Many feel that Joseph was dealt a bad lot, but God’s hand was on this young man of integrity. God knew the journey he had to take in order to be the one to save his family. God understood that Joseph could and would endure the path set before him. It was, after all, essential for this family lineage to survive—they were the bearers of the covenant promise. Were it not for Joseph’s position in Egypt, the entire family would have starved to death and the covenant promise that God made with Abraham, then with Isaac, and finally with Jacob would have ended right then and there. It seems the entire covenant promise rested on Joseph’s ability to endure these trials.

Now, stripped of his coat and sold as a slave to Potiphar, Joseph found favor in the sight of his master. God gave him this favor and he proved himself worthy. I thought about how this young boy moved up quickly in Potiphar’s house; he must have seen something in Joseph’s behavior and how he handled things that made him feel confident in Joseph’s ability to handle his household.

Some people are just natural-born leaders. We have children or know of people we’ve watched grow up and can clearly see they are natural-born leaders. They always have or are put into positions of leadership in school, they take the lead in group projects, rise in the ranks at work—they are just natural born leaders. Potiphar must have seen something in Joseph that compelled him to move him to the front of the line and say, “Joseph, you have complete charge of my household.” The only thing Potiphar had to worry about was sitting down to reap the benefits of his great wealth in his home because Joseph was responsible for everything. God gave Joseph tremendous wisdom and as we discussed before, he was a man of integrity—a man Potiphar knew he could trust.

Joseph’s life drastically changes, but he accepts it as the path God has for him and embraces it wholeheartedly. Eventually, Potiphar’s wife took a liking to Joseph. Here he was, running his master’s household and Potiphar’s wife was after him. She pursued him day in and day out, always receiving the same response from Joseph, “I cannot sin against God and I cannot sin against my master, your husband.” Finally, she grabs hold of his coat while he flees from the sin.

This is a man who had come to learn about authority. He understood respect and his desire was not to engage in sin. He stayed close to God even in this nation full of their many, many gods. This is Egypt – a sinful nation. We’ve learned that the Illuminati follow many of their practices and it’s dangerous to the soul. Yet, Joseph did not fall victim to their corruption. He kept his integrity and stayed true to God even in the midst of the evil, in the midst of a world where he had not been raised. In the midst of all the demonic activity that surely took place in the land of Egypt, Joseph stayed true to God. He kept his heart pure before God and refused to sin against God and against his master.

Potiphar’s wife, now feeling rejected (and I am sure, humiliated), accuses him of raping her. Now, I have read historians who felt that if Potiphar really believed that Joseph had assaulted his wife, Potiphar would have had him killed. Instead, he’s placed in prison.

Remember, God is sovereign. He in control of Joseph’s life and Joseph never lost sight of this fact. God knew how much Joseph could handle, and He’s given him grace to endure these injustices. Throughout each step of his journey, Joseph is learning new skills, increasing in wisdom and knowledge, developing skills that would one day save his family.

Joseph is now falsely accused and in prison; he is in the worst prison that Egypt has. Yet, even here Joseph had the favor of God upon his life and God had a plan in place for Joseph. Every place that Joseph ended up was allowed by God. Each step was part of His plans and purposes for Joseph in order to put him in position to save the lineage of Abraham. This isn’t just about Joseph—this is about the sovereignty of God ensuring the covenant promise is fulfilled. God would use this man of integrity to fulfill His plans and purposes for a nation. He knew Joseph could and would endure these trials, and He knew it was necessary that he did, because Joseph’s positioning would ultimately uphold the covenant that He made with Abraham. There was a plan in place and God was in control. When we look at our lives and feel it can’t get any worse, we’ve got to remember that God has a plan, and we need to come to a place where we choose to trust Him and the steps He’s ordered for us.

Now Joseph is in the dungeons, dare I say it? He’s among the ruffians of the community when the captain of the jail takes notice of him and puts him in charge! Again, God has given him favor and Joseph will learn more skills necessary to fulfill his calling, yes, but his position is also strategic in nature. God had to place him there so he would ultimately be called before Pharaoh’s court.

To be continued next week…

Blessings & Love,
Ricci Wilson