Joseph was the son of Jacob. He was favored by Jacob because he was the firstborn of Rachel. She was the one he loved and worked for, but was deceived by her father, who gave him Leah, her sister, to wed. He worked for Rachel for a total of 14 years, and Joseph was her firstborn.
Genesis 37:3 “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors.”
He was hated by his brothers because Jacob favored him, and they sold him into slavery as a teen. They told their father that he had been eaten by wild animals and was dead. This is how Joseph ended up in Egypt. While serving as a slave, his integrity was tested by Potipher’s wife, who wanted him to sleep with her. But in Genesis 39:9, he stated, “How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” Joseph chose to suffer in prison for a crime he did not commit rather than sin against God.
In our world today, most would become bitter toward God for allowing such a thing, but Joseph did not. He remained true to God and relied on God to do what was best for him. While in prison, he interpreted the dreams of the butler and the baker, and they promised to remember him and to speak to Pharaoh about him. His interpretations of their dreams were exactly like he had told them they would be. The baker was hung and the butler was restored to his position. Yet we see in Genesis 40:23 that neither had remembered Joseph. “Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgot him.” In all of this, Joseph remained faithful to God and did not compromise his integrity.
After two years Pharoah had a dream and was very troubled. No one he called on could interpret his dream. Finally, the butler remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh about his ability to interpret dreams. Pharaoh called for Joseph, who revealed to Him what his dream meant.
Because Pharaoh found Joseph to be a man of integrity, he made him ruler over his house and the people. He had remained true to God. There was no wavering on who he believed in or what he believed. Many would not have been so humble or eager to help Pharaoh if they had been unjustly imprisoned, but Joseph was not just anyone. He was God’s man for the time because he was an obedient servant and a man of integrity.
Genesis 41:39-40 “And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 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.”
Near the end of his life, his integrity was still intact. He remained obedient to his father by honoring his father’s request to be buried in their homeland, Canaan.
How can we be a person of integrity? First, we must be committed to biblical truth, following all that we know to be pleasing and honoring to God. Second, we must know who we are in Christ. This will push us to be selfless and grateful to Him and all He has done for us. Third, we must be honest in all of our dealings with others. We represent the King of Kings, and we must act like it. Fourth, circumstances cannot change us to be less than God desires us to be. We must be rooted in Him, and ultimately pleasing Him trumps anything or anyone. Our walk must be consistent with God’s word. Paul was writing to Timothy, and in II Timothy 4:2, he told him to “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” While this was written to a young preacher, I believe living a consistent Christian life is vital to winning anyone to Him and is best for our own relationship with God. We must have a determination that pushes us forward and sees the big picture of eternity. Keeping our focus on Jesus will help us be a person of integrity who shines bright in this dark world.
