I’ve been thinking about Joseph, from the book of Genesis. Sometimes I’m not sure why exactly a topic or a person stays on my mind, but I try to allow the thoughts to flow and see whether God puts something on my mind to mull over, share with someone, and/or write about.
(You may want to read through Genesis 37, then 39-45 if you are not already familiar with Joseph’s story.)
I felt like the Lord put a flow in my mind to summarize how Joseph was moved into different positions throughout his life, and how the Lord worked through each of these positions in ways we can learn from today. We can look through Joseph’s story and be encouraged, challenged or even moved to action should the Lord put a directive on our hearts.
Throughout his story, we see Joseph go from preference to pit, to Potiphar’s, to prison, to palace and to power. Alliteration is a fun way to put this all together, and I think the Lord guided me to these six words for me, and maybe for you, too.
Preference: a call to humility
Joseph was born into a position of preference, and he did not one thing to deserve it from what we can tell from Scripture. Likely, it was due to his being the firstborn son of Jacob, or Israel, borne by his wife and real love, Rachel, rather than by the mothers of his other previous children. (Complicated backstory here, for sure.) Joseph was also the only child of Rachel for some time before his younger brother, Benjamin, was born. Favoritism caused issues in this family even prior to this generation, and Joseph was the recipient of his father’s flagrant favoritism and preference. Many have heard the story of the beautiful garment his father had made for him, and scripture tells us that “Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age.” Scripture also tells us that the other sons saw this, and it caused serious problems. Whether you have been in a position of preference, or perhaps been on the other end, or perhaps even been guilty of favoritism yourself, this section reminds us of the dangers of allowing this to influence our words, decisions and actions. Our ultimate example is Jesus, not Joseph and not Jacob. Romans 2:11, Ephesians 6:9 and Acts 10:34 are among the verses which tell us that God does not show favoritism because there is no favoritism with Him. James 2:1 tells us, also, not to show favoritism. Unfortunately, though, Jacob allowed it to influence him and it created a noticeable disparity in his treatment of his children. Joseph, too, seemed to live into this position in a way that would have riled his brothers even further – sharing a bad report about them to his father, and sharing dreams of being superior to his brothers and parents with those exact same individuals. It is easy for a reader to see this perhaps as a sort of gloating and leaning into this position of preference. What I think we can learn from Joseph’s season here is how greatly our response matters to how others treat us. Whether we are favored and flaunting, or forgotten and fuming – neither is a godly response to how others choose to treat us. When we feel as though we are not the preference, we can remember and rest in God’s love for us. And when we feel as though we are preferred in some way among people, it is good to remember that the Lord does not show favoritism, and we would do well to remain humble and in step with His heart when it comes to our relationships, attitudes, and treatment of others who the world might deem lesser than. His ways are above our ways, and the world is so often exactly upside down and backward in its thinking. May we never become prideful as a result of God’s love for us; it is wholly undeserved and unearned.
Pit: a call to teachability
I tend to think of the pit as a place in which Joseph found himself not of his own choosing, as his brothers put him there, but at the same time also in part as the result of his own words and actions as well. I’m not saying that what Joseph experienced at the hands of his brothers was due him. Certainly not. But as shared earlier, he did seem to press the matter and drive home the idea that he was favored or superior to others. I would liken the pit for us to those difficult situations we find ourselves in which, if we’re totally honest, some of our own choices contributed to. (Again, not victim blaming here; just acknowledging that Joseph may have played at least some small part in the brothers’ intense disdain toward him.) Joseph, in the pit, likely only knew the hardship of the situation, which was that his brothers so cruelly threw him into a cistern. What he didn’t know was that this pit was in fact a protection, and was suggested as a preventative measure for his own sake. If you read the story, some of the brothers suggested killing Joseph while he was approaching, but Reuben suggested throwing him into the cistern instead, and scripture tells us that Reuben said this because his intention was to then rescue Joseph later. So what seemed to Joseph as a punishment was intended, by Reuben at least, as protection. As a means to later return and restore him. I wonder if there are pits we find ourselves in, where the Lord is working something in us to sift out what needs to be removed in order for His best plans and purposes for our lives to be fulfilled. I would imagine, especially as we see what happens as the story progresses, that Joseph had quite the time of reflection and increased self-awareness as he sat in that pit. He seems changed from this point forward as he begins to give all glory and credit to God rather than soaking up anyone’s praise for himself. Could the Lord use the pits in our lives as a means of growth, so as to protect us from our very selves? To help mold us into the version of ourselves which He can best use in whatever future positions He has called us to?
Potiphar’s: a call to integrity
After Joseph was sold to the Midianites, he was sold in Egypt to Potiphar, who was Pharaoh’s captain of the guard. This position was one of status and responsibility. We read that the Lord was with Joseph, so he prospered, and when his master saw that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, he put Joseph in charge of his entire household, of everything he owned. Genesis 39:6 literally says that “Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.” Potiphar’s wife then attempted to seduce Joseph, and day after day made intimate invitations to him, which Joseph refused. Eventually, Potiphar’s wife physically grabbed Joseph, pulling off his cloak, and he ran out of the door to get away from her. Reflecting on Joseph’s situation, he likely could have appeased her and no one would be the wiser; he could have gone along with her desired affair even if only to get her to stop harassing him. But he didn’t. Joseph knew his lane, so to speak, and he definitely knew what was not his lane. See, scripture states that the Lord was with him and so, of course, Joseph knew that this would be wrong. He declared to her, “How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” Above any human’s demand on his life, Joseph cared most about his integrity before the Lord. Here, he does not think he is in a special, above-the-rules, or superior position. Rather, he is aware that there is a right and a wrong involved here, and that he is not exempt from what God deems as sin. When we are in positions of status and dealing with all sorts of personalities and opinions and expectations around us, may we, too, hold fast to our integrity and the way in which we know God is calling us to live, act, and make decisions.
Prison: a call to trust
When Joseph was then put into prison based on Potiphar’s wife’s false accusations, it was a punishment which was unjust as it was based upon lies. It had absolutely nothing to do with an actual error or sin or faulty decision on Joseph’s part. I am sure we each have experienced times in life when something difficult or devastating truly happened “to” us, which we did not actively participate in the occurrence of. I think of many sicknesses, deaths, relational issues, abuse, career upsets, economic realities, things above and beyond our control that happen every day. Joseph did nothing to deserve this sentence to prison, yet here he was – for years. Yet we read, “But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; He showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.” And the warden placed all those in the prison under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. During his time in prison, we read that Joseph interprets the dreams of two of Pharaoh’s sentenced officials after stating that the interpretation of dreams belongs to God. Joseph interprets the dreams correctly and asks that the cupbearer remember him when he is restored and get him out of prison, but is then instead forgotten for two full years. Joseph demonstrated his trust in the Lord through the interpretation of the dreams, and also likely grew in his understanding and even deeper trust in the Lord through this season of waiting and then experiencing his hope fulfilled in God’s perfect timing; not his own. If you’ve ever gone through a season of waiting, it can be so hard not knowing if or when the Lord will answer our prayers in the way we hope. Sometimes, His higher thoughts and higher ways do not align with what we are longing for, but even then we are invited to trust Him. We are gifted with an invitation to trust Him even more deeply by walking roads we would have never chosen to tread had we simply received our desired response in our desired timing. And perhaps God is waiting to respond with a “yes” to your prayers, to your hopes and dreams in His perfect timing and in His perfect way because His ways alone are perfect and blameless. He can help us through His Holy Spirit to truly mean it when we say, “Your will be done” and then trust Him with the outcomes.
Palace: a call to confidence
When Joseph is finally remembered by the cupbearer, he is brought to the palace and Pharaoh says to him, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” Joseph responds, “I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.” The dreams are then shared and Joseph interprets the dreams for Pharaoh and even gives him advice for how to tackle the impending hardship which the dreams revealed were coming for not only Egypt, but the world at large. I admire Joseph’s confidence here. Now, at first blush, you might consider his response the opposite of confident because he started with, “I cannot do it,” but you’ll note that I said confident, not self-confident. The reality is that the self is ultimately a very poor foundation for confidence. No matter what you place your confidence in when it comes to your own self: your skills, your mental abilities, your appearance, your connections and relationships, your strength, your financial standing, your past achievements, your acumen and prowess and experience… ALL of those things can be shaken, ALL of those things are situational and can be lost in a moment under different circumstances or occurrences. Not one can for absolute sure be counted on to remain indefinitely. But there is One who will. One Rock, ONE firm foundation which will give us all true and unshakeable strength and confidence. His name is Jesus; He is our Lord. Joseph knew that he could confidently state that God would give Pharaoh the answer he needed. Joseph knew he could depend on the Lord to provide what he absolutely could not on his own. And that kind of faith, that kind of declaration and confidence is one of the things I most admire about Joseph. When given the opportunity to share what God has gifted us with, may we, too, always remember the source of it all and give Him the glory and praise.
Power: a call to wisdom
After Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dreams, Pharaoh declares him to have the spirit of God within him and states that there is no one more discerning and wise than Joseph. And, perhaps somewhat unsurprisingly as we look back at the themes and patterns in Joseph’s life until this point, Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of his palace, all his people, and the whole land of Egypt. He states that he himself would only in respect to the throne be greater than Joseph. Joseph is now in a position of power that no Israelite could have dreamed up (well, except Joseph did metaphorically if you remember from his childhood). Joseph led with wisdom, careful planning and intentionality. When the time came for his brothers to reunite with him and they did not even recognize him, he acted wisely to discern the status of their hearts and relationships with one another and their father. Joseph eventually reveals himself to them and says, “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… God sent me ahead of you to prepare for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” He later also says to them, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” Joseph demonstrates wisdom in his initial approach to his brothers, and is forgiving and kind as he has so clearly seen the Lord’s hand over his life. He is an example in so many ways, but his willingness to truly leave the past behind them after his brothers were so clearly remorseful and changed, is one which we can all look to for an example in relational healing. When we are in positions of power, how do we treat others? Do we turn to the Lord for the wisest approach and take the time to be truly intentional about that which is under our authority? Are we forgiving and kind?
From preference to pit to Potiphar’s to prison to palace to power, I love how we can learn from Joseph and apply lessons to our own lives as we, too, find ourselves in relatable positions along our own journeys. Even if you have never unjustly been thrown in prison, perhaps you have been thrown into a different situation which felt helpless. May you be given deeper trust as you wait. Even if you have never been brought to a palace, perhaps you have been given an opportunity or platform to share your giftings or knowledge or ideas with others. May you be given confidence in the One reliable source and be strengthened by Him.
Genesis 49:22-25,
HLC
sacred strokes 