“Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.” (Genesis 40:23, NKJV)
It’s easy to feel forsaken and alone when you are falsely accused and imprisoned for something you did not do. But this latest blow was only one of several things that had plagued Joseph in recent years. He now sat in prison with little hope of being exonerated.
Joseph was only seventeen when his life abruptly changed. That’s when his brothers conspired to rid themselves of their father’s favorite son. At least Reuben had convinced them not to kill him, their original plan. Instead, Judah suggested they sell him to passing Ishmaelite merchants. That’s how Joseph ended up in Egypt. (Read Genesis 37.)
FROM FAVORED SON TO SLAVE
Even as a slave, things went well at first. Joseph became a servant in the home of Potipher, the captain of the guard. God prospered Joseph, and he became a trusted overseer in the household. But when he rejected the advances of his owner’s wife, she lied that Joseph had tried to take advantage of her. Joseph maintained his integrity, but the false accusations landed him in prison. But even there, God blessed him and allowed him to find favor with the keeper of the prison.
Genesis 40 introduces two new people to Joseph’s story: the king’s butler (or cupbearer) and his baker. Both had offended the king and were now also in prison. One night both men had puzzling dreams, and Joseph was able to interpret those dreams. The baker would lose his life, but the butler would be restored to his position. And that’s exactly what happened.
REMEMBER ME
Joseph made a special request of the butler. “But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house” (Genesis 40:14, NKJV).
The butler forgot.
I wonder how long Joseph waited in hopeful anticipation before he finally accepted that the butler had never mentioned his case to Pharoah. It must have been discouraging.
Scripture does not tell us just how long Joseph was imprisoned. We know he was taken to Egypt at seventeen years old and then served in Potipher’s house. We also know that two full years passed between the cupbearer’s release from prison and when he finally remembered Joseph.
“Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream . . . Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying: ‘I remember my faults this day . . . Now there was a young Hebrew man with us there . . .’ Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh.” (Read Genesis 41:1-14, NKJV)
Was the two-year delay just bad luck? Or was God just choosing the perfect time? Many times, what may seem God’s unconcern in a situation is really His strategic planning. It was not coincidence that the butler remembered Joseph two years later, exactly when the king needed someone to interpret his own troubling dreams. This was God’s appointed time to work.
Joseph was thirty years old when Pharoah advanced him to second in command in Egypt. For thirteen years he endured many things—betrayal by his brothers, separation from his family and homeland, false accusations against his character, and imprisonment. Yet, when the time was right—God’s appointed time—Joseph was in position to save his entire family during the famine.
Joseph waited thirteen years before the Lord revealed His purpose and plan. He did not compromise his integrity. He did not become bitter or resentful. But at just the right moment in time, Joseph was ready to step into the role God had prepared for him.
“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Roman 5:3-5, NKJV)
GOD’S PERFECT TIMING
Habakkuk 2:3 tells us, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry” (NKJV).
God is never early, nor is He ever too late. At His appointed time, He will bring it to pass.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD.” (Jeremiah 17:7, NKJV)
PERSONAL REFLECTION
- What lessons can we learn from Joseph’s example of patience in tribulation?
- Have you ever questioned God’s timing during difficult times in your life?
- What lessons has God taught you during your own times of difficulty?
- What advice would you give to someone going through a difficult trial?
Devotion by Mary Loudermilk
