Last week we saw that Joseph’s brothers sold him into the hands of a caravan traveling to Egypt. Joseph is sold in one verse, and in the next verse, he has immediately arrived!

I long to know more of the details to get the full picture, so let’s do some thinking.

Keep in mind that this is a journey of over 150 miles. While the traders themselves may be riding camels, horses, or donkeys, I imagine the slaves are walking—walking over the stony hills of southern Israel and through the hot, sandy deserts of the wadi before they finally reach the lush, fertile plains where the Pharoah resides.

We can picture our prized son looking dusty and dirty as he drags himself along the final trek of the desert heading to his unknown future.

At last, he stands disheveled at the slave block. He experiences new smells and sights and a strange language. A wealthy-looking man approaches Joseph, pacing around him as he examines the boy.

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. Genesis 39:1

Evidently, the captain finds potential in the young man he has purchased in spite of his weather-beaten appearance.

We don’t know if Joseph starts this new venture with Potiphar by washing down the horses, planting gardens, or tending other animals, but at some point, he makes it to the house.

The Lord was with Joseph, and he prospered, and he lived in the house of the Egyptian master. Genesis 39:2

Don’t miss the phrase, “The Lord was with Joseph, and he prospered.” Father Jacob may have had his faults, but we can assume that he did teach Joseph about the “One-God” because even Potiphar notices there is something different about Joseph.

When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes, and he became his attendant. Gensis 39:3-4

Does Potiphar see Joseph praying faithfully? Is there a distinction in Joseph’s character that Potiphar does not see in his other servants? As Potiphar watches this progress, he decides to promote Joseph.

Potiphar put him in charge of his household and entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. Genesis 39:5 

Through this long process, Joseph has likely learned the language and developed a knack for organizing things and people, both in the house and in the field.

Look how God has brought Joseph from the pit to this place of prestige.

The Lord does that in our lives as well. Sometimes we look at the miserable way things have turned out, only to find Him changing our lives completely, beyond our imagining.

Well, that’s the good news! But Joseph has more lessons to learn before he can become Egypt’s leader. Next week—the bad news.

 ~ Joyce ~