Psalm 105:18-19

Psalm 105:18-19

The word of the Lord proved him true

There are some who doubt this description of Joseph’s imprisonment! Firstly, the account of his captivity in Genesis 39:20-23 says nothing about his feet being shackled and his neck being put in irons. 

Joseph, you will remember, had been a faithful servant of Potiphar, the Captain of Pharaoh’s guards. It was only when he resisted the charms of Potiphar’s wife, who then lied about him, that Joseph found himself imprisoned. What puzzles some experts is that iron was not in common usage at that time, and so the suggestion is that this description of Joseph’s incarceration may not be literal! Perhaps we’ll never know, although I prefer to stick to the black and white of God’s Word! What is for sure is that our young hero had a tough time in prison and was “persona non gratis” so far as the officials in Egypt were concerned. Whilst languishing in jail, Joseph befriended other prisoners but more importantly gained the trust of the Warden. He became the Warden’s right hand man and looked after all of the other inmates and eventually gained their trust too. It was because of this that he learned of the dreams of two of those inmates, Pharaoh’s ex- Cupbearer and Baker, and he was able to predict their meaning. Ultimately, this gained him a reputation as in interpreter of dreams and he came to the attention of Pharaoh himself. We all know how the story panned out; the trustworthy, dependable but also supernaturally gifted Joseph ended up as Prime Minister of Egypt! 

Why recount this story? Because of verse 19 of the Psalm; Joseph was detained in a prison “till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true.” That is how we know if someone is speaking the truth, that they are reliable and genuine. There are many false prophets and teachers around today but those who speak the truth will be approved by the Lord and their predictions will be fulfilled. May the word of the Lord prove us to be true, my friends! 

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