"And the LORD was with Joseph" (39:2). "But the LORD was with Joseph" (39:21). "How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God," (39:9). "God sent me before you to preserve life...to keep you alive by a great deliverance...it was not you who sent me here, but God... Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive," (45:5-8; 50:19-20).
Next to the story of Jesus, I think the most beautiful story in scripture is the story of Joseph. The writer of Genesis gives him a lot of coverage (Genesis 37-50), and rightfully so. He's a key figure of transition in the history of Israel. There's so much that can be said about this man. He was, without a doubt, godly qualities and godly character personified. We could bring him down a notch or two, I suppose, for his lack of wisdom in sharing about some self-serving dreams, but, frankly, all concerned would not have been able to later put two and two together if they hadn't been told these dreams. There's no doubt they came from God and God was working a plan. There's the catch. Except for some dreams, God hadn't let anyone in on His plan, much less Joseph, the key player in this plan. Never outmaneuvered by the enemy, the jealousy of his brothers, their dreadful scheme to rid themselves of this "special" son of Jacob, and their selling him into slavery, become the very props God uses to fulfill His great plan. We can only imagine... No, we really can't imagine what Joseph must have felt in those awful moments in his life. Where is God in all of this? Have you ever had something of that kind of feeling? But the writer says, under the worst conditions possible in Joseph's life, "And the LORD was with Joseph" (39:2). And again, when things had gone from bad to worse, the writer records, But the LORD was with Joseph" (39:21). That's easy for the writer to say, but did Joseph feel this? What do we do in times like this? Well, one thing we know about Joseph is that, whether he could feel God or not, under the worst conditions, his heart was for God! The force of his character, no matter how sweet the temptation to cave in to sin, was found in these powerful, staying and gripping words that came from his heart: "How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God," (39:9). Where would your heart take you in the trials and temptations and the twists and turns of Egypt? Even when he had a chance to boast of his dream telling ability, he lets it be know that "Interpretations belong to God". He answered Pharaoh saying, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer". And finally, even when he could have turned against his brothers, Joseph humbly declares, "God sent me before you to preserve life...to keep you alive by a great deliverance...it was not you who sent me here, but God... Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive," (45:5-8; 50:19-20). The direction of Joseph's heart, with full face toward God, kept him from the sin of immorality, the sin of pride, and the sin of bitterness. In our world, where so many excuses are made for our failures, what an amazing testimony of holiness under pressure. Yes He can! Therefore, yes you can! Amen!
Next to the story of Jesus, I think the most beautiful story in scripture is the story of Joseph. The writer of Genesis gives him a lot of coverage (Genesis 37-50), and rightfully so. He's a key figure of transition in the history of Israel. There's so much that can be said about this man. He was, without a doubt, godly qualities and godly character personified. We could bring him down a notch or two, I suppose, for his lack of wisdom in sharing about some self-serving dreams, but, frankly, all concerned would not have been able to later put two and two together if they hadn't been told these dreams. There's no doubt they came from God and God was working a plan. There's the catch. Except for some dreams, God hadn't let anyone in on His plan, much less Joseph, the key player in this plan. Never outmaneuvered by the enemy, the jealousy of his brothers, their dreadful scheme to rid themselves of this "special" son of Jacob, and their selling him into slavery, become the very props God uses to fulfill His great plan. We can only imagine... No, we really can't imagine what Joseph must have felt in those awful moments in his life. Where is God in all of this? Have you ever had something of that kind of feeling? But the writer says, under the worst conditions possible in Joseph's life, "And the LORD was with Joseph" (39:2). And again, when things had gone from bad to worse, the writer records, But the LORD was with Joseph" (39:21). That's easy for the writer to say, but did Joseph feel this? What do we do in times like this? Well, one thing we know about Joseph is that, whether he could feel God or not, under the worst conditions, his heart was for God! The force of his character, no matter how sweet the temptation to cave in to sin, was found in these powerful, staying and gripping words that came from his heart: "How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God," (39:9). Where would your heart take you in the trials and temptations and the twists and turns of Egypt? Even when he had a chance to boast of his dream telling ability, he lets it be know that "Interpretations belong to God". He answered Pharaoh saying, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer". And finally, even when he could have turned against his brothers, Joseph humbly declares, "God sent me before you to preserve life...to keep you alive by a great deliverance...it was not you who sent me here, but God... Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive," (45:5-8; 50:19-20). The direction of Joseph's heart, with full face toward God, kept him from the sin of immorality, the sin of pride, and the sin of bitterness. In our world, where so many excuses are made for our failures, what an amazing testimony of holiness under pressure. Yes He can! Therefore, yes you can! Amen!
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