Joseph: God Is with You in the Pit • Genesis 37 & 39

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When was the last time you found yourself in a pit? Pits are dark and discouraging. Usually you cannot see a way to climb out of the pit. You need help. Psalm 103:4 says that our God “redeems your life from the pit.” He knows where you are. He knows what to do. This is post #3 in the Old Testament Men blog series. In the last article, we answered the question, “How does staying focused on Jesus enable us to persevere?” In this post, we begin looking at Joseph’s life and the confidence we can have that God is with us in any pit and will help us get out of it in His time.

Listen to this post as a similar podcast from our Profiles of Perseverance Bible Study covering the lives of Joseph, David, Elijah, and Nehemiah.

Reading Biblical Narratives

Clarify “descriptive” versus “prescriptive” in the narratives.

This series of blogs covers the lives of four Old Testament men—Joseph, David, Elijah, and Nehemiah. The biblical text covering their lives is written in narrative form. Narrative means the text describes what happened. It is descriptive, not usually prescriptive. It is important to clarify the difference.

• Descriptive means the observation of what actually happened, how people lived and made choices on how to do life at the time. For example, “David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets” (1 Chronicles 13:8). This is not a restriction on the types of instruments that can be used in worship.
• Prescriptive means a command from God about how to live or do something that applies to all believers, all people groups, and all time periods. For example, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5). This applies to every human who is alive or has ever lived.

Unless it is prescriptive, you can’t take passages from Old Testament narratives and create a formula for doing things a certain way to guarantee God’s blessing on the result. This is very important and key to proper Bible Study practices. So is this…

Read for accuracy then apply New Testament truth.

When you are studying the Old Testament books, read first to obtain accurate understanding of what the author(s) meant. Then, use New Testament teachings to apply truth about God to your everyday life in Jesus Christ. We will do that wherever it fits in this Old Testament Men blog series.

For more tips to help you when you are studying the Old Testament, read the blog, “Simple Things to Know When Studying the Old Testament.”

With those parameters in mind, let us begin our discussion of Joseph with his crisis moments.

A World of “Crisis”

We live in a world of “crisis.” The truth is we are either coming out of a crisis, in the middle of one, or as Texans say, ­”Fixin’ to get into one.”

There are many types of crises. Some are by our own choices. Others are out of our control. Some are short term (like a storm) but may have long term consequences. Others are long term. Like a marathon in length, it seems like the crisis will never end.

If you are in a time of life that is without crisis, now is the time to bulk up. Before a long race or big game, athletes are told to bulk up so that they will have energy to sustain them to the finish. Bulk up in the knowledge of God and in your relationship with God so that you will function well.

That starts with knowing who God is and why you can trust Him with your crisis. He may not rescue you from every threatening situation, but there are four truths you can count on to get you through every single one of them.

1. God loves you. Stated repeatedly throughout the Bible. He loves YOU!
2. God knows what is going on in your life. If He didn’t, he wouldn’t be God.
3. God can do something about it. He is all-powerful and all-knowing. Nothing is impossible for Him.
4. You can trust His goodness in what He chooses to do. He is always good, and what He does is good. It just might not match up with your expectations. Although, it will be far better when He’s finished working!

Read “4 Truths to Walk from Fear to Faith“ for the biblical support of each of these four truths plus application in your life.

Those four truths are especially meaningful when you find yourself in a pit as Joseph did. Right off the bat, Joseph found himself in the pit of rejection.

The Pit of Rejection

Faith before the pit

Looking at the life of Joseph, my first thought was, “How did he learn about God so that he could keep his faith in the pit?” He didn’t have our Bible. He didn’t even have the Old Testament.

But Joseph had a knowledge of God, a trust in Him, and a desire to be obedient to Him BEFORE he ever got thrown into the pit!!

Perhaps Joseph read or heard the written accounts of those before his time that told of Abraham his great grandfather. Those written accounts are referenced in Genesis 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10, 27; and 25:19. Joseph’s dad Jacob had his own experiences with God (Genesis chapters 28-35) including two night-time visions and may have shared those experiences with his favorite son.

Love of a father

Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. (Genesis 37:3-5)

Joseph understood the love of a father. He may have been surprised by the hatred of his brothers for him. But they were openly jealous of their father’s favoritism and resentful of Joseph’s tattling. Jacob as a father should not have shown such favoritism. That is certainly not the way to foster family unity—especially a family that was formed by two wives and two concubines. Mega blended family!

The brothers especially disliked the dreams Joseph shared with them. His dreams alluded to a future when all the brothers would bow down to this nerdy brother. I have raised a teenage boy. I am not surprised by Joseph’s bragging or tattling. He was wrong in doing so, but even that does not justify the response of his brothers.

Hatred of brothers

So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing— and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it. As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt. Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed. So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. (Genesis 37:23-28)

His brothers attacked him, threw him into a pit, and sold him to slave traders. Oh my! The brothers turned a deaf ear to Joseph’s distress and pleading for his life. Their hard-heartedness was fueled by hatred.

But God rescued Joseph by sending that caravan at just the right time, going to the right place, and with those willing to buy this teenager for future sale. If we were in a similar situation, most of us would not consider that a rescue. Would you? Our idea of rescue is being freed from the pit, embraced by sorrowful brothers, restoration of family relationship, and a humbled Joseph who does NOT tell dad about the experience.

Rejection by family hurts. In the Bible Study groups I have led, many women have shared how they experienced rejection from someone who should have loved them. Examples are rife in the Bible.

• In the psalms, David wrote a lot about being rejected by his friends, even betrayed by someone eating at his table. David verbalized his pain to God showing us that we can do the same.
• In 2 Kings chapter 11, wicked queen Athaliah killed all but one of her grandchildren. Thankfully, a kind aunt and uncle rescued the boy Joash from the pit of destruction so that he could live to become king on David’s throne.
• Jesus was betrayed by someone at His table. His closest friend denied knowing Him when quizzed about it. Jesus gets your pain. He knows exactly how you feel. You can tell Him all about it as you fix your eyes on Him. Jesus will comfort your heart and help you heal.

Not only did Joseph experience the pit of rejection, but he also knew the pit of loss.

The Pit of Loss

Loss of family and privilege

Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. (Genesis 37:36)

Joseph was forced to lose a life with a loving father. His youth was taken from him. His inheritance as the son of a wealthy landowner was taken. He was forced to be a servant and work for another with no hope of release from his slavery.

Loss of freedom and comfort

Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” … One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. … When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. (Genesis 39:6-7, 11-12, 19-20)

Joseph was falsely accused of a serious crime for which the truth never came out. So he lost his good reputation. And he spent years in a prison. Many wrongful things were done to that young man that could never be restored.

It is so easy to read a Bible story with the same mindset that we had as children—that these were fun exciting stories that happened a very long time ago. The reality is that all the men and women in the Bible were real people with emotions and feelings just as we have today. It seems so simple to say Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, but later on became an important person and knew all along that God would work things out. But it was not that simple or quick!

Loss of time

Do you really think in the thirteen years that he suffered that he never had a down day, never felt lonely, or never wanted to give in to utter despair at all the rotten things that had been done to him?

At times like this, we are quick to quote Romans 8:28. “We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.” We want that verse to mean that everything will be all right. God will fix it so everything turns out rosy for our lives.

That didn’t happen to Joseph for many years. But God was still being good to him in the interval. Even though the story ends well, it doesn’t negate all that he lost when he was ripped from his family and home.

Have you experienced a loss like that? A loss of family, finances, comfort, reputation, or freedom? It hurts in that pit!

How often we would like to turn the clock back and undo whatever led to that loss! I catch myself longing for that a lot. Do you? But we can’t go there.

Being in that pit hurts. We must live with the loss and move on. Joseph chose to function well in the pit of loss. He used his skills and abilities to persevere through it because he realized that God was with him in that pit.

God Is with Us in the Pit

Over and over in the account of Joseph’s life, we see the words, “the Lord was with him. “

In Potphar’s house

The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. (Genesis 39:2-4)

In prison

But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. (Genesis 39:20-23)

Trusting God in the pit

God is actively involved for good in Joseph’s life. In the pit. In the rejection and loss. In the servitude and prison. God was with him. He had God. Joseph didn’t need anything or anyone else. No struggle or trouble can remove us from our place of security in the Lord’s refuge. 

Joseph didn’t know how the story would turn out. The most he knows are the dreams he had as a kid. Living by faith is a lot in the dark. All he could do is trust God. And in the process, he got to know God and see the fruit of trusting him.

Joseph chose to function well. He bloomed in his situation. He chose to keep doing the right thing. As a result, the Lord blessed his efforts with Potiphar’s household and even in the prison because of Joseph’s choice. That helped Joseph to continue to function well. Perseverance is functioning well in the pit.

Remember those 4 truths about trusting God in a crisis that I shared with you earlier? God loved Joseph. God knew what was going on in his life. God could do something about it and eventually did but Joseph had to wait for a long time. Then, he could say with the psalmist,

Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits … who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, (Psalm 103:2, 4)

Joseph trusted God’s goodness in whatever God chose to do while he was in the pit.

Understanding the Reasons Why

Most of the time we can’t see the reasons why we go through an experience until a resolution comes. Then, we can step back and see how God helped, guided, and comforted us through it all. Have you heard the phrase “Hindsight is 20/20?” Sometimes that is true. You can look back and see how all your decisions turned out.

But for some situations, you may never know the reason until we get to heaven. No matter what happens to us on this earth, we know we will live a life of eternal joy and praise in God’s presence in heaven. This fact can comfort us and give us hope while we wait for that day.

So how do you persevere in the pit of rejection and loss? Whether you feel it or not, know that God is with you! He loves you, He knows what is going on in your life, He can do something about it, and you can trust His goodness in whatever He chooses to do.

Are You Ready for Perseverance in Your Life?

As the Bible promises,

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4 NASB)

We can have hope because we have God with us. So, remember our lane markers for the race.

1. Choose to persevere through every challenge.
2. Count on God’s promise to give you hope.
3. Let that hope sustain you through the rough-and-tumble of life.
4. Celebrate the joyful reward.

In the next post, you will learn why you can know God is with you in the waiting.

Let Jesus satisfy your heart with hope as you persevere through everyday life.

All of the above information is covered in the Profiles of Perseverance Bible Studycovering the lives of Joseph, David, Elijah, and Nehemiah.

Related Resources:

• Old Testament Men blog series
• Simple Things to Know When Studying the Old Testament
• The Need for Perseverance in This Difficult World
• Psalm 91 • Rest in the Shadow of the Almighty
• 2 Corinthians 1:1-11 • Confidence in God Encourages Dependence on Him

AI was not used to generate this post.