The summons was unwelcome, but not unexpected. His father was frail and elderly, frequently bedridden. The messenger said he’d taken a turn for the worse. His passing was more likely than his recovery. In honest verbiage, his father was dying. Soon. Sooner than Joseph hoped. He wanted more time to make up for what he’d lost. More time to absorb Jacob’s wisdom. More time to hear his heart, draw from his strength. Clearly, it was not to be.
Plucked from his father’s care as a teenager by brothers teeming with jealousy over the preferential treatment he received, he’d been sold into slavery and carried into Egypt, forced to forfeit the presence and wisdom and care of his one remaining parent. As the caravan of Midianite traders jostled down the road with their newly purchased commodity, the claws of fear clutched at Joseph’s heart. His stomach twisted. Questions bombarded his tired brain. He had no answers to still his anxious mind. He had no idea what lay ahead, where he would end up, what work he would do, or if he’d ever see his father again.
Regrets threatened to pile up at his door. He shouldn’t have shared the dreams. At least not in the way he did. His not-quite-adult self had been a bit arrogant and a lot cocky as he approached the others in the field to share his intriguing dreams. In true teenage boy fashion, he couldn’t wait to tell his bossy, older brothers how he’d dreamed of their bowing at his feet. Hindsight had him admitting he probably hadn’t used the better part of discretion in the telling. His hearty chortle and obvious glee hadn’t endeared him to them. Antagonizing a horde of older stronger men had been a poor choice. He knew that now. Now that it was too late.
Intending to ensure they were never forced to bow to the little scamp, his brothers captured him and threw him in a pit. Looking at the steep sides of his enclosure, Joseph thought for certain his life was over. Starvation, exposure to the elements, or a scavenging animal would claim him before those hardened hearts thawed. His dubious salvation came in the form of the Midianite traders to whom he now belonged. In a swift and sure transaction, his brothers sold him off as so much chattel. No last archery challenge with Benjamin. No clinging farewell with his father. Joseph was loaded up and driven off into the desert.
The Midianites didn’t purchase things they intended to keep. It was all for sale. Pots. Pans. People. So when they pulled into Egypt and Potiphar offered to purchase Joseph, they were all too happy to accept. Gazing wide-eyed at his new surroundings, Joseph must have wondered how a Jewish boy would survive in a place like this. A foreign country full of foreign gods. A land completely dissimilar to the area from which he came. The learning curve was incredibly steep. New customs. New language. New hierarchy. He’d never been a servant before. Yet, even as the fear again tried to grip him, Joseph remembered the things he’d been taught at Jacob’s knee and was enveloped in the peaceful knowledge that for him, one constant remained. Captive or free, young or old, yesterday, today, or tomorrow, the omnipresent God of his ancestors was with him in the land of his captivity. (Genesis 37:1-36, 41:52)
The accounts had been passed down from generation to generation. Accounts that proved God is not limited to time or space. Stories of God’s presence bringing victory, blessing, and protection. Stories of the obedience that caused God to act on their behalf. Joseph had heard them so many times, told with so much conviction, that he believed them. He knew they were true. And he believed God was there in Egypt too. So Joseph put his back into the work before him. He gave himself fully to the assigned tasks, working to please God, not some ruler or captain or earthly master. And God blessed him. (Colossians 3:23-24)
Amazed at Joseph’s great success, Potiphar set him over his entire household. He didn’t have to check-in. He didn’t need to ask permission. He was the boss. He had full run of the place. Control of everyone and everything in it. Except Potiphar’s wife. Apparently, she couldn’t be controlled. Not by decorum’s standards. Not by her husband. Certainly not by a Hebrew servant. Surely even the looser standards would consider her a bit of a trollop. In spite of, or possibly because of, their disparate positions, she zeroed in on the handsome servant and set about to ensnare him. No matter how well her charms had worked on previous targets, they failed miserably with Joseph.
Day after day he refused her. It was downright embarrassing. Demeaning. Frustrating. The constant refusals enraged her. In revenge, she set him up, grabbed the side of his jacket as he made his escape. He did exactly what she knew he would. Slipped out of the coat and left. But she had her evidence and made good with it. Made Joseph appear untrustworthy. Made it seem he’d done something unseemly. And Potiphar, outraged and offended, believed her tale of woe and threw Joseph in prison.
It could have been worse. He could have had Joseph executed. His anger had certainly been hot enough. Instead, Joseph found himself confined with other prisoners who had managed to offend the powers in charge. Some were guilty. All claimed innocence. It was impossible to know the truth. The circumstances were less than ideal. They had the ability to distress and depress Joseph. He wouldn’t let them. Again, Joseph set his mind on the God he knew had never let His people down. In the dark, dankness of that prison chamber, God surrounded Joseph with His presence and constant love. And Joseph again stiffened his spine and set himself to do his tasks for God, not man. (Genesis 39:1-21)
The warden noticed. It was hard not to. In a space full of disgruntled men all spouting their innocence this one man remained silent, bending his back to whatever task was at hand. A perfect picture of impenetrable peace and calm confidence. He clearly had something the others did not. Little by little, finding him trustworthy, the warden put Joseph in charge, paying no attention to the things under Joseph’s authority. He didn’t need to. Joseph took care of them. (Genesis 39:22-23)
It would be years before Joseph was freed. Years when it seemed improbable, even impossible. Years when surely his faith was tested, his hope wavered, his strength flagged. Years that proved again and again that his tested faith was placed in the only true surety–God alone. No matter what went on around Joseph, no matter what happened to him, no matter his position or circumstances, God had never left him. He had traveled the treacherous journey of servanthood and imprisonment right beside Joseph. As he’d risen in authority and power, God was there. When he’d fallen to insignificance and disdain, God was there. There was no place, no time God was ever missing. There was no place he could end up that God wouldn’t be. God is eternal. He has always been. He will always be. And He will never desert His people.
Eventually, Joseph would be called out of prison to interpret Pharaoh’s disturbing dream. God would speak words of protection and deliverance and survival through Joseph. Pharaoh, in gratitude, set Joseph in a place of honor and distinction. Returned his authority and power. Blessed him with a wife and sons. And, when Joseph surely thought things were as good as they would ever be this side of Heaven, God brought his miscreant brothers to his doorstep, allowing for reconciliation among siblings and a grand reunion for father and son. (Genesis 40-46)
Now, standing beside his dying father’s bed, emotions of every type washing over his heart, Joseph received the words his father spoke to him. Words of faith and hope. Words of peace and courage and strength. Words he knew from experience to be absolutely true. Words he could have predicted would come. “God will be with you.” When everything changes. When hard times come. When everything around you seems uncertain. When you feel confused, conflicted, concerned. The God who was with your grandparents and parents is also with you. Look back and remember. Remember the desperate moments of your life. Remember the exhilarating moments of your life. Remember God’s presence. Remember His peace. Remember His purpose for you is so much greater than you know. Be faithful. God will be with you. He always has been. He has never failed. He never will. You can trust Him. (Genesis 48:21)
As the new year has dawned, dropping its days of unknown events into our lives, we often find ourselves caught up in the fear that seems to permeate our culture. Our minds are bombarded with questions, cares, and concerns for the days that lie ahead. We struggle to control and manipulate the future. We forget that God is already there, has already walked this year. Every month. Every day. Every minute. Nothing that happens will take Him by surprise. He already has a plan for it, a purpose in it. He is not flustered or scared. He is not confused or confined by man’s machinations. He’s still God. The same God who stretched out the heavens with the utterance of His voice. His power is not stunted. His wisdom is not finite. His work is not done. He has a plan for you. So be faithful. (Zechariah 12:1; Isaiah 55:8-9,11; Colossians 1:17; Jeremiah 23:23-24; Psalm 33:11)
No matter what happens, or doesn’t happen, this year. God is calling you to offer yourself as a living sacrifice to Him. If no one is doing it. If everyone is doing it. You need to. God is asking you to step out in complete obedience to Him. He’s asking you to wholeheartedly do His work. Put your back into it. And let His ever-present peace pervade your soul. Let His pervading presence surround you. Let Him lead and guide you through every changing season of this year. Let your actions loudly proclaim where your allegiance lies. Rest your potentially unsettled soul in the peaceful, predictable presence of God alone, knowing this–He will always be there. All of Him. His strength. His power. His grace. Look back. You will see Him. His leading hand. His preceding presence. Remember that He never changes. He is always the same. He will be with you. No matter what. Cast your fears, your cares, your worries on Him and rest your soul in the peaceful predictability of the presence of God. (Habakkuk 3:17-19; Psalm 139:7-12; II Samuel 22; Joshua 1:9; Revelation 1:8; I Peter 5:7; Matthew 28:20)