“Then He sent someone to Egypt ahead of them – Joseph, who was sold as a slave. They bruised his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar. Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character.” (Psalm 105:17-19 NLT)
According to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary character is defined as “the complex of mental and ethical traits marking a person or a group; moral excellence.” How does that translate? What makes you “tick”? What motivates you to do what you do, say what you say, work as you work, love as you love, live as you live? How would the ten people who know you best describe you?
Think of Joseph in Genesis 37 when he has a dream, which is fine, but then he shares it with his brothers, not so fine. What was his dream? Joseph speaking: “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!” What was he thinking? My sense is he was just attributing his vision to the Lord and expected his brothers to understand. Perhaps not the wisest interpretation.
It may seem very strange, inappropriate, or just plain dumb to say that kind of thing to our siblings, but it illustrates the kind of innocence and purity of heart Joseph had. He didn’t intend it to be offensive, just informative. It was a vision from God that he had no clue what it meant, but God would reveal its beauty in the years to come. I’m convinced that was the foundation of Joseph’s character upon which God built to make him the great man of God that he became.
According to Scripture Joseph was his father’s favorite child and, as such, was the recipient of “a coat of many colors,” which was a beautiful, colorful, majestic robe designed for someone very special. Joseph no doubt knew of his father’s affection but didn’t translate that into how it might make his brothers feel. They were older and did the lion’s share of the work, but their work seemed to go unnoticed in comparison to their father’s affection for his son born in his old age.
What’s the lesson for us? Character is forged and formed not through a life of ease and luxury, but hardship, pain, suffering, and disappointment. Joseph didn’t really rise to the heights of recognition until he’d served his time as a slave. The Bible tells us (Genesis 39:2) that the Lord was with Joseph and allowed him to prosper in all he did. While it’s not explicitly recorded, Joseph must have been a student of God’s Word. Somewhere he learned to love and trust God.
There’s no indication in his story that he ever questioned or suffered setbacks in his love for and trust in the Lord due to his mistreatment. Rather, in every instance he chose the highroad, putting his efforts into doing the best he could given his circumstances and the Lord did the rest.
We would likely never have heard of Joseph and his triumphs for the Lord were it not for God’s Word, the Bible. My sense is our character, who we are, who we will become, if formed, will be in and through our love for and devotion to the Bible. God’s words shape us, mold us if you will, into the person He has designed and desires for us to be.
Paul David Tripp showed great insight when he wrote: “Your Bible is unlike anything else in your life. Your Bible has been put together and preserved for you as an irreplaceable tool of God’s grace in your life…You will not be spiritually healthy if you aren’t being shaped by God’s Word. The Bible is the soil in which your Christian life is rooted and grows.” If we want godly character, we’ll be students of God’s Word.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 