CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
Joseph – Successful At Being Number Two
Most of us want to be boss, the top dog, the man, but success can be achieved from a lesser position.
Of all the sons of Jacob, Joseph, the youngest was the most favored, and he had no hesitation in showing it off. As a seventeen year old, his father made him a tunic of many colors, which only heightened the tension and fueled the jealousy that already existed between him and his brothers, and then, to top it all, young Joseph had a dream, in which he saw his brothers, represented by sheaves of wheat, bowing down to him – a dream telling him that he would reign over them all.
Again he dreamed, of the sun and moon and eleven stars bowing down to him. With the innocence, or arrogance, of youth, he recounted the dream to his brothers, this time even angering his father, Jacob.
A grand vision, spoiled by unwise words, and an over active tongue.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. (Prov.18:21)
Joseph’s tongue almost cost him his life as his brothers wanted to kill him, but because of Reuben’s intervention, his life was spared and he was sold into slavery.
For most this would have been the end, but God had planted a vision within Joseph, a vision to be the best despite his circumstances, and his enslavement only proved to be the beginning.
In Egypt, the captain of the guard, Potiphar bought him and in Potiphar’s house, Joseph was a success, and found favor in his master’s eyes. Promoted to overseer or steward, Joseph had the run of the house, controlling the finances, the other slaves, the purchases and everything to do with the running of the house.
It would seem that he had learnt his lesson and adjusted to the idea of not being the most important, but this did not stop him from wanting to be the best.
Just when things seemed to be going well for him, Potiphar’s wife made a play for the handsome Joseph, and he ran from her advances. Jilted, she laid false charges against him and Joseph ended up in prison.
Down again and once more he had enough reason to give up, but for Joseph it was just another stepping stone to greatness. If he had remained in Potiphar’s house, Joseph would undoubtedly have disappeared into obscurity, but Joseph remained faithful to his principles and to his God knowing that
With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his. (Job.12:16)
In prison, Joseph so impressed the warder, that he was given charge of the prison, the prisoners and all that happened there. Once again he prospered, only giving account to the prison keeper.
It was while in prison that Joseph had the chance to use his gifts, and he seized the opportunity to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh’s cup-bearer and Pharaoh’s baker. Their dreams became reality, the cup-bearer being restored to his position, while the baker was executed.
It would take another two years before Pharaoh heard of Joseph’s ability as an interpreter of dreams, and summoned him to the palace. Impressed that Joseph could tell him what he had dreamt; Pharaoh made him Prime Minister over all the land, subject only to Pharaoh himself.
With the turn of events, Joseph’s family was forced to seek food in Egypt to survive the famine that gripped the Middle East, and in their travels they met and bowed down to the now powerful Joseph. So his childhood dreams of them bowing down to him were fulfilled.
What is interesting about the life of Joseph is that he never became the boss. He was always number two, in Potiphar’s house, in prison, and in Pharaoh’s court, there was always someone more important than him, a trend that continued even when it came to the naming of the tribes of Israel. While each of his brothers was acknowledged as head of one of the tribes, Joseph’s name does not appear, that honor went to his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, but mention the sons of Jacob, and Joseph stands head and shoulders above them all, the most successful ‘reject’ of all time.
Joseph diligently applied himself, to being the best that he could. Using his talents to the best of his ability, his efforts were rewarded and he achieved more than all his brothers combined. One trait that stood out in his early years, his arrogance, had all but vanished by the time he had reached Potiphar’s house.
Each of us, in our dealings need to learn lessons, some are harder, some easier, but progress comes with each learning and application of that which we have learnt.
Like Joseph, we must be on the lookout for opportunities to improve ourselves and our position, irrespective of circumstances, because as believers, the greater our position, the greater our testimony especially if we have to start like Joseph, from below the bottom rung, in a pit with nothing.
You may never become boss, you may never have a title, you may never have your own money, but you do have your talents and abilities given to you by God. Moses in the wilderness asked the Lord how it would be possible for him to lead the Israelites to freedom:
And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. (Ex.4:2)
And with that rod Moses turned the Nile to blood, opened the Red Sea, drew water from rock, and led his people to freedom. Use what God has given you, to the best of your ability, irrespective of your position and reap the rewards.