Joseph did not have any direct revelation from God as his father, grandfather, and great grandfather had. His was never characterized as sinless but the Bible never identifies any particular sins he committed. He had no revealed weakening of his faith in God. He had the Word of God and in that he trusted. He listened to his father who had many direct experiences with God and obeyed. Joseph lived out his life based upon what he knew to be the Word of God. What is important here is identifying the Biblical transition from the direct divine revelation from God to a reliance on the Word of God as it has been already given (Proverbs 3: 5-6).
Joseph can also be seen as a link between the family of Israel and the nation of Israel. For the rest of the book of Genesis, God will reveal the formative events of the nation of Israel. His story is important even though the Jews do not include him with the patriarchs when listing them. Jewish tradition limits that title to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Nevertheless Joseph’s story lets us see God’s guiding hand in the life of one who trusted Him and led his life in a manner consistent with God’s will. He is aware of God’s presence in his life and frequently mentions it in critical junctures in his life, clearly demonstrating his reliance on God for his circumstances.
