The Last major story of Genesis involves Joseph, the oldest son born to Rachel and the eleventh of twelve, which belonged to Jacob.
Joseph had a heart for the Lord that never quit. As a result of the prosperity and favor the Lord showed him, he had jealous people around him, which caused him some undesirable mishaps.
His own brothers contemplated to kill him. Reuben, his oldest brother talked the rest of them out of it, and instead threw him into a cistern that had no water. Before he could come back and rescue Joseph, his brothers had sold him to some Midianite merchants traveling by in a caravan.
Why did the brothers want to kill Joseph?
One, because God gave him a dream, which signified he would rule over his brothers, father and mother.
Two, because he found so much favor in his father’s eyes that he gave him a beautiful robe. This brought jealousy on from the other brothers.
He was sold by the Midianites to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officers in Egypt. It says the Lord was with Joseph and Potiphar put him in charge of his whole household.
Things were going well for Joseph again. Then Potiphar’s wife gets a wild hair that she wants to seduce Joseph and when he doesn’t cave in, she tells her husband that he was trying to make sport of her. As a result Potiphar had him thrown into prison.
Once again, here is a man, who is earnestly seeking God and trying to do what is right in the Lord’s eyes.
He goes from being his father’s most cherished son, to being a slave. He goes from being the keeper of his Master’s whole household, to getting thrown into prison.
Why is he in prison? For being a righteous man and not doing an evil thing, like sleeping with Potiphar’s wife.
It’s easy to understand that most people would start getting discouraged. Most people would think, what’s the point? The more I try to seek God and do what’s right, the more I get punished.
Joseph, however, continued to Trust in the Lord.
Continued to tomorrow…..