Joseph's life and example demonstrate the triumph of faith over adversity. Joseph along with Daniel and Job are the characters in the Bible that are shown to be without reproach. The beloved of his father, at the young age of 17, he suffered evil and injustice from the hands of his brothers, endured suffering as a slave and prisoner, transplanted from his family into a strange and pagan land. Alone in a pagan society, he maintained his faith in YHWH, persevered in his walk with the Lord, never shown to complain or protest his plight and God lifted him up in His due time.
Joseph is a remarkable and powerful picture of Jesus Christ. The parallels between the lives of Joseph and Jesus Christ are striking as we will learn in this episode.
Why do the righteous suffer? The same could be asked of Joseph. For no apparent reason he endured suffering. Only later in our study we will learn that God, who is wise, and loving, had a perfect plan and purpose for all the seemingly unfair hardships he went through. The same is true for each one of us. May we learn from the life & example of Joseph today.