MAN'S EVIL, GOD'S GOOD

GENESIS 50:2

A. "AS FOR YOU, YE THOUGHT EVIL AGAINST ME; BUT GOD MEANT IT UNTO GOOD, TO BRING TO PASS AS IT IS THIS DAY, TO SAVE MUCH PEOPLE ALIVE"
  1. The brethren of Joseph were tormented with a guilt that, so they thought:
    1. For revenge by their mistreated bother
    2. They measured Joseph by their own former attitude - Gen. 37:4-8
  2. But Joseph saw his experience with his erring brethren in a different light:
    1. Wrote Paul, "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose" - Rom. 8:28
    2. Such an attitude leans wholly upon the divine providence at all times; Example: that was the attitude of Job in the darkest hour of his life - Job 1:21; 2;9; that was the attitude of David toward his son Absalom - 2 Sam. 19:4-5. And that was the attitude of the Son of man in the darkest hour of His earthly life - Luke 23:34 B. MAN'S EVIL, GOD'S GOOD
  3. We can see, clearly, two great facts of human experience:
    1. We see the evil in the attitude of Joseph's brethren; they were jealous of him and envied him; and that led them to hate him
    2. Hatred blinds people and when one is blind he is unable to see the affects of hatred
    3. They sought, desperately to do away with their brother
  4. But God had other thought - "thoughts of peace" - Is. 55:8; Jer. 29:11:
  5. The dreams of Joseph in his early youth could have been the key to his misguided brethren to know that God had a plan for the life of Joseph; Gen. 37:5-8
    1. "He sent a man before them" - Ps. 105:17
    2. "The word of the Lord tried him" - Ps. 105:19
    3. "The king sent and loosed him...He made him lord of his house"
  6. God's good
    1. God changed the nature and attitude of the brethren of Joseph; that attitude revealed itself when Joseph required of them to bring their youngest brother--study Genesis chapters 43: 44: 45
    2. They say that they had wronged Joseph and they felt that God would visit their sins upon their own heads - Gen. 44:16-17
    3. What sense of joy that must have brought to Joseph to see his brethren changed men C. A TIMELY LESSON FOR GOD'S PEOPLE
  7. To know that if God is for us, who can be against us?
    1. Evil minded persons have sought to hurt or destroy good men; but they failed; Examples: Saul sought to prevent David from being king over Israel; but he failed miserably - I Sam. 26:21; the Jews did their utmost to destroy Paul; but in vain. The Papacy did everything to destroy Martin Luther; but it failed.
    2. God may, at times, allow his children to pass through the furnace of affliction, not to hurt them, but to purify their lives - Is. 48:10
  8. The experience of Joseph with his brethren had a happy and saving ending:
    1. He became, as it were, the Saviour of their lives
    2. Not only that, but millions of other persons would have died of starvation had it not been for God placing Joseph in Egypt
    3. Jacob's fears of the loss of Joseph proved groundless, and what a joy it must have been for him to see the hand of God in the live of Joseph
  9. Dear friends, could we see the end from the beginning in our lives:
    1. Would we murmur and be discontent?
    2. Would we blame others for our seemingly misfortunes?
    3. Or would we see God's good even when men think and do evil against us
    4. How great and how deep are the ways of God with the children of men
    5. Said Joseph in our opening text, "As for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it good"


Design © John Bryant 2011