God never wastes his time.

Joseph was 17 years old(Gen. 37:2)

when he was hated by his older brothers

and was sold to the Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt (vv.25-28).

And he became a slave to an Egyptian named Potiphar(39:1).

But he was wrongfully accused (vv.7-18)

and was put in prison(vv.20-23) for 2 years (41:1).

So until Joseph became the Pharaoh’s second-in-command (v.43)

at the age of 30 years old (v.46),

it seems like he wasted his life.

But God never wasted Joseph’s 13 years of his life from 17 to 30 years old.

God delivered Joseph from a cistern (37:20, 22),

and exalted him to be in charge of Potiphar’s household (39:4).

When he was wrongfully accused and was put into the prison for 2 years,

God didn’t waste that 2 years of his time.

God was with him, showed him kindness

and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden (v.21).

So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison (v.22).

Then God allowed Joseph to meet the cupbearer of the king of Egypt in the prison (40:1).

And through that meeting, God used the cupbearer to introduce Joseph to the Pharaoh (41:9-13)

so Joseph could interpret the Pharaoh’s dreams.

Then Joseph was put in “charge of the whole land of Egypt” (v.41).

You see, God never wasted 13 years of Joseph’s time.

And the reason why God allowed Joseph to go through all those things within 13 years was

to use him to save and to preserve

the lives of the remnant Jacob and his sons and offsprings on earth (45:5, 7)

so that through the line of Jacob, Messiah could come.