The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Genesis 37:26-27,
"Judah said to his brothers, 'What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.' His brothers agreed."
Joseph's brothers developed a resentment for him because he was favored by their father, Jacob, (as a son born in his old age), and because the Lord had sent him some prophetic dreams that pointed to a time when the brothers would bow down to him. This would take place years later when a famine would drive the family to seek food in Egypt.
Jacob had sent Joseph out to get a report on his brothers as they grazed the livestock and when they saw him approaching they threw him in a cistern. The brothers intended to kill him but Reuben persuaded them not to take his life. Merchants showed up in the area on their way to Egypt and Judah convinced the others to sell him - what gain would they get if they just killed him? As a result Joseph wound up in Egypt.
Joseph found himself in Egypt due to a series of events orchestrated by God for his own purposes. One of the events was the selling of Joseph by his brothers. What I notice about this is that God exploited the sinful impulses of Joseph's brothers to bring about his own intentions.
"Judah said to his brothers, 'What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.' His brothers agreed."
Joseph's brothers developed a resentment for him because he was favored by their father, Jacob, (as a son born in his old age), and because the Lord had sent him some prophetic dreams that pointed to a time when the brothers would bow down to him. This would take place years later when a famine would drive the family to seek food in Egypt.
Jacob had sent Joseph out to get a report on his brothers as they grazed the livestock and when they saw him approaching they threw him in a cistern. The brothers intended to kill him but Reuben persuaded them not to take his life. Merchants showed up in the area on their way to Egypt and Judah convinced the others to sell him - what gain would they get if they just killed him? As a result Joseph wound up in Egypt.
Joseph found himself in Egypt due to a series of events orchestrated by God for his own purposes. One of the events was the selling of Joseph by his brothers. What I notice about this is that God exploited the sinful impulses of Joseph's brothers to bring about his own intentions.
I'm not thinking that God created those sinful impulses, but used them nonetheless to bring about his plans, his agenda, his purposes. Kind of like how God used the sinful impulses of people in Jesus' day to bring about his sacrificial death to provide for the redemption of mankind.
The ways of the Lord can be inscrutable at times!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know. A blog with all my posts can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know. A blog with all my posts can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
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