Reuben, Jacob's first son, didn't prevent Joseph's brothers from accomplishing their plan of selling Joseph to the Ismaelites. What seems to be Joseph's demise in appearance is indeed Hashem's powerful tool to work out not only Joseph's but all Israel's destiny.

When somebody walks in righteousness before God, he shall proper.

The three first verses of Psalm 1 summarize it well: " Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take, or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.

That person is like a tree planted by steams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither-whatever they do prospers."

The situation , as told in Genesis 39, seems quite difficult. Joseph is brought to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials. He becomes like a house slave to Potiphar.

But the Bible states: "The Lord was with Joseph, so that he prospered".

When our Lord is with someone, the person's circumstances don't matter. Hashem has the power to transform any situation into a blessing. Soon Potiphar notices that Joseph is successful in everything he does and he begins to trust him. Joseph is put in charge of the household. The Egyptian also inherits from our Lord's blessings, because of Joseph.

Everything seems to be allright when Joseph is faced with a tremendous problem.

In the face of temptation

We know from the text of Genesis 39 that Joseph was a handsome young man. 

Potiphar's wife lusted him badly, so badly that she invited him daily to have sex with her.

But Joseph was a righteous man, who placed obedience to Hashem's law above anything else. He refused to disobey God, regardless of what would happen.

Potiphar's wife was a very wicked person who tried a wile method to catch Joseph and force him to lie with her. She caught him by his cloak, but Joseph fled, leaving his cloak in her hands;

For Joseph, it was certainly difficult to prove his innocence. There were no witnesses and the wife seemingly had done what she was supposed to do in the case of a "rape". She reported to have shouted out loud to her husband.

Of course, her fake story angered her husband, who threw Joseph into jail, thinking that he had been used and abused by the Hebrew.

Being in prison seems to be a hopeless situation for many persons, but not when God is with you.

Even in prison, Joseph will know success, as the prison warden also favors him.

God's plan is in the process of being fulfilled. It is a long story of faith and patience.

Let us all have enough faith in our Lord who can transform our misfortune into the greatest success.