The Shepherd in Prison

Joseph is not guided by ease, but by the Lord who shepherds a man through prison, waiting, favor, and famine. In confinement he does not turn inward. He notices the sorrow of others, asks after them, and serves them. As Chrysostom says, “said, Wherefore do you look so sadly today? Genesis 40:7 And not from this question only, but from the conduct of these men, we may discern his merit.” The righteous man is not excused from duty by his own affliction.

Then, after delay, God brings hidden wisdom into the open. Joseph does not seize glory; he speaks what God gives, and his prudence becomes bread for many. Plenty is not given for waste, but for foresight, restraint, and the preservation of life when want arrives. So the Psalm is fulfilled not in softness, but in obedience: the Lord leads His servant “in the paths of righteousness,” and that path may pass through a dungeon before it reaches the king’s court.

Clement says of the Psalm, “He Himself is the good Shepherd and Lawgiver of the one flock, of the sheep who hear Him, the one who cares for them, seeking, and finding by the law and the word, that which was lost;” Therefore to call the Lord our Shepherd is also to receive Him as Lawgiver. We are fed so that we may become faithful stewards; we are comforted so that we may endure the valley without murmuring; we are preserved so that others may live. If He is with us in the shadow of death, then let us walk, not sit down in self-pity, and let our households learn thrift, mercy, and steadfast prayer.