Joseph is forgotten. Men are quick to forget the blessings of God, for the butler’s dream and his restoration were clearly from God. The world doesn’t care much about the fortunes of others; expect nothing from it. Yes there may be kindness, but don’t depend on it. Joseph Hall says, ‘The cupbearer admires him in the jail, but forgets him in the court. How easily doth our own prosperity make us either forget the deservings or miseries of others! But as God cannot neglect his own, so least of all in their sorrows.’
Men often receive a signal mercy from God without necessarily being converted. God does it to encourage them to seek him, or to be aware that he is the giver of all things. And yet because their minds are darkened, although they may thank God at the time, they soon forget him and attribute their good fortune to chance, or to their own skill or ability. They do this even though it was clear to them at the time that these things were beyond their power. Equally men may receive a fearful judgment from God. There was a young man who came home to find his father dead. He said at the time that he was praying earnestly, but a week later when he was asked about the prayers, he was ashamed and put them down to mere superstition.
Only two birthdays are mentioned in Scripture. Pharaoh and Herod [maybe Job’s sons also]. It is good to mark occasions especially for children. But there seems to be an age band between eighteen and twenty-five which suddenly takes them very seriously. We do not celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ at Christmas – how trivial that would be. Yes, we get people to think of the incarnation, but that is deeply significant.
God was preparing his character – no longer was he the spoilt sheltered favourite son of an aged father. He had to learn to master hard and cruel circumstances, and to turn them to account.
Joseph had learned to depend on the Lord in everything he did, and the Lord, having proved his love and faithfulness in these difficult days, knew that he could be trusted with days of plenty and power.
Joseph had been given practical experience and advice far beyond his contemporaries. Both in Potiphar’s house and in the prison he had gained vast managerial experience, and he had mixed with men who had held the highest offices in the land. In his lonely cell he had many hours to make mental notes of all he had learned.