The life of Joseph is one of the most dramatic and touching real stories in the Bible, one of my personal favorite. The last few paragraphs on Joseph being determined to serve life in prison without any reward or recognition is most moving. No wonder he became what he became, similar are the accounts of that of Daniel and David.Article taken from Fatherly Talk
Lessons in Humility from Joseph's LifeDearly Beloved,
There is no doubt that every upward gain in life is preceded by lesson in humility of some sort. This may or may not be visible to people outwardly. All the man and woman of God had to learn lessons in humility before God could use them mightily. The greater the call the more severe the training. We are not all born humble; our natural instinct is pride and ego. God has to break us first before He can use us. Only a broken and contrite heart will God hearken unto (Isaiah 66:2).
Joseph was born into a life of privilege and pride. He was the favourite of all his brothers. His father, Jacob, unfairly loved him above all the other children (Genesis 37:3). He had things that the other brothers did not have like the coat of many colours. For seventeen years, his brothers tolerated the wrong favouritism shown to Joseph. Certainly such a privilege life does not produce humility. Moreover, Joseph made things worse by bringing to the father's ears all the bad things his brothers did (Genesis 37:1). Of course, in such disparity more and more hatred and anger is sown. It was only a matter of time when anger would lead to murder. It was foolish of Jacob to destroy his own family in that manner but neither did he get the right type of family environment. He, himself, grew up in a home where his father loved his brother more and his mother loved him more (Genesis 25:28). No parent should love any child more than the other. The seeds of disproportionate love were sown in Jacob and he again sowed it into his own family.
Out of an imperfect environment of strife, anger, unfairness and favouritism, the Lord chose to reveal the ultimate destiny and call of Joseph through a dream (Genesis 37:5-10). It certainly did not help add any love to the family situation which was already boiling over with disharmony. It took the brothers of Joseph one more rank higher into envy and anger against Joseph (Genesis 37:11). By that time, they had enough and whatever family love they might have for Joseph would have died. They did not conspire to kill him suddenly. It might have already been on their minds. Get rid of Joseph and their problems will go away; at least, that is what they might have thought. One fine day like any other normal day, they conspired to kill Joseph when they saw him approach them in the field (Genesis 37:18). Only Reuben the eldest among them stopped them from murder, asking that Joseph be put into a pit hoping to rescue him later (Genesis 37:22). Joseph was placed in a pit and later sold while Reuben was away (Genesis 37:26-29).
Joseph had his first lesson in humility. Everything that he had and everything that he was, was stripped away in one day. Only his life was preserved but only worth that of a slave for twenty shekels of silver (Genesis 37:28). All the privilege and all the favour of his father could not put Joseph in the position where God could use him. Joseph had to learn the lessons of humility before he was ready for God to use him. Seventeen years of first class life style did not prepare him for the ministry or the calling God had for him. Like Jesus, Joseph had to start at the bottom of the ladder. He entered Egypt with nothing. It was in Potiphar's house that Joseph began to come into his own. Since Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, it would mean that the period between Potiphar's house and the prison covered thirteen years (Genesis 41:46). His period in the prison covered at least two years after he met the butler and baker (Genesis 41:2). Assuming that he was in the prison a couple of years before he met them, it could mean that Joseph was a slave in Potiphar's house for eight or nine years and in prison for five or four years depending on which greater length of time we want to give to the period in prison. So although the Bible says that Jospeh found favour in Potiphar's house and was successful, we know that the success he had probably took at least eight to nine years to achieve (Genesis 39:2-5). It was definitely not an overnight phenomena.
As a newly bought slave Joseph would have to start right at the bottom of the ladder and work his way up. And slaves do not immediately have administrative jobs. This would mean that Joseph learned humility by doing menial tasks like washing the toilets (which would be more horrific without a flush system), cleaning the house, tilling the fields, etc; every manner of manual labour that Egyptian slaves do. There was definitely not much intellectual work available for the slaves when they first started. Joseph's hands had probably never been soiled with hard labour when he was in his father's house for Jacob had many servants. Manual labour was something new to Joseph.
Many upcoming ministers of God avoid manual labour and just seek soft and easy life styles. They forgot that many of the greatest heroes of the Bible grew up in the wilderness and fields (Moses, David, Jesus). Of course, Moses had to leave the palace for the wilderness before he found God. And David was not a stranger to being assigned manual tasks as he was a shepherd boy and one sent to bring lunch to his brothers. Jesus, himself, was a carpenter. The disciples who form the inner circle of Jesus (Peter, Andrew, John) were fishermen who worked with their hands. Even Paul was a tent-maker although trained in the best schools of the Pharisees. The first lesson of humility that Joseph learned was that manual labour and hard work is nothing to be ashamed of. He took it with zeal and must have been the best labourer (slave), the best toilet cleaner, the best house cleaner, the best planter in the field. He must have done something with excellence to be noticed for Potiphar had many slaves. When Joseph did the work, there was a spirit of excellence about him no matter how humble the job. Most of all, God blessed his work and made it prosper. I don't think that God would have blessed any work that is done half heartedly. Joseph definitely must have done his best and put his heart into it.
When I first started off in the Baptist seminary, all the students have dormitory duties. For two years, my duty was to wash the men's toilets in the main building. It was in the third year (because I was hanging out so much in the library during my spare time reading through many of the biographies and history books that I practically knew where all the books were; that the librarian that was gave me the duty to help her. And always in all the churches that we planted, we worked hard in manual labour whenever required – carrying chairs, arranging them, cleaning, vacuuming. I might not do them today because we have a good logistics team but at anytime, I would be prepared to roll up my sleeves and lend a hand. We still do that in our outdoor church in Sydney at the moment, putting out the chairs and the tent. And all these on top of preaching sometimes two long sermons a day for five days in a row plus international travelling and the responsibility of several ministries. It is no shame to do manual work. It is a sign that one has learned the lesson of humility and that it is ingrained into oneself. In manual labour, we learn that we are nothing but a little donkey just carrying things from one place to another and that it is only Jesus in us that makes the difference. As we graduate to administrative tasks and supervisory positions, we never forget that we are but dust and clay; the treasure being Jesus in us. What is more heartening than to have one in the highest position doing the lowest and humblest task? Well, Jesus did it. At the peak of His ministry and life, He stripped himself of all His fine clothing, dressed like a slave in loin cloth and washed His disciples feet (John 13:3-5).
The first lesson we learn from the life of Joseph in humility is the blessing of manual labour. There is nothing more basic than going back to the work of our hands and feet. It can even be therapeutic for those who need inner healing and recovery from their wounds and hurts. It is life raw and at its most basic. Many times God would take some of us who need it through such a path that we may learn the path of humility. Stripped of all our titles, fortune, fame and power, we are but clay vessels. It also strips us of all our wants and neediness. I remember that one of the happiest times in my life during the decade of blood (1997 to 2006), was when no one knew me or who I was, and only having just enough to get buy from week to week, without any responsibility to others except your own family and working with my hands to put computer parts together to sell them as a whole system for our weekly needs. Each end of the day, I would take a walk with my dog and have not a care in the world on my mind. Of course, those were not the only times I am happy for I do enjoy helping people to grow spiritually today, teaching the Word and moving in the Spirit. But I illustrate that to encourage those who are perhaps moving between phases in your life, profession or ministry and maybe just having enough to get by, that you still can find true happiness in God; living one day at time. There is no shame in working with your hands and being at the lowest place in life. Unless we find happiness when we have nothing, we will not find happiness when we have everything.
Despite all the good work that Joseph did for Potiphar, he lost it all in an unjust and unfair manner. Tempted by Mrs Potiphar but not yielding to her, Joseph was wrongly accused and thrown into prison (Genesis 39:7-20). Once again, Joseph lost everything and had to start all over again. This is great humiliating. This is a humbling experience. It is the second lesson of humility that we can learn from Joseph's life. The second lesson of humility here is that even though you are seeking to do the right thing, things don't always work out for you at first. In fact, it might seem that everything is going the opposite direction – downwards. For God's ways are not our ways and His thoughts not our thoughts. Lessons in humility sometimes involve a downhill descent before a higher climb uphill. There was no fault in Joseph, no blame that we can assign him in this second test of humility that he went through. Circumstances conspired that if he obeyed his conscience and choose to do right, he would lose everything. By that time his position was secured, seemingly. He was the head of the house under Potiphar and nothing happens in the house without him (Genesis 39:5). Joseph maintained his consciousness of God throughout his service under Potiphar (Genesis 39:9).
It must have been a great discouragement to Joseph when he lost everything the second time. Of course, those of us who have the Bible can read the ending and see that it turned out well but Joseph had no idea how things would turn out when he was living out his life. He even tried to hasten some justice and get out of prison when he met the butler (Genesis 40:14-15). For Joseph at that time, it seemed that he was destined to live the rest of his life in prison. How much lower can you get? Is this not humbling enough? It is but Joseph passed the second test of humility with flying colours. He remained faithful to God despite not having his dreams and prayers answered. If he has to serve out his life in a dungeon, so be it. Life is from God and if no one knew him but God, so be it. He was going to be the best prisoner and the most hardworking one there. Indeed, he excelled so much that he became the head of the prison under the captain of the guard (Genesis 39:22-23). Life in prison would actually be harder than as a slave in Potiphar's house yet Joseph prevailed in his faithfulness to God. Humility is learning the lesson that we lived our lives on a one to one basis between us and God – whether we are known or unknown, recognized or despised, rich or poor, free or imprisoned – we choose to love God and honour Him and Him alone.
This second test of humility is not an easy one to pass. But those who pass it will achieve greatness in this life and rise to be the head and not the tail. To persist in right for the sake of pleasing God without reward and honour. To love Him and honour Him when there is no one to account to and no one looking. To slog faithfully day in and day out as unto the Lord and not unto man. To be willing to do so even when you face rejection and dishonour from men when you have chosen to do the right thing. To do so at the loss of face, position, wealth and power. All these were the hard lessons of humility that Joseph faced and passed with flying colours.
In the end, it was neither the favour of his father that established him nor the works of his hands in Potiphar's house that brought him into the fulfilment of his dream, vision and calling. It was the gift of God and God's favour that brought Joseph into success and prominence in life. To all who have tasted humility, belongs the promotion of God. God will exalt us when we humbly allow the hand of God to humble us. All exaltation always flow first through the path of humility. There is no short cut. Those who try to take short cuts in the end die or are destroyed by their own pride. It is ordained of God that the humbled shall exalted.
Hold fast to the dreams and visions that God has for you, dear ones. But never forget that there is a price of humility to pay for the fulfilment of every dream and vision. When the price is exacted on us, may our lips be filled with thanksgiving flowing from a heart of gratefulness. For when we are nothing and have nothing, we still can thank God for the joy of living day by day. Live each day humbly and walk in the love of God. Whatever happens in life, let us covenant to always love God with all our hearts, minds, souls and strength.
In Christ Jesus
