Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. Genesis 39:20
Do you wonder how Potiphar slept that night? Or the night after? Probably not so well. And why didn’t Joseph try to defend himself? Why didn’t he plead his case? Because Joseph knew that he didn’t have an honest judge. Potiphar was not seeking the truth. He was looking for a way out of his difficult situation.
Jesus was in the same position. His judge, Pilate, also looked for a way out, which is why Pilate washed his hands. And so, like Joseph, “like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,” Jesus “opened not his mouth” (Isa. 53:7).
Thank God this world has a better judge than Potiphar or Pilate. Think of all the godly people in the Bible who have been falsely accused and wrongfully imprisoned—Joseph, Jeremiah, and Daniel in the Old Testament; John, Paul, and Jesus in the New. In addition to these, there have been thousands on every continent of this world, throughout history, who have been falsely accused, could not get fair trial, and have been wrongfully imprisoned.
But there will be a day of judgment when God Himself, who knows the hearts of all people, will be our Judge. There will be a day of vindication for all those who have been falsely accused and wrongfully imprisoned. Both those who spread lies and those who suppress the truth will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Before Him, all hearts are open, and from Him, no secret is hidden.
Consider this and you will soon find yourself saying, “I dare not speak the lie. I dare not suppress the truth. Where I have made false accusation, where I have pretended to have a virtue that I do not possess to the hurt of another person, I must confess. I must repent. I must seek forgiveness from God and from the person I have wronged.”
Where do you feel conviction of sin or comfort from the reminder of God’s justice today?
