Joseph: How did he do it?

Many people never face a test or trial similar to Joseph's, and not that we would want to. Many of us never have our character tested to capacity, pushed to the limits to know for sure what is there at the core of our faith. It's easy to maintain a good attitude when times are easy. But when time turns tough, our true character is revealed.  We all see injustices of all kinds happen to us and to others around us. We see terrible things happen to good people. We see good things happen to terrible people. We all have painful memories of events and people that have scared our lives. These trials, injustices, and pain tend to send us to one of two places: 

• Point of Brokenness shown by Patience, humility. OR

• Point of hardheartedness shown by anger, bitterness

But how did he do it? How did Joseph keep from getting angry and discouraged during 13 years of trials, injustice, and pain? If anyone had a right to be angry over injustice it was Joseph. 

• He was beaten and sold into slavery by jealous brothers. 

• He worked his way to the top in Potiphar's house only to be falsely accused of adultery with Potiphar's wife. 

• He spent many years in prison for a crime he did not commit. 

• He interpreted correctly the cup-bearer's dream only to be forgotten by him for another 2 years.

• He started as a privileged and favored son in a large family only to spend 13 years in obscurity. 

Through it all, we have no evidence that Joseph was angry or was even discouraged for the whole 13 years. That is something that fascinates me. Gen 39:21 "But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love." (NLT)

Wouldn't the most loving thing for God to do in this situation would be for him to:

• to Free him out of prison?

• to provide justice against the false accusations from Potiphar's wife?

• to rescue him from slavery?

• to restore him to his homeland and family?

• to punish his brothers for the evil plan and their lies to their father?

• to receive credit or reward for interpreting the cup-bearer's dream?

God was "with Joseph", but he seems forgotten...  In Genesis 41:1 It starts out, "Two full years later..." Two years pass in jail without any events or news to mention. It 'seems' like he was forgotten, it 'seems' like nothing is happening, but it is the times of waiting, sometimes the years of waiting that God is setting the stage for his greatest show. God is preparing Joseph for what would happen soon.  Joseph is waiting, God is working...Then Pharaoh had a dream... When not even the wisest, smartest advisers in the Kingdom cannot help him with the interpretation of his dream, the Pharaoh becomes desperate. So desperate that he puts all of his trust in a prisoner, a foreigner, and unknown, all off of the word of a cup-bearer.  In verse 16, what is amazing to me is the humility of Joseph. He denies the power to interpret dreams himself but reveals his source. 

Gen 41:16 “It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.” (NLT)

Immediately, he gives credit to God for the gift he has. Not a single time did he take the credit. Here we see incredible growth and maturity in the life of Joseph. We can see the effect of 13 years waiting that has broken him to the point of humility. But here with Pharaoh's dreams after two more years of waiting in the prison, he gives all credit to God 6 times and did not ask for anything in return. This shows us his incredible growth, maturity, and his true character.  The question we started out with...  How did he do it? For 13 years of trials, injustice, and pain. How did Joseph keep from getting angry and discouraged? It's almost as if he knew that eventually, God would ... 

• free him

• deliver him 

• restore him

• prosper him 

• bring justice

But he just didn't know when.

And IF He knew that, HOW did he know that? Look real quick at Psalms 105:19 (NLT) Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character. Joseph's new appointment of power from Pharaoh was the start of the fulfillment of Joseph's first dreams from when he was young. The dreams he first had, where his brothers, his father, and his mother would bow before him. Joseph knew that these dreams were from God and that they had not yet been fulfilled. I think the enduring faith of Joseph, the enduring patience that he displayed was because he knew the original dreams would come true, eventually. He knew that somehow, some time, someway, God would pull him out of current terrible circumstance to fulfill the dream.  He passed the test because he focused on the dream, the prophecy, the promise.   Joseph knew the power of God at that time to reveal a promise through a dream as he did in the life of his father, Jacob (Gen 28:12-15). I'm sure Joseph was aware of that dream of his father and that it was fulfilled. Joseph didn't know when his dreams from his youth would be fulfilled. But he knew it would be fulfilled because he knew they were from God. Joseph saw those dreams from his youth as promises that God was yet to fulfill and would one day fulfill them.  I imagine, maybe in each situation along the way, he thought that God would fulfill the dream...

• Maybe after the experience in the pit, God would fulfill it then? no

• Or after the slavery in Egypt, God would fulfill it then? no

• Or after being falsely accused by Potiphar's wife, God would fulfill it then? no

• Or after being thrown into prison, God would fulfill it then? no

• Or after interpreting the cup bearer's dream, God would fulfill it then? no

• Or after some other terrible experience, he knew that eventually, God would fulfill it.

Joseph's secret was to focus on the special promise God gave to him in the dream from his youth. His faith in God's promise to him helped to keep firm his character and pass the tests. The same can be true for us. We all pass through difficult trials and in order to keep the faith and patience, we need to not focus on the problem, but instead, we need to focus on the promises God has given us, knowing that his timing and plan is perfect.

If we focus on the problem, we would fail the test.  If we focus on the Promise, we can pass the test. When God promises something, He will do it. In his time. Not in our time or through our manipulation. When God's 'time' comes for you, nothing can stop it. So don't force it, patiently wait. God doesn't work through dreams today, but he has made many promises to us through His Word, and he will complete them, in His time.

• Through His Word God has given us more than 5000 promises.

• Through His Word, God has given us more than 2000 prophecies (500 still un-fulfilled)

He will eventually complete them all.

Could you wait for 13 years for God to bring justice? Could you wait for 13 years in silence and darkness, 13 years of prayers before God finally acts in your favor? 13 years while Joseph watched the dreams of others be fulfilled but his dream remained unfulfilled. It is in the times of yet-to-be-fulfilled promises that God uses to test his children and prepare them for what is coming next.  

• Tests and trials are not to punish us, they are to prepare us

• Lengthy injustice need not discourage us, because God will bring justice in His time. 

• Painful memories need not defeat us, because they reveal to us God's grace and forgiveness. 

The truth is that we too can go through our tests and trials of life showing the same patience and confidence that Joseph had because we know how this all ends. We know the promises of God and we know the prophecies of God. We can live in faith and confidence and with patience through the trial, through the injustice, and through the pain, because we understand God will complete his promises in his time.