How long was Joseph in prison?

On Sunday we looked at Joseph’s incident with Potiphar’s wife and how it led to Joseph being put in prison.  As is often the case, the Bible compresses the timeline of Joseph’s life during this time.  If we give a cursory reading of Genesis 39 - 41 it can appear that Joseph begins serving in Potiphar’s house for only a short time before being thrown in prison.  Joseph then immediately is given the responsibility of running the prison shortly before he interprets the dreams of Pharaoh’s servants and then interprets Pharaoh’s dreams.

The reality is that Genesis 39-41 takes place over 13 years!  Here’s how we know that:

This is the account of Jacob’s family line.  Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.

Genesis 37:2

Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Genesis 41:46

This makes sense when we consider that Joseph would have served a long time in the house of Potiphar before being promoted, especially considering that it appears that Joseph was promoted twice.  So how long did Joseph serve before the incident with Potiphar’s wife?

The Bible never tells us directly, so we are left to speculate.  Many scholars believe that Joseph is in his early-to-mid twenties when Potiphar’s wife makes her move.  So that would mean that Joseph served for about 7-8 years before being thrown in prison. 

That leaves us with about 5-6 years for Joseph’s imprisonment.  We know from Genesis 41:1 that two years pass between Joseph interpreting the prisoners’ dreams and him interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams.  So putting this altogether we get this rough timeline:

Age 17 – Enters into Potiphar’s service.

Age 17 – 24 – Serves as house slave and is promoted to overseer.

Age 24 – Incident with Potiphar’s wife and imprisonment.

Age 24 -28 – Serves in prison and is promoted to prison overseer.

Age 28 – Interprets the cupbearer’s and chief baker’s dreams.

Age 28-30 – Stuck serving in prison.

Age 30 – Interprets Pharaoh’s dream and is elevated to #2 position in Egypt.

(How did you spend your late teens and twenties?!?)

Understanding Joseph’s timeline is important because we see how God used that time to prepare Joseph for his coming time as an administrator in Egypt. Joseph learned those skills first in Potiphar’s house, and then in further developed them in prison.  He also gained wisdom (albeit through hardship) and learned to depend on God.  It is very likely that he would have learned none of that as a pampered son in Hebron. 

Here is what I found to be true in my life – although I am grateful when God grants me time “on the mountaintop,” I don’t often learn much when I am there.  Rather, it is in the valleys…the difficult seasons of life…that I tend to learn what God is trying to teach me.

Here’s what’s happening:

1.  The National Day of Prayer is coming up on May 7.  There are community prayer gatherings in Quarryville and Strasburg during the day and a worship service at 6:15 pm at the WJTL’s Junction Center.  Info can be found here: https://lancasterndp.com

2.  May 10 – Double Nickels

3.  May 14 – Youth Group and Quilt Knotting at 6:30 pm.

4.  May 16 – Youth Group Campfire Hangout from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

5.  May 28 – Youth Group and Quilt Knotting at 6:30 pm.

5.  May 31 is “Graduation Sunday.”  We will be honoring our high school graduates during the worship service.  The youth group will have a celebration luncheon after the worship service.

6.  June 7  is “Quilt Dedication Sunday.”  We will be dedicating all of the quilts that have been knotted over the past school year.

7.  June 14 – Cruise for Christ Car Show.  The details for this outreach event are starting to come together.  We are inviting folks to come to the worship service at 10 am and then stay to check out the cars at 11:30 am.  Lunch will be provided!  Signup sheets for food donations and all the details are posted in the lobby.

8.  We will once again have a baptism service over the summer.  Please see me if you are interested in being baptized.

9.  July 6-10 – VBS from 6:30 t0 8:30 each evening. Theme is the Romans Road to Salvation.

10.  It is time for our annual “spring cleaning” of our email lists.  If you are receiving email blasts from the Bridge and would like to stop receiving them, please let me know. 

It won’t surprise you to learn that I am not a fan of being stuck waiting in line or being stuck in traffic.  Few of us are!  Waiting often feels like wasting…we are wasting time.  On Sunday we will study Genesis 40 and Joseph’s time spent being stuck in prison.  We’ll discover why waiting is NOT always wasting, and what God wants us to do when we feel “stuck” in life.  If you know of someone who is feeling “stuck” this would be a great week to invite them to join you at the Bridge.