Lessons I Learned From the Story of Joseph

Hello again my fellow travelers and friends! How is everyone doing? I thought I would share a little from the Book of Genesis and what I believe was some thoughtful insight into Joseph’s story.

I’m taking this from my own journey and seeing some interesting correlations. Joseph’s story begins at Genesis Chapter 37 vs. 2 and pretty much goes through the book until the end of the book in Chapter 50 where he had lived until he was 110 yrs. old, died a full life because he had fulfilled his purpose and destiny. Wow! That is exactly my aim and goal but I don’t want to be 110….LOL!

In an overview at looking at his story I will just try to touch on a few things that I see. The first thing is that he saw his future. He may not have understood what he was seeing but we have the vantage point of looking at what is written. This part is covered in vs. 5-10 in Chapter 37. He was about 17 at this time and kind of a tattle-tale (we would call it) for his Father Jacob. Now a few verses later the passage talks about Joseph wandering around in a place called Shechem-seems he had lost his way. And it says that a certain man found him and asked him what he was looking for. Joseph tells him that he is looking for his Brothers, as his Father had sent him to look and see how they were doing. So he asks the man to please tell him where they were pasturing the flocks. I have to wonder, who was that man? I wonder if he was an angel because it reminds me of the angel that asked Hagar a question when she ran away from Sarah, her mistress; Abraham’s wife. Anyway he tells Joseph they were there but he heard them say that they were going to Dothan. This to me was a divine appointment to lead him in the right direction. The next thing ya know, they see him coming….and boy did they hate him! They were so jealous they couldn’t even talk to him right. So here the plot thickens….and they want to do away with him but instead threw him in a pit; saved from murder by his Brothers by his eldest Brother Reuben who planned on rescuing him later; interesting. I call this divine intervention. So as it happens as they sat down to eat while Joseph was in that pit, they looked up and saw a caravan of cargo -carrying Ishmaelites with their camels on their way to Egypt. I call this a divine interruption, as it gave them a new idea to sell him and not kill him; and they were in agreement, but Reuben wasn’t there and he didn’t know till later…so they sold him….a divine connection to his destiny; but nobody but God knew that. Really, this was a huge lie and deception on his Brother’s part because by then when Reuben found out, he was still complicit in the deception concerning the blood of an animal on Joseph’s tunic and lying to their Father to make him believe Joseph had died by an animal attack. And for many years he believed it, and was in deep sorrow.

Let’s fast forward a little bit and see where Joseph ends up. Vs.36 we find that he had been sold as a slave to a man named Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the Captain of the Royal Guard. Isn’t that interesting? He is already in Egypt, the location of his destiny and it’s another connection to his destiny. Of course he doesn’t see this as we can which really causes me to look at this more closely and receive “I believe” some clues as to how God operates in my own life. Of course I am not Joseph but here’s what I can see as I delve into this true story of a character in the Old Testament that I would maybe read about and find it fascinating but not make the “faith” connections and the M.O. of how the Lord may be working things out for me.

Going back into it he has the run of the house so to speak at Potiphar’s because it says; “The Lord was with him.” and he had great favor because Potiphar himself could see this and he was pleased with everything Joseph did; everything succeeded in his hand. Potiphar’s house was blessed in everything Joseph was overseer in. In Chapter 39 vs. 6 it states that the only thing Potiphar was concerned about was what he ate. Also it is mentioned here that Joseph was” handsome and attractive in form and appearance.” One might wonder about this little detail thrown in but it makes perfect sense when you see just how important this little detail is. Vs. 7-20 is the unfolding of a drama that looks like anything but good could possibly come out of it….but God!!!! So there are lies, betrayals and other divine connections and another location change. This was divine positioning at it’s best because of course God was behind the scenes directing this whole thing! Vs. 21 says; “The Lord was with Joseph and extended lovingkindness to him, and gave him favor with the warden.” Isn’t that something? He was consigned to prison but God was with him and showed him lovingkindness in that situation. Can God do that? Yes He can….and more! The warden was like Potiphar, in that he didn’t have to pay attention to anything that Joseph was care-taker over and so the prison prospered….amazing!

Here’s the thing that I want to share with you my fellow travelers. I’m noticing God’s divine connections, intervals of time passing, His divine interruptions and those moments of divine intersects where things just come together; a converging if you will, when a thing comes together in something He has planned all along. What a Planner He is! So, back to the story….

An interval of time has passed when Joseph is in a normal day taking care of business when two men are thrown into prison where he is caring for everybody and everything. Vs. 4, all the way through the rest of the chapter it speaks of the situation and how Pharaoh was ticked with his Chief Cup-bearer and Baker who just happened to be the guys that were thrown in prison, right where Joseph was….divine connection….interruption…..location? Mmmmm! Can you see it? And even more time passes before these guys dream “their” dreams and guess who interprets them accurately? And Joseph gives all the glory to God for doing so because nobody but God can give the meaning to mysteries of dreams. And those dreams come to pass just as Joseph said they would. I find it interesting that in this whole story except at the revealing part of it where he finally tells his Brothers just who it is that they are dealing with, the narrative never reveals just how Joseph was feeling all those years that he was in Egypt and not of his doing, don’t you? One only gets a glimpse of it in vs. 14 & 15 in that 40th Chapter. To bring this home to where I am at in my journey and the questions I was having with the Lord over my own life; this is where He brought me….to see…..more of His ways. So I wonder what Joseph was feeling on his journey. I am understanding more of what my part is and that is cooperating with the Holy Spirit in the process that He is doing to prepare me for purpose and destiny. It’s His plan and it’s for His glory, not mine; because it’s not about me. I am not to be belligerent, unyielding, stubborn or complaining….that I know, and I have no desire to be that way.

So just when he thinks he might finally have a break; because he didn’t know God’s plan….another two years pass…..another divine interval of time because the Chief Cup-bearer completely forgets him. These intervals are not easy; one can easily think that God has forgotten them but it’s a test of trust. It doesn’t say how Joseph felt but I can imagine, especially when time keeps on going past you and you think about where you have been and all the water that’s gone under the bridge. One can’t stay in that frame of mind very long or you might lose hope and the enemy would love that. No; you have to keep on believing that what you received at the beginning from the Lord so personally to your heart is true and you hang your very life upon it. The word says; “The word of the Lord tried him.” So true!

Because this is such a great true story I’m going to come back to it just to give it justice so the Lord is glorified even more. Call this PART I and I will be back tomorrow with PART II. Till then, you might want to check it out yourselves.