Delayed Dreams and Divine Deliverance: A Five-Day Look at the Journey of Joseph, Part 1

A note to the reader:

In this multi-day devotion series, we will look to Scripture to examine the life of Joseph. In this account God’s deliverance appeared delayed, yet in actuality it was His divine plan. I invite you to study the passage with me, take notes, ask questions, and then record your thoughts and personal application in a journal or the notes app on your phone. By the end of the week, I pray we will have a greater understanding of how delays and deliverance are a part of God’s sovereignty.

The Pit of Despair

Read: Genesis 37

Before continuing in this devotion, first read Genesis 37.

Have you seen the famous movie, The Princess Bride? In this movie, the leading man Westley finds himself narrowly escaping the Fire Swamp with his love interest Buttercup, only to be taken—alone—by his rival Humperdink to the infamous “Pit of Despair.” Only Westley’s enemies know the way to it. Within it lies torture and pain at the hands of his enemies apart from anyone Westley knows or loves. The Pit is as despairing as it sounds.

I picture Joseph feeling like he has been thrown into a “pit of despair” in today’s passage. In verses1–11 we read of life before the pit. Joseph is loved by his father, even more than his brothers. This certainly caused tension and division amongst his siblings. When Joseph had two dreams that appeared to symbolize Joseph reigning over his brothers and family, his brothers’ jealousy grew. In Genesis, dreams are associated with divine revelations (Crossway, p114). Joseph received not one, but two special dreams; in addition to a special robe and attention! Perhaps his brothers were feeling especially excluded by both their father Jacob AND the God of Jacob in their jealousy.

This jealousy bred conspiracy and they seized an opportunity to get their revenge one day when pasturing their flocks. As Joseph approaches them, verse 18 tells us, “They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him.” While the brothers planned to murder Joseph, one brother named Reuben contended that they should not kill him. So instead, “...they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it” (v24).

Note the conditions of the pit that Scripture describes.

Joseph’s situation likely felt dire without water to drink, neither would he drown; God had a plan for Joseph. At the conclusion of chapter 37, we read that his brothers decided to make a profit from Joseph rather than gaining nothing by killing him, so they sold him to the Ishmaelites who took Joseph to Egypt.

I imagine—even though he had been pulled out of the pit—Joseph felt low. The chapter ends with the knowledge that Joseph was sold by the Midianites to Potiphar in Egypt. However, Joseph’s journey—and God’s plan—was far from over.

Application: Upon reading Genesis 37, do you resonate with Joseph’s predicament to a different degree with your world turned upside down, perhaps in a pit of your own? Or do you see yourself in the shoes of the brothers’ who are jealous of someone else having favor over them? Perhaps both. Write below what God might be revealing to you in His Word today about your perceived position while acknowledging that He has a greater plan.

(reflect and journal your thoughts in a journal, note-taking app, etc.) 

Written by Lizzy Blanchard