Pearls of the Word

(Back to Index)

 

 



The word of the Lord refined Joseph

by Jean-Louis Coraboeuf

"They wounded his (Joseph) feet with fetters, he was laid in irons. until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord refined [tsaraph] him" (Psalm 105:18-19 Interlinear).

The Hebrew word tsaraph means 'to purify', 'to refine'. God purifies His people like gold and silver, "You have refined us [tsaraph] as silver is refined" (Psalm 66:10), "And I will refine [tsaraph] them as silver is refined, and I will try them as gold is tried" (Zechariah 13:9 Darby). Putting irons on Joseph's feet had not intended to give him reason, as suggested by 'The Voice' release.

But before seeing his dreams fulfilled, Joseph must have known the prison. He needed to be humbled before being elevated to governor of all Egypt. And in the same way that Joseph was purified by the word of the Lord, the Church must be purified, too, by the Word of the Lord to be the Bride of Christ – the highest dignity she can know.