"How Could I Commit This Great Badness?"

"WITH FETTERS THEY BOUND HIS FEET"

We know little of what Egyptian prisons were like in those days. Archaeologists have found the ruins of such places-great fortress-like structures with cells and dungeons. Joseph later described the place with  a word that literally means "the pit," which suggests a lightless and hopeless place.  (Genesis 40"15) In the book of Psalms, we learn that Joseph was subjected  to further torment:  "With fetters they bound his feet; his neck was put in irons." (Psalm 105:17, 18) The Egyptian sometimes put prisoners in restraints that pinioned their arms behind them at the elbows; others bore iron collars clasped at their necks.  How Joseph must have suffered to be so mistreated-when he had done nothing to deserve it!

What is more, this was no brief setback. The account says that Joseph  "remained there in the prison." He spent years in that terrible place!"  And Joseph did not know if he would ever be released. As those first shocking days dragged into weeks, then months, how did he keep from falling into hopelessness and despair? 

The account gives us this reassuring answer:  "Jehovah continued with Joseph and kept showing loyal  love to him." (Genesis 39:21) No prison walls, no fetters, no lightless dungeons can keep Jehovah's loyal love from reaching his servants.  (Romans 8:38, 39) We may well imagine Joseph pouring out his agony to his dear heavenly Father in prayer and then receiving the kind of peace and calm that  only "the God of all comfort" can provide. (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4; Philippians 4:6, 7) What else did Jehovah do for Joseph? We read that he kept granting Joseph  "favor in the eyes of the chief officer of the prison." 

The prisoners were evidently given work to do, and Joseph again gave Jehovah something to bless. He worked hard, doing his best at whatever task was assigned him and leaving the rest to Jehovah. With Jehovah's blessing, Joseph gained trust and respect, just as he had in Potiphar's household. We read:   "So the chief officer of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners in the prison, and everything that they were doing there, he was the one having it done.  The chief officer of the prison was looking after absolutely nothing that was in Joseph's care, for Jehovah was with Joseph and Jehovah made whatever he did successful." (Genesis 39:22, 23)  What a comfort for Joseph to know that Jehovah was caring for him! 

We may come upon some devastating twists and turns in life, even some cruel injustices, but we can learn from the faith of Joseph.  If we keep close to Jehovah in prayer, stay loyal to his commands, and work hard at doing what is right in his eyes, we will give him something to bless.  In Joseph's case, Jehovah had even greater blessings in store, as we shall see in future articles in this series.

Next time: Comfort in a Troubled World/Comfort in Times of Crisis

From the Watchtower magazine, 2014