Profiles of the Patriarchs, Volume 3

""For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.""
In Joseph we recognize the elements of a noble character, piety, pure and high morality, simplicity, gentleness, fidelity, patience, perseverance, an iron will, and indomitable energy. He was also a man of enduring faithfulness in the midst of hardship and strong opposition. After being released from slavery he proved himself to be a wise administrator, a loving and forgiving brother, and a devoted son. Above all, in adversity, he showed himself to be a man of God with a steadfast dependence upon the Lord and a faith in the covenant that the Lord had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Though separated from his family, Joseph remained steadfast in his loyalty to his God. How difficult were these days as a slave and prisoner in jail can perhaps be gauged by Amos' statement when he wrote of the ""affliction of Joseph."" Later, however, when he was raised to the second highest position in Egypt we learn something of the blessings with which God rewarded Joseph for his righteousness. The Lord blessed him, and Joseph's life continues to supply hope and encouragement to sorely tried believers down through the ages.
Joseph's own summary of the vicissitudes that his brothers thrust upon him when they sold him into slavery is found in his well known statement, ""You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.""
Dr. Cyril J. Barber is pastor emeritus of Plymouth Church, Whittier, CA. He lives with his wife of fifty years in Hacienda Heights, CA. They have two sons, two daughters-in-law, and five grandchildren.