The Word of the Lord Tried Him

By Joyce Webb 2021

“ Until the time that his word came:  the word of the Lord tried him.” Psalms 105” 19

The person who wrote this psalm was speaking about Joseph.

Psalms 31:15 David said to God: “My times are in thy hands.”

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There were several people in the Bible that the “word of the Lord tried” them.

Joseph had a dream from the Lord. In the dream —those of his family were bowing down to him.

Joseph was next to the youngest in his family. It is not reasonable that his older brothers or his parents would bow down to him.

Joseph was about 17 years old at the time.

You can imagine what a 17 year old boy would be thinking after a dream like this.

Joseph told his brothers and his father about these dreams. They became angry that Joseph would even think that they would bow down to him.

Joseph’s father sent him out to the fields to see how the brothers were doing. These fields were very far from the home.

When the brothers saw Joseph coming from far away—-they began to plan on doing something to him—because they were angry with him.

Some wanted to kill him. An older brother did not want him to be killed, but wanted to put him in a deep well —but now —had no water. He thought that later he would take Joseph out.

The brothers agreed to put Joseph in the empty well. Later, the younger brothers saw some men traveling on camels on their way to Egypt.

They decided to sell Joseph to them. They took Joseph’s coat and put some animal blood on it. They wanted it to look like an animal had killed Joseph and dragged him away.

When they went home, they told the father that an animal had killed Joseph and they showed him the coat.

But really—-Joseph was on his way to Egypt. Joseph had to be very afraid. What would happen to him?

God was watching.

Joseph was sold as a slave. But God was watching. He was bought by the captain of Pharaoh’s army. Pharaoh was the king of Egypt.

Joseph lived in a very nice house. Joseph had to learn the Egyptian language. He had to dress like an Egyptian.

He did whatever jobs the captain wanted him to do. Joseph did everything very well.

He did everything so well—the captain made him the one in charge of everything. Joseph was telling other people what to do for the captain.

Joseph could have been bitter and angry about what happened to him.

He could have frowned and been sad and mean and upset. He could have worked as little as he could—because it was unfair what happened to him.

Joseph did not do any of those things. He worked hard, he did his best, and he was happy and in a good mood.

Joseph probably thought about the dreams God had given him. He probably wondered how those dreams would happen when he was a slave—working for an Egyptian army captain.

While Joseph was being a leader in the captain’s house—the captain’s wife tried to get Joseph to make love with her. Joseph said, “No”.

She tried several times. Joseph said, No. She was angry—so she lied about him, she told her husband that Joseph tried to force her into making love.

The captain was very angry. He took Joseph and put him in a prison that was part of the king’s building.

No doubt, Joseph was thinking—how are the dreams that God gave me going to happen here in prison.

Joseph had been wrongly blamed for something he did not do. He could have been angry with God for letting it happen. He could have sat in prison being angry and upset.

He did not. He did what he was told. He was cheerful. The other prisoners liked him. The leader of the prison liked him. Then the leader of the prison let Joseph be in charge of some of the things about the prisoners.

While in prison, two of the men had dreams. God showed Joseph what the dreams meant. Joseph told the men what would happen to them. It came true.

Joseph asked the one man to tell the king about how he was in prison when he had done nothing wrong.

The man forgot about Joseph. Joseph was still in prison

Two years later, the man remembered Joseph. The king called for Joseph to come before him.

Joseph was 30 years old now. He was about 17 when he was sold into Egypt. He’s been in Egypt as a slave for about 13 years.

The king wanted someone to tell him what his dreams meant.
God showed Joseph what the dreams meant.

The king made Joseph a leader/ruler in Egypt.

When people came to see Joseph, they bowed down before him.

Later, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to get food grain. They had to go before Joseph. When they came in to the room, they bowed down before Joseph. Later, Joseph’s father came to Egypt, he also, bowed down before Joseph.

The dreams Joseph had came true. The brothers and the father saw that the dreams God had given Joseph came true.
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Joseph waited about 13 years before “the word of the Lord” came true in his life.

For 13 years—Joseph had to live through very hard things.
They were 13 hard years that tried the heart and spirit of Joseph.

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Abraham had a promise from God that he would have a son. Abraham was an old man when God gave him the promise.

You would think that since Abraham was already old, and his wife was old, that God would have let them have a son right away.

God did not.

Abraham’s wife tried to “help God” by telling Abraham to take her servant woman and have a child by her. In those days,— the child of a slave would belong to the Master.

Abraham did not want to do it, but his wife kept talking to him about it. Finally, Abraham gave in.

The slave woman had a son.
But the thing turned into a very bad situation. Because, Abraham’s wife, Sarah, became very jealous. Even though—it was all her idea.

Finally, God gave Abraham a son by his wife.

They waited 25 years before that son was born.

Abraham was 100 years old and his wife was 90. People lived more than 100 years in those days, but still—Abraham and Sarah were very old to be having a son.

The “word of the Lord” tried Abraham’s faith and heart for 25 years before God gave the answer.

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God promised David that he would be the next king of Israel.

Saul was the king. But Saul had disobeyed God. God told Saul that his son would not be king after him. God was going to choose another family to be the kings.

God chose David. David was about 17 years old.

Saul was jealous and angry. He chased David for about 13 years.
He tried to kill him. God protected David.

For about 13 years, David hid in caves, he moved from place to place. He had to watch all the time so Saul did not kill him.

The “word of the Lord” tried David’s heart for about 13 years before God’s promise came true.

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Sometimes, when we read God’s word, God speaks to our heart about something.

Yet that thing does not happen. We wait.

Abraham’s faith was strong. He never doubted that God would give him a son.

When God did give him a son—-God tested Abraham’s faith some more.

God asked Abraham to offer him as a sacrifice on an altar ! Abraham obeyed. He did not doubt.

God did not let him kill his son, but showed him a sheep to sacrifice, instead.

Joseph kept working hard where God put him. He stayed cheerful. He did not get angry or bitter.

David had times when he could have killed Saul—but David would not do it. David waited for God’s time to take Saul out.
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We can learn from these men. While you wait—do not do so in anger or bitterness. Do not be sad and upset.

Do not try to make things happen —-do not try to “help God out”.
Like Sarah did.

Wait for God’s timing. Wait for God to make it happen.
Like David did.

Keep the faith. Keep being cheerful. Do your best while you wait.
Like Joseph did.

Psalms 31:15 David said to God: “My times are in thy hands.”