Despite his success in Egypt, Joseph was still a slave. That’s how he went to Egypt, and that’s the state he died in—a slave to Pharaoh. One indication of this was that he had to ask permission to go and bury his father (Genesis 49:4-5).
Pharaoh was kind to Joseph because of his good behavior, but he was still a slave. A respected slave, a wealthy slave, a powerful slave, but still a slave.
The only hope that Joseph had for changing his status, was found in what he told his brothers, "I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob” (Genesis 50:24, ESV).
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Joseph made sure to remind his brothers that despite their prosperity in Egypt, it is not their homeland. They have one that God has promised them. Their homeland is Canaan.
This is how we ought to view ourselves in this world. No matter how blessed, how wealthy, how powerful, how respected we may be in this world, as Christians, this world is not our home. We have one to come (Hebrews 13:14).
Notice how easy it was for a new Pharaoh to overturn the fortunes of Joseph’s family. That is how easy it is for earthly favor and prosperity to slip out of our hands. Let’s hold lightly to these things and hold firmly to the promises of God.
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