Genesis 50: 15-21
When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.
His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said. But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
God rules and reigns over all things and orchestrates the events of this world to fulfill his good intentions for his creation perfectly. This hope is made real as we consider the depth of human sin and the systemic evil at work today. The Lord can take anything that happens in the world, our lives, on the job, our families, health, finances, and even in the face of great evil, and work it all together to accomplish his will on earth and our lives. Our God does not cause evil but can turn what was evil and make it serve for good. We can see this clearly illustrated in Joseph’s life. The outcast brother, sold into slavery and locked in prison, finds himself second in command in all of Egypt. God used his brothers’ actions, though evil, to position Joseph to save his brothers and his family when they needed food to escape the famine.
While Joseph may never have chosen the path his life took, he could look back at the course of his life and see the hand of God working in and through it. In demonstrating God’s sovereignty over his life’s circumstances, Joseph reassured his brothers,” But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.” No evil plan of humans or Satan and his demons could overcome the purposes of our Sovereign God.” God demonstrates his sovereignty throughout the continued history of his people. He takes all things, even their rebellion, and uses them to accomplish even greater good. The most horrific expression of human depravity is seen in the brutal treatment of the perfect Son of God. At the cross, it would seem that the religious leaders, Roman authorities, and Satan himself had emerged victorious. It appeared as though death had won. Yet, as with the life of Joseph, God was going to use these unthinkable acts to accomplish the great good of satisfying His wrath and defeating death and sin through the death of his Son. Paul reminds the church in Rome that in all things, even suffering and sin, “God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Ro 8:28). God is not surprised by evil. He is not at a loss for how to respond. His plans cannot be defeated, and he will accomplish everything exactly as he intends.
