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The Providence of the Pit

The Providence of the Pit: How Joseph’s Trial Secured Israel’s Destiny

The narrative of Joseph (Genesis 37–50) is the account of a personal betrayal that became a divine instrument, securing the preservation of Jacob’s family and setting the stage for the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises in the time of Moses.

1. The Betrayal: The Coat and the Covenant Seed (Genesis 37)

The core conflict began with Jacob’s favoritism toward Joseph, the son of his old age, highlighted by the gift of a coat of many colours (Genesis 37:3, KJV). This garment, symbolizing a privileged inheritance, along with Joseph’s prophetic dreams of future dominion, incited the jealousy of his ten older half-brothers.

Driven by this envy, the brothers seized an opportunity to dispose of Joseph while he was tending to them:

“Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.”

— Genesis 37:28 (KJV)

The brothers covered their crime by dipping the coat in goat’s blood, confirming Jacob’s belief that Joseph had been killed. This seemingly wicked act of betrayal was, in fact, the means by which God repositioned His covenant people.

2. From Prison to Pharaoh’s Right Hand (Genesis 39–41)

In Egypt, Joseph’s life was a testament to God’s sovereign presence through all circumstances. He was sold into slavery to Potiphar, a high official, but his faithfulness led him to stewardship. After being unjustly imprisoned, his divine ability to interpret dreams—first for the butler and baker, and then for Pharaoh himself—became his ultimate elevation.

Joseph correctly interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams as a coming seven years of plenty followed by seven years of severe famine (Genesis 41:25-36, KJV). Recognizing God’s wisdom in Joseph, Pharaoh made him the second most powerful man in Egypt:

“Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.”

— Genesis 41:40 (KJV)

Joseph’s new role allowed him to store the grain, saving Egypt and the surrounding regions from starvation.

3. The Family’s Descent and Settlement in Egypt (Genesis 42–46)

When the famine struck, Joseph’s brothers were forced to travel to Egypt for food, unwittingly bowing before the governor who was their brother, thus fulfilling the original prophetic dreams.

  • The Revelation: Upon revealing his identity, Joseph famously declared that his suffering was part of a greater divine plan: “God did send me before you to preserve life.” (Genesis 45:5, KJV).
  • The Relocation: Joseph invited his entire family, seventy souls in total (Genesis 46:27, KJV), to move to Egypt. Pharaoh granted them the fertile land of Goshen (Genesis 47:6), where they were given protection and the means to prosper and multiply.

4. The Seeds of Deliverance: The Transition to the Time of Moses (Exodus 1:7-14)

Joseph’s death marked the end of the initial period of grace. His actions had secured the family’s survival and positioning, but also initiated the period of “stranger” status prophesied to Abraham (Genesis 15:13, KJV).

  • The Growth: For generations, the Israelites flourished in Goshen, fulfilling the command to “be fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty” (Exodus 1:7, KJV).
  • The New Order: Eventually, a new Pharaoh arose “which knew not Joseph” (Exodus 1:8, KJV). Fearing the sheer number of Israelites, this king reversed the relationship, enslaving the Hebrews and subjecting them to forced labor and horrific oppression, thereby beginning the 430-year period of affliction. This ultimate bondage was the historical catalyst required for God to act decisively through Moses to bring about the great national deliverance—the Exodus.

The Return Question: God’s Sovereignty in Exile

How does the entire narrative arc—where Joseph is sold into slavery, rises to power, and brings his family into Egypt—demonstrate that God’s sovereign plan of preservation often requires periods of exile, suffering, and political upheaval to position His people for the final act of deliverance (the Exodus), providing assurance for those awaiting The Lord’s Return?

The life of Joseph is a powerful testament that God works through the sins of man and the suffering of the righteous to achieve a greater, redemptive end. It is a clear answer to The Return Question: periods of affliction are neither random nor abandoned by God, but are necessary, pre-ordained stages that discipline and position God’s people, in the right time, for the glorious and final act of His promised deliverance.