Genesis 39

Jacob's son, Joseph, had not been torn to pieces by fierce animals. Jacob, based on the evidence of the bloody garment presented to him by the boy's lying brothers, had concluded without a doubt that Joseph was dead. He was quite wrong. Joseph was alive.

That is not to say that Joseph's situation was good. His brothers had sold him. He was a slave in the home of an influential Egyptian man. Far from the Promised Land, Joseph was able to thrive by the grace of God.

This is the kind of story that was retold many times over the history of Israel. Daniel was far from the Promised Land and he also did very well. Mordecai, living in the Persian Empire, was able to thrive despite the formidable opposition of significant enemies. More than all of them, the Son of God left His Father's throne above, and went far away into a place of great danger. Yet during His stay there, though it looked to others as if His mission were failing, He did everything that He was supposed to do, and He secured for us the glory of an eternal kingdom.

Back to Joseph: This talented young man who brought the Word of God to his family in a way that offended them was being prepared to fulfill the prophecy that he had been given about his own eventual preeminence. The home that he ended up living in was very close to where he would need to be when Pharaoh would require a true Word from God.

In the way that men look at events, it would appear that everything had gone very poorly for Joseph. In reality, everything was very much on schedule. Yet Joseph would have to travel lower than where he was at present. It was not enough for Joseph to be a slave in the home of one of Pharaoh's officers; Joseph needed to spend some time in one of Pharaoh's prisons.

The person who would bring him there was an immoral woman, the wife of his master. Joseph would go to prison, not because of his unrighteousness, but because of his righteousness. If Joseph had gone along with the demands of this woman, they would have had a secret intimate relationship together, and he would have continued to serve as a trusted servant of the captain of the guard. Because Joseph would not agree to this, the man's wife accused Joseph of attacking her, and Joseph ended up exactly where he needed to be for the next chapter in God's story.

While Joseph was serving as a slave, his master was able to come to some conclusions concerning him. Joseph was a hard worker who was capable of handling significant levels of responsibility. He trusted Joseph, and Joseph was worthy of that trust. But Joseph's master saw something else. He noted that the Lord caused all that Joseph did to succeed.

But someone else was also keeping an eye on Joseph, and her intentions were evil. She wanted Joseph to lie with her, which he refused to do. This servant of the Lord knew the truth. What this woman wanted to do was wrong. It was a sin against his master, her husband, and it was a sin against God, and Joseph told her that. He also attempted to protect the honor of the woman involved, not wanting to expose her in her foolish entreaties. He simply tried to stay out of her way.

The day came when she trapped him. When he again refused her, she grabbed on to his garment as he ran away. Now she was in trouble. She had Joseph's garment in her hand and the young man was running away from her. She quickly turned the matter around with her lies, making it appear as if Joseph was the aggressor and that she had barely escaped from him. When it was all over, Joseph's master believed his wife, and Joseph was in prison.

This was not just any prison. It was the place where Pharaoh's prisoners were confined. This brought Joseph into contact with a man who would be the one God would use to take him from captivity to a position as the Lord's man in a time of crisis.

Through all of his troubles, the Lord was with Joseph. Much as he had prospered in the home of his Egyptian master, Joseph was again found to be a trustworthy and capable man in Pharaoh's prison. No matter what the project was that needed to be accomplished, the Lord made Joseph succeed.

Joseph learned to serve God in all kinds of circumstances. Whether Joseph was high or low, he was honest and competent. The Lord was with him through it all, and that made all the difference. Everything that Joseph did was a success.

We need a servant of God who does all things well, and we have found such a man in Jesus Christ. The required Sin-Bearer had to be a perfect Law-Keeper before He could atone for our transgressions. The Lord brought His Son exactly where He needed to be at precisely the right time.

Jesus came to serve. He was not afraid to be in a low position. When every duty had been accomplished, He needed to take the lowest places ever known to man: the cross and the grave. These were His to own and to conquer in order for the plan of God to be fully accomplished. Now He is exalted to the highest place in heaven. His time of lowliness was necessary for our redemption. But beyond that divine requirement, we have come to see that He sanctified a life of humble service for us. When we hear His call to service, we know that He is asking us to travel a road that He, like Joseph of old, has already walked Himself.