Bibleworld :: Article

Text: Genesis 40

To be forgotten by those whom we expect to remember us is very painful. I had some experiences of people forgetting me and I know the pain of that. I too had forgotten someone when I ought to have remembered them. Thus I believe I pained them as well!

In Genesis 40 we have the story of the forgotten Joseph. Joseph had to be in Egypt due to a ‘divine- human plan’. He must have been less than twenty years when he landed in Egypt. He was thirty years when Pharaoh appointed him to be the governor of Egypt (41:46). The life of Joseph in Egypt was never smooth as a slave and away from his father and brothers and native place. He was being afflicted mentally, emotionally and physically. This is evident from what he himself says when Ephraim, his second son was born. He says “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction” (41:52).

Though Joseph was worthy to be honored with a position like Potiphar’s, he put him in prison believing his wife’s version of the story (39:1-20). This situation was potential enough to shatter his faith in God and to drive him to deep disappointment with God and with every thing else. But we see somehow Joseph is hanging on. How long he had to be in prison we do not know exactly. But God was working out his plan for Joseph when the chief butler and the chief baker of King Pharaoh offended the king their master (40:1-3). By the divine planning of God, they both ended up in the same prison where Joseph is being confined (v.3-4). It was by the same divine plan both of them had dreams in the same night. And it happened that Joseph observed their sad mood and asked them the reason. Joseph’s statement, “Do not interpretation belong to God? Tell them to me please” (v. 8), tells us that though his situation did have the potential to discourage him terribly, he still kept his hope in God though never knew how God would come to his rescue. This is what his grand father Abraham also did- ‘contrary to hope in hope believed’ (Rom. 4: 18).

Joseph interpreted the dream of the chief butler and then he requested him a favor. Since he will be released by Pharaoh, he asked him to do what he can to save him from the prison house. (v. 14). This shows Joseph’s absolute confidence in the interpretation he had given the butler. Joseph’s request was a very genuine one. And Joseph believed his rescue will happen through this butler! But he was fooled. “The chief butler did not remember Joseph but forgot him” (v. 23). I am sure after the butler was released, Joseph must have been counting the days when he is going to be released because the butler is going to recommend Pharaoh about him. How painful Joseph must have been when the thought dawned on him that the butler must have forgotten him! Indeed that was what happened-He forgot Joseph!

Why the butler did forget Joseph? Perhaps a human error. But God had something to accomplish through the forgetfulness of the butler. If the butler did remember Joseph and recommended to pharaoh and if Pharaoh released him, what could be the result? At the earliest Joseph would return to his place. But that was not the plan God had for Joseph. That was why the butler forgot Joseph. So that he might remember him in the appropriate time so as to fulfill the plan of God for Joseph and the whole family of Israel! And that is exactly what had happened. The forgetting of the butler led Joseph to deep distress but his remembrance of Joseph in God’s appointed time led him to be the ruler of the land.

Could God give Pharaoh a dream the day after or few days after the butler was released thus speeding up the release of Joseph? Yes He could. But God delayed giving the dream to pharaoh and let Joseph continue in prison for some more time. But Why? That was necessary for God’s preparation of Joseph to be the ruler of Egypt. He needed to spend time in prison with the nasty criminals to learn their modus operandi and thought patterns so that knowing the criminal’s mindset would help him govern the nation much better!

“Why did he/ she/they forget me?” Have you ever thought so? For a child of God, even people’s forgetfulness, ignoring, marginalization, isolation or sidelining could be means through which God accomplishes his plans. To enjoy this we need to come across such experiences. When everyone forgot Moses, God is sending him to Egypt with his mission. God remembers even when people forget. He remembers us and the good works we have done to people in his name due to our devotion to God so as to give us his rewards in due time.(Hebrews 6: 10). Let us never loose heart when people forget us. Even through that God must be accomplishing his plans for us.