Let us take Joseph’s life as an illustration, and see what the answer is to be. As a lad of seventeen he had two dreams, evidently God-given to prepare him for an extraordinary future. The dreams foretold his future eminence when his brethren and even his father should bow down before him (Gen. 37:1-11).
For this his brethren hated him; and plotted to take his life. If they had succeeded the dreams would not have come true. Therefore their plot was frustrated.
His elder brother Reuben comes to the rescue, intending to deliver him from the pit into which he was cast, and return him to his father. Now Joseph would naturally be delighted if he knew of Reuben’s design, but the intended kindness would have frustrated the fulfilment of Joseph’s dreams, and therefore it failed.
Judah is kindly disposed up to a point, and proposes that Joseph be not slain, but sold to the Midianite merchants. This is carried out. For twenty pieces of silver the lad Joseph is sold as a slave.
Put yourself in Joseph’s shoes. Might he not have said to himself, “Is this the way to the fulfilment of my dreams? Is God not mocking me? Has He not forsaken me? I may as well give up faith and hope.” It this not like many of us, when difficulties or disappointments cross our path?
Arriving in Egypt, Joseph is sold by the Ishmaelites to Potiphar, captain of Pharaoh’s guard, a man of high position. We read, “The Lord was with Joseph” (Gen. 39:2). He prospered. Very young though he was, he evidently had a sense of the favour of God. Remember what few privileges Joseph had, as compared with ourselves. No Scriptures, no knowledge as we have of Christ, of His work, of His compassion, tenderness, high-priestly grace. May not Joseph put many of us, all of us, to shame?
Prosperous and God blessing Potiphar’s house for his sake, yet Joseph is submitted to perhaps the hardest ordeal a young man can pass through. He refused the temptation; but falsely accused, he was flung into the goal. where the king’s prisoners were bound.
Joseph might again have said, “This is a pretty way of having my dreams fulfilled. Not only sold into Egypt as a slave by by own brethren, but flung into prison for withstanding temptation and honouring God!”
Again we read, “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison” (Gen. 39:21).
Surely God was preparing Joseph in a very remarkable way by these very calamities. He stood the test, and was stronger spiritually each time. There is an old-fashioned meaning for the word “temptation” that is, it is something that tries us, and successfully met only improves and strengthens the character. You get the idea in “tempered” steel—steel made stronger and better in the process. So it was with Joseph.
It was not long before Joseph in prison became trusted and prosperous, just as he had been in Potiphar’s house. Little as he knew it and painful as were his experiences, which landed him in prison, he was in the very place that would forge the link that would bring about the realization of his dreams.
There were two fellow-prisoners with him, men who had been in close touch with the king, especially one of the two, the chief butler. He had fallen into disgrace somehow, and at length he had a dream (Gen. 40:5-15). Joseph interpreted this dream as foretelling that the chief butler would be speedily reinstated in the king’s favour, and be restored to his chief butlership.
In three days time, as Joseph foretold, the chief butler stepped out of prison a free man restored to the monarch’s favour and service, with the words from Joseph ringing in his ears, “Think of me when it is well with thee, and show kindness, I pray thee, to me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house” (Gen. 40:14).
Sad indeed and ungrateful was the conduct of the chief butler, where we read, “Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him” (v. 23).
Two full years rolled by, and still Joseph lay in prison. It was a big test. It seemed as if he were forgotten, and might end his days there. He might have been tempted to say, “And is this the answer to my dreams?—hated of my brethren, sold as a slave, flung into prison, and the one chance of being mentioned to Pharaoh has died out.”
“And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed” (Gen. 41:1). His dreams were the last strange links in the chain of divine purpose for the fulfilment of the dreams of that lad of seventeen some years before.
All the magicians and wise men of Egypt failing to interpret them, the chief butler’s memory revived and convicted him of his base ingratitude. He “spake to Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day” (Gen. 41:9), and he then told Pharaoh how Joseph had interpreted his dream to him when in prison. Joseph was sent for. Pharaoh rehearsed his dreams, and their significance was at once made plain. Pharaoh was so struck by Joseph’s wisdom and deportment, that he appointed him second ruler in the land, put his signet ring upon Joseph’s hand, arrayed him in fine linen, put a chain of gold about his neck, made him ride in the second chariot that he had. The people cried out before Joseph, “Bow the knee!”
What a test for the young man, for young he was. One moment languishing indefinitely in prison; the next, second only to Pharaoh in the land, the people bowing before him on every hand, a truly dazzling position.
Seven years of plenty went by. Joseph was the super-organiser of the corn of Egypt, storing it against the days of famine. The famine came, gripping Egypt and the adjacent countries in its terrible strangle-hold.
Away in distant Canaan Joseph’s father and brethren were in distress and famine-stricken. We all know the beautiful story, how the brethren came to Egypt, not knowing Joseph, probably thinking he was dead, how Joseph supplied their needs in a way to awaken their consciences as to their sin towards himself. When their consciences were reached, Joseph disclosed who he was, forgave them, sent for his father, and settled them in the land of Goshen.
We read, whilst Joseph was dealing with his brethren before he made himself known to them, “And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph’s house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground” (Gen. 44:14). Thus was Joseph’s dream fulfilled.
What a life was Joseph’s to look over. The links in the chain of God’s purpose were remarkable. The steel was tempered by the long years of reverses, fitting him for the wonderful place God called him to.
Should not we as saints of God more definitely commit our ways to Him? The husband comes home. He has lost his employment. The situation is dark. Husband and wife are struck dumb. Happy if they put their affairs in God’s hands. It may be a few years go by. We call on the couple. They live in a different part of the country. They say, “What we thought was a crushing blow that tempted us to think that God was harsh, has turned out to our material, and spiritual blessing. We can see God’s hand in it all now in a wonderful way.”
Take this single simple illustration and apply it in a hundred different settings. It will work.
How true it is that God orders our lives, if we will only trust Him step by step.