Faith in Troubled Times (Pt. 8)

 

So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into 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. (Genesis 45:4-8 ESV).

 

Joseph could not contain his joy once he was sure of his brother’s repentance, but they had the opposite reaction when the sternness of his demeanor vanished and he began to cry (vv. 1-2). Being “dismayed at his presence,” they could say nothing, probably because they thought he would take vengeance upon them (v. 3). Of course, we know this was not his intent, as is plain in today’s passage. Seeing how Judah and the others are reacting, Joseph reassures them of his forgiveness (vv. 4–8). Joseph’s words are some of the most important and extensive in all of Scripture on the relationship between divine sovereignty and human responsibility. He refers to the Lord’s activity and intent in his travails four times, affirming his belief in God’s providential governing of history. In reality, his confidence in the Creator’s sovereignty is one factor enabling Joseph to forgive his brothers. In hindsight, he is able to see God’s invisible hand; thus, there is no place for revenge since Joseph knows the Lord used his years of suffering for His good, redemptive plan (v. 5). God used the wicked act of his brothers to advance His will, despite their ignorance.

 

Once more we see the central theme of Joseph’s life, namely that God’s providential rule uses evil, but only for His good ends. His sovereignty is so encompassing that Joseph can even tell his brothers: “It was not you who sent me here, but God” (v. 8). We must be careful here to note that the brothers are still liable for their sin, as Joseph later reminds them of their evil intent (cf. Genesis 50:20). All Joseph means to say is that the Lord’s will is ultimate. In all that occurs, God is at work to make His desires for creation go according to His plan. John Calvin writes: “God acts so far distinctly from them [evil men], that no vice can attach itself to his providence, and that his decrees have no affinity with the crimes of men.”

 

The takeaway for us as we close this brief series in the life of Joseph is that we are not helpless or hopeless. God is in control to bring about good in the life of his children regardless of the evil choices and actions of others.