Israel said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them.” “Very well,” he replied. So, he said to him, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” Then he sent him off. But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.” Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed. So, when Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.” (Genesis 37:13-14, 18-20, 26-28, NIV 1984).
My Musings – So, that’s what Joseph was doing in Egypt. Once in Egypt, “the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. (Genesis 37:36, NIV 1984). Which eventually landed him in prison. But not before he “found favor in [Potiphar’s] eyes and became his attendant, put him in charge of his household, and entrusted to his care everything he owned. (Genesis 39:4, NIV 1984). Fortune (favorite son) turned into misfortune (sold by his brothers), which turned into newfound fortune (put in charge of the captain of the guard’s household).
But once again, misfortune struck, being falsely accused of molesting Potiphar’s wife. As a result, “Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.” (Genesis 39:20, NIV 1984). While imprisoned, “the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there.” (Genesis 39:22, NIV 1984).
It was in prison that he met Pharaoh’s cupbearer and where the “dreamer” became the interpreter of dreams. This eventually led him to the palace to interpret Pharaoh’s dream and being named second only to Pharaoh. A new cycle. Misfortune (imprisoned based on false accusations), to fortune (put in charge by the warden and meeting Pharaoh’s cupbearer, to misfortune (being forgotten for a time), to fortune (Pharaoh put him “in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” (Genesis 41:41, NIV 1984)).
My Advice – Life will have its up and its downs. Whatever path you happen to be on at the present time, remember this. “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28, NIV 1984). Do you love Him? Have you responded to His call? If the answer to both is yes, then even through your misfortunes “God works for the good.”
The Brew Is A Musing 