And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt; but God was with him. Acts 7:9
Well might we say at various points in Joseph’s great experience, ‘Poor Joseph!’ His adventures had plenty of down moments that surely arouse our pity and compassion. We recall the treachery of his brothers in tossing him into a cruel pit, the awful hopelessness of being sold as a slave to the Ishmaelites, and the lonely experience of being dragged into the slave market in Egypt. Our rejoicing at his prosperity in Potiphar’s house is dashed by the wicked trick of Potiphar’s wife and the resultant plunge into prison shackles. Then we are encouraged at Joseph’s elevation to responsibility in the prison, and then dismayed at the ingratitude of the butler when Joseph could have done with a powerful acquaintance in Pharaoh’s court. In all of these things, we wonder at how such a fine, upstanding, God-fearing young man could have experienced so many setbacks and disasters. Some might even wonder where was God when all this trouble was unfolding. But Joseph’s elevation to governorship reminds us that God was in all of his experiences, and had a purpose for them all.
Let us learn a lesson from Joseph’s experiences. Just because we can’t understand why things seem to go wrong doesn’t mean God is not in control and directing the outcome for His glory. For example, it was no coincidence that Ishmaelites bound for Egypt came along to buy Joseph, because only in Egypt could he be in a position to save his family. It was also no coincidence that Joseph found employment in Potiphar’s house, where he learned the management and social skills he would need as governor. His time in prison was critical to his being identified as an interpreter of dreams. In all of his experiences, Joseph was faithful to His God, and we never read that he ever complained about his troubles. He might not have realized until later that God was working out a marvellous plan, but his faithfulness in the face of such adversities serves as a great encouragement for us.
When trouble looms and crashes, we need to learn that God does not always answer our question of ‘why?’, at least not right away. It is His program that He is working our in our experiences, and we need to learn to trust Him. In spite of what it seems at the moment, His way is always perfect and His plan will always work out to our very best. Do we believe that? Sometimes it is not easy. Sometimes it seems like we are being abandoned. But we never are; God is always in control.
You and I have never experienced the terrible calamities that Joseph endured. If God was with him in all of that, He will surely be with us in our little trials. – Jim MacIntosh