Genesis 39:22
And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.
Though unjustly imprisoned on false accusation, robbed of liberty and name while conscious of innocence, Joseph was given full charge of all the prisoners and their affairs, so that whatever was done there was done through him. This trust was given because the Lord was with him and gave him favor with the keeper, and because he was faithful and upright in all that was entrusted to him. God had not forgotten or forsaken him in captivity, but overruled the enemy's devices and the harm meant against him for good, safely guarding his blackened reputation until in His own time He caused it to shine. The discipline of prison was suffered for a time to prepare him to govern others and to fill an exalted position, leading through God's leading to honor and a share in Egypt's throne. Humbled but not degraded, he forgot his own troubles in cheerful, useful service to his fellow prisoners, and his unconquered virtue stands as a pattern of integrity for all generations, proving that sufferers for right are exalted in God's time.
Joseph's Charge in Prison
Genesis 39:22 finds Joseph in unjust imprisonment for refusing to yield his integrity, bound with fetters in a gloomy prison on false accusation and calumny. He had been robbed of liberty, name and character though conscious of innocence, with no prospect of release, and was treated as a criminal despite his virtue. The keeper of the prison committed to his hand all the prisoners that were in the prison and all their affairs, giving him full control over everything placed in his charge, so that whatsoever was done there he was the doer of it. This charge over the prisoners and their affairs was soon committed to him in confinement, and his service through adversity and hardship there became a preparation for greater usefulness and an exalted position.
This trust was given because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him favor with the keeper, and because Joseph was faithful, upright, and worthy of trust in what was entrusted to him. Faithfully doing his duties wherever he was made him a power for good even in prison. Surrounded in Egypt by idolatry, royal pomp, wealth, culture, and sights and sounds of vice, he preserved simplicity and fidelity to God, did not let his thoughts linger on forbidden subjects, was not ashamed of the religion of his fathers, and made no effort to hide that he was a worshiper of Jehovah. In Pharaoh's prison he had light in himself, not believing truth merely because others said it was truth but knowing it for himself by searching the Scriptures and pleading for God's Spirit, so that with that personal experience nothing could turn him from the truth.
The prosperity attending everything under his hand was not a direct miracle but his industry, care and energy crowned with the divine blessing, which he credited to God's favor. Without steadfast, well-directed effort success could never have come, yet even his idolatrous master accepted that divine favor as the secret of his success.
Faithfulness Prepared and Exemplified
God had not forgotten or forsaken Joseph in captivity, and His watchful care remained over him in hardship and imprisonment even when he was surrounded by idolaters in Egypt. Bound with fetters and kept in a gloomy prison for refusing to yield his integrity, robbed of liberty, name and character, he remained conscious of innocence and still trusted God. That trust was met with favor with the keepers, so that charge of all the prisoners was soon committed to him.
God turned the misfortune of imprisonment into a blessing by giving him that favor and entrusting all the prisoners to his care. What appeared to be defeat while he was treated as a criminal despite his virtue became victory even as he suffered for doing right, for God overruled the harm and all the enemy's devices for good. Though debased for a while by wicked revenge through calumny and false accusation, he was kept unconquered amid snares and the most corrupting influences, with no taint left upon his virtue and integrity by firm principle and unwavering trust in God. God safely guarded the reputation blackened by a wicked accuser until in His own good time He caused it to shine, and made the prison itself the way to elevation.
The affliction and discipline of prison were suffered for a time to prepare him to fill an important and exalted position. There he learned obedience and how to govern others by having responsibility for the prisoners and all their affairs, and God's hand led him through these trials to prosperity, honor, and at last to share Egypt's throne. His faithful service amid adversity and false accusation made him worthy of trust and fitted him for greater usefulness and later responsibility. His conduct under prison authority proved courage, uprightness and wisdom tested and proved.
Though unjustly confined, he was humbled but not degraded. He forgot his own troubles in caring for the needs of his suffering companions, meeting their troubles with cheerful, useful service. Even under degrading injustice his faithfulness to principle kept his temper kind and his sympathy for others warm, and he brought his Christian principles into practical use by helping fellow prisoners and making himself useful. As he humbled himself, the Lord exalted him.
In captivity he served as a representative of God, honoring God in adversity without compromising his faith, so that God's blessings could reach others through knowledge of Him. In purity and uprightness he stood in marked contrast to worshipers of idols, with the light of heavenly grace shining amid the darkness of heathenism. Though unjustly condemned with no prospect of release, the same integrity he showed in adversity was later evident in Pharaoh's palace.
The verse stands as an example to all generations and a pattern of integrity worthy of contemplation and imitation by those forming characters to stand the test of the judgment. It proves that virtue kept unconquered amid snares brings its own reward in time, and that such sufferers are exalted in God's time as much higher as for a while they were debased. With God as a present help and His Spirit as a shield there is defense at hand and a source of strength to resist even the severest temptations, and it will be their own fault if they are not preserved. Faithfully doing one's duties wherever one is, and standing firm to principle under trial as a tried and proved youth, can make a person a power for good and worthy of imitation.