Bible Commentaries
Genesis 45

Introduction

JOSEPH IN TRIUMPH

(Genesis 45)

The amazing story of Joseph becomes increasingly impressive as it is studied. How I could wish and

pray that my life might be as free from resentment and thoughts of retaliation as his was. How often it is

true that when a person suffers injustice he becomes bitter and harsh. When we are wrongfully treated

we are tempted to keep thinking about the person who has mistreated us until we convince ourselves

that it is only right that we should pay him back for the wrong done to us. When we permit such an

attitude to dominate our thinking, we will actually harm ourselves more than anyone else. It could affect

my whole personality and cause me to become truculent and blindly opposed to everyone and

everything. I know that when I meet someone who is surly and sulky I feel inclined to avoid him. I feel

that he should know of himself that if he has had trouble this is common to all men. A man who carries a

chip on his shoulder will not be chosen to be in charge of others. When we consider the terrible injustice

Joseph endured we would say that he had reason for bitterness and justifiable anger, but we find no

evidence of this.

When we read that Potiphar entrusted all his affairs to Joseph, we may be sure that he was

trustworthy and capable and courteous. When Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him and he was unjustly

condemned and put into prison, he certainly had reason to turn his face to the wall and his back to the

world and become bitter and sulky. Instead of (p.136) this we read that the chief jailer put the other

prisoners under his supervision. In his dealings with the butler and the baker, we see him sympathetic

and helpful. When he had an opportunity to take credit to himself for having interpreted their dreams, he

gave God the honor due Him. When in the providence of God Joseph was given supreme authority in all

of Egypt, he did not become proud. When his brothers knelt at his feet in humble request for food he

was not arrogant or vengeful. Such conduct on his part reveals Joseph’s wonderful enduring inner

strength, which carried him through every tragedy and through the succeeding honor and glory which

came to him.

The secret source of Joseph’s strength was that he believed in God. He believed beyond the shadow of

a doubt that all which had happened had been in the gracious will of God. He believed that God had a

definite plan and purpose for his life. Many years later the apostle Paul wrote, "All things work together

for good to them that love God." In these words he is expressing the truth which dominated Joseph’s life.

In our world today, greatness is often measured by the place of prominence which a man has acquired

and by the social level which he occupies. Yet greatness in any field is a relative concept. The desire to

excel is normal, but there is often a discrepancy between true and false greatness, and true and false

values. Real greatness is often overlooked but in the case of Joseph it was openly honored.

In the Book of Genesis as we have studied man’s relationship to God, and God’s dealings with men, a

true idea of greatness is brought to our minds. God looks into the hearts of men. He is not impressed by

outward greatness. When He sees faith and love and trust in a man’s heart, He counts this for

righteousness. In the case of Abraham, the Bible gives no description of his physical stature. We find no

words that would indicate that he was more intelligent or more astute than other men of his day. The one

outstanding thing which the Scriptures reveal about Abraham is his faith. "Abraham believed God and

this was counted to him for righteousness." Abraham "looked for a city whose builder and maker is

God." He was called the "friend of God" (p.137) who sought to please God in all he did. We are

reminded of the words of our Lord, "I do always the things that please my Father."

In the great crises of his life Jacob turned to God. His life was not as exemplary as that of Joseph, but

his trust in God was rewarded, and he was blessed by Him. Jacob dealt with Esau for his birthright. He

did connive with his mother to deceive his blind father for the blessing which he wanted to have. When

Jacob fled from his brother Esau, God appeared to him in the vision of the ladder which stood upon the

earth and reached into heaven, with angels ascending and descending upon it. Here again God promised to

Jacob His blessing. We may not approve of Jacob, but God, who looks into the heart of man, saw

something in this man which merited His blessing. During his lost years of servitude under Laban, who

changed his wages countless times, God was with Jacob and blessed him with cattle and sheep and

camels in great numbers. His greatest sorrow came when he was told that Joseph, Rachel’s son, was

dead. His greatest joy came when he found that Joseph his beloved son was alive. We can readily

appreciate his joy when he was given this wonderful message from the son whom he bad thought to be

dead and for whom he had mourned so many years.

Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of

all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not: And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be

near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all

that thou hast (Gen. 45:9-10).

When it was told to Pharaoh that Joseph’s brothers had come, he and his servants were delighted at

the news. Pharaoh urged Joseph to send for his father and all his household and offered them the best the

land had to offer. Pharaoh himself sought to meet the Hebrew patriarch. "And Jacob blessed Pharaoh." It

is not hard to picture the oriental monarch in his royal robes and in his magnificent surroundings, nor to

feel the quiet dignity of Jacob, a man of wealth (p.138) and renown in his own land, raising his hand in

blessing upon Pharaoh. In the Book of Hebrews it is written, "Without all contradiction the less is blest

of the better." This places Jacob on a higher plane than Pharaoh. We might ask, "How can this possibly

be true?" Let us not forget that Jacob who had "prevailed" when he clung to the angel of the Lord for

blessing had been so profoundly blessed that his name was changed to Israel. The record is that

he "walked with God" so he was at all times in the presence of the Creator and the Sovereign of heaven

and earth.