The life of Joseph is a practical illustration of the words of Christ: "Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8)
At home in the vale of Hebron he had recoiled from the coarse words and actions of his brothers, and received in dreams from God intimations of future events. Sold into Egypt, and thrown at the tender age of save seventeen into the society of vicious servants, and a still more vicious mistress, he retained his integrity. Most youths of that age would be carried away by their surroundings; but Joseph had character, and his life in Potiphar's household was pure as in his father's tent.
"And to what profit?" some in his position would be inclined to ask.
"They will not believe that I am innocent; I might as well have the satisfaction of doing the thing, since I shall be suspected anyhow," is language that is not infrequently heard. Oh, it is under just such circumstances that one's character, or lack of it, appears. The one who wishes to sin, but who is restrained only by fear of the consequences, will take advantage of the opportunity if he can do so without being found out, or if he is sure to be suspected of it whether he does it or not.
But Joseph did not regard the committing of sin as any satisfaction. A conscience void of offense was to him the highest satisfaction. When tempted from a quarter where even to be noticed was flattery, he was firm as a rock. To the strongest assaults upon his virtue, he replied: "How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" (Genesis 39:9)
It was not with him even a question of how he could keep from sinning; but in him we find an illustration of the scripture: "Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." (1 John 3:9)
"And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him." (Acts 7:9)
"And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison. But the Lord was with Joseph." (Genesis 39:20-21)
Joseph had not forsaken God, and God did not forsake him; when Joseph had to go to prison, God went there with him.
Most people look on going to prison as a great disgrace; "jailbird" is with them the worst form of reproach. But the truth is, that there is no disgrace whatever in going to prison. Hardship and suffering there may be, but not disgrace. The disgrace connected with prison life is all in the sin that brings the victim there, and if the prisoner be innocent, and especially if he is imprisoned because of his uprightness, the prison is no disgrace, but on the contrary a palace of honor. There is a special blessing for those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake.
"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:10)
No one need ever be afraid or ashamed to go anywhere with God. Any place is pleasant where He is; for "in His presence, is fullness of joy." (Psalm 16:11)
The man with whom God goes to prison is far more free, than the man who can go where he chooses, and who chooses a way apart from God. God's presence with Joseph gave him favor with all with whom he came in contact.
"The keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper." (Genesis 39:22-23)
Here we have the same word as in (Psalm 1:3), where we read of the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, that "whatsoever he does shall prosper." (Psalm 1:3)
Joseph's case shows that the prosperity that comes from keeping God's law and taking it for one's life is very real. No amount of "political influence" or of "standing in" with prominent men of shady reputations could have won that position of trust for Joseph. The Hebrew slave had confidence reposed in him, because God was with him.
The keeper of the prison did not know this last fact; he knew nothing of God's influence in the matter; he only knew that Joseph was trustworthy. But we well know that Joseph's faithfulness soon made the name of God known, not only in the prison, but in the palace as well.
Few men would regard a prison, where one is held in bondage, as a place to win success; but Joseph found it so. That prison was the way to the palace, and to the governorship of Egypt. Joseph did not know that at the time, but it made no difference to him. He knew that God was with him, and he was content with that.
Instead of bemoaning his fate, and brooding over his unjust treatment, he improved his time in preparing to be ruler of Egypt. He did not know that he was fitting himself for that position, but he nevertheless went the right way about it, namely, making himself useful where he was, without worrying about either the future or the past.
Be sure that Joseph did not associate so much with the Lord without becoming well acquainted with Him. So when the two most notable prisoners in the prison had dreams that troubled them, Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me then, I pray you." (Genesis 40:8)
"The secret things belong unto the Lord our God," (Deuteronomy 29:29) and, "the secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him." (Psalm 25:14)
Now Joseph began to reap some of the visible fruits of his purity of life. The pure in heart see God; and they who see God--not occasionally merely, but continually--are seers. The wisdom that is possible to the soul that is joined to God, is beyond all calculation. Such a one sees clearly where others stumble in darkness.
The way to deliverance, not only for Joseph himself but for all his people, was through the prison. In this Joseph was still the type of Christ. Christ had to be bound, in order to break the bands from His people. Joseph's committal to prison was his release from slavery; and so we see that instead of saying that Joseph's loyalty to righteousness got him into difficulty, we may rather say that it procured for him freedom and honor. People generally take too short views.
Still it was not for his own sake that all this happened to him; Joseph, as a figure of Christ, was to be the saviour of his people; and no man can truly serve others except by personal sacrifices and suffering.
It is marvelous how well a man can get along, and keep not only "abreast of the times," but far ahead of them, when shut up in prison, away from the world. This shows us not merely that a man can get along without the world, but that real separation from the world is the best way to prosperity.
This does not mean that one must shut himself up in a cloister, or be out of touch with human needs; but the rush and gossip of the world do not tend to make one really wise or useful. Some of the best things in the world have come from prisons. The world would probably never have been blessed with Pilgrim's Progress, if John Bunyan had not gone to prison; and some of the brightest of the epistles of Paul were written in a dungeon, in chains. It all depends on whether or not God is with the man.--Present Truth, October 3, 1901--International Sunday-school Lesson for Oct. 13--Genesis 39 and 40.
E.J. Waggoner