God meant it for good

And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 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. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them. – Genesis 50.19-21

I first learned this verse way back in Bible College. The pastor of the church was going to preach on ‘The Roman 8.28 of the Old Testament’ and he asked us to turn in a paper some sort of prize. I got is wrong, but I still think my answer was best.

Romans 8.28 is ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose’ and in my mind this verse says almost the same.

Joseph’s brothers could not believe their luck. They has done all they had done to Joseph and apparently he was not going to do anything about it. But in the back of their minds was the knowledge that he may have not punished them only because their father was alive.

But now Jacob was dead. Now what would happen? Was it finally time for Joseph to exact revenge?

Joseph put their minds at ease, ‘don’t worry, you guys may have meant this for evil, but God meant it for good. He had a plan to save a lot of people.’

Just as He was then God is in control. When bad happens, whether cause by our own actions, the evil intents of others, or just stuff that happens, God can will work all things together for good.