The Triumph of God's Good

Everyone enjoys a good story. Some of the best stories are found in the Bible. More than one biblical story has been made into a movie.

If someone is looking for a spell-binding story, I suggest you read the story of Joseph and his brothers found in the Book of Genesis. Just to recap, Jacob, one of the patriarchs had twelve sons. Joesph was next to the youngest. Being a younger brother, he was left behind when his father sent the older boys on work assignments. Evidently, he was sent to check on his brothers when they were away. On at least one occasion, he brought a bad report of them to his father (Gen. 37:2).

Joseph seemed to be a favorite of his father. His father made him a coat of many colors which he proudly wore.

"Now Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him" (Genesis 37:3,4).

The story moved forward with Joseph having dreams, one in which his brothers actually bowed down in submission to him and one where the sun, the moon and the eleven stars bowed down to him. It's easy to see how the brothers hated Joseph and held him in contempt.

The next part of the story is rather predictable. The older brothers were out on a work assignment by their father. Jacob sent Joseph to check on them. The brothers saw him coming wearing his coat of many colors. They viewed him as a fink and a proud boastful dreamer. They plotted to kill him and throw his dead body into a pit. Reuben, one of the brothers intervened by saying, "...Let us not kill him. ...Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him..."(Genesis 37:21,22). The brothers cast Joseph into a pit. Despite Reuben's best efforts to keep his brother alive, while he was away some Ishmaelite travelers came along on their way to Egypt. The brothers sold Joseph to them for twenty shekels of silver. They carried him to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, an officer of Pharoah and captain of the guard.

In Egypt Joseph was falsely accused by Potiphar wife when he resisted her attempts to seduce him. He was thrown into prison. Over the course of time Joseph was able to interprets some dreams of fellow prisoners. This led to his release from prison and a rise to power in Egypt. He rose to a position of power second only to Pharoah himself. A famine came to Egypt that also affected the region where Joesph's father and brothers resided with their families. Through wisdom imparted by God, Joseph devised a plan of survival for the people of Egypt in which they would have a supply of food during the years of famine.

Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to secure food. They actually made two trips. During their second trip to Egypt, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. This brother whom they had sought revenge against, plotted to kill, cast into a pit and then sold to a group of traders for twenty shekels of silver was alive and standing before them. He was standing before them in a position of complete power over them. He could kill them as they plotted to do to him. He could put them in a dungeon just as they put him in a pit. He could force them to be his slaves. What would he do? We find the answers to these questions in Genesis 45 and 50.

"Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, 'Make everyone go out from me!' So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharoah heard it. Then Joseph said to his brothers, 'I am Joseph; does my father still live?' But his brothers could not answer, for they were dismayed in his presence. And Joseph said to his brothers, 'Please come near to me.' And they came near. And he said: 'I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life'"(Genesis 45:1-5).

How would you like to have been a fly on the wall when this dramatic scene took place! Shock, surprise, dismay, confusion and fear are just a few of the words that probably describe what the brothers experienced as they stood face to face with the one whom they probably thought was out of their lives forever. Even though Joseph assured them that he was not going to exact revenge and that God had used their deed of selling him to bring about good, they were not completely at ease.

As we move forward in the story, Jacob, the patriarch father of the twelve sons died and the sons including Joseph carried their father's body back to Israel for burial. After fulfilling their responsibility of burying their father, the twelve sons returned to Egypt. At this point in the story, the fears and apprehensions of the brothers concerning possible revenge on the part of Joseph resurfaced. Now that their father was dead, they entertained in their heart the possibility that Joseph would punish them. "When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, 'Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him" (Genesis 50:15). If we put ourselves in the position of these brothers, we can understand their dread. A guilty conscience can be a hard thing to suppress. The brothers went to Joseph and told him that before he died their father had said, "Thus you shall say to Joseph: 'I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you'" (Genesis 50:17).

The response of Joseph to his brother's words begging for forgiveness is the basis for this blog and especially the title, "The Triumph of God's Good."

We see Joseph's response to his brothers in Genesis 50:19-21

"Joseph said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.' And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them."

The point of this whole blog is simply that God's good can and will triumph over man's evil. To me this is an absolutely critical truth for us to latch on to. The actions of the brothers toward Joseph were evil. They could not be ignored or callously cast aside as we are so pronged to do today in the face of evil. There were no convenient explanations as to how the conduct of the brothers was not what it seemed to be. There were no comparisons to the conduct of other people to say it was evil but a lesser evil than that of others. There was no claim for a special status or privilege that somehow gave them immunity from guilt. They knowingly and deliberately did evil and were responsible for their actions.

At the same time that the brothers stood guilty of intentionally evil, the sovereign Creator of this universe was working to do what He always does. He was working for good. Their actions were evil and meant for evil; God's actions were good and meant for good.

This marvelous story is delightful. Only Almighty God can work is such a wonderful way so that His good triumphs over man's evil.

This story has a special relevance for our day. There are evil men with evil intentions unleashed upon our world today. There are many, some even within the church, who are making excuses for the evil intentions of men, offering up lame comparisons and ideological justifications for the evil actions.

The same sovereign God who reigned in Joseph's Day is reigning today. He still has the power to triumph for good over the evil intentions of men. This brings great comfort and hope to my heart.

I'm trusting and believing for the triumph of God's good. We can easily be a part of evil intentions, but we can also choose to align ourselves with the triumph of God's good. My faith and hope are in the triumph of God's good. Where do you stand?