God's Providence in Suffering

“All Jacob’s sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, 'No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.' Thus his father wept for Joseph.” – Genesis 37:35

Joseph was the favored son of Jacob. Jacob, the “heel grabber” who fought with Esau even in the womb of his mother. This Jacob who deceived his blind father Isaac to give him a blessing by wearing Esau’s robe and slaughtering a goat so his mother could make Isaac’s favorite meal. Now, his sons conspired to kill, but then sell Joseph into slavery in Egypt. They stripped Joseph of the coat of many colors, a gift from their father. They dipped it in goat’s blood and gave it to their father. This Jacob who deceived with a robe and goat’s blood now is the one being deceived by his own sons in like manner.

Jacob receives his son’s coat and refuses to be comforted. He will go to his grave to the place of the dead where he believes Joseph is. And he will go with great weeping. Jacob did not know Joseph was bound and traveling with an Ishmaelite caravan to be sold as a slave in Egypt.

It is here, in this impossible situation of great injustice as well as great mourning, we marvel at the providence of God. We learn from Scripture “the Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His works” (Psalm 145:17). God is perfect in all His ways (Psalm 18:30). “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose,” (Romans 8:28). Our God is the “Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (II Corinthians 1:3-4). Our Lord promises, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,” (Matthew5:4).

Jacob may refuse comfort, but Sheol will no longer have power when Jesus is raised from the dead. The promise remains. You shall be comforted. We believe by faith that our Lord Jesus stands at the end to wipe away every tear for the last time (Revelation 21:4).

Joseph is greatly mistreated as a slave. Falsely accused of raping his master Potiphar’s wife. Imprisoned, making a friend of a fellow prisoner who only forgets about him once released. Yet, the God who gave dreams to Joseph about his brothers and father bowing to him is a promise God will keep. For the famine God sends to Canaan drives the family, both the murderous, lying brothers and the mourning father refusing comfort, into Egypt. God in providence placed Joseph at Pharaoh’s right hand. With power and authority, instead of vengeance, Joseph delivers his family, reconciles and says, “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,” (Genesis 50:20).

Beloved, Christ suffered great injustice. Just as Joseph’s father sent him to the brothers angry enough to kill, Jesus was sent by the Father to us, and like His Parable of the Wicked Tenants, we said, “Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance,” (Matthew 21:38). So, let us learn of God’s good providence. The brothers who sold Joseph to slavery, with anger enough to kill, lying to their father, receive mercy from Joseph whom God raised up to be Pharaoh’s right hand man. And get this, “by His wounds…” Wounds which we inflicted by our sin, we pierced Him for our transgressions and crushed Him for our iniquities! “By His wounds we are healed,” (Isaiah 53:5).

What we meant for evil, God meant for good. Christ who suffered now sits at the right hand of the Father. With full authority, He shows mercy to sinners. Praise God that God’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts, (Isaiah 55:8). How precious is the providence of God! His ways are inscrutable, that is impossible to understand (Romans 11:33)! John Broadus puts it this way: “More secret than diplomacy, deeper than the investigations of the wise, and mightier than all the kingly power, is the providence of God.”

Trust yourself, your whole self, to the providence of God. Through suffering, persecution, and affliction, His promises to Christ and all who are in Christ remains. We may weep here, but we weep with hope. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5). And on that morning of the day of the Lord’s return, His hands gently press on our weeping eyes, we hear, “Weep no more.”

Heavenly Father, we ask for wisdom in our afflictions. Wisdom to look to Christ who suffered, died, rose again to sit at Your right hand for our good. Whatever You ordain is right. We cling to the hope of Your promise: All things work together for good. You are good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.