Knowing God through His Word … Day by Day

Sin.  Betrayal.  Evil.  Joseph’s brothers’ evil intentions to kill him shaped his life forever. The consequences from their actions are part of his history.  Joseph doesn’t excuse their behavior or act as if it never happened. BUT he sees God’s hand in his brothers’ treachery. He believes that God was working His purpose out through their sinful deeds.  Joseph states 3 times that GOD sent him to Egypt:

And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

This is an example of the mystery of divine providence.  God is working his purposes out in spite of our resistance to His will.  Incredibly, he actually uses our resistance to accomplish his good purposes.  Mind-blowing,isn’t it?! And the greatest evil was done to Jesus.  Acts 4:27-28 states:

for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,  to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

God’s sovereign plan.  Herod and Pilate responsible, along with the people.  Greatest evil imaginable, yet it was God’s plan and purpose.