Today, I want to talk about how God can take something that is meant for our harm and turn it around to use it for good.
Let’s take a look at the story of Joseph:
In the Book of Genesis, Jacob gives his son, Joseph a new robe (coat of many colors). Now, Joseph was the favorite son of Jacob because he had been born to Jacob late in life. Joseph, who was about seventeen at this time, was sent by his father to check on his brothers who were out tending to flocks of sheep. His brothers did not like Joseph because he had prophetic dreams that his family would one day bow before him and he was often showed favoritism by their father.
As they saw him coming in the distance, they plotted to kill Joseph. At the behest of one of the brothers, they decided to throw him into a nearby pit, where he would die from the elements or starvation. The plan was to take his new robe, which they dipped in goat’s blood back to their father and tell him that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal, and they would be rid of him once and for all.
As they were getting ready to set out on the journey back to their father, they saw a caravan of slave traders in the distance. The brothers then pulled Joseph from the pit, and sold him to the traders.
They then sent the robe stained with blood to their father and when he saw it, Jacob was convinced that Joseph must have been killed by a wild animal.
Joseph was sold to an Egyptian officer named Potiphar, who was captain of the guard for Pharaoh. God began to bless the household of Potiphar because Joseph was there. As everything continued to prosper, Potiphar put Joseph in charge of all that he had. Things went well for a while, but soon Potiphar’s wife began to lust after Joseph. When Joseph refused to sleep with her, she told her husband that Joseph had tried to rape her, but she had screamed and he had ran away. This infuriated Potiphar, and he threw Joseph in prison.
God still showed His favor on Joseph. Soon Joseph was put in charge of the other prisoners, and had become a favorite of the warden.
One day a a servant of Pharaoh was thrown into prison, and told Joseph about a dream he had. Joseph assured him that the dream meant in three days Pharaoh would restore the servant to his former position. Joseph asked the servant to remember him when he was back in good graces with Pharaoh. If the servant might mention his name to the ruler, Joseph might be taken out of the prison; however, in three days when the servant was restored to his former post, he said nothing to Pharaoh about Joseph.
A couple of years passed and one night Pharaoh had two dreams that his servants could not interpret. Remembering Joseph, the servant spoke up and told Pharaoh that Joseph had correctly interpreted his dream, and he was resorted position. Pharaoh immediately called for Joseph to be brought before him.
With God’s help, Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dreams as meaning there would be seven years of prosperity followed by seven years of famine. Hearing that, Pharaoh decreed that grain from the seven years of prosperity would be placed into storehouses and kept until needed during the seven years of famine. Since Joseph was able to interpret the dreams, Pharaoh saw him as wise and put him over all things in the land of Egypt. Only Pharaoh himself would have more power then Joseph.
For seven years crops were plentiful and Egypt prospered under the guidance of Joseph. When the prosperity came to and end, and the famine many people began to seek food from Pharaoh, because he had placed much of the previous years’ grain in reserve for these times.
The widespread famine brought harsh conditions to all of the land and hearing that there was grain available in Egypt, Joseph’s father sent the brothers to buy grain from Pharaoh. Neither Jacob, nor his sons, knew that Joseph was still living or that he was in charge of the lands of Egypt.
Since Joseph was in charge of the land, the responsibility for the sale of Pharaoh’s grain laid with him. Unknowingly his brothers bowed before him as they asked him if they could buy food. Joseph recognizing them, pretended he did not know who they were, and accused them of being spies. They told him they were only there to buy food and had to return to their family, which included their father, and another younger brother.
He made them agree to bring back their youngest brother, Benjamin, who had been left with their father, as proof that they were not lying about who they were.
They agreed and decided among themselves that this was punishment for what they had done to Joseph so many years before.
When the brothers returned to Jacob, they told him what was demanded. Jacob reluctantly lets Benjamin go back with the brothers to Egypt. Joseph, who is still unknown to his brothers feeds them and fills their sacks with grain, but has their money and a silver up placed back into the bags. As they leave, Joseph has them stopped and accuses them of stealing. They plead with him saying that their father would die if they returned without Benjamin. His brother, Judah, asked that he be kept as a slave instead of Benjamin as punishment, but to let the younger brother go.
By this time Joseph could not keep up the charade any longer. He told them who he was and they were stunned.
He then told them to bring all of their families back, along with their father so that they may be provided for during this great famine.
In Genesis 45: 4-10, Joseph speaks to his brothers:
4 “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt.
5 But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives.
6 This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.
7 God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors.
8 So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.
9 “Now hurry back to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me master over all the land of Egypt. So come down to me immediately!
10 You can live in the region of Goshen, where you can be near me with all your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own.
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If Joseph had not been sold into slavery, he would not have risen through the ranks to become the most powerful man in all of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. The amount of time that Joseph had to wait for his family to be restored was many years. He seemed that at times (in the case of Potiphar’s wife) he was even punished for doing the right thing; however, each of these circumstances had to happen the way they did, for the ultimate plan to be fulfilled.
If Joseph had not been rejected by his brothers, sold into slavery or ended up in prison, where he eventually met the right people who brought him before Pharaoh, he would not have had the power to save his entire family, or himself. It is likely that if Joseph had not had these hardships that he, his brothers, his father, Jacob, and his entire family would have died during the famine. Instead they were brought into the palace, and treated like royalty because of God’s favor and grace.
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Verses to focus on:
Philippians 4:19 – God will supply all of my needs according to His riches and glory, in Christ Jesus.
Genesis 50:20 – You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good…
Romans 8:28 – And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Psalm 34:19 – The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.
2 Corinthians 4:17 – For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
Galatians 6:9 – So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
Deuteronomy 8:7-10 –
7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills.
8 It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey.
9 It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills.
10 When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.
Always the Best,
–Jimmie
jimmieratliff.com 