FOURTH INNING
The Fighting Ishmaelites smuggle Joseph over the border into Egypt. They sell Joseph’s contract to a man named Potiphar, who as it turns out happens to coach a Triple A farm team in Cairo. Joseph is made the bat boy. While it’s not exactly a promotion to be a slave to someone with connections, we’re going to find out that it will come in handy. After all, the Bible says that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything that he did, even while he was at the bottom of the pecking order.
He kept the equipment in order, gave advice to players on getting the right bat, and even helped them to correct flaws in their swing. As you can imagine, it wasn’t long before Joseph did his job so well that the whole team was batting better.
The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had, in house and field. So he left all that he had in Joseph's charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. Genesis 39:2-6
Joseph was a bat boy instead of an All-Star pitcher at this point, it’s true. But it wasn’t all bad. Potiphar was a smart manager, and before the season was over he had put Joseph in charge of all the equipment, and even used him as his bench coach. The team sailed through the playoffs, the owner made a ton of money, and few people realized that it was all because of Joseph behind the scenes. You see, the Good Book says that if in all our ways we make God known, he will make our paths straight.
Of course, it sure doesn’t seem like he’s following a straight path at the moment! But when you look back, you will see that Joseph has been sent exactly where he needs to be.
Let’s see, where are we? Bench coach and equipment manager for the Lower Nile Alligators. Right. Winning season. Championship. Things are looking up.
Sounds like it’s time for a setback.
Don’t get the mistaken idea that the mark of having God with you is that everything you touch turns to gold. Your curve is breaking, your fastball is going right where you want, your hit just happens to fly where people ain’t, and the hit-and-run gets you over to third every time. You might think that’s how you know you are in the center of God’s will, because things are working well. If your life pleases God, maybe you even have the great advantage of being handsome and well-built. If you are tempted to think that way, don’t skip over this next inning in the life of Joseph.
FIFTH INNING
Things are going comparatively quite well for Joseph here. Comparatively. Because, as it turns out, Joseph’s great success is the very thing hat causes him problems. Potiphar’s wife gets a crush on this preppy young Hebrew, and she tries to seduce him. But Joseph is a man of character, and he refuses her advances. Joseph says to her,
He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" Genesis 39:9
And for that display of godly character, God rewards Joseph—by having her frame him and unjustly sent to prison. Which, in case, you’re wondering, is a demotion. And innocent Joseph spends a big chunk of his athletic career in a dungeon. He loses his tan, eats lousy food, and languishes behind bars, and sees up close why The Lower Nile names their team The Alligators.
To the glory of God.
So is this bad, or is it good? That’s the point, you see? The Bible says that the Lord is once again with Joseph while he is in prison.
But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph's charge, because the LORD was with him. And whatever he did, the LORD made it succeed. Genesis 39:21-23
This is both beautiful and perplexing, isn’t it? Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, then framed and thrown into prison. But somehow, even in this Old Testament era, the LORD showed Joseph that His steadfast love endures forever. Joseph has plenty of time to think. And plenty of time to forgive his brothers and Potipher’s wife—and God, perhaps, for letting this all happen to him. If Joseph spent any days asking himself WHY ME? It isn’t in the Bible. He moves on, with the help of God. Because we never really have a clear picture of whether our life circumstances are good or bad, do we?
So, like the man of faith he is, Joseph makes the best of his difficult situation. He starts a baseball team with the prisoners. And they are pretty good. Only drawback is that they can never play an away game.
SIXTH INNING
It’s been a while, but a new twist comes into Joseph’s prison life: A couple of men enter the prison who have had—guess what?—dreams. Joseph, you’ll recall, has some experience with dreams, and God tells Joseph what those dreams mean. And Joseph’s predictions come true.
They said to him, "We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them." And Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me." Genesis 40:8
And all is well. For one of them. I’d say not so well for the other. One of those men just happens to work for the owner of the local major league team, the Yankees. The Cairo Yankees.
And let me tell you what happens:
Nothing. That’s what happens. Joseph is forgotten for two years. As the guy is leaving jail, Joseph says, Hey, when you go back, don’t forget about me, the guy who told you this would happen!,” and the guy says, How could I forget you? And then he does.
For some seven hundred times in a row, Joseph goes to sleep at night and wakes up in the morning with no change in scenery, and no word from the outside. He continues to languish in prison.
It’s right at this point that we would do well to focus on Joseph’s inner life. Joseph’s tale demonstrates something important. When we are pleasing to God, when we do what is right, when our Lord is with us, it doesn’t mean that all goes well for us. Sometimes the lines don’t rhyme, the boomerang doesn’t return, the hurt won’t heal, and the money doesn’t come pouring in. We are in a holding tank, and our prayers echo out into the darkness and bounce back off the ceiling. But God is with us. Emmanuel.
And that’s when Pharaoh himself has a dream.