Joseph, the main character of the last several chapters of
Genesis, lives in God’s providence.
As
an innocent man Joseph faced many hardships. While God’s plan was revealed to him at a young age, he was
rejected for speaking about it.
His own brothers kidnapped him and sold him into slavery. While in slavery he was loved by Pharaoh’s
officer Potiphar but was eventually accused by his wife of raping him. Joseph was then imprisoned for a crime
he didn’t commit, only to be sought to interpret Pharaoh’s dream. Eventually Joseph became Pharaoh’s
right hand man and while holding this prestigious office delivered his own
family from the famine.
Joseph
understood that God’s will had indeed been done through these various
trials. When he was finally
revealed to his brothers he told them: “I am your brother Joseph, whom you once sold into Egypt. But now do not be distressed, and
do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here. It was really for the sake of
saving lives that God sent me here ahead of you.”
Joseph
shared many qualities with the longed for Messiah. Both Joseph and Jesus Christ were innocent men, sold into
slavery and incriminated on false accusations. Both began their public work at the age of thirty. And most importantly, both followed God’s
will and showed His providential hand in their lives.
We
pray that we, too, may live out God’s will in our lives no matter where the
journey leads.
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