God is in the Nasty Details

The following are some insightful comments by Dr Harry Schaumburg

http://stonegateresources.org/ God Is In the Nasty Details

I have always enjoyed reading the story of Joseph since I first heard it in Sunday School until finishing it again last week. As a boy in Sunday School, I loved to hear how Joseph went from being a slave to a prince. Now I enjoy reading all the details that outline the providence of God. This story teaches us that God reigns, not chance! Our understanding of the providence of God is naturally limited by the mystery of His providence, but nowhere is this more apparent than in God's mysterious use of evil to bring about His purpose. The story ends with Joseph telling his brothers, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good" (Gen. 50:20).

Out of the forty-five events that had to occur for God to bring about His purpose, I find eleven negative or sinful events.

• Rachel's agonizing struggle with infertility was part of God's plan (Gen. 30:1-2).

• Jacob's long-term preference for Rachel and therefore his insensitive favoritism shown to Joseph was part of God's plan (Gen. 29:30, 37:3).

• Joseph's brothers' jealously, sibling rivalry and family conflict was part of God's plan (Gen. 37:8).

• Joseph's brothers' evil, murderous, greedy betrayal of him, and Judah's part in it, was part of God's plan (Gen. 37:18-28, 50:20). 

• His brothers' 20-plus year deception of Jacob regarding Joseph disappearance was part of God's plan.

• The existence of an evil slave trade at the time was part of God's plan (Gen. 37:26-27). 

• Potiphar's wife's desiring to sexual sin with Joseph was part of God's plan (Gen. 39:8-12, Rom. 1:24).  

• Potiphar's wife's false accusations were part of God's plan (Gen. 39:14-18).

•  Potiphar's unjust judgment of Joseph was part of God's plan (Gen. 39:19-20)

• The cupbearer failing to remember Joseph for two years was           part of God's plan (Gen. 41:23-41:1).

• The threat of starvation that caused terrible fear and caused Jacob to send his sons to Egypt for grain was part of God's plan (Gen. 42:1-2).

We are more than willing to experience God's favor in His acts of divine intervention on our behalf that we understand, but what about when there is jealousy, betrayal, deception, false accusations and even imprisonment, to accomplish His purpose? Like Joseph, we don't like it when God brings us into circumstances that we can't understand at all. Lack of understanding of the circumstance doesn't take away the good that is being accomplished