Why Did God Allow Joseph to Suffer?
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Sometimes, the suffering we endure seems so unfair because it is a result of someone else’s sinful choices. Joseph, for example, was sold into slavery by his brothers. The story ends well for everyone concerned, because Joseph rose to power and was able to save his family from starvation. He used his power wisely and acted with mercy, thus enabling an emotional reunion with his brothers. But Joseph endured a great deal before this reunion took place.
Still, he assured his brothers “it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt” (Genesis 45:8). God had placed him in Egypt for a reason, but why permit Joseph to suffer so much? Why did his brothers have to endure heavy consciences for so long, while the region experienced seven years of famine?
Transforming a Heart
Perhaps Judah saved Joseph’s life by saying they should sell him, not kill him (Genesis 37:26-27). But unlike Reuben, he did not speak up to say they should leave the boy alone. Judah was hard-hearted enough to deceive their father with the news of his “death,” which was a terrible blow. After all, Joseph was one of only two sons born to Jacob by his favored wife, Rachel, now dead. Losing the boy was like losing a piece of her, and all he had left was Benjamin.
Maybe that was the point: punish Jacob by taking away his prized son, whose status among them had fed their jealousy and anger. Or they simply wanted to punish Joseph for his arrogance – those dreams of the older men bowing to Joseph galled the brothers.
Years later, a heavy conscience and concern for his people, who were in serious danger of starvation, had changed Judah. He stepped up as the leader of his brothers to speak to Egypt’s governor (Joseph) for grain. It was there that he thought of his father when Joseph demanded they bring Benjamin to Egypt.
Judah bravely and selflessly pleaded: “let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers. For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I fear to see the evil that would find my father” (Genesis 44:33-34). One writer asserts that the reason Joseph finally broke down and told the men his true identity was Judah’s compassion: “seeing the change in Judah, Joseph was able to bless them as God intended.”
A remarkable transformation like this takes time for it to be well-rooted and genuine. Joseph even overheard the men speaking when they thought that Joseph would not understand them; his guard down, Judah showed how God had been sanctifying his heart (Genesis 42:23). The Lord did not want a leader who knew how to behave only; he wanted a servant with a heart turned towards God. His act of selfless humility exemplified the character of a leader. As one scholar put it, “contrary to the values of the societies around Israel, the willingness of leaders to offer themselves in sacrifice for the sins of others was intended to be a signature trait of leadership among the people of God.” Judah would lead the tribe of Judah from which Jesus would eventually be born many hundreds of years later.
A lot of time had passed since Joseph was sold into slavery. But the progressive nature of sanctification (as opposed to definitive sanctification which happens when we are saved) takes time. Sanctification requires awareness of sin and repentance. Judah had truly changed, which was what Joseph was looking for when he tested the brothers – real heart change.
Saving a Nation
At least seven years had elapsed since Joseph had interpreted Pharaoh’s dream. The events foretold – years of plenty followed by years of famine – had unfolded as the Lord had warned through his servant, and now Joseph was exactly where he needed to be.
Why did it have to be this complicated? God could have breathed on the ground and brought the crops to life, but he chose not to. Why? For one thing, as he said in Isaiah 55:8, “my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.” We aren’t always meant to know why God does what he does.
But famine is certainly a symptom of the world’s broken state. The Lord frequently permitted times of trial in which the people would turn to him and ask for help. Suffering was a way of reminding the people that they needed the Lord, and it was discipline he kept warning them about. Every time they ignored his precepts and walked away, Israel got into trouble.
As Arvind Balaram points out, God wanted the Israelites to “know his name: Yahweh, the one, true, and living God of the universe” and he wanted them to know “that it is God who has delivered them because he loves them and wants to be with them.” Balaram quotes Exodus 6:7 in which God declares “I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” Although this is looking forward to a later time, when Israel is being oppressed by Pharaoh, the same truth holds: God permits his people to suffer so that they will know him and realize that only his power saves.
He disciplines those he loves (Proverbs 3:12) in order to drag their attention away from the things that hurt them and wreck their relationship with him. When Israel’s gaze wandered, he was merciful to call them back.
Joseph and Us
When bad things happen to people who are caring and honest, and criminals get away with their crimes, we wonder why God allows such injustice. The story of Joseph and his brothers highlights the fact that our sufferings are not always just about the sanctification of our own hearts, although the ways we respond to suffering are indicative of fruit (or lack of it). Joseph responded with integrity for example, and he was rewarded.
The events of Joseph’s life from slavery to Governorship are a kind of regeneration story, pointing to Christ. Jesus went to the cross, but he did nothing wrong. He paid for the sins of all his brothers and sisters – us included – but his suffering was essential for our salvation. When our eyes are opened, we see that we belonged on that tree, just as Joseph’s brothers belonged in that prison for what they did. Yet Joseph glorified God by the way he handled unjust suffering.
Joseph wept when he was reunited with his brothers. He was dead to them and, essentially, they were dead to him. Christ wept outside the tomb of Lazarus, where he knew he would resurrect his friend from the dead. He had a purpose in allowing Lazarus to die: “It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (v.4). He would bring Lazarus back to life in order to be glorified, and he planned to show every onlooker that he was both man and God, since only God had the power to restore life from death. But the pain and grief came first. There is no need to call on the Lord or come to him with our needs if we have none.
God’s Word regularly reminds us that he is in the business of restoring life, even when it seems like there is no hope. This is what he does when Joseph and his brothers are reunited in true repentance and forgiveness – he revives a dead relationship. And he literally brings Lazarus back to life. Jesus defeats death himself by rising from the tomb.
When we recognize that we are dead in our trespasses and that only Jesus saves, then Joseph and Lazarus should point us straight to the empty tomb. God is glorified when we declare his saving power to claim victory over our own sin which separated us from God. It becomes a testimony which connects us to generations of the faithful, while also leading others to Jesus Christ when we choose to suffer with patience, mercy and integrity. When we see others walking around like the living dead, there is still hope; even a hard-hearted brother like Judah was not beyond the reach of God’s regenerating mercy.
Time to Transform
Joseph obeyed God while the Lord permitted him to endure a great deal of pain. We must also be willing to obey the Lord, even when people hurt us or our prayers appear to not be heard or are answered with a “no” for now. We might endure chronic pain, oppression from a hard-hearted family member, or grieve in some other way where the pain seems to be endless.
But when we realize that God is purposeful and loves us, we also remember that he rewards the faithful in astonishing ways. This should make us hopeful, because when we are watching and working for the glory of God, we will be awed and overwhelmed by the ways this takes shape, and grateful that we get to see what he has in store for our lives.
Sources
Theology of Work - "Judah's Transformation to a Man of God"
Ligonier - "5 Things You Should Know about Sanctification"
The Gospel Coalition - "Why God Allows Some Things to Get Worse Before They Get Better"
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