Where's the Mystery?

I watched a sitcom recently where a married couple lamented that after twenty years, they had no secrets left anymore. They were struggling with the idea that they knew each other so well that there was no more mystery, nothing new to learn. Sometimes I feel that way about God. While I would never say that I know everything about the Bible, there are parts of the Bible I think I know so well that there is no mystery left.

In Sunday school, we’ve been studying Joseph. I was scheduled to teach about his time in Potiphar’s house and prison. These are stories I know. I’ve been hearing them since childhood. I planned the lesson without reading the associated passages in Genesis. I wrote a small skit for the children and downloaded a craft. Everything was ready.

Saturday night I started to feel like a cheater. How could I teach something I hadn’t read? I don’t need to read it, I reasoned. What kind of example is that for the children? They won’t know I haven’t done it, I thought. But I couldn’t erase the feeling that it was somehow wrong not to do all of the work.

So I turned to Genesis 39 and began to read. I’ve gone through many philosophies about Joseph’s life. I’ve thought that the tragic events just happened and God was able to redeem them in the end for His good purpose. I’ve thought that Joseph was arrogant in his youth and God needed to humble him before he could be entrusted with such a high position.

When I read it this time, I saw something I never considered before. Genesis 39:6 says “He [Potiphar] left all that he owned under Joseph’s authority; he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.” Now Potiphar was a high ranking official in Egypt, he didn’t have a regular house. He owned slaves and verse 5 tells us that he also had fields. Joseph was in charge of managing people and resources for an estate. Sounds like an excellent training ground for someone who will one day run a country and manage its resources during times of plenty and famine.

This correlation continues during Joseph’s wrongful imprisonment. Genesis 39:22 and 23a say “The warden put all the prisoners who were in prison under Joseph’s authority, and he was responsible for everything that was done there. The warden did not bother with anything under Joseph’s authority.” Once again Joseph was in a position of leadership and management.

I was rocked. I’ve often said that everything works for God’s purpose, but I felt like His purpose was an abstract thing. It seems like we suffer hardship for some reason God understands, but we may never comprehend. While I have trust in Him, the concept made me feel adrift. After reading this passage, I looked at it in a whole new way. God was training Joseph to be the leader Egypt would need in the future. On-the-job-training is not an abstract thing, it’s very tangible.

I reexamined my own time of hardship. For once, I looked at it as more than something I had to live through. I looked at it as a time of training, for what? I don’t know, but I’m hopeful God’s purpose will become evident in due time.Now these revelations didn’t affect my Sunday school lesson, but they did affect me. God reminded me that there is always something new to learn in His word; even in the stories we’ve known since childhood.