Enslaved and Forgotten - Pt 3

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. (Genesis 39:1-4 ESV).

Well, after reading today’s portion of the story, we would expect that Joseph’s life was finally making a turn for the better. And, in God’s eyes it was; in fact, it was all going according to His plan. In Egypt, Joseph is bought by Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard (cf. Genesis 37:36). There Joseph submits to God’s strange providence and serves Potiphar faithfully. He rises with trust and influence over Potiphar’s household. And you would think that the righteous would prosper. But it seems to be otherwise. Potiphar’s wife tries to seduce Joseph. He flees adultery. And the spurned woman is vicious and lies about Joseph. And in spite of his righteousness, he is put in prison. In prison, again, totally unaware of what God is doing in all this misery, he again serves the jailer faithfully and is given trust and responsibility. Through the interpretation of two dreams of Pharaoh’s butler and baker, Joseph is eventually brought out of prison to interpret one of Pharaoh’s dreams. His interpretation proves true and his wisdom seems compelling to Pharaoh, and Joseph is made commander in Egypt (cf. Genesis 41:40). Only Pharaoh was more powerful in all of Egypt. Seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine strike the land, just as Joseph said they would. Joseph preempts starvation in Egypt by gathering huge reserves of grain during the seven good years. Eventually, Joseph’s brothers hear that there is grain in Egypt, and they go for help. They don’t recognize their brother at first, but eventually, he reveals himself. He had been seventeen years old when they sold him into slavery and now when he tells them who he is he is thirty-nine years old. They are stunned. They tried to get rid of the dreamer, and in getting rid of him, they fulfilled his dreams. The brothers are bowing down at last to Joseph. Eventually, he invites them to live in Egypt to save their lives, and the fulfillment of the distant prophecy that Abraham’s seed would sojourn four hundred years in Egypt begins. As we shall see in subsequent devotionals, God is doing something grand in their lives. Even when it looks like all is lost, God’s plan is merely working toward good! That is clear in Joseph’s life and the life of the nation. It is clear in our lives as well. Trust in Him!