The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 39:23,
"The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did."
This is an interesting observation and one that is crucial to the story of Joseph. In the first few verses of this chapter we learn that because "The Lord was with Joseph" (verse 2), Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, placed him in charge of his whole household. Everything Joseph did prospered because the Lord gave him success. Now, at the end of the chapter we read the same thing. Joseph was thrown into prison (framed by Potiphar's wife for something he didn't do) and the prison warden saw the very same thing in Joseph. Everything he did brought success. So, just as with Potiphar, the warden put Joseph in charge of the prison, its inmates and the administration of it, verse 22.
While Joseph was a godly man, as seen in his concern for not sinning against God, verse 9, this prospering of Joseph and all he did, as well as other things seen in following chapters, such as the ability to "read dreams", etc., had a purpose. God was going to move Israel, in its infancy as the family of Jacob, from Canaan down to Egypt. God used Joseph in special ways to bring that about. All of the unusual things in Joseph's life that God caused had as its purpose to make that move.
Following God's promise to make a nation of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, he moved the family down to Egypt to provide a protective environment for Israel to grow from its infancy into a mighty nation. That protective environment of Egypt would eventually turn against Israel (by God's doing) several hundred years later when it was time for Israel to return to the land God promised. "Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob resided as a foreigner in the land of Ham. The Lord made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes, whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants." Psalm 105:23-25.
"The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did."
This is an interesting observation and one that is crucial to the story of Joseph. In the first few verses of this chapter we learn that because "The Lord was with Joseph" (verse 2), Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, placed him in charge of his whole household. Everything Joseph did prospered because the Lord gave him success. Now, at the end of the chapter we read the same thing. Joseph was thrown into prison (framed by Potiphar's wife for something he didn't do) and the prison warden saw the very same thing in Joseph. Everything he did brought success. So, just as with Potiphar, the warden put Joseph in charge of the prison, its inmates and the administration of it, verse 22.
While Joseph was a godly man, as seen in his concern for not sinning against God, verse 9, this prospering of Joseph and all he did, as well as other things seen in following chapters, such as the ability to "read dreams", etc., had a purpose. God was going to move Israel, in its infancy as the family of Jacob, from Canaan down to Egypt. God used Joseph in special ways to bring that about. All of the unusual things in Joseph's life that God caused had as its purpose to make that move.
Following God's promise to make a nation of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, he moved the family down to Egypt to provide a protective environment for Israel to grow from its infancy into a mighty nation. That protective environment of Egypt would eventually turn against Israel (by God's doing) several hundred years later when it was time for Israel to return to the land God promised. "Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob resided as a foreigner in the land of Ham. The Lord made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes, whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants." Psalm 105:23-25.
As a man of God, Joseph was used by God in very special ways. The key to being used by God in special ways (certainly in Joseph's case) was being able and available to be used by God for God's own purposes (and not Joseph's!)
A wonderful message here for all of us!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know. A blog with all my posts can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know. A blog with all my posts can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
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