A Verse
Genesis 45:4-8
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.
A Comment
There is a lot that could and should be said about this passage, but I want to focus on one aspect. Joseph had a reputation for being a good interpreter. Even when his interpretations were unfavorable (see the chief baker’s dream in Gen. 40), he was still correct. When Joseph looked back over the many tragedies and difficulties of his life (e.g., sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely accused by Pharoah’s wife and then imprisoned), he discerned the invisible hand of God’s providence at work.
Genesis 45:4-8 capture Joseph’s interpretation of God’s providential dealings with him and his family. Such an interpretation does not arise from a quick look at the details at any given moment in history. Instead, it took time to discern and interpret what God was doing. While from a human perspective, it would make sense for Joseph to be bitter toward God and his family because of his circumstances, instead, Joseph was patient and trusted in the goodness of God. His patience and confidence in the goodness of God allowed him, in time, to rightly interpret God’s dealings with him.
While Joseph does not excuse the evil intentions of his brothers, he does not impute or accuse God of doing evil. In Genesis 50:20, he tells his worried brothers, “You intended harm to me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
Joseph’s confidence in God and his purpose is an important model for us when it comes to interpreting the providence of God. It takes patience and perspective to rightly interpret what God is doing in our lives. We might not discern it in the moment, but we can trust that God has not abandoned His good purpose for His children. He is still “working all things for good for those that love Him and are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28). We just might need more time to see it all unfold.
A Prayer
Would you join me in prayer?
A Blessing
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
Interpreting God's Providence with Patience