In the middle of the continuing soap opera of the family that is to become the Israelites, comes Joseph. The much loved son of Jacob and the beloved Rachel who was unable to have children for a good part of their married life. Rachel named him Joseph, which means God will add. God did give Rachel another son, but she died giving birth. After Jacob buried Rachel, he moved back to stay close to his father, Isaac, until he died as well. In his sorrow, it was only natural that Jacob would lavish attention on Joseph. He was the son he had waited for and had preceded all of his sorrows, but he was a dreamer. Was it because of his cherished position in his father's eyes that he saw more than the others could see? Or was he favored because he adored his father, and did everything possible to please him? At any rate, he was an irritant his brothers and they conspired, first to kill him, then reduced their plans to throwing him in a well until he could be sold to some traveling Ishmaelites, descendants of their grandfather's half brother, who were on their way to Egypt.
In reading these chapters, you get the sense that Joseph was naive in a worldly sense. But that was only because he saw things at a different level, a higher perspective, if you will. The Lord was with him. Even in Egypt, he prospered, and those he worked for prospered. When Potiphar's wife falsely accused him and he was thrown in jail, the Lord's favor made him successful there as well. Joseph was always ending up in a tight spot, but God was always faithful and brought good out of his bad circumstances. In return, Joseph never attributed his success to his own abilities or blind luck.
When asked to interpret dreams, Joseph always gave the credit to God. "And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.” So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” Gen. 41:15-16 - NKJV
Pharoah recognized that it was God that gave Joseph his wisdom. "So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you." - Gen. 41:37:39 NKJV
And Joseph recognized that all of his blessing came from God. "And to Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-Pherah priest of On, bore to him. Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.” And the name of the second he called Ephraim: “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.” Gen. 41:50-52 NKJV
Even in the worst of situations: thrown in a well, sold into slavery, falsely imprisoned, the favored one was still the favored one.
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