Shade Tree Wisdom 4/24/12

          The life of Joseph is a wonderful and inspiring story. You will find it in the Book of Genesis somewhat toward the end. He’s a favorite son, and it makes his brothers fret. Well, it angers them to the point where they are ready to kill him when his father sends him to check on the flocks they are taking care of.

          But Rueben, the oldest, prevents that and suggests they just drop him into a dry well. He plans secretly to pull him up and send him back to his Father. But, while Rueben is busy elsewhere, some traders came along who are on their way to Egypt to sell their ware, and the brothers sell Joseph to them to be sold into slavery in Egypt.

          So, from favorite son to slavery in a short time. What a time to feel sorry or himself. I wonder, did he cry himself to sleep? He ended up in Potiphar’s, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard, house as a house servant. And there he served.

          He must have been cheerful, energetic, and exact in his duties. So much so that his boss advanced him to be in charge of his household. The story says that Potiphar “left everything in Joseph’s care. With Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.” Gen.39,6.  For “the blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had.” V.5b

          Young, energetic, good looking, a fine specimen of a man. Enter the snake. The boss’s wife was attracted to Joseph and tried her best to seduce him, but he resisted. One day however, the house was empty. Only Joseph was there doing some work and she really tried, dragged him to her bedroom . He had told her, “Look, the boss left everything in my charge except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”

          Result, falsely accused of rape and thrown into the prison where “the king’s prisoners were confined.” In jail he got the attention of the warden who “put Joseph in charge of all those held in prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything in Joseph’s care because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in everything that he did.” 39, 22.23.

          Well, in prison Joseph interpreted dreams for Pharoah's chief baker and wine tasters who had fallen out of favor and ended in prison too, His predictions came true, and when Pharoah had his famous dream about the cattle and the grain Joseph was called to tell him what the dream meant. He did so, ended up as second man in the land, and saved, finally the lives of his family when the terrible 7 year famine came.

          Then, finally, when he had his brothers in his power after the father died, they thought he would not take his revenge; they were scared. And it was then that Joseph said these remarkable words to them.
          “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm Me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being Done, the saving of many lives.” Genesis 50,20.

          What a story, and what an example. To be faithful wherever we may be. To do what lies for us to do right at hand, and do it to the best of our ability, and then be forgiving.

          The wisdom in Eccl. puts in a nutshell.
              “What ever your hand finds to do,
                Do it with all your might,
                For in the grave, where you are going,
                There is neither working,
                Nor planning
                Nor knowledge,
                Nor wisdom: 9,10

GPD 4/24/12