Page 25 - August 2026 - Truth & Tidings

comeback may feel appropriate in times impurities from our faith and produce a
when we are being treated unfairly, but deeper dependence on His Word. And the
holding that tongue is a sign of Christian character of that faith will be shown at the
character. appearing of Jesus Christ, just like Joseph.
Joseph’s trials are also a lesson to us on But the track of Joseph, from his father’s
the value of the Word of God in times of house to suffering and eventual glory, also
suffering. The Psalmist says of Joseph, prefigured the trajectory of our Heavenly
“Until the time that his word came: Joseph. The passage that best encapsulates
the word of the LORD tried him” (Psa the pathway of our Lord and its parallels
105:19). When Joseph was 17 years old, with Joseph is Philippians 2. There we
God spoke to him. And while there were read, “He humbled himself, and became
nuances in the meaning of his dreams, obedient unto death, even the death of the
one thing was very clear: God promised cross. Wherefore God also hath highly ex-
Joseph that he would one day be a ruler. alted him, and given him a name which is
That made his pathway even more fasci- above every name: That at the name of Je-
nating as the challenges mounted. When sus every knee should bow” (Php 2:8-10).
he was rejected and sold by his brethren, Joseph’s mission, rejection, false accusa-
leadership seemed the least likely thing tions and imprisonment were a detailed
in his future. When falsely accused and pattern for the pathway of our Lord Jesus
imprisoned, there was little to suggest to the cross. Obedient to his father, he fol-
that he would one day rule the nation. lowed that course all the way to prison in
Furthermore, when the butler forgot him, Egypt, the lowest place one could go. Of
all hope seemed lost that he would ever the Lord Jesus it is said, “… even the death
taste freedom again! of the cross.” And there was no lower
But God wasn’t just accomplishing place on earth that a man could go. But
purposes through Joseph; He was doing then Joseph was taken from the low place
something in him. When all had been and given the highest place, foreshadow-
taken from him and the situation was dire, ing the words of Paul regarding our Lord
he had one hope: the word that God had when he said, “Wherefore God also hath
spoken. When conditions made it seem highly exalted him.”
impossible, the Word of God became even In Genesis 41, Pharaoh was ensuring
more dear to the sufferer. “The word of that the whole world recognize Joseph.
the LORD tried him” is another way of The new name of dignity was accompa-
saying, “Through the circumstances, his nied by a command to honour that name
character was being refined, and personal and to “bow the knee.” What a scene!
dependence on the Word of God was be- There was a butler there that day who
ing perfected.” When Joseph was given remembered Joseph’s kindness and would
the opportunity to stand before Pharaoh, be happy to bow the knee to the man who
that confidence in God was put on full had blessed him two years earlier. But
display (Gen 41:16). one can’t help wondering if that wicked
Peter describes a similar process in the woman would have been there with Poti-
lives of suffering believers. He calls it “the phar, her husband, watching with amaze-
trial of your faith” (1Pe 1:7). The goal of ment and fear. Did they tremble as they
God’s heated testing is to remove the were forced to bow their knee reluctantly?
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