thinking of Joseph the earthly father of Jesus, I can clarify. There are several men named Joseph in the Bible. The most famous one is Joseph the carpenter, who was the husband of Mary and the father of Jesus. However, in the Old Testament, specifically in the book of Genesis, there was another important man named Joseph. This Joseph was a great-grandson of Abraham, the son of Jacob and Rachel, his story can be found in Genesis 37—50. This Joseph was the favorite son of his father, Jacob (also known as Israel), and was given a famous robe of many colors, inciting jealousy in his older brothers.
This jealousy and malice increased when Joseph shared a dream he had with his brothers and father that indicated that Joseph would one day reign over all of them. The animosity toward Joseph peaked when his brothers plotted to kill him in the wilderness. Reuben, the eldest, objected to outright murder and suggested they throw Joseph into a cistern, as he planned to come back and rescue the boy. But, in Reuben’s absence, some merchants passed by, and Judah suggested selling Joseph into slavery; the brothers accomplished this task before Reuben could return to rescue him. The boys then took Joseph’s robe and, after dipping the robe in goat’s blood, deceived their father into thinking his favorite son had been killed by wild beasts (Genesis 37:18–35).
The Ishmaelites he had been sold to took Joseph to Egypt, where they sold him to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard. Here scripture tells us that everything Joseph put his hand to the Lord blessed and Potiphar took notice of it, promoting Joseph to the highest status within his household.
Potiphar wasn't the only one who noticed Joseph though, Potiphar's wife did as well. One day, she invited Joseph to her bed while Potiphar is away. Joseph declined out of respect for his master, and for the LORD, but Mrs. Potiphar was angered by this rejection and accused Joseph of attempted rape to get even with him. This resulted in Joseph going to prison.
In prison, Joseph interpreted the dreams of two of his fellow prisoners, one of which was a cupbearer to Pharaoh, and proved to be right about both. While there, he also managed to charm the guard resulting in him being given authority over the other prisoners. Joseph spent 2-3 years in prison and was eventually released when the cupbearer remembered him and thought Joseph could be the answer to the Pharaoh's problem. I want to pause our story or summary here because some of you are in prisons now — not physical buildings, of course — but prisons of fear, addictions, hopelessness, discouragement, worry, bad health, financial struggles, or whatever else the circumstance might be.
But God doesn't want you to live that way. He gave His Son, His only Son that we would be saved from our sin, but also that we could receive the Holy Spirit and walk in the fruit of the Spirit.
John 16:7 tells us:
7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
That helper is the Holy Spirit.
And Galatians 5:22-23 says this:
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
This is what God desires for you and to see in you. You might be in the pit or the prison now but understand that God has more for you than what you are seeing or feeling at the moment. He has bought your freedom at a high price and His work in you will not fail. Brighter days are coming when we hold fast to our Lord and Savior, we just have to persevere through the trial, and at the right time, God will bring you out the other side.
The prophet Isaiah said it like this:
Isaiah 60:22
22 The least one shall become a clan,
and the smallest one a mighty nation;
I am the Lord;
in its time I will hasten it.
Going back to our story, Joseph spent multiple years in prison in Egypt, here Joseph held onto his belief in God and God trained Him in leadership by putting him over the other prisoners, just as he had headed Potiphar's house. These were skills Joseph would need for the next phase of God's plan for Joseph and the Israelites. Using Joseph's gift with dreams, and a nagging dream that Pharaoh recognized as coming from God, Joseph was raised from the prison to become Pharaoh's right-hand man.
From his new position Joseph oversaw the gathering of grain and its distribution during the great famine, a famine so severe that it would force Joseph's brothers into Egypt for grain to save their family. His brothers did not recognize Joseph in his Egyptian garb, and he kept it that way for quite some time while he tested them by accusing them of being spies. Then he confined them for three days and released all but one, sending with them grain for their households and requiring them to come back with their youngest brother, Benjamin. Once home, the brothers told their father Jacob about what happened in Egypt and Jacob mourned again the loss of Joseph as well as the added loss of Simeon. In his pain, Jacob refused to send Benjamin fearing he would lose him as well. Eventually, though, the famine became so severe that Jacob relented and gave permission for them to return to Egypt with Benjamin.
When Joseph saw the men, he instructed his servants to slaughter an animal and prepare a meal for the brothers to dine with him. Afraid at the invitation to Joseph’s house, the brothers made apologies to Joseph’s steward for the money that had been placed in their bags the first time but Joseph’s steward reassured them and brought Simeon out to see them. When Joseph returned, the brothers bowed to him, fulfilling his earlier prophecy he had had as a young man, that had led to his being sold into Egypt.
When the men sat down for the meal, at a separate table from Joseph, they were amazed to be arranged by birth order, but still, Joseph did not tell them who he was. Before sending them back to their father, Joseph again tested his brothers by returning their money to their grain sacks and placing his silver cup in Benjamin’s sack. He let the brothers start on their journey and then sent his steward after them to feign anger and threaten to kill Benjamin. Back in Joseph’s presence, Judah pleaded for Benjamin’s life, saying that, if Benjamin were to die, so would Jacob. Judah told of Jacob’s grief over the loss of Joseph and his belief that he could not bear to lose Joseph’s brother. Judah also spoke of his pledge to Jacob and offered his life for Benjamin’s life.
Upon seeing this proof of his brother’s change of heart, Joseph sent all his servants away and he then revealed himself to his brothers. Immediately he reassured them, telling them not to be angry with themselves for what they’d done to him and saying that God had sent him to Egypt to preserve them.
Genesis 45:4–8 reads like this:
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler of all Egypt.
Joseph then sent his brothers back to Jacob to retrieve the remainder of his household to come live in Goshen, where they would be near to Joseph and he could provide for them (Genesis 45:9—47:12).
In the life of Joseph, we see a man who is carried through many bad circumstances which end up leading him to being used to preserve the Israelite line. Joseph fulfills not only the prophecy that God gave him as a young man concerning his own life and how he will rule over his family, but he is also a pivotal player in the fulfillment of God's earlier prophecy to Abraham.
Genesis 15:12-14
12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. 14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward, they shall come out with great possessions.
Because Joseph was sent ahead of the rest of the family, he was able to establish a place for them in Egypt, and 400 years later, Moses would lead them back out again with the possessions of the Egyptians.
So, no matter your circumstances, hold onto faith. It will not be like this forever. At the right time, God will bring you out of this, and like Joseph, you will understand that those trials were just a set-up for a greater victory. It was training grounds for skills and character traits you would need for the next chapter. That God is working something out in the bigger story that you may never see, but that could have a major impact down the line. And remember this verse which I think perfectly summarizes the lesson:
Deuteronomy 31:8
8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
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