Trials & Triumph

by Leslie Aune

    Responding to the adversity and challenges of life in a way that honors our Lord is challenging.  In Romans 8:28-29, God assures those of us who love Him that He will take the events of our lives - our mistakes, our hurts, our triumphs - and use them to develop our character so that we will be conformed to the image of Christ.  It can be difficult resting on that assurance when our emotions are heightened or when life feels like it is weighing us down.   To encourage us, God gives us an illustration of that promise in the life of Joseph.

    The birth of Joseph, recorded in Genesis 30:22-24, is surrounded by jealousy and strife.  The next time we see Joseph he is 17 and still in the middle of a dysfunctional family.  He is the favored son who is pitted against his brothers by his father, who uses him to check on his brothers and bestows the gift of a fine coat which sets Joseph even further apart.  On top of that, Joseph has some dreams foretelling that one day he will be in a place of honor and his brothers and father will be bowing before him.   Joseph opted to share the troubling dreams which added fuel to the fire.

    We don't see any evidence of a relationship between God and Joseph while he is still living with his family, but while traveling with a band of slave traders, freshly separated from his family, and realizing that all the jealousy, anger, and harsh words had escalated to this incident that nearly cost him his life, a change took place. Perhaps he recognized the work of God in the timely arrival of the Midianites that curtailed his brothers' murderous intent.  Perhaps Joseph had plenty of time to reflect on his own contribution to the problem - maybe he had basked in his father's favoritism too much or had taken too much pride in his royal robe.  We are not given any insight as to what happened between the empty well and Potiphar's house, but clearly something did happen.  By the time he arrives at Potiphar's house we see that God is with Joseph in such a way that all those around him perceive that he belongs wholly to the Lord.

    The dark cistern was not the end of his troubles.   Joseph flees from the advances of Potiphar's wife instead of yielding to temptation, only to land in prison.   Even in prison under wrongful accusations, it is obvious to those around Joseph that the Lord is with him.  During his time in prison, Joseph interprets the dreams of the baker and the cupbearer.  When the cupbearer is reinstated to his position, he completely forgets Joseph's kindness until two years later.  Then, the timing is right, and God lifts Joseph to a place of honor and wealth with Pharaoh being the only one higher in rank.  Through it all, there are several characteristics that consistently stand out.

    First, we see that no matter the situation, Joseph did his job well.  Before Egypt we don't see Joseph doing his work for the Lord, but we see his focus is on pleasing his earthly father.  However, beginning with his work at Potiphar's house, we see that Joseph is giving his best because of his relationship with the Lord.  In Colossians 3:22 we are told that whatever we do we are to "work at it with all [our] heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."  Whether we are cleaning our home, working at our jobs, raising our children, or continuing our education, we are to do it as if we are doing it for the Lord.

    Secondly, we see Joseph, despite the ungodliness surrounding him, stand firm in his faith.  His childhood was filled with attitudes such as favoritism, anger, and jealousy. In Egypt, Joseph was surrounded by sexual immorality and blatant disregard for a Holy God.  We are also living in a culture filled with ungodliness.  How do we stand firm in our faith?  In James 1:13-15, we are warned of the slippery slope that lurks in the darkness if we allow ungodly desires to fester and grow into full-blown sin.  Ignoring the desire isn't sufficient.  Instead we must "flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace" (2 Timothy 2:22).  Not only should we spend time reading the Bible to strengthen our faith, but we should be careful about exposing ourselves to influences, such as friends and entertainment, that tear down our faith.

    Thirdly, Joseph demonstrates how to wait upon the Lord with patience and perseverance.  We live in a push-button society where we expect and demand instant gratification with very little effort.  We don't want to take the time to wait and seek the Lord through prayer and in-depth Bible study.  We want someone to put the answers together for us in a 20 minute power point presentation with the scripture already in place and interpreted for us.  But God's Word shows that there is a process involved in the refining fires of trial and tribulation (Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:2-3) that are designed to work out all the dross and purify our lives so that we can clearly reflect our Lord Jesus to those around us (2 Peter 1:5-7; James 1:2-4 ).  We need this process in order to be the best light to the world that we can be, for God's glory. 

    Joseph learns to forgive those who have wronged him.   Forgiveness does not mean that reconciliation and trust automatically follow.  When Joseph's brothers first arrive in Egypt the forgiveness is evident for we see Joseph overcome with love for his family.  But he doesn't just jump back into a relationship with them; there is a time of testing to see if things have changed and if it will now be a healthy and safe relationship (Genesis 42-45). Once the brothers pass the test and show they can be trusted, Joseph reveals to his brothers who he is and the family is reunited.

    Finally, Joseph repeatedly gives God the glory, pointing others back to God and not to himself.  Fame is a hot commodity in our society.  Hollywood gives their signature by lining the sidewalks with the names of stars and various sports have their halls of fame.  Joseph knew that his talent and wisdom came from God and he gave God the glory for the dream interpretations for the baker, the cupbearer, and for Pharaoh (Genesis 40:8, 41:16).  When his brothers show remorse for selling him as a slave, even then Joseph gives God the glory for putting him in a position to save so many people, including his family, from the devastating effects of  the famine (Genesis 45:4-6).

       God worked through the circumstances that removed Joseph from a difficult situation, took him through a series of trying events that led to a deeper personal relationship with God.  Then, He placed Joseph into a role of leadership that saved many people from starvation, and ultimately developed Joseph's character in such a way that his very nature pointed his family, as well as the pagans around him, to the one true God.