The Joseph Scarf

Where to even begin with this one... Genesis 37-44! We encourage you to go read the whole chapter!

For those of you who don't know the story, Joseph was well loved by his father & all those around him. He was the eldest to Rachel & was born to Jacob in his old age so as an act of appreciation Jacob gave Joseph a coat of many colors. Joseph's brothers became jealous very quickly because of the love & affection their father showed Joseph. (Strike 1 of jealousy)

Joseph had 2 dreams that ended with his family bowing down to him. (Strike 2 of jealousy). He goes to meet his brothers in the pasture & they speak about killing him & throw him into a pit. They were going to blame his death on a vicious animal. Reuben, one of Joseph's brothers, spoke up saying not to kill him but just throw him in the pit because he was planning to go back and get him and take him back to his father. When Joseph got there they tore off his coat of many colors & threw him into the pit. Passing by was a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, they were going to Egypt.  They sold Joseph, their own brother, for 20 pieces of silver.

The brothers from there slaughtered a goat and dipped the coat of many colors in it, returning it to the father to be examined as if to claim Joseph had been killed. Jacob immediately went into mourning. His brothers did all of this, EVEN put their own father through mourning the loss of a child that wasn't really dead all because of... jealousy...

Joseph was sold in Egypt to Potiphar & eventually became second in command to Potiphar, who was Captain of Pharaoh's guards.

Fast forward to chapter 42;

Verse 7 says that Joseph recognized his brothers but treated them like strangers & spoke harshly to them... Keep in mind Joseph is in a place of power at this point. So in a matter of 5 chapters Joseph went from a well loved son, to thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, NOW working for Potiphar & became a high rank! 

In short, one of the things that stick out in this story the most is Joseph's knowledge of when to speak & when not too. The wisdom to know not to let the enemy take foothold on a thing. Joseph threw his brothers in prison for "being spies" & they didn't even recognize it was their brother who did it.. He knew who his brothers were and the Bible confirms he knew, yet he said nothing to them... like no "hey bro... thanks for TRYING TO KILL ME" because lets be honest that would be my first reaction... no... instead he set up a way for him to be reunited with his brothers without allowing the enemy to set up roadblocks to destroy it!

Joseph was able to maintain his integrity because he was not concerned with what man thought. He did not consider the benefits or consequences of his actions based on what Potiphar, his master, might do. Notice his reasoning in Genesis 39:9. It says, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

His main concern was what God would think. He understood that he was accountable to God and that the fulfillment of his dream was completely dependent upon God. Joseph lived a God-dependent life, and he lived it in the midst of great adversity. He knew his future rested in the hands of the Lord. Psalm 75:6-7 says, “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.”