Till Shiloh Comes by Gilbert Morris Page A

I’ll take care of you very well, you may be sure!”
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    Though he was a hard man, Ahmed viewed Joseph as extremely valuable property and would not allow any of his men to abuse him. He was also gifted in the art of healing, and by the time his caravan reached the borders of Egypt, Joseph was at least free from his aching bones, and the large purplish bruises had mostly disappeared. The cuts and gashes were also healing, but he would be left with some nasty-looking scars.
    The scars on his body, however, were nothing compared to the deep inner pain he suffered. As he trudged southward day after day, his past haunted him, causing such pain and sorrow he could not endure it. He had many times in his life purposed in his heart to be a better son and brother, but such promises, even to himself, had always been short-lived. He wished he could turn back time and fulfill those promises now, but it was too late. He could not escape God’s judgment and now had to endure a fiery trial in which his very soul, it seemed, would be consumed.
    At times Joseph tried to excuse his behavior as the natural result of his father’s having spoiled him from before he could walk. As a child he accepted all the gifts he received as his right, and he took it for granted that he would be allowed his own way and deserved the special privileges afforded him that his brothers never received.
    Often at night, lying awake when his captors and the other slaves were asleep, he now wondered why he had never seen himself as he really was, but he never arrived at an answer. Examining his life was now a painful thing to Joseph, and he had no hope whatsoever for the future, no hope for an escape from a lifetime of slavery. His heart was heavier than the sands of the desert as he trudged deeper into a foreign land, each step taking him farther and farther from all he had known and loved.
    Despite the pitiful state into which he had sunk, a change began in his spirit he could not account for. All of his life Joseph had believed that God had a special purpose for him, but he had never pursued a deeper relationship with the only One who could direct him toward that purpose. It had been too easy listening to his own voice and pursuing his own heedless ways. Now, however, since all this was lost to him, he could put his active imagination and keen analytical mind to work.
    God can do all things, he thought as he trudged along beside a tall, motley-colored camel. He knows where every person in this world is and what they’re doing. He knew when I was born, what I would be, and what I would do. I can look back and see what I’ve been, but only the Lord knows what’s in the future. It must be that something awaits me besides being a slave .
    Such thinking led to genuine repentance, and a tiny flame of faith began to grow in Joseph as they made their way deeper into Egypt. When they reached Thebes, the sight of the magnificent buildings and the busy commerce of the large thoroughfares captured his full attention. He was able to think of the here and now, and somehow the future did not seem as dark and miserable as it had when he had begun this journey.
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    â€œThere’s Potiphar’s house. That’s where you will be living if I can make a sale,” Ahmed said, pointing with his whip toward a fine home that rose several stories. Its polished white-stone facade glowed in the afternoon sunlight, and it was delightfully surrounded by flowers and trees, giving the house a cool, inviting appearance.
    â€œYour master’s name will be Potiphar. He’s a very important man. A shrewd dealer too. It will be quite a struggle between us to settle this deal. He will want you for nothing, but I will not accept less than what you’re worth. We will try to get each other so drunk that one of us can cheat the other!” Ahmed said with a hearty laugh. Then with a crafty wink at Joseph, he went on, “Ah, but I can hold my liquor