How God Means for Good what Others Mean for Evil

Joseph said to his brothers, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” –Genesis 50:19-20

Joseph was just a young boy running into the field to check on his brothers for their father Israel. They hated the favored dreamer son of Israel with jealousy, seized the boy and threw him into an empty cistern to die while they ate a meal. Ishmaelite traders came by, and the brothers made a quick buck selling Joseph into slavery in Egypt instead, lying to their father about his son’s death and returning his gift to his son, a coat of many colors, with animal blood on it just to make it believable.

In Egypt, the now slave Joseph prospered his master’s household rather than his father’s back at home. Here, Joseph fought off sexual temptation with his master’s wife only to be falsely accused and sent to prison. Yet, in prison, the faithful Joseph was given favor by the prison warden through God’s providence to look over the prisoners.

Joseph helped a disgraced cupbearer be restored in Pharaoh’s home only to be forgotten. Joseph did not use loneliness in a dungeon and being forgotten by someone he helped as an excuse to sin. By God’s saving power, Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream of upcoming prosperity and famine to be prepared for. Pharaoh placed Joseph second in command in all of Egypt at the time famine reached the home of his father and brothers back in Canaan.

It is here in the story of Joseph I marvel at his faithfulness. He was hurt over the extent of many years by his brothers who wanted him dead. Now, with the might of the Egyptian Empire behind him, his brothers come at the end of their rope seeking mercy. The tables have turned. Will Joseph show wrath or will he show mercy?

We allow disappointments in our life to justify an angry treatment of those who offend us. Joseph could have justified sexual unfaithfulness with Potiphar’s wife as a stress relief from having been left for dead and sold into slavery. Joseph could use the egregious offenses of his brothers to show no mercy and even have his brothers killed in return. Temptation asks our hearts a question, and our answer exposes either faithfulness to our righteous God or draw us down the dark alleys of destruction.

We may think that humble service comes only when we are in a comfortable spot in life. If people treat me well, I’ll treat them well. Consider Joseph, then consider our Lord Jesus. God is glorified in a life of humble, faithful service when life is most uncomfortable. Joseph learned a faithful life under God’s care not in the comfortable environment of ease, but in a dungeon. Christ displayed the salvation of God not only in teaching, but in His willingness to lay down His life for sinners. You see, Joseph told his brothers that their offense which was meant for evil God meant good for them. Joseph went through all of these hardships for God to bless his evil brothers with good. They meant death, God gives life.

Christian, the battle is not only with the person in front of you no matter how offensive they are, but the battle is most deeply inside of you. Joseph was obedient in slavery, prison, and forgiving his brothers who wanted him dead and sold him into slavery, even through their lying to their father who suffered in anguish thinking his boy to be dead! Our Savior was faithful to the Father even unto death, even the humiliating death of a criminal on a cross. So, when your spouse offends you, friends betray you, or your neighbor offends you, by the mercy of God do good to them.

When you know who you are as an offender to a holy God and you know Christ who was crucified for you to reconcile you to a holy God who committed no offense to you, you can easily forgive those who offend you, exchange kindness and gentleness in the face of someone angry and wanting to offend you, and love those who hate you. In a local church filled with born-again saints understanding each other to be works in progress by His Holy Spirit, we enjoy Christ’s peace and love proving to be His disciples.

Heavenly Father, You place us in many hard places. Open our eyes to see hard times, offenses, and dungeons as opportunities to display Your grace through Christ who became a curse and endured the cross for us. Teach us to forgive just as You forgave us. Bless us with Your peace and joy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Expository Preaching

 “All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

–II Timothy 3:16-17

 Following the voice of the Good Shepherd requires an extraordinary humility. I need God’s breathed out Scripture because I am an ignorant fool who needs to be taught, rebuked, corrected, and trained to be righteous. Oh, what grace is there for a weak fool like me in the deep instruction of the Bible! All of my faults and sins, my weaknesses and temptations, my needs to be further conformed to the image of the Son are confronted by God’s Word to my humble and ready ears.

This why I am committed to expository preaching. That is, the entire point of every sermon is the text of Scripture itself which is relayed to the life of the Christian and the local church. In Alistair Begg’s fine booklet Preachingfor God’s Glory he contends, “We are on the wrong track if we think expository preaching merely as a preaching style chosen from a list (topical, devotional, evangelistic, textual, apologetic, prophetic, expository). As John Stott says, ‘All true Christian preaching is expository preaching.’”

 I know topical preaching and topical Bible studies are the more popular in our culture. One may think, “well, that’s just what I prefer.” I understand it is what you prefer, but is that truly wise? We are tempted to raise our children in more exciting settings as if Scripture taught deeply passage by passage is not enough to keep my children in the faith when they get older. I understand it is what your children prefer, but is that truly wise?

 Glance at a list of sermons on a topical preacher’s website or Sunday School’s curriculum and you will find massive gaps. Why do they skip large portions of Exodus or the Gospel of Matthew, for example? Then ask yourself, what riches in these large passages am I and my family missing which we need to be taught, rebuked, corrected, and trained to be righteous with?

Topical preaching feeds truths in portions, but misses the deep riches of entire swaths of God’s Word and reduces difficult texts as simply marginal or lessons for moral living. The “types and shadows” which lead human history to Christ’s kingship making all things new are oblivious in the ears of the preacher who simply wants to discuss steps to improve marriages or various other subjects. These steps and subjects are indeed in Scripture, but to handle the Word of God as simply a collection of topics to help rather than deeply understanding the whole counsel of God in reference to Christ will miss the “fire in our hearts” as the men on the road to Emmaus experienced. 

If you are a preacher or teacher of God’s Word, remember we are held to a higher account for how we handle God’s Word in the face of God’s people. We are to lead them deeper into the text, not use the text to move them away from it. I encourage everyone willing to take the time to read this article to attend a church devoted to the exposition of Scripture. You may visit us at Allison Avenue, watch our livestream, or download our sermons. It is here in the deep study and understanding of God’s Word we hear the voice of our Good Shepherd and follow Him. And this is good news: such preaching and teaching of God’s Word will equip you and your family “for every good work” as God’s craftsmanship for God’s glory.

 Heavenly Father, prepare my heart to receive Your Word as a skillful farmer plows, plants, and waters. Grant me patience to hear Your wise instruction to bear in me much fruit. If it pleases You, reveal Yourself to me through the rich treasures of Scripture which points to Christ and burns like fire in my heart. For Your glory’s sake I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.