Joseph - the Third Test of Darkness

 

So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph and said to him, “In my dream there was a vine before me, and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days. In three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office, and you shall place Pharaoh’s cup in his hand as formerly, when you were his cupbearer. Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.” (Genesis 40:9–15 ESV).

 

Look at Joseph’s life now. The once-favorite son became a slave and was honored for a while but is now in prison. Even though the warden has put him in charge of other prisoners, it’s still prison. We get a sense of the despair Joseph is fighting when we hear that he calls his “home” a “dungeon.” Dungeons are murky and miserable, with little light and even less hope. But Joseph knows that God is with him even in prison.

 

One day two of the king’s officials become prisoners, and they later tell Joseph they have had dreams they do not understand. Joseph explains that God can interpret any dream, so he urges them to tell him about their dreams. With God’s help he explains the dreams, giving the cupbearer an interpretation full of hope. With that, Joseph asks the man to plead his case to Pharaoh. This gives Joseph a ray of hope. Though the interpretations are fulfilled precisely, the cupbearer forgets all about Joseph. So, Joseph remains in prison, waiting in darkness.

 

Joseph continues waiting for a long time. But although the cupbearer has forgotten him, the Lord has not. In the next few chapters of this story we will see that God has an important role in store for Joseph. One of the principles we may learn in this portion of Joseph’s story is that God does not count time quantitatively; God’s timing is always qualitative. That is near impossible for us to understand, especially when our circumstances are so difficult and painful. However, we must look to God as the God of our eternity. What may seem to be unbearable now, is a mere blink of the eye in comparison to what He has in store for us. His plans for us are must bigger than our trials. The Apostle Paul says it this way:

 

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. (2 Corinthians 4:16–17 ESV).

 

Trust in that promise!

Joseph - the Second Test of Submission

 

As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the LORD was with him. And whatever he did, the LORD made it succeed. (Genesis 39:19–23 ESV).

 

Joseph had not done anything wrong. Yet he found himself in prison. We learn some more about his suffering in the description provided in Psalm 105:

 

When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread, he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron; until what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him. (Psalm 105:16–19 ESV).

 

It is one thing to become a prisoner for committing a crime; it’s quite another to be put in chains while completely innocent. Joseph was more than innocent; his behavior had been honorable. All of this pointed to the suffering that Jesus came to endure for our sake, to save us from sin. After a ministry of doing good everywhere, Jesus was subjected to unthinkable brutality and excruciating death on a cross.

 

Submission can be a most difficult, harrowing test, especially if a person is innocent. It may well be the ultimate test for humility. If any of us think we are humble, can we pass the test of having to submit to injustice even though we may be innocent? That would be a hard test indeed.

 

Amazingly, Joseph sustained this hard test. God was with him and even favored him. The prison warden trusted and promoted him. Many years later, a seasoned leader in the early church summed up situations like this as follows: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:10).

 

Joseph - The First Test of Loyalty

 

But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.” Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.” As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. (Genesis 39:11–20 ESV).

 

The scene of our reading is pretty clear. Joseph finds himself in a very difficult circumstance. Many men before and after Joseph have faced the same temptation. If Joseph had slept with Potiphar’s wife, he knew the consequences; however, he knew that his faith and loyalty to the Lord demanded that he do what was right. The Lord clearly did not condone adultery. It might have been what we have called a “no-win” situation. The truth, however, is far from this. Joseph’s choice was a grand victory. He was able to maintain his loyalty to the Lord.

 

The sins of breaking trust, of failing to fulfill a solemn task, of violating a sacred responsibility—these can shatter relationships and make reconciliation immensely difficult. When an athlete violates the rules by using banned substances, when an investment manager misuses other people’s money, when a public official uses intimidation or cover-up—these are deadly sins that bring ruin into many people’s lives.

 

Joseph, who was highly conscientious and responsible, was fully aware of the trust placed in him by Potiphar. That gave him the moral clarity to view adultery with Potiphar’s wife as “a wicked thing” and a “sin against God.” Joseph passed the test of loyalty again and again, but Potiphar’s wife managed to frame him and get him thrown into prison. Now he had to bear more injustice and suffering.

 

As a steward, Joseph served with unwavering loyalty to fulfill the responsibilities placed on him. Many readers have noted that this is also what Jesus did; he came to do the will of the Father who sent him, despite the suffering he faced for our sake. Loyalty to God is always a higher calling; and it often is not accepted by the world. Choose the Lord… every time!

 

Joseph - God was with Him!

 

Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. (Genesis 39:1–3 ESV).

 

It would seem that Joseph was utterly doomed. He was now a slave with no rights or standing, trapped in a foreign land. It would seem he was marooned, abandoned, cut off from all that sustained a sense of worth, purpose, and joy. But in this story we read again and again that God was with Joseph and that his hand was in Joseph’s life and work. When God chooses to pour out his blessings, which are so great that they cannot be contained, it’s difficult to overstate the abundance and the wide-reaching effect they can have.

 

Further, we learn that Potiphar, Joseph’s master, saw that the Lord God was with Joseph and “gave him success in everything he did.” So, Potiphar sized up Joseph’s capabilities and promoted him, making him his most trusted steward. He put Joseph in charge of the whole household. And God’s blessing extended to “everything Potiphar had.” We aren’t told whether Potiphar himself trusted in God, but he wasn’t blind; he could recognize efficiency and profits, and he could see that these were the results of Joseph’s work. So, it made sense to appoint Joseph as his household manager.

 

All of this shows that even what seems to be the most difficult of situations, like slavery and exile, God does not abandon those whom He calls and loves. It ought to be a great reminder to us that we can serve God in his strength, and the Lord can work wonders through us regardless of what the outward circumstances of our lives might look like. That is the kind of God we have as our heavenly Father!

 

Joseph - Favored Son to Forgotten Slave

Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had, in house and field. So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate. (Genesis 39:1–6 ESV).

 

In just a short time, Joseph plummeted from being a favored son to being a slave. What a descent! His brothers had plotted to murder him, but when some Ishmaelite traders came by, the brothers got rid of him instead by selling Joseph as a slave to be resold in Egypt. For many of us, it may be hard to imagine what that exile felt like. Joseph was thrown out, shipped off to be forgotten! He was separated from his father and the rest of his family without hope of ever seeing them again.

 

What’s more, he was in the company of Ishmaelites! These were distant cousins, descendants of his great-grandfather Abraham. Ishmael, their grandfather, was described as a “wild donkey of a man,” whose hand was “against everyone” and who lived in hostility toward everyone (cf. Genesis 16:12). These were ferocious men—not only traders but slavers. Joseph was nothing to them but flesh to be sold for a good price at auction. And they sold him to a captain of the guard—an official of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Could things get any worse than that?

 

Was Joseph angry? Was he filled with bitterness of spirit? We aren’t told. But this much is sure: he was deeply hurt. The wound was massive. Would he ever heal? One thing was certain—God was not done with this story yet! As you can see from the rest of the reading today God blesses Joseph in ways that will ultimately put him exactly where God needs him to save the nation of Israel and finally set the stage for Moses to come to the deliverance of the Jews leading them into the Promised Land.

 

While God’s plan is often counter-intuitive as it unfolds, it is always designed perfectly to bring about our greatest good! Trust Him!

  

Josepj - the Scarlet Thread

 

About three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.” Then Judah identified them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again. When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb. And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore his name was called Perez. Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah. (Genesis 38:24–30 ESV).

 

Today’s reading is full of deceit, separation, and immorality. Judah, from whose line Jesus the Messiah would come, was a wicked man at this point in his life. Judah was the one who proposed making money by selling Joseph into slavery. Joseph was now separated from the family against his will. But Judah willingly chose to be separate, living among the Canaanite people. Two of his sons were so wicked that God killed them. Judah promised their widow, Tamar, that his third son would become her husband, but he never made good on the promise. Furious and fearful, Tamar trapped Judah by disguising herself as a prostitute. Unprincipled Judah bought her services, but not before Tamar extracted, as payment, Judah’s own seal, cord, and staff. She became pregnant, and when Judah heard about this embarrassment to his family, he demanded that Tamar be burned to death. In her own defense, Tamar exposed Judah with the evidence of his seal, cord, and staff, so he was caught in his hypocrisy. Sheepish, he had to admit that she was better than he was.

 

Tamar gave birth to twins from this encounter. One of the boys was named Perez, the other Zereh. The name Zerah can mean “scarlet” or “brightness.” He was so named because, when the twins were born, Zerah’s hand emerged first. The midwife tied a red thread around his wrist to establish birth order. But then he withdrew his hand, and his brother Perez was born first. Zerah came out of the womb with the red string on his wrist, thereby earning his name.

 

This Zerah grew up and became the patriarch of the Zerahite clan of Israelites mentioned in Joshua 7:16–18. Zerah’s great-grandson Achan disobeyed the Lord and took some of the spoil from Jericho in direct violation of God command (Joshua 7:20–21). Years later, the Zerahites were among the Israelites who returned to Jerusalem from their seventy years in Babylonian captivity. The returning tribe of Judah, including the children of Zerah, numbered 690 members (cf. 1 Chronicles 9:3–6). Zerah’s twin brother, Perez, was an ancestor of Jesus Christ (cf. Matthew 1:3–17).

 

Zerah reminds us that God doesn’t overlook anyone because of their parentage or the circumstances of their birth. Every person holds a unique place in God’s order and plan, and everyone is responsible to God for what he does with what he is given. The whole story of Joseph is one of the coming of Jesus, the Messiah. Even the wickedness of Judah toward Joseph could not overturn the purpose of God’s redemptive plan! God would use both of these men in a mighty way to bring that plan to fruition. Knowing this solidifies our faith even more!

Joseph - the Empty Cistern

 

They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. (Genesis 37:18–24 ESV).

 

Take particular note of the last verse in our reading today: “The pit [cistern] was empty; there was no water in it” (v. 24). Remember, the hatred of Joseph’s brothers was white hot. They were out for blood. Most of them wanted to kill Joseph immediately and throw his body into a cistern where it likely would never be found.

 

But God had other plans; and, He ensured Joseph’s survival. Using Reuben, an empty cistern, and even Judah’s cruel-heartedness to work out his plans for the family of Jacob. Reuben suggested a way to do away with Joseph that would avoid shedding his blood. They could dump him into an escape-proof pit where they could leave him to die. The others went along with this idea, not knowing Reuben was planning to rescue Joseph later. And the cistern, designed for collecting water in that arid land, happened to be completely dry, sparing Joseph from drowning in water or in deep mud. Further, the callous argument of Judah persuaded his brothers that they could “kill two birds with one stone.” They could make money by selling Joseph to the caravan passing by, and they could be rid of him without having to kill him. Greedy hands sealed the deal, but this was all part of a bigger plan God had in mind.

 

In our own lives we too can sometimes see that God protects us despite the evil intentions of others. “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according his purpose” (Romans 8:28). I wonder how many empty cisterns you have been thrown into? Each of those in God’s hands will fulfill the promise of creating good in your life!