Joseph

After 25 years, a North Carolina man was released from prison for a heinous crime he did not commit. He was just 23 years old when he was arrested and thrown behind bars, but he always maintained his innocence. He was incarcerated from 1990 to 2015.

The man’s lawyers said this in a civil rights complaint: “The only evidence against him at this point were the inconsistent statements of three drug addict informants.” Police had offered these unreliable witnesses money or other assistance for their testimony.

One of the reasons the man was released and exonerated was faulty analysis of hair evidence. The prosecution later admitted that it “exceeded the limits of science and was false and misleading.”

While the North Carolina man can never get 25 years of his life back, he was awarded $9.5 million as part of a settlement for a wrongful conviction suit.

Imagine being imprisoned for a crime you did not commit for a quarter of a century. That is much longer than most Ambassador Youth readers have been alive!

Yet, for Joseph in the Old Testament, putting himself in this man’s shoes would not be as difficult. He was also wrongly accused and unjustly imprisoned in ancient Egypt.

For us, we know the end of the story for both the North Carolina man and Joseph. But think of how they both felt. Think of the questions they would ask: How long will I be in prison? Am I stuck here for life?

Both stories had a happy ending. Of course, for the North Carolina man, it was bittersweet. But Joseph’s account ended with a reward well beyond $9.5 million. After being released from jail, the Old Testament figure was elevated by God into a great position in Egypt. He patiently endured hardship before God poured on him incredible blessings.

There is much we can learn from Joseph’s example. The Bible says that those who accept God’s calling and obey Him are heirs to receive salvation at a future time, as well as qualify for countless blessings in this life.

But sometimes life and experience can make it seem like these things will not happen. The Bible’s promises can feel as dead and dry as the prison walls Joseph was trapped in.

Yet Joseph’s example is the perfect story to strengthen your belief that—no matter the hardship you are currently enduring—God will ultimately bless you.

Joseph’s Early Life and Enslavement

Joseph was the firstborn son of Jacob’s wife Rachel and a grandson of Abraham. He was the 11th of 12 brothers. The account of his life is detailed in Genesis 37 and 39-50.

Joseph and his brothers were shepherds by trade. At age 17, Joseph would report to his father all that his brothers did in the field—both good and bad. This was something his brothers did not appreciate.

Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children, and made him a special coat. This caused Joseph’s brothers to envy him.

Most of all, Joseph’s kin were displeased when their younger half-brother would describe in detail some vivid dreams he had. It did not help that these dreams—though they would later prove to be prophetic—implied that the entire company would literally bow down before him. Even Joseph’s supportive father was somewhat displeased to hear this.

Joseph was young and likely a little full of himself. He could have handled these situations much better. It was probably wiser to keep his dreams to himself—or just ask his father what they meant in private.

At a certain point, Joseph’s brothers had enough. As they saw Joseph from a distance walking toward them one day, they plotted to kill him. The oldest brother Reuben implored them not to kill the boy, and to instead put him into a pit in the desert. Unknown to the others, Reuben had hoped to return to the pit to save Joseph from the murderous envy of the other brothers and return him home safely.

When Joseph arrived, the brothers stripped him of his coat and threw him into the pit. However, while Reuben was away, the brothers sold Joseph to merchantmen who were passing by. When Reuben returned and found the pit empty, he was afraid and asked his siblings what they planned to do. They killed a goat, dipped Joseph’s coat in the blood and returned to their father.

Jacob immediately recognized the coat and assumed that Joseph had been killed in an animal attack. Jacob was heartbroken, and he continually mourned for Joseph.

Joseph had endured his first injustice. And it was at the hands of his brothers—those whom he loved. The merchantmen sold him to Potiphar, an Egyptian officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.

Servant in Egypt

Joseph had been made a slave in Egypt. But God was with him. The young man prospered in everything he did, and Potiphar saw it. Therefore, Potiphar promoted Joseph, making him overseer of his entire household. Potiphar was blessed because of Joseph.

But, in the background, Potiphar’s wife was eyeing Joseph. She was attracted to him and ready to make a move. When she made advances toward Joseph, he refused her. However, this did not deter her. She tried even harder, grabbing a piece of his clothing. Joseph was forced to flee from her presence, leaving the garment behind.

Furious that Joseph rejected her advances, Potiphar’s wife went to her husband and lied. She told him that Joseph had attacked her and that he only fled when she screamed for help. She showed him the article of Joseph’s clothing to back up her story.

Potiphar was outraged. He immediately had Joseph seized and thrown into prison. Joseph had endured his second severe injustice. He had done the right thing, yet he suffered for it.

There is a great lesson here for all who live God’s Way. Notice what it says in I Peter 2: “For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God” (vs. 20, NASB).

Having the right attitude during trials is pleasing to God. If you find yourself becoming angry or in despair because of unjust circumstances, ask Him to help you.

Use such hardships to draw closer to God so that you more fully rely on Him in everything you do.

Interpreter of Dreams

While in prison, Joseph still prospered. It was evident to him that the Eternal was still with him. The warden of the prison noticed how astute Joseph was, and promoted him, putting him over all the prisoners.

One day, Joseph noticed that two prisoners, the chief butler and the chief baker for Pharoah, were particularly distraught. He asked them what was wrong. They explained that they had vivid dreams, but did not know what they meant. Joseph, knowing that God could provide him the interpretation of dreams, asked the two men to describe their visions.

First, the butler described his. After hearing the dream, Joseph told the butler that Pharaoh would be returning him to his previous position in three days. Then he asked the butler to remember him when he was restored to his position.

Next, the baker—hopeful after hearing the butler’s outcome—described his dream. Joseph told the baker that in three days he would be beheaded and his body left to hang on a tree for birds to eat.

Both interpretations came to pass. Joseph, believing God would fulfill them, urged the butler to mention his good deed to Pharoah so that he could be released. Although he was blessed with a favorable position in the prison, Joseph was still anxious to be delivered.

However, the butler did not remember Joseph. Thrilled to be out of prison himself, he forgot about the man who offered him encouragement.

Joseph had just endured his third disappointment. He was likely waiting in prison, expecting to be released perhaps within days after the butler was restored. Perhaps he was swelling with hope after seeing a sign of God’s intervention.

Days, weeks, months, then years passed by. Nothing happened.

Think how Joseph would have felt. What he would be thinking: “I cannot catch a break. I am always receiving evil for good. However, it is obvious that God is still with me. I have prospered in everything that I have done since being sold into slavery. There has to be some purpose to the longsuffering that I have gone through and am enduring. I will wait on God to show me what to do. He will deliver me.”

This is the key whenever there is hardship in our lives. Often there are still many blessings happening if we stop and notice them.

For Joseph, who was patiently enduring—and thoroughly humbled by this whole experience—deliverance was just around the corner.

God Exalts Joseph

Exactly two years after bringing his chief butler out of prison, Pharaoh had two disturbing dreams. He asked his magicians to interpret them, but they could not. It was at this point the butler remembered Joseph and informed Pharaoh of the man who interpreted his dream. The Egyptian ruler summoned the prisoner.

Out of the blue, Joseph was approached by guards. They whisked him out of prison, made sure he washed and dressed up before an audience with the highest ruler in the most powerful nation on Earth at the time.

Thrust before Pharaoh, Joseph was probably dazzled and dizzied by the sudden turn of events. But he had no time to think now—Pharoah began describing his dreams and expected the young man to interpret it. With God’s help, Joseph did. He told Pharaoh that there were coming seven years of plenty, followed by seven years of famine. He also gave God credit for giving him the interpretation of the dreams. Joseph then advised Pharaoh to put someone in charge of collecting food during the plentiful times so that they would have food during the famine.

Pharaoh was in awe. He likely thought, “How could a man of this ability have been locked up years in prison?” The Egyptian ruler chose Joseph to oversee the project, making him second-in-command over all Egypt.

In one day, Joseph went from feeling stuck in a prison to being made the most powerful person in the ancient world underneath Pharoah.

It must have been clear at this very moment that God had fulfilled His promise to Joseph. And He continued to make it obvious as He granted Joseph tremendous prosperity and fame. He married and had two children—Manasseh and Ephraim. When the famine came, because of Joseph’s effective planning, people in and near Egypt had food to eat. God used Joseph to feed the land during the famine—and the entire nation was blessed through him.

Ultimately, Joseph was reunited with his family. The famine had affected all the surrounding land, so Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to get food. While in Egypt, the brothers were reunited with Joseph. When Jacob later learned his long-lost son was alive, he was so elated that he fainted.

Reward Beyond Worth It

Through all of his turmoil and confusion, Joseph never gave up hope or became bitter. He learned to be humble and trusted in God. Had he quit, he would have impeded—blocked—God’s plan and ability to use him. But he did not. He endured multiple setbacks. When it was over, God made clear to Joseph what He was doing.

If anyone is most susceptible to feeling like Joseph while he was in prison, it is young people in God’s Church.

Even after years of striving to live God’s Way amid pressure to follow the world, it can seem that you will never be rewarded for doing the right thing. Perhaps there are instances you were tempted to get ahead by cheating or lying, but you chose to be truthful. Or you felt like complaining about how unfair your circumstances are but instead held your peace and trusted God would work things out. Or you gave up on activities, opportunities, or honors to keep the Sabbath.

Through it all, you are waiting to be rewarded for your sacrifice—but time seems to go by without an answer.

This cycle may continue for years. For some, it summarizes their entire lives as Christians. It can seem as if there is no point to suffering.

However, if you are striving to live God’s Way, you know that He always has a purpose that surpasses our understanding and expectations.

God stated in Isaiah 55:9, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

In other words, we need to trust He will work things out in His timing.

When you are going through tough times or you are belittled or slighted by others, remember Joseph’s example. Be patient, wait and trust in God. Know that, when His reward comes, it will be greater than anything you can even expect.

Through it all, never forget the ultimate reward for Christians: “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18).