“UNTIL THE TIME THAT HIS WORD CAME.”
By T. E. Bowen
“He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: until the time that His word came: the word of the Lord tried him.” Joseph’s experience contains many important lessons for us, upon whom the ends of the world have come. Joseph was without blame in being sold for a servant. He was “about his father’s business” when cruel hearts conceived his captivity. He went into the dungeon in Egypt, in innocency, faithfully maintaining his integrity with his God. Why should God permit such seemingly evil things to come upon so faithful and pure a servant as he?—Oh, God had a purpose, high, precious, and exalted, which He was working out, not only for Joseph, but for the entire seed of Abraham in the earth! None but himself knew that purpose either. It was not revealed even to Joseph. The word of God was trying him. Until the time—God’s time—came for deliverance, Joseph was left in the dungeon. He would have been glad of liberty, and doubtless pleaded earnestly with his God to release him. But the word was deferred three long years. At last the message from heaven came; it was enough. Joseph was fully tried, Egypt was ready, and “the king sent and loosed him.” Joseph’s career after that was one of royalty in the greatest nation of earth; but God had tried His servant, and the idolatries and luxuries about the throne could not move him from his loyalty to his God. Faith and patience are ours to exercise, while the purposes and times are in the Father’s hands. It needs the infinite wisdom of God to suit the purposes and times to our best good. He only knows when our tryings (trials) have accomplished their work. “Here is the patience of the saints.” “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” And we are exhorted to “let patience have her perfect work,” that we “may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” As we are brought more and more into the fiery tryings of these last days, we shall better understand what this patience means. May the Lord grant that, like Joseph, we shall humbly and patiently wait for the “time that His word” shall come to bring deliverance.