One of the most famous stories in the Old Testament is the story of Joseph. When we look at it from the viewpoint of people in the 21st century, we see how harmoniously it fits into the history of Israel and God’s plan for this people. We can see it now, but Joseph couldn’t see it back then.
We see amazing contrasts in Joseph’s biography. Dad’s beloved son, he instantly becomes a slave. In a faraway foreign land, by incredible efforts, he becomes the manager of a rich Egyptian estate… and suddenly prison. “They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons.” (Psalm 105:18) In prison, Joseph asks the butler to speak to the pharaoh and put in a good word to release him from this horrible place. We can understand why he did it, but it was a human variant of liberation. It led nowhere.
Let’s suppose that Joseph was released. It could be because of the butler, or he could bribe the head of the prison, or achieve it some other way. So Joseph comes out of the prison gate and then what? Where would he go? Who needs him in this foreign land? Best case scenario for him was to eke out a living working as a mercenary, day after day thinking how to get his daily bread. In this case, would Joseph be able to somehow help his family? Would he be able to save all of Egypt (and many nations surrounding it) from starvation? No, it’s not the level God intended. How fortunate it is, that the butler forgot (or God helped him forget) about Joseph’s request. The right time comes and Joseph is liberated by the pharaoh himself! That’s a completely different story.
The time came for God’s plan to be fulfilled. In the Book of Psalms we can read: “And He (God) sent a man before them (before Israel) – Joseph, sold as a slave.” (Psalm 105:17) When God sent Joseph to Egypt, He didn’t tell him anything about it. Joseph had to walk this path. What helped him not to break and to ascend to unprecedented heights? Two thousand years later, the Apostle Paul wrote about “the armor of righteousness” that was precious in the eyes of God. Fidelity and reliability, qualities so rare today, were Joseph’s “armor” and his steps towards glory. They pleased God then. They please God today, in the 21st century.
It’s surprising how primitively people sometimes explain to themselves (and to others) the ways of the Lord: if everything is good, it means God loves and favors; and if something goes wrong, it means God is offended and punishes. In this story we can see that not everything in the world is so simple. God knows the right time for everything. The right time for Joseph came and he, released from prison, became the second most influential person in the most powerful country of that time. There’s right time for every person. Lord, give us grace not to miss it, and let the story of Joseph always remind us about it, encourage and comfort us on the path to eternity.
