God's Word Refines Us and Prepares us To Receive His Promises

"He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:

"Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:

"Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.

"The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.

"He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:

"To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom." (Psalm 105: 17-22)

Psalm 105 outlines perfectly how God used the trials of Joseph not just to try his faith, not just to prosper this favored son of Jacob, but to save many ( Genesis 45: 7; 50: 20)

Psalm 105:19 is very revealing. Another translation provides the following insight:

"Till the time of the coming of His word The saying of Jehovah hath tried him." (Young's Literal Translation)

"The saying of Jehovah" refers to the dreams that Joseph had received as a young boy. We have greater promises through Christ:

"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." (2 Peter 1: 4)

These promises are fulfilled in Christ:

"For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us." (2 Corinthians 1: 20)
Now, for us the Jesus Christ is the Word (John 1: 1), and He is with us, speaking to us through His Holy Spirit (John 14: 18). "The Word of the Lord tried (literally "refined") him," suggests that through all of his trials, Joseph was ministered to and made perfect by the Word of God.

His Word is spirit and truth (John 6: 63), and by His Word, we are made free (John 8: 32).

By the Spirit of God, through His Word, we are transformed from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3: 18), refined to be more like Him..

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." (Romans 8: 29)

God's Word promises great things to us and we are refined by God's Word to receive these promises!