“His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron; until what he had said came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.” — Psalm 105:18-19
In Genesis 37, the seventeen-year-old Joseph had a dream in which the sun, moon, and eleven stars all bowed down to him. His eleven brothers correctly interpreted that dream to mean that they would one day bow down to Joseph. That only increased their jealousy of him. Their hatred was rooted in their father’s favoritism. It prevented them from speaking nicely to Joseph.
The brothers contemplated murdering Joseph but eventually sold him as a slave. This verse in Psalm 105:18 provides an additional insight to Genesis. It tells us that Joseph’s feet and neck were hurt by his slave chains!
The story gets worse. Joseph was bought by an Egyptian, Potiphar, and found temporary success working for him. That is until Potiphar’s wife falsely accused Joseph of rape! Joseph then rotted in jail for a couple of years. We all know the “happily ever after” to his story. Eventually, he got released and exalted to the second highest position in Egypt.
I was struck by this verse. Joseph was sold as a slave and sat in prison with his feet and neck chained for years. Yet, God had promised Joseph in a dream that people would bow down to him. Until that came to pass, God tested him.
Do you feel tested by life? I don’t know about you, but challenges with work, health, money, family, and friends can really feel like a very hard and heavy test. This verse strengthened me because Joseph was a young man who was tested by God. That wasn’t just random suffering. God loved Joseph and had a plan to test him and ultimately use him!
Josh
Posted in A Word from the Pastor