Psalms 105:17-32: a reflection

17He sent a man before them. Joseph was sold for a slave. 18They bruised his feet with shackles. His neck was locked in irons, 19until the time that his word happened, and the LORD’s word proved him true. 20The king sent and freed him, even the ruler of peoples, and let him go free. 21He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all of his possessions, 22to discipline his princes at his pleasure, and to teach his elders wisdom. 23Israel also came into Egypt. Jacob lived in the land of Ham. 24He increased his people greatly, and made them stronger than their adversaries. 25He turned their heart to hate his people, to conspire against his servants. 26He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen. 27They performed miracles among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. 28He sent darkness, and made it dark. They didn’t rebel against his words. 29He turned their waters into blood, and killed their fish. 30Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the rooms of their kings. 31He spoke, and swarms of flies came, and lice in all their borders. 32He gave them hail for rain, with lightning in their land.

As the psalm recounts Joseph's story, it names something about the long, hard years between his being sold as a slave and his rise to power: until the time that his word happened, the LORD's word proved him true. In the years of slavery and imprisonment, before God's promise to Joseph was fulfilled, the word of the LORD tested and proved him. There was a long testing time between the promise and its fulfillment, and in it Joseph was proved, refined, until the time came for God's word to be fulfilled. The waiting was not empty; it was a testing that proved Joseph true until the promise came to pass.

Notice the testing time before the fulfillment: the LORD's word proved Joseph until it came to pass. God had given Joseph dreams of a future exaltation; but between the dream and its fulfillment lay long years of slavery and imprisonment, a testing time. And in that time, the word of the LORD tested and proved him, refining him until the time for its fulfillment came. The promise was not fulfilled at once; there was a testing, a proving, a waiting, in which Joseph was refined. The word that had promised his future also tested him in the waiting, until at last it came to pass. The testing time was part of God's working, not a delay to be despised.

That is worth taking to heart, for there is often a testing time between God's promise and its fulfillment, in which we are proved. We may have a sense of what God has promised, a hope of what he will do; but between the promise and its fulfillment often lies a testing time, a season of waiting and hardship, in which we are proved and refined, as Joseph was tested until his word came to pass. The waiting is not empty; it is a proving. When you are in a testing time between God's promise and its fulfillment, do not despise the waiting as empty; it is a proving, as Joseph was tested until the time his word came to pass. Endure the testing time between God's promise and its fulfillment as a proving, not an empty delay, trusting that God is refining you until the time comes, as the LORD's word tested and proved Joseph until it came to pass; for there is often a testing between the promise and its fulfillment, and in it God proves and refines us until his word is fulfilled.

Lord, as the psalm recounts Joseph's story, it names something about the long, hard years between his being sold as a slave and his rise to power: until the time that his word happened, the LORD's word proved him true. In the years of slavery and imprisonment, before your promise to Joseph was fulfilled, your word tested and proved him. There was a long testing time between the promise and its fulfillment, and in it Joseph was proved, refined, until the time came for your word to be fulfilled. Show me the testing time before the fulfillment: your word proved Joseph until it came to pass. You had given Joseph dreams of a future exaltation; but between the dream and its fulfillment lay long years of slavery and imprisonment, a testing time. And in that time, your word tested and proved him, refining him until the time for its fulfillment came. The promise was not fulfilled at once; there was a testing, a proving, a waiting. The testing time was part of your working, not a delay to be despised. Take that to my heart, for there is often a testing time between your promise and its fulfillment, in which I am proved. I may have a sense of what you have promised, a hope of what you will do; but between the promise and its fulfillment often lies a testing time, a season of waiting and hardship, in which I am proved and refined, as Joseph was tested until his word came to pass. The waiting is not empty; it is a proving. When I am in a testing time between your promise and its fulfillment, keep me from despising the waiting as empty; it is a proving, Lord. Help me endure it as a proving, trusting that you are refining me until the time comes, as your word tested and proved Joseph until it came to pass.