No Average Joe: Pits, Prisons, and Palaces

Have you ever just wanted to be someone’s favorite? Maybe for a moment you would be noticed, be called beautiful, be bragged on for your performance. Anything to help build your self-esteem or sense of worth.

You know, like being Cinderella the beautiful princess at the ball instead of Cinderella the hated step-sister washing windows and mopping floors.

Or maybe just to be in a whole new family altogether. You look at everyone else and see their new iPhone, follow their latest Instagram stories, and think, “I wish that was me!”

But what happens when we dream of being ‘them’ or part of ‘that family’ is we forget about all the filters they used to make the story look so glamorous. The hype isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be.

There was this kid whose name was Joseph. He was his dad’s favorite. And it showed. He was awarded this fancy coat of exotic colors. For no other reason than he was the pick of Jacob’s litter.

Then near the end of his story he made this coffee cup worthy statement, “what you meant for evil, God meant for good!”

If all we had was that brilliant coat of many colors and a fabulous coffee cup verse who wouldn’t want to be in that story?

Jacob had sons from four different women; two wives and two maidservants. Rachel was his favorite wife and Joseph was his favorite son. To say there was a sibling rivalry would be an understatement. His brothers were jealous. They despised him. They wanted him dead. Harsh, I know.

Luckily, one of them had the nerve to prohibit the slaying of their brother. So they put him in a pit and eventually sold him into slavery. They killed an animal and covered the famous coat of many colors with its blood before returning it to their father with the false narrative of some horrific death.

A Hebrew teen now lingering in the space of Egyptian slavery, he looks more like a blemished fit-for-nothing peasant than the once favored son. No SnapChat filter can enhance this dreadful detail of Joseph’s life. And no one is following this story wishing they were him.

Then there’s a shift in the story. He’s described as a ‘well built and handsome’ man. And the Lord was with him. And he became successful in his master’s household. And he became his master’s personal assistant.

Now may seem like a good time to jump back into the story. Maybe even pretend we’re him.

However, the next scene can become a bit blurry. Depending on the moral code we choose to live by will determine just how close we really want to be to this next detail of the story.

His master’s wife asks him to sleep with her.

Maybe we would say no.

Maybe we would hesitate.

After all, his master had granted all of his possessions at Joseph’s disposal. Maybe this would be a notch in his belt of success.

The story says, “But he refused.”

Good for him. With all the success and responsibility he’s earned he’s still a man of incredible integrity. Good for him!!!

But how strong would he really be? It says, “she spoke to Joseph day after day.” Talk about relentless!

Then one day “she grabbed him by his garment.” Now what? Words are one thing. But words were now minced with action. And a touch. In a room. Alone.

“But leaving his garment in her hand, he escaped and ran outside.”

And she lied. She framed him. She manipulated the story when she didn’t get what she desired. And Joseph paid for it. He went from a pit to the palace. Now to prison.

Fortunately, his life was spared because of the good relationship he had previously created with his master. Let’s not romanticize this detail of the story too much. He was in prison.

“But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him.”

Providentially, God caused the prison warden to put Joseph in charge of the prison. How crazy is that?

Then the baker and chief cupbearer offended their master and were also thrown into prison. Dreams were dreamt. Dreams were interpreted. The baker died. The cupbearer lived. Yet Joseph was forgotten.

Another dream was dreamt. This time by Pharaoh. Joseph interprets the dream about a coming famine. He makes his way back into the good graces of the Egyptian king and becomes the second in command in all of Egypt.

Joseph has now spent nearly two decades in Egypt. Fluent in language and culture. In the midst of a famine. Assuming all authority over rationing out food. And now his brothers come searching for food. Interesting!!!

He recognizes them right away. He’s torn. On the inside. Because they desired to tear him apart on the outside. Forgiveness or retribution? It would certainly be well within his right to give them what they deserved. Payment for an evil deed. At the very least deny them food or charge them double as he rationed out the grain in their bags.

He gives them more than enough food. And even places their wages back in their bag upon their departure. He then plays this cat-and-mouse game with the silver cup, retaining his brother, and seeking his father. Why? Because of his emotions, of course.

Can you imagine being separated from your family for nearly twenty years then being reunited almost out of the blue without the use of Facebook?

Everyone all grown up, having moved on with their lives, and carrying the angst of your last encounter with your brothers from the bottom of some miry pit before being carted off as a slave to a foreign land.

It was an intense moment!

But it was all part of the plan!

Joseph’s willingness to forgive, show acts of compassion, and realize that this story was much bigger than himself allowed his entire family to move to Goshen. To be saved!

It was in this move to their new safe place that Joseph was able to tell his brothers, “what you meant for evil, God meant for good!”

It didn’t matter if Joseph was in a pit, a prison, or a palace he could know that God was with him. And we can know that God is with us too! We are noticed by Him, loved by Him, and eternally safe with Him!