Sustained through Troubles

Jacob lived in the land of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan. . .. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was pasturing the flock with his brothers.
GENESIS 37:1-2
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Sustained through Troubles
This story, then, is the last trouble of the saintly man and by far the most serious one of all, and it is a very horrible one. The very beginning and the whole exposition contains a sharp and very vehement struggle. For it is full of shameful and wretched grief which all but kills the saintly old man, who is exhausted by so many troubles and hardships. There is also the additional crime of his son Judah perpetrating incest with his daughter-in-law Tamar, which also increased the grief and sorrow of the father. But he nevertheless retains hope and confidence with wonderful constancy, and by reason of the numerous examples of illustrious rescues which he experienced throughout his whole life he encourages and sustains himself until new light and consolation shine forth. For there follows the wonderful and peaceful outcome by which his great and unexpected grief is changed into the greatest unexpected joy. For Joseph, whose destruction the father had mourned, is recalled from darkness to light, from death to life, after being preserved by God and rewarded with great honor and dignity by the king of Egypt after he himself had also emerged from many difficulties.