The Bible is filled with accounts of people who did bad things and later turned to God. Yes, it’s also full of people who did evil, stayed evil, and were punished by God, but most of the characters that comprise the bulk of the Bible’s text are described as flawed individuals who, in spite of themselves, are used by God to accomplish amazing things. Just off the top of my head: Noah was a drunkard. John was a hot head. Moses was a murderer. Paul was a persecutor. David was an adulterer. Peter was a denier. On it goes.

But what about Joseph?

Here’s a guy, about whom the text of Genesis devotes a quarter of its material. Imagine a book whose title implies it describes the beginning of things, and when it comes to, say, the forming of the universe, all Moses writes is “oh yeah, and God made the stars too” (Genesis 1:16). You would think that something as humongous and breathtaking as the starry host would devote a little more than one half of one verse, but Moses just blows by it like it’s just an insignificant detail…because it is. The stars are there; God made them; what else do you need to know?

God isn’t concerned with constellations but with people, and Joseph is one of the most important people in the whole Bible, so of course a great amount of text would be devoted to him. What’s curious however, is the fact that Joseph is one of the very (very) few people written about in the Bible about whom we are given no obvious flaws. That doesn’t mean there aren’t any; Joseph wasn’t perfect, but the Bible doesn’t talk about his mistakes. It’s curious, as I say, because the Bible is never a Book that shies away from showing the fullness of its characters, warts and all, and yet Joseph is always written about in a positive light.

What’s the deal?

I think, if you’ll forgive the bait-and-switch, the question is the wrong one to ask. It misses the point to focus solely on the fact that Joseph was a swell guy. Zoom out and look at the bigger picture of this man: Here’s a guy who did the right thing over and over…and kept suffering for it!

  1. He’s given a coat because he’s loved, which sparks envy in his brothers, leading to their betrayal and his being sold into slavery. What did he do to deserve that? Nothing. He didn’t brag about the coat, he didn’t act superior to his brothers. If you want to blame anyone, blame his parents for showing favoritism. He did right and was punished for it.
  2. He works hard and faithfully as a bondservant in Potiphar’s house, and even when his master’s wife makes a pass at him, he holds true to his virtue and does not succumb to temptation, leading to her lying about him and getting him thrown in prison. What did he do to deserve that? Nothing. He was true to his God and his master. He did right and was punished for it.
  3. In prison he helps the cupbearer to the King, asking only that the royal servant remember him, the prisoner who helped him. Does he? No. Despite selflessly aiding him, the cupbearer forgets all about Joseph, who continues rotting away in prison for an additional two years, suffering despite being innocent. What did he do to deserve that? Nothing. If anyone should have been released it should have been the one who committed no crime. He did right and was punished for it.

Are we seeing the theme?

There are numerous characters in the Bible we can study as examples of how God can change a wicked man into a good. We need those examples, because many of us have lived wicked lives and need to know that God still loves us, still wants a relationship with us, and still can use us for His good. Joseph’s account isn’t given to teach that lesson, however. He’s here, among other things, to be an example of a good man suffering over and over, not giving up on God despite his sufferings, and in the end being blessed by God because of faithfulness.

The lesson of people like Peter or Rahab is “God knows you’re not perfect but He can still use you and remake you into something special.” The lesson of Joseph is “you CAN be good. You CAN do good. You don’t HAVE to be wicked, and when you do good and suffer for it, that’s not an excuse to give up and do wicked things. Follow the example of Joseph: Do good and do good again and keep doing good, and God will bless you in the end.”

~ Matthew