Hero: Joseph

If life were filled with one disappointment after another - if it were a series of disillusionments and frustrations  - if nothing ever seemed to work out right - could a believer still trust God? Joseph did. Joseph was a man who earnestly desired to serve God, yet it seemed that nothing could go right for him. When someone evidences a heart for God and does his best to serve God, shouldn't there be a more ideal answer than continued trials?

Here is a summary of the difficulties and disappointments Joseph faced. His mother died when he was young. He was hated by his half-brothers. His brothers attacked him with the intention of killing him. His brothers sold him. He was forced to serve as a slave. He was falsely accused and put into prison. He was forgotten by someone who could have helped to bring about his release. He was separated from his family for 22 years.

As a faithful servant of God, Joseph didn't deserve judgment, and his repeated disappointments seem illogical. In fact, with the large portion of Scripture about Joseph, there is no revealed failure like those in the lives of the heroes examined in recent posts. (Obviously, Joseph did sin, but God choose not to record that.) Even as a young man, God revealed things to this tender young man who sought to follow Him. Joseph was obedient to his father and concerned over the evil behavior of his brothers. As both a slave and a prisoner, Joseph's work prospered, an indication of God's blessing. He resisted daily temptations from Potiphar's wife. To the cupbearer and later to Pharaoh, Joseph identified God as the source of his help. Pharaoh himself recognized the divine spirit that was in Joseph. Joseph acknowledged God in the naming of his children. He gave repeated gifts and grace to his brothers, rather than exhibiting hatred, bitterness, or revenge. His concern for his father denied any resentment over the life-altering effects of his father's favoritism. Joseph offered forgiveness to his brothers because his thinking was focused on the work of God. He knew, even through the wrongs committed against him, that God had sent him to Egypt and was using these trials for His purposes.

With human reasoning, it is easy to question why such a godly man had to experience these repeated trials. Wouldn't it have been fitting and right for God to have delivered this faithful man? Why didn't God do things differently? It is not hard to imagine ways Joseph's story could have turned out differently.

God could have spared the life of Joseph's mother, which likely would have alleviated some of the tensions in the home. God could have caused Jacob to see the negative effects of his favoritism. He could have changed the hearts of the brothers to look kindly on their little brother. He could have held Joseph's dreams back for a few years or prevented Joseph from sharing those dreams with his brothers. Jacob could have refrained from sending Joseph to check on his brothers. Joseph could have failed in finding his brothers. God could have controlled the brother's hateful thoughts, causing them to abandon or limit their evil plans. Reuben's plan of protection could have been successful. God could have prevented the band of traders from passing by at that precise time or from buying Joseph. Joseph could have escaped from them. The brothers could have told Jacob the truth and Joseph been recovered. He could have been sold to someone who had connections in Canaan.

Joseph could have been so respected as an overseer that he gained his freedom. Potiphar could have known his wife's ploys and given second thought or evaluation to the case. A witness could have been available to tell the true story. Joseph could have been given a fair chance to defend himself. He could have escaped with all of his clothing. The wife could have responded in a different way to Joseph's rejection. There could have been an end to his sentence or a general amnesty. The favor of the guard could have resulted in his freedom either legally or surreptitiously. Joseph could have used his privileges to find a way to escape. The cupbearer could have remembered Joseph immediately. Someone else in the meantime could have spoken on his behalf. Pharaoh could have had his dream sooner. When he was released from prison, Joseph could have found a way to return home. Pharaoh might have learned his story and sent him home. The famine and whole story could have been put into a shorter time frame to reduce the years of separation. At some point the brothers could have become guilt-ridden and could have revealed the story.

Such a list of possibilities actually puts the story into even clearer focus. Any of those things could have happened to have made Joseph's personal life more pleasant, but if they had happened, they would have messed up the bigger story. Many of the above-mentioned possibilities were tiny details, and every one of those details had to happen in order for the overall plan to work out. So not only did God not choose to employ any of those other solutions, He purposefully orchestrated each detail that did happen, often in direct opposition to the alternate solutions. God needed His nation to grow in a place that would nourish it. Egypt was that place, and God had to get His people there. God had to set up the scenario with Joseph as the means of relocating His people and blessing them once they did relocate. Without this provision, Israel would have died in their own land, or without an advocate in Egypt, they would have been rejected and died anyway.

God had a much bigger plan than just Joseph's comfort or mistreatment, and Joseph understood that. He didn't know all the ramifications of what God was doing, nor where everything would end up, but he knew that God was in control of his life. His understanding must have grown as he saw the events of his life play out, but even before that, he submitted to God's plan for him, knowing that God had good purposes in all that He did. In his varying life situations, Joseph continued to live for God. There is no verbal expression of his faith until after he was reunited with his family, at which time he stated his faith very clearly. Although words like these had not previously been recorded, Joseph had obviously believed through all those years the truth that he finally expressed. His brothers had hated and sold him - God meant it for good. He had been falsely accused and imprisoned - God meant it for good. He had been forgotten by the cupbearer - God meant it for good. Life didn't make sense - but God meant it for good. What a tremendous truth from a great hero!

"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." Genesis 50:20 (NASB)