Good From Evil
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. (Genesis 45: 4-5)
We left Joseph's story, last week, just as he was sold into slavery by his brothers and he was on his way to Egypt. Once in Egypt, Joseph was sold to one of Pharaoh's officials named Potiphar. Joseph worked well for Potiphar, and Potiphar trusted Joseph. Unfortunately Potiphar's wife tried to get Joseph to sleep with her, and when Joseph refused she claimed that he had attempted to rape her. Potiphar immediately had Joseph jailed.
In jail, Joseph found favor with the warden and was put in charge of the prison. When the king's baker and cupbearer were sent to prison they became friends with Joseph. The two men each had a dream which Joseph interpreted - the cupbearer's dream indicated that he would be restored to his position and the baker's dream indicated that he would be killed. When Joseph's interpretations proved true, he asked the cupbearer to remember him before the king.
However, it wasn't until two years later when the king had dreams that he didn't understand that the cupbearer remembered his friend and recommended Joseph to the king. Joseph interpreted the king's dreams to mean that there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Joseph went even further to recommend that the king appoint someone to collect one fifth of the harvest during the years of plenty in order to sustain them through the years of famine. The king found Joseph to be wise and made him governor - not only to prepare for the famine - in charge of everything in the palace.
When the famine came, Joseph's family was hit hard. Eventually, after hearing that Egypt was selling grain from its reserves, Joseph's father sent his brothers to Egypt to bring back food. But Jacob, believing that Joseph's younger brother was his only living son from Rachel, did not allow Benjamin to go to Egypt with the others. Everyone buying grain had to go before Joseph. When his brothers came before him, not recognizing him, they bowed down (fulfilling the dreams God had given Joseph years prior). Joseph recognized them immediately but did not reveal himself. Joseph did give his brothers some grain, but he put them through some stressful situations before demanding that they return with Benjamin while Joseph held his brother, Simeon, as ransom. When the released brothers returned home and told their father of the governor's demand, Jacob still did not want to let Benjamin go. But when they ran out of food again Jacob allowed them to take Benjamin with them to get more grain. Finally, after seeing Benjamin, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers and forgave them - telling them that God had used their evil act to save them.
God did and does, indeed, bring good from evil. That doesn't mean that God desires the evil, only that God can use it all. All of the twists and turns in the story of Joseph's life show us the faithfulness of God. God uses every situation in our lives to bring us closer to God's promises for us. We do not need to be anxious or discouraged when we can't see how we'll get where God says we're going. God is able to do everything God promises
because God is faithful!
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
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