The
lives of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and their
descendants make good case studies for sins being
visited on the children (Genesis chapters 12 to 50). The rivalry
and fighting between siblings due to favouritism is a case in point. Continuing
the family pattern, Jacob openly favours Joseph by giving him a
coat of many colours. Joseph makes things worse by unwisely sharing
dreams in which he is seen to rule over his brothers and his
parents. When Jacob sends Joseph to his brothers tending sheep at
some distance from home, the brothers take the opportunity to sell
Joseph into slavery in Egypt. Joseph finishes up in Potiphar's
palace where his character earns him promotion to chief servant.
Potiphar’s wife tries to seduce Joseph accusing him of rape when he flees. Joseph is thrown into Jail where he gains
favour of the jailer.
In
the end he is released because he interprets the dreams of the
baker and cup bearer, both of whom had incurred the wrath of
Pharaoh (the king). Joseph correctly discerns the cup
bearer being restored, and the baker beheaded. Later when Pharaoh
has dreams, the cup bearer tells Pharaoh of Joseph’s skills. Joseph is
brought into the palace, correctly interprets Pharaoh's dreams as
predicting seven years of plenty, followed by seven years of
famine. He is then promoted to second only to Pharaoh, and long story
short, rescues (and in effect rules over) his whole family, who would otherwise have starved. When Jacob eventually dies, the
brothers are terrified Joseph will now (with their father no longer
there to protect them) take his revenge. Joseph however speaks the
immortal words “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good”
(Genesis 50:20?).
God
had a plan, a destiny for Joseph's life, and everything that
happened, the good the bad and the ugly, was all part of God's
perfect plan to bring Joseph into the palace. Now Joseph had a
choice on the journey. In stead of accepting with serenity the things he could not
change, he could have fought every step of the way. It would, I
believe, have taken a lot longer that way. Could he have fooled up God's plan? Well yes and no! God could have
accomplished His Sovereign purposes to deliver Israel another way possibly using somebody else. He would then have forged a different destiny for Joseph (Jeremiah 18:4). In the same way, God has
a destiny for you and me (Jeremiah 29:11), and that plan is
perfect for you and me to bring us into our individual destinies. Can we fool it
up? Certainly, but we need to choose to cooperate with Him and stop fighting the
people and circumstances he either allows or sends (depending
on how you think about it). We did not have the wrong parents or
siblings, the wrong job, the wrong this or the wrong that. Others may
indeed intend this or that for evil, but you can be sure that God
intends it for good (Romans 8:28). We can fight or we can cooperate.
But know for certain that everything that happens is all part of
God's perfect plan for us.
Father
I want to thank You this morning, that You are the God of second,
third and fourth chances. Thank You Lord that indeed You are working
all things for God as I choose to love and cooperate with You. Bring
us Lord deeper into Your embrace and enable us to respond to live the
way You want us to in Jesus Name Amen
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