IMITATE THEIR FAITH/JOSEPH-"How Could I Commit This Great Badness?"

"Jehovah Was With Joseph"

"Now Joseph was taken down to Egypt, and and Egyptian named Potiphar, a court official of Pharaoh and chief of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who  had taken him down there." (Genesis 39:1) In those few words, the Bible account helps us to imagine the humiliation of a young man as he was sold once again. He was mere property!  We may think of Joseph following his new master, an Egyptian court official, through bustling city streets crowded  with bazaars as they head toward Joseph's new home.

Home! It was a far cry from anything Joseph had ever called home.  He had grown up in a nomadic family who dwelled  in tents  as they moved frequently and tended their flocks of sheep. Here such wealthy Egyptians as Potiphar lived in elegant, brightly painted houses. Archaeologists report that the ancient Egyptians were fond of lush, walled gardens with shade trees and quiet pools for growing papyrus, lotus, and other water plants. Some houses sat secluded within gardens, with porches for enjoying the breeze, high windows for ventilation, and many rooms, including a large dining room and quarters for servants. 

Was Joseph overly impressed with such opulence?  It seems unlikely. More than anything, he probably feel keen how alone he was.  The Egyptians were foreign to him in language, dress, and grooming-and even  more so in religion.  They worshipped a dizzying  array of gods, practiced occult and magical arts, and held a morbid fascination with death and the afterlife.  One thing, though, kept Joseph from being crushed by loneliness.  The Bible account tells us:  "Jehovah was with Joseph." (Genesis 39:2)  Joseph surely poured out his heart to his God.  The Bible says that "Jehovah is near to all those calling on him."  (Psalm 145:18)  How else did Joseph draw near to his God? 

The young man refused to give in to despair, and he set about doing his work as well as he could.  He thus gave Jehovah much to bless, and Joseph soon gained the favor of his new master.  Potiphar saw that his young servant was being blessed by Jehovah, the God of Joseph's people, and such blessings no doubt brought more prosperity to the Egyptian's house. Joseph gradually rose in his master's esteem until Potiphar entrusted everything  into the hands of this capable young man. -Genesis 39:3-6. 

Joseph set a vital example for young people who serve God today. For instance, when they are in school, they may at times find themselves in an environment that feels strange and foreign, a world fascinated with the occult and bound up with a grim and hopeless outlook on life.  If you are in that situation, remember that Jehovah has not changed.  (James 1:17) He still proves to be with all those who stay loyal to him and who seek to work in a way that pleases him . He blesses them richly, and he will do the same for you. 

In the meantime, the account tells us, Joseph was maturing.  The youth became a man, and a "well-built and handsome" one at that.  Those words suggest  that danger was looming, for the gift of physical beauty often brings unwanted and inappropriate attention.

Next time: "How Could I Commit This Great Badness?"

From the Watchtower magazine, 2014