Transcendence

Nineteen: A Forgotten Man

Joseph was just an eighteen year old boy when he was bought by the Ishmaelites from his brothers then taken to Egypt to be re-sold. Potiphar, an Egyptian - one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard, bought him. Undoubtedly it was a terrifying ordeal for Joseph, having been bought as a slave in a country far away from family - specifically away from his father who protected him restlessly since he was born. 

But, God was with him and because of that he prospered in all he did in Egypt. He lived in the house with his master Potiphar. Potiphar continued to witness the Lord's blessing on Joseph, how he continued to be successful in everything. What a testimony! It was very obvious that it was the Lord who was giving him favor. Because of this Potiphar made Joseph his attendant. He trusted Joseph with everything in his household and all that he owned. From that time on the Lord blessed the Egyptian's household and everything in it because of Joseph. (Bought, and sold, and far away from his family - it would have been very hard to stay positive, yet 

In time, because the blessings continued to pour out upon them, and the fields, Potiphar turned every decision that had to be made over to Joseph; concerning himself with nothing except the food he ate.

Joseph was a well built, handsome man and by then was running the entire estate of Potiphar. In time Potiphar's wife took a notice to him. She flirted around with him desiring his attention. Yet she got no response from the young slave - who was gaining control and clout. She was drown to him and continued to come on to him, and got very discouraged when she received no advances from Joseph in return. She was used to getting her way! She tried harder and when she couldn't get his attention she eventually approached him with the command, "Come to bed with me!"

Joseph refused saying, "With me in charge my master has no concern or worry for anything. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you! You are his wife. How could I do such a thing? How could I sin against God?"

Regardless, she wouldn't give up. She continued to come on to Joseph day after day, feeling more rejected and angry each time he turned her down. Joseph continued to refuse to sleep with her, and in time stopped being around her at all. But she was custom to getting exactly what she chose, and became very upset that he wouldn't give in to her desire.

One day Joseph went into the house to attend to his duties and none of the other servants were inside at the time. Potiphar's wife caught him by his cloak and commanded, "Come to bed with me now!"

Joseph slid out of his cloak, leaving it in her hand and ran out of the house.

She became uncontrollably angry that he had turned her down yet again. She immediately plotted revenge against him. She began yelling out with distress to her servants begging for them to come quick, and to help her! When they appeared she showed them the cloak and yelled, "Look, this Hebrew came here and tried to sleep with me, but I screamed and he ran out of the house."

They were astonished with the news, because everyone respected Joseph and couldn't imagine him doing such a thing.

She kept Joseph's cloak beside her until her husband came home. As soon as he walked in she told the same lie to him, claiming that his slave had came there to sleep with her. Potiphar believed his wife and became furious! He immediately had Joseph arrested and thrown into prison.

Joseph was wrongly accused but he had chance to defend himself. He was imprisoned and it was a very cruel place to be. Once he had been the favorite son but then he became a mere slave in a foreign country, locked in a prison where he was a nobody, no one trusted or even cared about. Joseph's future looked grim. Yet for God's blessings upon him, he never held his head down, instead he looked for opportunity in every situation. Yes, even in prison! 

In time, because of God's favor, Joseph's honest and wise personality earned respect from the warden who put him in charge of all the other prisoners. Joseph was responsible for everything pertaining to them. The warden entrusted him with every decision and no longer worried because he saw that the Lord gave success in everything Joseph did.

Sometime later two of Pharaoh's important officials, the cupbearer and the baker, made their master angry. They offended him so he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, which happened to be in the same prison where Joseph was. Since Joseph was in charge of attending all who were kept there, he attended to them.

After they had been kept there in prison for some time, both the cupbearer and the baker had a dream on the same night. Because Egyptians in that day were fascinated by dreams they both wanted desperately to know what their dreams meant. They asked everyone but there was no one in prison who could interpret them. When Joseph saw how downcast they were he said, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams."

So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said, "In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded it blossomed and its clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh's cup was in my hand. I took the grapes squeezed them into his cup then put the cup into his hand."

Joseph explained exactly what the dream meant, "The three branches are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position. You will put Pharaoh's cup in his hand just as you always did before when you was his cupbearer." Then Joseph thought of his own predicament and added, "When all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness. Mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison for I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon."

When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation to the cupbearer he was anxious to have his own dream explained. He told Joseph his dream. "I dreamed I had three baskets of bread on my head. In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh but the birds were eating them out of the basket."

"This is what it means," Joseph said. "The three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and hang you on a tree. The birds will eat away your flesh." Of course the cupbearer did not like this interpretation and was not only furious but terrified at the explanation. 

Now the third day after this was Pharaoh's birthday. He gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the names of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials. He restored the chief cupbearer to his position so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh's hand, but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had said in his interpretation.

Once all was said and done, the chief cupbearer was so happy to be reunited with his position and didn't remember Joseph as he had asked. He forgot all about him. Joseph remained in the dungeon, a forgotten man. He was stuck in prison with no hope of ever getting out.

Yet, God didn't forget. God alone remembered his existence.

(Life Question: Joseph was bought, and sold, and enslaved far away from his family. What a terrible situation! It would have been very hard to stay positive, yet Joseph did. Not only did he stay positive, he remained trustworthy, worked hard, and was loyal. Even in prison Joseph remained a honest man. Because of this he earned favor from those around him. God blessed him over and over because of his attitude and his faith. Have you been through hardships where remaining calm, loyal, honest or faithful was very hard? How did God help you through? )