The Good of God Despite the Meanness of Men

Scripture: Genesis 50:15-21 (NKJV) - 15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may [a]actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.” 16 So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying, 17 ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph: “I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you.” ’ Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”  19 Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. 21 Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke [b]kindly to them.

It is critical for the strengthening of our faith and the maintaining of our emotional and mental wellbeing that we develop a biblical perspective about the sovereignty of God and what we believe about His care for us who believe and what He allows to happen to us in the bigger plan and purpose of His will.  In marital vows the couple is offered a challenging perspective that must be understood, that their commitment will be tested for what is called, “for better or for worst”.  It is the same idea that we have to understand in our vow of believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior.  We do not turn away from our Lord when things are allowed to happen that are more difficult and painful than we want in our relationship with Him.  In fact, for some, this is a deal breaker that reveals a true faith verses a temporary religious sentimentalism that poses as faith until trouble comes.

Joseph is one of our great Biblical icons of the faith.  We often celebrate his victories of faith in a life that many would question what God allowed to happen to a teenager after giving him a vision for a successful life.  It is not too far a stretch for us to understand and even accept that our God in His omniscience knows our beginning and end, but we miss completely what it takes to move us through the various experiences of life to accomplish what God knows and has predetermined ultimately must be accomplished through us.   Sometimes necessary separation requires a hard leading to move us away from anything or anybody that could get in the way of where God has predetermined where He wants us.

God allowed him to be taken by force from the place that would have hindered him from being in the place God ultimately wanted him.  As long as Joseph was in the comfort of his home in Canaan with his father Israel, he would have never been allowed to go to Egypt.  It was the internal family conflict driven by sibling rivalry and envy that was the vehicle used/allowed to get Joseph to the right place.  God’s providential hand did not allow Joseph’s brothers to kill him as they originally planned, but moved their hearts to sell him to a caravan as a slave not knowing they were sending him to where God needed to move Joseph into position to do His future will.  Sometimes God must position us by using difficulties that drive us or make us have to move to the right place of His will.  Though we cannot understand God’s ways of leading us to where He wants us, only a yielded life can trust the authority and freedom of God to move us where He wants to plant us and not lose heart when the methods are hard, painful or outside the box of our expectations we have about how/what God can allow in our lives.  The scripture encourages us that, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and He delights in His way” (Psalm 37:23).

No mistreatment comes into our lives without our God knowing about it and even allowing it to come to pass.  There are some lessons we may learn soon, but others may not be known until later down the road of our lives.  Like Joseph we may know what God wants, but not have a clue what it takes, nor how long it may take to get us exactly there.  No matter where His providence may lead us, His love and faithfulness will never leave us.

Prayer: Our Father in heave: Your ways are mysterious to us sometimes, but they are marvelous to behold how You work all things out to the counsel of Your sovereign will for our lives.  Only Your gift of faith can cause us to rest in the truth that all things do work together for good, in Jesus name, amen.
       
(by Pastor Wayne Cockrell)