What would our lives be like if we as Christians meditated on the manifestation of God’s divine favor in our lives verses our circumstances? In Genesis 39: 19-23, we witness Joseph being jailed for false accusations and yet thrive under imprisonment. How did he succeed? The answer is simply, God’s favor in the sight of the chief jailer. What does favor mean in the context of this passage. Favor is defined as “find favor in the eyes of men or of God”, “give favor in the eyes of man or of God”, and “obtain favor in the eye of the king”. In this particular case, Genesis 39 focuses on Joseph being the recipient of such favor. Favor, thereby, focuses on the recipient verses the giver.
In historical context of ancient Israel and the Near East, one’s face depicted favor. One would turn to another with his or her face indicating mercy or kindness. This disposition indicated favor towards a person. In parallel, Yahweh or God turns and shows his face in mercy or kindness to people. Therefore, in Gen 39:21, not only does God turn to Joseph in an act of mercy or kindness, but God prompts the jailer to also turn to Joseph in an act of mercy and kindness. Their dispositions allow Joseph to receive mercy and kindness in the face of hardships.
Joseph’s hardships which include imprisonment demonstrate life being lived at great risk. He endures deceit, temptation, and seduction. However, he remains faithful to God in face of these hardships. The hardships endured do not reflect his faithfulness to God. Despite his imprisonment, Yahweh makes his own judgement. His judgement is granting favor to Joseph.
God’s act of favor with Joseph in this context differs from grace. Grace describes a covenant and long term relationship. A covenant relationship depicts rights and obligations as well as a favorable attitude from each person within the relationship. Unlike the definition of grace, favor does not possess obligation and therefore can be withdrawn without consequence. Favor does not require both parties to mutually practice it; it varies in length of time, and it can be provided for a specific situation only. In Joseph’s case, he is the recipient of favor and does not practice favor in return. In addition, his favor occurs during his specific situation of imprisonment. Despite the length of his favor, God indicates that during hardships, he grants mercy and kindness to his people.In particular, Gen 39: 19-23 recounts his hardship of being falsely imprisoned, while affirming God’s mercy and kindness towards him..
Joseph’s narrative continues to resonate with today’s Christians. Living a faithful life does not guarantee a life free from risks or harsh outcomes. However, during those pressing moments, God demonstrates that he provides favor. He continually extends mercy and kindness towards his people. Therefore, as Christians rely on God in all circumstances, God continues to provide during life’s experiences. As God continually provides, let us meditate on his goodness and favor verses our hardships. The outcome of our meditation allows us to conquer the deceit, temptation, and pain encountered.
