Genesis 37:27-28 – “Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him.  28 Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. Thus, they brought Joseph into Egypt.”  NASB

The story of Joseph is one of the most fascinating stories in the Bible for me.  It is an account of a young man who had heard the story of his great-grandfather Abraham from his father and grandfather from the time he could remember.  He was educated, and the truth of the Abrahamic Covenant had been planted in his heart daily.  It took root and produced the fruit of righteousness and faith, as evidenced by what transpired in his life.

In Genesis 37, we find his brothers selling him to the Ishmaelites, who sold him to Potiphar, an Egyptian officer, the captain of the bodyguard of Pharaoh.  But in Psalm 105:18-19 we find these words regarding Joseph – “They afflicted his feet with fetters, He himself was laid in irons; 19 Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him.” NASB 

If you trace the route likely taken by the caravan, it would have passed within eyesight of Jacob’s camp.  Joseph had been trussed up like an animal, placed in a cage, and hung on the side of a camel.  It was more than just being chained. It affected him to his inner person, and had he not handled it, in God, he would have died a bitter old man in Egypt, but he did not.

His troubles did not end in Potiphar’s house.  There he was falsely accused of attempted rape.  I believe that it is likely that Potiphar believed Joseph was innocent.  Why?  Because Egyptian law required the offender to be killed, but instead of killing Joseph, he imprisoned him.  Potiphar had to save face and do something, but he did not exercise the demand of the law, which tells me that he believed Joseph. 

Joseph was promoted in prison because of God’s hand upon him; had he been a bitter man, this would never have happened.  Each trial only made him better rather than bitter. 

God tested him, and when the right time came, he was promoted to 2^nd in the most powerful nation of the existing world of his day.  God worked all things together for his good.  None of them were good in themselves individually, but when they worked together, they produced a mighty, godly, powerful leader that would preserve the seed nation of the Messiah.

In life, things either make us “bitter or better,” and the choice is ours.  We can elect to become bitter and angry, filled with resentment and seek revenge or allow the desire and drive to retaliate to rise, or we can become “better” and “godly.”  God is there for us but allows us to make the choice.  Everything in life is an opportunity to either become embittered or rise to new heights in God and become more Christ-like.  It is our choice!

May God help you become better, not bitter, in life!  Blessings as you go through your day!