Joseph's Dilemma

I love to read the story of Joseph.  His story (even though his birth was recorded in Genesis 30:22-24) begins in Genesis 37.  

Red flags show up early in his story when we read his father (Jacob) loved him obviously and visibly more than the other children by making a colorful robe for him.  I also am betting Joseph’s name didn’t show up on the chore chart as often as the other sons, maybe not at all.  Joseph didn’t help the situation by sharing his dreams of superiority with the brothers.  (We know the dreams were prophetic but his brothers certainly didn’t at this point.)

After some time Joseph is mistreated by his brothers and then sold to the Ishmaelites as a slave!  He ends up in a foreign country away from family and the comforts of home.  The key point of Joseph’s story is in Genesis 39:2 “The LORD was with Joseph”.  Things didn’t come easy for Joseph though.  Even after a period of success he was accused of a crime he didn’t commit and sent to prison.  Yet we see in Genesis 39: 21 and 23 “The LORD was with Joseph”.

Joseph found himself more than once in a place he did not seek.  He (even though he may have been a bit of a brat about his favored status and the coat) didn’t ‘deserve’ what happened to him.  We would say that’s just not fair.  And honestly it wasn’t.  

The key to Joseph’s story wasn’t what happened to him but how he responded to what happened to him.  Joseph took a bad situation (being a slave) and did his job so well he was promoted to a high clearance status in his master’s house.  When confronted by his master’s wife to compromise his trust he didn’t try to reason with her, he fled.  He finds himself again at the bottom of the pit even when he did the right thing.  

The encouragement for us is that we find ourselves many times in unfair situations and circumstances.  Why me, why this trouble we ask but just like Joseph -the LORD is with us.  We find that promise in many places but one is Matthew 28:20. I think it also teaches us that just because we find ourselves in difficult circumstances we tend to think God has forgotten us.  Joseph’s story teaches us quite the opposite is true.  

Because of Joseph’s difficulties, we eventually see the salvation of his family and the promises of God unfolding just as He said.  God had a plan all along for Joseph and He does for us as well.