One part of today's reading troubles me....it keeps repeating "The Lord was with Joseph and gave him success."
It certainly works well in this story, but the relationship between faith and success never seems so straightforward in this world. Many people who are faithful to God and the "the Lord is with" suffer because of it. Many who are hugely successful are immoral twerps.
However much Calvin may have wanted faith and success to be linked, they just aren't.
And though the Lord is certainly capable of granting success, I find it much more likely that Joseph was successful because he was a highly educated slave used to managing large households and great wealth. He came from generations of wealthy Hebrews. Compared to other slaves that were available in Potiphar's household, I would expect someone with Joseph's past to be more capable than the others at household, and jail, management.
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