Faith in Troubled Times (Pt. 1)

 

Jacob lived in the land of his father’s sojournings, in the land of Canaan. These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him. (Genesis 37:1-4 ESV).

 

I have decided to begin a journey through the life of one of the most interesting and enigmatic patriarchs of the Old Testament: Joseph, son of Jacob. He was the 11th of 12 sons of a wealthy nomad Jacob and his second wife Rachel. His story is told in the book of Genesis chapters 37-50. Joseph’s story is a tale of jealousy, deceit, slavery, injustice, lust, rivalry, and forgiveness. It is also a wonderful example of how God worked in Joseph’s life through all of its ups and downs. Joseph was a life-sized illustration of one of the most inspiring and encouraging verses in the Scripture: And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). My prayer is that these next few days will bring you the encouragement and hope that will allow you peace in every circumstance of your life, just as it did Joseph.

 

I know something of how Joseph might have felt being the “favorite son.” I must admit that my older brother’s certainly plowed the road for me to walk in a relatively smooth furrow. And my younger brother seemed to simply be left out of most of my Dad’s sphere of attention. Perhaps that was simply because I enjoyed all the things that Dad did. We enjoyed fishing, and hunting together. He taught me all that he knew about these things, as well as vocationally related things. I learned how to butcher from one of best in his careful instruction. There were also lessons learned that continue to influence me now dealing with a strong work ethic and persistence. However, the most important lesson he conveyed was an unwavering commitment to family. Why these things were not experienced by my brothers I may never really know. I do know I felt “favored.” Joseph felt that way; and, it set the stage for the rest of his journey. Joseph’s life illustrates how divine sovereignty and human responsibility intersect, as illustrated by Joseph’s comment late in his life: “What you meant for evil God meant for good” (Genesis 50:20). God’s sovereignty is a major theme in these chapters and we would do well to interpret Joseph’s life in light of God’s providence (cf. Genesis 45:4-9). Today, commit yourself to open your heart to the truth we will uncover in the coming days. Read Romans 8:28 again and use it as the foundation of your life.