Lifted from the Pit: When Betrayal Becomes the Path to Blessing

“Then Midianite men, traders, passed by; so they pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit…”— Genesis 37:28 (TLV)

When Dreams Lead to a Pit

Joseph was a dreamer. Favored by his father, marked by vision, and destined for greatness. Yet those very dreams ignited jealousy in the hearts of his brothers. What followed was betrayal: a pit, a transaction of silver, and exile in a foreign land.

From a human perspective, Joseph’s story looks like a tragic interruption of promise. But Scripture reveals something deeper. God was not absent in the pit. He was working quietly, intentionally, redemptively. The pit was not the end of Joseph’s story—it was the doorway to his destiny.

The Pit Is a Place of Preparation

The pit can represent those seasons where hope feels buried. Where waiting replaces clarity and silence replaces answers. Yet throughout Scripture, God meets His people in low places.

“He brought me up out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire. Then He set my feet on a rock and made my steps firm.”— Psalm 40:2 (TLV)

Joseph’s descent was not punishment; it was preparation. In obscurity, his character was formed. In injustice, his faith was refined. What looked like delay was divine development. Often, the very places we try to escape are the places where God is shaping us for what’s next.

The Hidden Hand of Divine Providence

Joseph’s brothers acted with evil intent, yet their actions could not override God’s purposes.

“You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…”— Genesis 50:20 (TLV)

In Hebrew this is known as hashgachah pratit—the personal, detailed providence of God. Even betrayal falls under His authority. Even injustice becomes an instrument of redemption. God does not waste pain; He transforms it. What others intend to destroy us, God uses to position us for life-giving impact.

Joseph: A Prophetic Picture of the Suffering Messiah

Joseph’s story reaches beyond his own life. It prophetically points forward to Messiah Yeshua, the Suffering Servant.

• Joseph was beloved by his father, Israel — Yeshua is the beloved Son of the Father

• Joseph was rejected by his brothers — Yeshua came to His own, and His own did not receive Him

• Joseph was sold for silver — Yeshua was betrayed for silver

• Joseph was falsely accused yet remained faithful

• Joseph was raised from humiliation to authority — Yeshua was raised from the grave to the right hand of the Father

Joseph saved the very brothers who betrayed him. Yeshua offers salvation to Israel and the nations, even to those who rejected Him. This is God’s redemptive pattern: suffering before glory, rejection before restoration, death before life.

Hope for Those Still in the Pit

Every believer will face seasons of disappointment, confusion, and loss. But Joseph’s journey and Yeshua’s victory remind us that God’s presence does not disappear in hardship.

“After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace… will Himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you.”— 1 Peter 5:10 (TLV)

The pit is not your final address. It is a temporary place of preparation. God is shaping endurance, faith, and compassion that will one day bless others through you.

A Closing Prayer

Avinu Malkeinu, our Father and King,Thank You that even suffering is not wasted in Your hands. As You lifted Joseph from the pit and raised Yeshua from the grave, lift us from despair into hope. Strengthen us in trials and use our lives as vessels of blessing to others.

B’shem Yeshua HaMashiach, Amen.