BUILDING A LIFE OF CHARACTER

2 Samuel 22:26 (NLT) 26 "To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity.

Last week I journaled on integrity (Living A Life Of Integrity) and got a lot of positive responses.  Please indulge me as I continue to speak to this subject as it is something still gnawing on my heart.

Joseph, in the Bible is a perfect example of character.

There are 4 things we can learn from the life of Joseph:

1. Integrity
2. Forgiving spirit
3. Total trust in God
4. Faithful to God’s promise

Integrity

The clearest example of Joseph’s ability to maintain a highest degree of integrity was when he was tempted by Potiphar’s wife (Gen 39:6-20).

Consider Joseph’s situation: bought as a slave by Potiphar, evaluated to the top of the household, seduced by the master’s wife, not once, twice but continuously, lesser characters would have succumbed, rather went to jail than to betray his master and his integrity. Note his response to Potiphar’s wife: “how can I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” 

He considered if he succumbed to the temptation of his mistress, he would betray not only his master but also God.

The second example of Joseph’s integrity is - He told good news and bad news: in jail, he told the good news to the cupbearer and the bad news to the baker (Gen 40:1-19). He relayed what he received from God and passed on as is. He did not put any spin on the message. 

Forgiving spirit

This is probably the most obvious of Joseph’s virtue.

He forgave his brothers. He looked back and understood his brothers’ crime to sell him into slavery was in fact part of God’s plan to save lives (Gen 45:4-8a). 

This is the secret of Joseph’s ability to forgive. He looked back and he understood that God allowed him to be sold into slavery was because he had a plan for him – a plan for him to rescue Israel’s household from famine. 

When he looked back, he understood God allowed the injustice for him to be wrongly accused by Potiphar’s wife was because he had a plan for him – a plan to allow him to meet with the cupbearer in prison. 

When he looked back, he understood why God allowed the cupbearer to forget about him and left him in prison when the cupbearer was restored to his former position, it was because God had a plan for him – a plan for the cupbearer to finally introduce him to Pharaoh. 

In prison or in slavery, he did not bear any grudge against those who had wronged him because he knew these injustices and misfortunes can only happen under the will of God, he may not understand right now but he will understand one day.

Over a decade ago there was an attempt on the life of Pope John Paul. Fortunately, the Pope lived. After he recovered, he shocked the world when he made a visit to Rome’s Rabbibia Prison to see the man who had attempted to assassinate him on Christmas day. 

Millions watched on television as the Pope visited with Mehmet Ali Agca, who only two years before had tried to assassinate him. The Pope and terrorist huddled in Agca’s cell for 20 minutes, talking in low voices that could not be heard. When he emerged John Paul explained, "I spoke to a brother whom I have pardoned."

Through this incident Pope John Paul clearly demonstrated the spirit of Christian forgiveness. 

Joseph’s forgiveness extended to outside the family, we do not hear Joseph pay back Potiphar’s wife, or Potiphar, or the cupbearer for forgetting him in prison. The argument from silence may not be convincing but it is consistent with Joseph’s character.

Total trust in God

There are many ups and downs in his life. 

Joseph  was brought up as a favored son of his father, because of that he was envied by his brothers and sold into slavery.

He is then bought into household of Potiphar, tempted by his mistress and as a consequence thrown into prison.

In prison, he was evaluated to a position of responsibility in prison, he interpreted the dream of the cupbearer (and the baker), but forgotten and left behind in the dungeon.

Lesser person would have complained and given up. Joseph continued to put his faith and trust in God.

Faithful to God’s promise

We often only celebrate Joseph’s achievements and success without realizing they are only transient and temporary.

Josephs’s first big test is over the temptation with Potiphar’s wife.  

Second comes when he was evaluated to be the prime minister of Egypt (Gen 41:44-45). 

Pharaoh gave name a new name, a new identity. Sapnat-Paneah can mean: “hiding discoverer” (Josephus) or “the god has said: he will live” or “the man he knows”, all with a strong religious overture. 

Then Pharaoh gave him a wife from the priestly family (he did not ask for that and not up to him to refuse).

 It would be very easy for Joseph to be totally assimilated to the Egyptian upper class society and forget the faith of his fathers. 

We have every reason to believe that Joseph maintained his faith and witness throughout his long tenure as the PM of Egypt. 

Indeed, according to the Jewish legend, Joseph not only maintained his faith, he even converted his wife Asenath from idolatry to true faith to worship the God of Israel.

When the author of Hebrews in the NT commended the heroes of faith in the Old Testament, when he came to Joseph, he did not praise him for his achievements, nor his ability to discern dream, nor his administrative skills, not even his ability to forgive his brothers. 

In the entire life of Joseph, the single incident that he singled out is the last act of Joseph, his instruction to the sons of Israel that they should bring his bones out of Egypt and the prophesy that God will bring His people out of Egypt.

It is very easy when we become successful in our career, when we move up the social ladder, when we get recognition, we lose sight of our calling, we lose sight that  our permanent citizenship belongs to the kingdom of God.

At the end, the greatest success of Joseph is not so much his secular achievements, impressive as they are, but his single-mindedness to follow, to trust and to obey God, no matter what consequences and under what situation. 

Joseph has been an inspiration me of Building A Life Of Character and I pray and trust through studying his life story that he  also may  be an inspiration to you.