“Make us glad according to the days wherein thou has afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. Let thy work appear unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children.”-Psalm 90:15-16
The life and death of Joseph is a fantastic representation of this scripture. Joseph was a man called by God to be afflicted, abased, and promoted. All for the glory of God. God’s call on Joseph’s life marks the beginning of his sorrow and God’s providence on him.
Joseph was shown the will of God in a vision. He was shown that he, the youngest, would have all his family bow to him. This is the most unusual thing considering the profound influence of patriarchy in his culture. Ultimately his brother’s jealousy would overcome them, and they would seek to slay Joseph, but settle for selling him into slavery. As a slave in Egypt, he would rise to be chief steward over the house of a wealthy Egyptian. Only to be falsely accused of trying to seduce his wife and thrown in prison. There Joseph would stay until God’s timing was such that Joseph would interpret a dream for the butler and baker of Pharaoh. Joseph's interpretation would be true, but it wouldn’t serve him until years later. One day, Pharaoh needed a man to interpret dreams, and there was none, save Joseph. Whom Pharaoh called out of prison on the recommendation of that same butler whose dream he interpreted years before. Pharaoh’s dream was the will of God, seven years of famine and seven years of plenty. The interpretation and wisdom of Joseph so impacted Pharaoh that he set him second in command over all Egypt. Joseph was in command until the famine came and people needed food. Among those in need was Joseph's family. They came and bowed before him as God foretold and in time it was the hand of Joseph that gave the grain to the hungry, treacherous brothers. Joseph's understanding of God’s providence on his life was summed up with him testifying that “God did send me before you to preserve life.” God does not cause us to walk through trials and tribulations for nothing. There is more to come, and the providence by which we are led is the same providence in which we trust. That is, the will of God. The glory of the Lord was the chief aim of Joseph's life. He clung to God amidst all else, even in the darkest and most uncertain times. There must have been days as a slave when he cursed his brothers, and the vision he saw. Surely, there were nights in prison when he wondered: “Why Lord? Why?” Yet faith triumphed over doubt, and it was by faith that he pleased God. Joseph didn’t quit, so the work of the Lord in his life was made manifest. Not to Joseph only, but his children’s children. How much more the generations of people who read and take instruction from the Holy Word of God! Many narratives about Joseph stop at his testimony of preserving life, but his faith and understanding of God’s providence extends far beyond that. Before he died, Joseph covenanted with his brethren saying: “God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.” By the oath that he swore we see that the faith of Joseph and his trust in God’s providence extends beyond even this natural life. Let us take instruction from this hero of faith and ask that God “makes us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us and the years wherein we have seen evil.”
It would be hundreds of years before God’s people were delivered from Egypt. I like to imagine the descendants of Joseph gathering up their belongings in preparation for leaving, and as they gathered up everything the elders said: “remember our oath, remember Joseph.” As they departed that day, they carried out of Egypt a man that knew God always keeps His promises. A man that knew the affliction of the former days would pale in comparison to the deliverance of the latter.
