Opening The Prison Door

Psalm 105:9-22

9This is the covenant he made with Abraham

and the oath he swore to Isaac.

10He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,

to the people of Israel as a never-ending treaty:

11“I will give you the land of Canaan

as your special possession.”

12He said this when they were few in number,

a tiny group of strangers in Canaan.

13They wandered back and forth between nations,

from one kingdom to another.

14Yet he did not let anyone oppress them.

He warned kings on their behalf:

15“Do not touch these people I have chosen,

and do not hurt my prophets.”

16He called for a famine on the land of Canaan,

cutting off its food supply.

17Then he sent someone to Egypt ahead of them—

Joseph, who was sold as a slave.

18There in prison, they bruised his feet with fetters

and placed his neck in an iron collar.

19Until the time came to fulfill his word,

the LORD tested Joseph’s character.

20Then Pharaoh sent for him and set him free;

the ruler of the nation opened his prison door.

21Joseph was put in charge of all the king’s household;

he became ruler over all the king’s possessions.

22He could instruct the king’s aides as he pleased

and teach the king’s advisers.

He had served the family faithfully. He was chief of staff in a high-class household. The husband trusted this servant to manage his finances and to be alone with his wife. But one day the wife claimed that the servant had attacked her, and she offered as evidence the torn shirt he left behind. You can imagine how the master glared as the servant was led away in chains. I trusted you! How could you betray me like this?

The problem was, the servant was innocent. The wife had often tried to seduce the servant, and finally she cooked up this story to pay him back for his rejection of her. The plan worked. The servant, Joseph, now languished in an Egyptian dungeon. He was the one betrayed—by the wife, by the master, by the brothers who had sold him into slavery, and seemingly by the God who had promised great things and hadn’t come through.

But this was all a test of character, Psalm 105 tells us, and Joseph passed with flying colors. So “the ruler of the nation opened his prison door” and set Joseph free.

What kind of prison are you in? Have you been betrayed? Do you wonder whether God will keep his word? He will, though you may have to wait a bit. Keep the faith, as Joseph did, and soon you’ll see the ruler of the universe opening your prison door.

Yes, come! then tried as in the fire,

From every lie set free,

Thy perfect truth shall dwell in us,

And we shall live in thee.

THOMAS HUGHS

A Word on Words

Verse 18 speaks of Joseph’s neck being placed in an iron collar. Actually, the image is even more striking in Hebrew, for it reads more literally, “his soul (nephesh) entered iron.”

Notable Quotable

“Few can bear great and sudden mercies without pride and wantonness, till they are hampered and humbled to carry it moderately.”

SAMUEL LEE