But The Lord
Genesis 39:21 (ESV) But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. Having been falsely accused while he responded as righteously as possible to the sexual advances of Potiphar's wife, Joseph is given no trial and thrown into the prison. We tend to make light of this moment. Prisons in our day offer prisoners much more than the ancient world. In fact, the literature we read and the tourist sites we explore reveal just how inhuman most ancient prisons were. Joseph's prison experience is given some detail in Psalm 105: Psalm 105:17–18 (ESV) he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. 18 His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron ; Joseph was chained by the neck and ankles. Picture that for a moment. This would be unthinkable today and it was exactly what he got for doing the right thing. Joseph got exactly the opposite of what he SHOULD have re...