Joseph Endured His Trials

Jacob had twelve sons. In order (with their mother’s name in parenthesis) they are: Reuben (son of Leah), Simeon (son of Leah), Levi (son of Leah), Judah (son of Leah), Dan (son of Bilhah), Naphtali (son of Bilhah), Gad (son of Zilpah), Asher (son of Zilpah), Issachar (son of Leah), Zebulun (son of Leah), Joseph (son of Rachel), and Benjamin (son of Rachel).

It was after Reuben (the first son of Jacob’s first wife) had already forfeited the birthright through immorality that Jacob had a coat of many colors made for his eleventh son, Joseph.

This “coat of many colors” showed that Joseph would receive the birthright (Institute Student Manual Genesis 37:3). Since Joseph was the first son of Jacob’s second wife he was the next legal heir of his father, even though he was the eleventh son.

This can help to explain the hostility Joseph’s brothers had against him when he wore an outward symbol of having received the birthright. Reuben could have not accepted the fact that he had lost the birthright. Simeon was the second son and could have assumed that the birthright would be passed to him. Judah, the fourth son could have argued that Simeon and Levi had lost the right to the birthright because they massacred the Shechemites (Genesis 34). Dan could argue that he was technically Rachel’s firstborn since she owned his mother Bilhah and that the birthright should pass to him instead of Joseph. Gad could have believed that the birthright belonged to him when Reuben forfeited it because he was the first born son of Bilhah. Another reason Joseph’s brothers had hostility towards him is because of his dreams (Genesis37:5-11) which were a sign of his future leadership.

In Genesis 37 alone we see many trials that Joseph went through. Joseph’s brothers would not speak peaceably to him. His brothers plotted to kill him. His brothers stripped him of his coat, cast him into a pit, and sold him as a slave to Ishmeelites who then sold him to a man in Egypt.

How is this like the challenges youth and young adults face in today’s world?

His brothers would not speak peaceably to him: It is hard in today’s world to find youth who are kind and thoughtful. Many instead use foul language, are hateful, and don’t care about the people around them.

His brothers plotted to kill him: Most youth today do not have to worry about people literally plotting to kill them, however what about our spiritual selves, are people in our lives plotting to kill our spiritual selves? The answer to that question is yes. First of all Satan is plotting our destruction. He wants us to fail here on Earth and to not reach the people that we can touch in our special ways. Satan wants us to be as miserable as he is, he wants us to die a second death (a spiritual death).

His brothers strip him of his coat: Look at the world around us, how many people are there who would be willing to con you of everything you have, including the coat on your back. Joseph’s brothers trapped him in a pit where he could not escape: Today many youth and young adults are trapped by various habits and sins that they cannot break free of on their own. Joseph’s brother’s sold him as a slave to the Ishmeelites: Sometimes the friends that we trust to have our back aren’t actually there for us and will sell us out in a moment.

In Genesis 39 Joseph is in a dangerous situation. Potiphar’s wife wanted Joseph to commit adultery with her. He refused saying that the only thing being kept back from him in Potiphar’s entire house was Potiphar’s wife because she is his wife and it would be a “great wickedness and sin against God (Genesis 39:9).” Because Joseph did not listen to her or let her wear him down, the Lord was still with Joseph when he was sent away from Potiphar’s house.

There is no way that Joseph could have made the decision to be morally clean during this situation with Potiphar’s wife. That is a decision that he had made long before. There was no hesitation in Joseph’s decision; he had an answer readily available to him for why he would not commit this moral sin. We, like Joseph, have to decide at an early age to be righteous and to live our lives in a way that we can be proud of when we are at the judgment bar of God.

Joseph became the overseer of the prison because the keeper of the prison saw that everything that Joseph did prospered because the Lord was with him. Joseph was able to interpret the dreams for the butler and baker accurately because he was righteous and the Lord was with him.  The chief butler remembered Joseph’s accurate interpretations when the Pharaoh needed a dream interpreted. Joseph was able to interpret this dream as well and became part of the Pharaoh’s household and even the second in charge of all of Egypt, this is because Joseph was righteous, the Lord remembered him, and the Lord was with him.

Joseph reminds us to look at the bad experiences in our lives, learn from them, and even appreciate them. Because Joseph was faithful to the Lord he looked for the good in his situation. He did not look for people to blame nor did he give up and resign himself to a life of sorrow and despair.