The Book of Genesis
Part 76
Trials And Temptations (Chapter 37:34-36)
In spite of the wrongs in Jacob’s early life, his duplicity and covetousness, we cannot but feel sympathy for him in his advanced years as, deceived by his own children, he mourns the loss of his son Joseph. There is no doubt that he had sown what he now was reaping. From the records of his subsequent attitudes and performances, one would gather that the punitive discipline of the Lord yielded the fruits of righteousness.
It is necessary that we pass from the account of the weeping father to follow the course of Joseph who now had become a slave. “The Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, and captain of the guard.”
That Joseph was a chosen instrument of the Lord which He eventually intended to employ (Gen. 50:20), must enter into all our consideration. Nevertheless, because the Lord had made purposeful selection of him did not mean that He had rendered Joseph immune from trials and temptations. The narrative of Joseph’s experiences demonstrates that a vesel chosen by God for ultimate use must not only be prepared through the moulding conditions of life, but must be properly approved by the tests of circumstances.
Joseph Sold
Emotions of compassion and of exhilaration have been aroused by the accounts of men and women born in slavery, and by the description of the feelings of the few who escaped to freedom. Nothing could be more depressing than to ponder the confused feelings of a man who, after having been born and reared in freedom, suddenly discovers himself sold into slavery. It might be difficult in a cursory survey of Joseph’s life to see the true value of this emotionally disturbing ordeal, but God who knew the end from the beginning permitted the enslavement of this free man. He was training him in the virtues of sympathy, justice, and forbearance.
Many years later when he was second ruler over all Egypt, he who was sold to an Egyptian, purchased all the Egyptians and “made bond-men of them” (Gen. 47:21, margin). Little did either he or they understand the day he was purchased that they would plead with him saying, “Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh,” end that it would be recorded, “Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Paraoh” (Gen. 47:19-23).
No other man in the government of Egypt could have conducted this act with the gracious sympathy, solicitude, and understanding as the man Joseph who himself had endured the bitter experience of being purchased as a bondman by others.