I have recently been studying the old Testament, my goal is
to read the entire Old Testament. However, I don’t want to just read it, I want to
get something out of it. I have learned a surprising amount of things while only
just starting the Book of Exodus. I
would like to discuss one thing that I have learned from my studies.
Joseph was sold into Egypt by His brothers because of their
jealousy, because Joseph was loved by His father Jacob. Joseph being sold into Egypt could have been
a negative experience, and in some cases I am sure that it was, being away from
family and such. However, if Joseph would not have had faith in God it could
have been a far worse experience for Him.
Even when Joseph was cast into prison on false accusations,
people found Him as a pleasant and honorable man, and he was quickly given
responsibilities within the prison. While
in the prison Joseph interpreted the dream of the Pharoah’s chief butler, and
was sent to interpret the dream of the Pharaoh. Pharaoh immediately put Joseph in a position of power to make provisions to prepare for the famine that was foretold in Pharoah's dream.
One thing that I thought was very surprising was the way that
Joseph easily forgave his brothers, who sold him into Egypt, for what they had done. The scripture says that Joseph was gracious
and forgiving toward his brothers:
“So shall ye say unto
Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin;
for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the
servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.
And his brethren also
went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy
servants.
But
as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto
good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save
much people alive.”
Joseph being sold into Egypt was a divine act by God, even
though while in the process, it didn't seem so because it was done
out of anger from His brothers. God had something good in store for Joseph and
for Egypt. In Genesis 45: 6-8 it talks
about how God brought Joseph into Egypt for a reason:
“For
these two years hath the famine been in the
land: and yet there are five years, in the which there
shall neither be earing nor harvest.
And
God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save
your lives by a great deliverance.
So now it was not
you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father
to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of
Egypt.”
Joseph had the faith
that God was letting him go through this trial of being sold by his brothers
for a reason, and he was faithful to the Lord, and while being faithful He was
blessed to know why He was sold into Egypt, and He was happy for the Lord's purpose in that happening.
The most important to me that I learned from Joseph’s story
is that when we go through undesirable events in our lives, don’t lose faith,
and have a positive attitude, you never know what the Lord has waiting for you!
