Genesis 50:20: “But 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.”
In Christendom, we often quote the cliché, “what the devil meant for evil, God turned around for my good.”
This story is about Joseph and how his brethren had a hate on him and sold him. We can look at Joseph with much pity and his brethren as scoundrels. We are not ignoring what happened to Joseph, because at one point we have either been in Joseph’s shoes or was acting like one of the brethren.
But Joseph gave the real reason as to why God allowed him to be tested.
Genesis 45:5, 7, 8 declares, “5Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. And God sent me before you to preserve you posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and He hath made a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.”
At first, we don’t always see the “big picture” of God’s plan, but once submission and maturity was worked in Joseph’s life, he understood it wasn’t about him, it wasn’t about his brethren, but it was about God!
Joseph understood that God permitted his test:
- To preserve life.
- To preserve posterity in the earth.
- To bring about a great deliverance.
There was a famine coming and God needed a vessel to use to preserve life! There are souls in our families, friends and people that we don’t know that need Christ and God is looking for someone that He can trust to stand in the gap to preserve life! (Ezekiel 22:30, Isaiah 59:16.)
Do not confuse the word posterity with prosperity. The meaning of posterity is a residual remnant, descendants, and future generations. God’s intent is that our seed be blessed from generation to generation. But we must teach our children how to prosper in God first and in return He will give them wisdom on how to prosper in all things (Genesis 18:18-19; Deuteronomy 4:5, 6, 9, 40).
God has brought great deliverances in the lives of His people. We have the testimonies of being drug free, alcohol free, lust free, come on! Our marriages are solid; our children being delivered off the streets; deliverance from depression and oppression; financial debt; mental deliverance; physical deliverance; emotional deliverance; and our soul is at peace! We are His witnesses! (Hebrews 7:22-25.)
God’s purpose for Joseph was for him to be an avenue to bring about a covenant promise concerning Abraham (Genesis 15:13. 14).
May God grant us the strength to be steadfast and endure our test because the purpose is greater than us!
