God's Plan; God's Promotion

“Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.’”

Genesis 41:39-40 (NIV)

Joseph’s life, as recorded in Genesis, is truly the stuff of legend. Born as the eleventh son to Jacob, but the first to Jacob’s true love Rachel, Joseph enjoyed a special affection from his father. This affection was especially transparent when Jacob adorned Joseph with an elaborate, fanciful coat, thus signifying Joseph’s elevated place of honor over his siblings. Jealousy is a fierce foe. Joseph’s brothers longed for their father’s approval and favor, which clearly rested on Joseph. When their envious thoughts overcame them, Joseph’s brothers unjustly abducted Joseph and sold him into slavery after narrowly avoiding the urge to murder him. This horrendous action sent Joseph to Egypt by way of some unsavory Ishmaelites who profited from human trafficking. If Joseph’s account in Genesis ended here we might deduce that he likely compromised his godly standards later or eventually became so upset with God that he abandoned a path of righteousness after his unexpected deportation to Egypt. But integrity longs to be practiced in all endeavors, even in unfair circumstances. Thus, Joseph never conceded in living out his noble principles or convictions.

Joseph kept his spiritual composure in the midst of disconcerting situations. He was a dignified man and possessed a strong, sound work ethic. His upstanding, solid character, as well as his appealing physique, drew the attention of his master’s wife. She asked Joseph to forsake her marital covenant and sleep with her. It takes a man of moral courage and fortitude to resist a woman’s sexual advances. And Joseph was such a man. Day after day he rejected the impulse to give in to sin’s momentary, fainting pleasures. But his uprightness cost him, as it so often does. Joseph’s refusal to shame his body or his spiritual commitment to God sent him to prison when his master’s wife claimed that he had tried to force himself upon her. God saw Joseph’s plight and cared for him every step of the dark, lonesome path.

Joseph had so many reasons to be bitter. He was hated by his brothers. He was stripped of the coat and the recognition that his father had given him. He was thrown in a well and left to die. He was sold into slavery. He was falsely accused of attempting to molest or rape his master’s wife. He was hastily tossed into jail. The prison sentence was perhaps the lowest of low points for Joseph. He spent several years in the custody of the Egyptian government. Those months had to have been grueling. Every day Joseph spent in the dungeon he was reminded how life had not gone as he had envisioned it. Daily, he must have wondered what God was doing and why He was doing it in this manner. But though he may have been discouraged, Joseph was not broken. He held out hope in the immortal God and did not surrender to the temptation to believe that God had forgotten him, even when the conditions he was engulfed in stated otherwise.   

God had a plan for Joseph. It was a plan no man could have conceived or been able to bring to fruition. The Lord gave Joseph the ability to interpret the dreams of some fellow prisoners. When one of those prisoners was released he recalled Joseph’s God-given gift after Pharaoh was stricken with some troubling dreams. Joseph was brought before the Pharaoh and, with God’s grace, was able to interpret the Pharaoh’s dreams. Pharaoh was so moved by Joseph’s words and supernatural abilities that he commuted Joseph’s prison sentence and made Joseph a civil leader. The boy who had been yanked from the pasture and forced into prison was now employed in the palace. Quite a turn of events. A turn of events only God could have ordained or orchestrated.

This passage, like so many others, should motivate believers to be hopeful, even when we find ourselves encountering obstacles and pitfalls. Our trust should be in the Lord, not the world. God’s work, though perplexing and baffling, is marvelous and splendid. Joseph’s advancement from a convict to second-in-command of Egypt speaks to this point. There is a great story of providence in this account. Joseph was hastily discarded by his own kinsmen, but behind the scenes God was preparing a way for Joseph to help save Israel from a severe famine. Clearly, God’s mysterious and majestic ways are beyond our full comprehension. How God can arrange such circumstances is truly inspiring and powerful. God’s plan; God’s promotion. To God be the praise.