Position Of Weakness

We are on Paul’s bold and inarguable statement about himself as a servant of God. Although Paul is giving a personal testimony about himself, it is one which his listeners know is true, for Paul has been their faithful servant, who has made the most of his ministry among them. He came to them, empty of this world’s riches, but laden with his Master’s riches. He came void of this world’s authority, but full of his Master’s authority. He was a servant who had no power of his own, but carried the undiminished power of his Lord. Paul’s open claim is that in himself and of himself, he is able to do nothing. Nonetheless, he is ever so quick and ready to lift high his Jesus and say that even though he is unable to do things in his own name and his own strength, he can do all things in the strength of Jesus Christ, his Lord and Master.

Standing on the words of Paul, we are taken, to see how they are given simple, but proud and profound testimony, witness and example in Joseph. Yes, it is the same Joseph, whose story is told to and known by even small children. Still, as adults, we love to hear about Joseph and tell about him, but alas, and sadly so, his story seldom impacts us in faith to surmount. Not many of us plug the power and proclamation of these words of Paul, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, into the life of Joseph. A bit of his history is necessary, as we recall some important landmarks and the sure and steady hand of providence in the colourful life of Joseph.

Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob, to whom God gave the name of Israel. Joseph and his siblings, eleven brothers and one sister, all lived together in the land of Canaan. Yes, it was the Promise Land, Canaan, which had been promised by Sovereign Lord God, to Joseph’s father, his grandfather and his great grandfather. Joseph, by his lineage, was a child of the promise. His name means, ‘Increaser’ or ‘He will add.’

Scripture informs us that along with his eleven other brothers, Joseph was a shepherd. His father Jacob had become too old to go out with his flocks so his sons tended the sheep for him. This job demanded that they travel far away from home at times, in search of green pasture for their father’s sheep. On one occasion when Joseph returned from tending their father’s sheep with his brothers, he brought back to their father, an unfavourable report of his brothers. His brothers did not like him at all, and the favour their father bestowed upon Joseph made them hate Joseph even more. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. Genesis 37: 4.

The mind of the brothers, save for Reuben, is to kill Joseph, but common sense prevails as this one brother persuades the other brothers not to kill Joseph. He is the one who makes the suggestion to throw him into the empty cistern. Reuben’s intention was to take him out later and take him back home to their father Israel. The other brothers do not physically take Joseph’s life, but they strip him of all that he has. They strip Joseph of his beloved robe; this precious and special gift of his father. They strip him of all warm clothing, food, water, family and more. In that empty, broken cistern into which he is literally thrown, that horrible pit, this son of Israel is there helpless to help himself. He is too weak, too poor, too powerless, too incapable and too empty to do anything for himself, big or small.

Here is Joseph, a son of Israel who had it all in his father’s house, is now a poor empty person. Can you see Paul? He who was once a high, wealthy, Pharisee of Pharisees, wielding authority, left right and centre, is now a man without any earthly power, riches and authority. Without stretching the imagination, do you see the poor states of each of these people of God as similar? Joseph was in a place where he experienced helplessness. Saul, as was his name before Paul, was also in a place where he experienced helplessness. Just as Joseph was unable to help himself in the darkness of that pit, so too Saul could not help himself in the darkness of un-sightedness. It was in such dire weakness, emptiness and utter helplessness, that the hand of providence began to be seen in these needy lives.

What are we seeing and hearing? One sure thing is that we all need to know such points of weakness, emptiness and helplessness, where we know that we are truly incapable of helping ourselves. Only then will we be able to give God full control and power over our powerless lives.

Stand and See! Weakness or Resilience!