The Faith of Joseph

Articles

Derek Long
06/16/19 - Faith

The Faith of Joseph
By Derek Long
The life of Joseph is one filled with highs and lows.
Joseph was the first child of Jacob by his wife Rachel, whom he loved more (Genesis 30:22-24; 29:30). Jacob’s favoritism toward Joseph is displayed to his other sons and leads them to being filled with hatred towards Joseph. Genesis 37:3-4 says, “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic 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 peaceably to him.” Joseph is given two dreams speaking dealing with him being exalted above his brothers (Genesis 37:5-11). Joseph’s brothers hate him more because of these dreams and envy him. A time comes when Joseph was sent to check on his brothers who were feeding his father’s flock (Genesis 37:12-17). On this occasion, Joseph’s brothers want to kill Joseph (Genesis 37:18) but instead are persuaded to sell him to Midianite traders who passed by. Joseph goes from being the most loved son of his father to a slave. Genesis 37:36 tells us, “Not the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.” While a slave in Potiphar’s house, Joseph would rise to a position of great responsibility. Genesis 39:4 says, “So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had put under his authority.” Joseph once again is in a rather blessed position. However, Potiphar’s wife will cast longing eyes upon Joseph, seek to seduce him, and will then falsely accuse Joseph when he refuses her advances. As a result of her false accusations, Genesis 39:20 says, “Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.” Joseph went from being overseer of Potiphar’s house to a prisoner. As a prisoner, the keeper of the prison begins to entrust more and more responsibility to Joseph. Genesis 39:22 tells us, “And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing.” While in prison, Joseph will interpret the dreams of the chief butler and baker of Pharaoh. The baker’s dream was he would be killed in three days. The butler’s dream was he would be restored to his responsibilities as a butler in three days. Joseph encourages the butler to remember him, “Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him” (Genesis 40:23). Eventually Pharaoh will have dreams and the butler will remember Joseph. Joseph is called upon to interpret the Pharaoh’s dreams and will be exalted to a high position in Egypt. In Genesis 41:40 Pharaoh tells Joseph, “You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” Joseph rose from being a prisoner to being made a powerful ruler in Egypt.
One of the things which should impress us about Joseph through all these ups and downs is his faithful service to the Lord. Joseph is blessed while a slave in Potiphar’s house
because the Lord was with him (Genesis 39:2). Joseph is blessed while in prison because the Lord was with him (Genesis 39:22). Joseph’s commitment to the Lord is clearly seen as he resists the temptation presented to him by Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39:7-12). Joseph lived a life filled with faithfulness to God.
Hebrews 11 speaks of Joseph as a person of faith but it mentions an event in Joseph’s life we might not think of when considering his faith. Hebrews 11:22 says, “By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.” The event in Joseph’s life the Hebrew writer uses to display Joseph’s faith is recorded for us in Genesis 50:24-25. The record says, “And Joseph said to his brethren, ‘I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring your out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.’ Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.’” Joseph had spent a good deal of his life in Egypt. He continues to have faith in God’s promise though to give the children of Israel the land of Canaan. His faith no doubt might have encouraged the children of Israel to trust in God fulfilling His promise to bring them out of Egypt after they had been there for several years. Joseph did not doubt whether God would fulfill His word or not. Joseph was confident the Israelites would be brought out of the land of Egypt. Are we confident God will fulfill His promises? Are we willing to trust God when our life goes well but also after we have faced several disappointments in our life? Are we willing to imitate the faithfulness of individuals like Joseph?