Two Products of Providence: Genesis 46:31-47:31

In Genesis 46:31-47:31, God’s providence causes His people to be both set apart from the world and a blessing to the world at the same time.  God’s working in our lives is also intended to bring us to the place where we are both set apart from the world and a blessing to the world at the same time.  My desire is that we would resolve to cooperate by faith with God towards our own sanctification and mission.  Let’s consider three ways from this text that this can happen. 

[31] Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father's household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. [32] And the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ [33] When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ [34] you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

[47:1] So Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan. They are now in the land of Goshen.” [2] And from among his brothers he took five men and presented them to Pharaoh.

[3] Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, as our fathers were.” [4] They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.” [5] Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. [6] The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.” (Genesis 46:31-47:6 ESV)

     

I.     We are to Take Measures to Ensure Our Separation from the World (46:31-47:6)

Here Joseph takes measures to bless His family and to preserve their identity during their stay in Egypt.  This is part God’s wisdom in them becoming a nation in Egypt instead of Canaan: as shepherds, they will be an abomination to the Egyptians and Goshen was a place outside the mainstream of Egyptian society.  These measures ensure that there will be no syncretism between Egyptian society and God’s people.  In the land of Canaan, they may have incorporated the worship of other Canaanite gods.

This is a beautiful picture of what Jesus prayed in John 17:15-18, that His people would be “in” the world but not “of” the world.  As believers, we are to take seriously the command to “not love the world or the things in the world” (1 John 2:15-17).  James 4:4 warns us that whoever makes themselves a friend of this world makes themselves an enemy of God.  These are strong words.  But while shake our heads in agreement with this charge, we still remain far more in love with this world than we would dare admit.  Here is the question that this passage lays before us: what measures have you taken to sever the roots that your heart wants to plant in this world?  What or who have you distanced yourself from?  What truths of scripture have you hid in your heart?  Know this: you will not naturally or accidentally fall out of love with this world.  You must take measures to do so. 

II.   We are to Seize Opportunities to be a Blessing to the World (47:7-26)

[7] Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father and stood him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. [8] And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?” [9] And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning.” [10] And Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from the presence of Pharaoh. [11] Then Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. [12] And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their dependents.

[13] Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished by reason of the famine. [14] And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, in exchange for the grain that they bought. And Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house. [15] And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our money is gone.” [16] And Joseph answered, “Give your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock, if your money is gone.” [17] So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the herds, and the donkeys. He supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. [18] And when that year was ended, they came to him the following year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent. The herds of livestock are my lord's. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our land. [19] Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we with our land will be servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.”

[20] So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for all the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine was severe on them. The land became Pharaoh's. [21] As for the people, he made servants of them from one end of Egypt to the other. [22] Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.

[23] Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. [24] And at the harvests you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones.” [25] And they said, “You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh.” [26] So Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, and it stands to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; the land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh's. (Genesis 47:7-26 ESV)

We see at least two blessings in this passage: Jacob blesses Pharaoh and Joseph blesses the Egyptians.  Jacob’s blessing on Pharaoh is much more than a simple “God bless you.” Jacob is blessing Pharaoh in the name of the one true God!  Also, when we take into account that Hebrews 7:7 says an inferior is blessed by a superior, this means that Pharaoh is recognizing Jacob as his superior and the God of Jacob as superior to the gods of Egypt!  That is incredible!  Genesis 12:1-3 is being fulfilled right before our eyes as Abraham’s line mediates God’s blessing to the Gentile nations! 

We also see the blessing of Abraham upon the Egyptians here as Joseph ensures that they are fed during this famine.  Some people are very critical of Joseph’s leadership in securing all this wealth and property for Pharaoh.  But that is a terrible view of what’s taking place in this chapter.  The Egyptians do not see Joseph as someone who is exploiting their need, but as someone who is graciously saving their lives (47:25).  And isn’t it a novel idea that the needy are seen given help but not handouts!  They get government assistance, but are required to work for it.  Notice also two things here in passing: the fulfillment of Jacob’s blessing upon Pharaoh (Joseph acquires for him all the money, livestock, land, and people of Egypt), and the contrast of the Israelites’ abundance and the Egyptians’ poverty during the remainder of the famine. 

There is a rich application in this passage.  First, God desires to be known among the nations.  He desires to be known by Pharaohs and Egyptians and Israelites and Americans and Arabs and Africans and Asians and every other people in the world.  Second, God’s people (the church) are still called to take the blessing of Abraham to the nations, because Jesus is ultimately the blessing of Abraham to the nations.  “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’” (Galatians 3:8) God desires to be known and to be made known.  This leads us to ask, “Who are you making Jesus known to?”  So this is the tightrope that we are called to walk: to be separate from the wickedness of this world and at the same time bless the world by making Jesus Christ known. 

III.We are to Rest Our Faith in the God of a Better World to Come (47:27-31)

[27] Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly. [28] And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years.

[29] And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, [30] but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.” He answered, “I will do as you have said.” [31] And he said, “Swear to me”; and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed. (Genesis 47:27-31 ESV)

For all of his shortcomings, Jacob finishes his race with exemplary faith in the God Whose promises he will not even live to see.  In this passage, Jacob makes Joseph swear to bury him in in the Promised Land with Abraham and Isaac.  In doing so, he is displaying radical covenant faithfulness.  He is more concerned about being buried in the place God has for His people than being buried with the woman who was the love of his life, Rachel.  Why?  Because God has now become the love of his life and he is persuaded that God is going to bring His people back to the Promised Land.  This is a major note that Genesis ends on: Patriarchs who die in faith that God will keep His promises, even though they will not live to see it. 

Consider the commentary the author of Hebrews gives upon the Patriarchs’ “sojournings”: “[8] By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. [9] By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.

[10] For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. [11] By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. [12] Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

[13] These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. [14] For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. [15] If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. [16] But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”  (Hebrews 11:8-16) 

This passage is saying is that the Patriarchs all died before the fulfillment of God’s promise of the Promised Land because they were looking forward to an even better country than the Promised Land.  What they were ultimately looking forward to was a “better country, that is, a heavenly one.”  Jacob is not just wanting to be buried in Canaan because he believes God will take the Israelites back there, but also because he realizes that he is simply a stranger in this world and has rested his faith in the God of a better world to come: where God’s people will get to know and enjoy God forever. 

Have you rested your hope and faith in God who will bring about a better world, even if He doesn’t bring it in our lifetime?  People who have long for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.  People who have echo the heart of John in Revelation 22:20: “Amen.  Come Lord Jesus!”  And people who have see the empty promises of this world for what they are and lose their life for what ultimately matters: knowing God through His Son Jesus Christ and making Him known to everyone they can with everything they have.  Have you met Him today?  You can right now.  God sent His Son to this world live and die and rise again to earn a right standing for you before Himself and to wake you up from the eternally deadly love of this world and give you eternal life in Him. 

Manifold Providence: Genesis 45:16-46:30

In Genesis 45:16-46:30, God displays His manifold providence to the family of Jacob.  As believers, we too can trust that God is providentially at work in more ways than we could ever imagine.  My desire is that you and I would come to the place today where we would trust God and His providence with all of our hearts.  Let’s consider four reasons from this text why we should. 

[16] When the report was heard in Pharaoh's house, “Joseph's brothers have come,” it pleased Pharaoh and his servants. [17] And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: load your beasts and go back to the land of Canaan, [18] and take your father and your households, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you shall eat the fat of the land.’ [19] And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. [20] Have no concern for your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’”

[21] The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey. [22] To each and all of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five changes of clothes. [23] To his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provision for his father on the journey. [24] Then he sent his brothers away, and as they departed, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.”  (Genesis 45:16-24)

     

I.     God is Faithful to Provide Rescue for His People (45:16-24)

Here God uses Pharaoh (and Joseph) to provide rescue for Jacob’s family during this famine in a remarkable way.  Notice God provision for Jacob’s family.  They are given provisions for the journey to Canaan and back (17, 21).  They are given “the best of the land of Egypt” (18a, 19) and are told to have no concern for their goods.  They will eat the fat of the land (18b).  They are given wagons for the weaker members of the family to travel to Egypt (19).  The brothers are given a change of clothes (22), and Benjamin given five changes of clothes and 300 shekels of silver.  They also are given ten donkeys “loaded with the good things of Egypt” (23) and ten more female donkeys loaded with provisions for the journey.  And last but not least, this rescue provides them with peace (24): Joseph instructs them not to quarrel because there will be some explaining to do when Jacob learns that Joseph is alive.

To put it simply, God causes this family to thrive in the midst of famine.  We learn a simple, but powerful truth here: We can always trust God to provide His people with the rescue that they need when they need it.  Sometimes God’s provision for us is physical: resources, healing, etc., and sometimes God’s provision for us is spiritual: a word from Him, peace (Phil. 4:6-7), sufficient grace (2 Cor. 12:9-10), His keeping us from falling (1 Cor. 10:13), etc.  When we appropriate this provision by faith, we too begin to thrive in the midst of famine and to show a watching world the all-satisfying worth of our Great God. 

II.   God is Faithful to Provide Revival for His People (45:25-46:4)

[25] So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. [26] And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. [27] But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. [28] And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

[46:1] So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. [2] And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” [3] Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. [4] I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph's hand shall close your eyes.” (Genesis 45:25-46:4 ESV)

Here we see the good news of a father’s “resurrected” son and a fresh Word from God revive Jacob.  This is a powerful passage.  God is waking up the desperate, gloomy soul of this Patriarch with His promises.  After receiving the news that Joseph is alive, Jacob packs up the family, heads toward Egypt and stops at the edge of the Promised Land to worship God.  Here God comes to Jacob and speaks to him!  This “Theophany” is important for several reasons.  First, Jacob needs to know that it is OK to move to Egypt during this famine.  God had told his father Isaac not to during a previous famine (26:1-5).  Second, this encounter is connected with the past in Genesis 15:13-16: [13] Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. [14] But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. [15] As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. [16] And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”  What God says here to Jacob is reminding him of God’s faithfulness to keep His promises.  Egypt is where God is going to make this family into a great nation. 

A third reason this theophany is important is its connection with the future in Exodus 3:6-8.  The next time God will appear to someone will be to Moses, when it’s time to fulfill these very promises: [6] And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.  [7] Then the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, [8] and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.  (Exodus 3:6-8 ESV)

We can take away another simple, yet powerful truth here: We can always trust God to revive us with His faithful promises.  Psalm 19:7-11: “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.  More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.  Moreover, by them your servant it warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”  It is not wishful thinking but the sure Word of God that revives our souls and rejoices our hearts with truths such as Him being with us (Matt. 28:20) and for us (Rom. 8:31).  What truth of God do you need today?  May it revive your soul and rejoice your heart!  Follow the example of Job and esteem the words of His mouth more highly even than your daily portion of food (Job 23:12). 

III.God is Faithful to Provide Reunion for His People (46:5-30)

[5] Then Jacob set out from Beersheba. The sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. [6] They also took their livestock and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him, [7] his sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters. All his offspring he brought with him into Egypt.

[8] Now these are the names of the descendants of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons. Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, [9] and the sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. [10] The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. [11] The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. [12] The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan); and the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. [13] The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Yob, and Shimron. [14] The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. [15] These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, together with his daughter Dinah; altogether his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three.

[16] The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. [17] The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, with Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. [18] These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob—sixteen persons.

[19] The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife: Joseph and Benjamin. [20] And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, bore to him. [21] And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. [22] These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob—fourteen persons in all.

[23] The son of Dan: Hushim. [24] The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. [25] These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob—seven persons in all.

[26] All the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt, who were his own descendants, not including Jacob's sons' wives, were sixty-six persons in all. [27] And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two. All the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy.

[28] He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way before him in Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. [29] Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while. [30] Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.” (Genesis 46:5-30 ESV)

In this passage we see the family of Jacob reunited with the family of Joseph.  A word about genealogies in the Bible here: most genealogies are not meant to communicate what modern genealogies are meant to communicate.  Modern genealogies are meant to communicate hard facts and dates about all the members of a family.  Biblical genealogies come in a variety of types and are meant to communicate something different.  Here, what is being communicated is the relationship between the various tribes and how they are reunited in Egypt as an embryonic nation.  However the numbers are arrived at, it is safe to say that 66 of Jacob’s descendants make this trip to Egypt and once Jacob himself, along with Joseph and his two sons are added, you end up with 70.  Don’t view this as contradictory, because Biblical genealogies are meant to communicate something different than modern genealogies are. 

But let’s not miss the incredible emotion of this reunion because of a genealogy.  In a very emotional scene, Jacob and Joseph are reunited and weep “for a while.”  Imagine being a parent who has thought their child was dead for over 22 years.  One day you receive news that you can hardly believe: that they are alive!  How sweet is that moment when you are reunited?  It’s so sweet to Jacob that he says, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are alive.” 

In the family of God, we can trust that God will reunite us with the people that tragedy has torn away from us, in this life or the next.  This is not true for everyone, and I would never want to exalt this reality above the reality of enjoying God forever, but as an added bonus, it does warm my heart to know that for those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ, not even death will separate us.  The Christian widow will be reunited with their spouse.  The Christian parent will be reunited with their child who died in Christ.  And ultimately, we will be reunited fully with our Creator and Savior Jesus Christ is a way that we have never known here on earth.  What a day that will be! 

IV. God is Faithful to Provide Redemption for His People (46:1-4)

I want to close by also reminding you of the redemption that God is providing for His people in this passage.  As God continues to keep His promises to Abraham, He is ultimately moving the history of redemption along on its way to Jesus Christ, and Jesus is the redemption that God provides for His people.  So again, we see the manifold providence of God working in this passage to provide rescue, revival, reunion, and redemption for His people.  If you are a Christian here today, that includes you.  If you are not, know that God brought you here today so that you could hear this message and be included.

The Life Changing Perspective of Providence: Genesis 45:1-15

In Genesis 45:1-15, God reveals His providential plan to Joseph and His brothers.  As believers, we can read these truths into our own lives as well.  God has a providential plan and purpose in each one of our lives.  My desire is that you and I would learn to trust the providential plan of God with all of our hearts.  Let’s consider two reasons from this text why we should. 

I.     The Providence of God is Certain (45:4-15)

a.     Certain Providence Means Certain Sovereignty (45:5,7-9):

Four times in five verses, Joseph clearly establishes that it was God who ultimately “sent” him to Egypt and “made” him “lord of all Egypt.”  This does not mean that what the brothers are not responsible for their sins or that God forced them to.  It does mean that only God is ultimately sovereign over all things, that in the end, only His plans succeed and are never thwarted.  Let’s hear the testimony of the rest of the Word, because the sovereignty of God is a life changing truth that we must settle in our hearts. 

Proverbs 16:9: “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.”  Proverbs 19:21: “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.”  Psalm 139:15-16: “My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”  Isaiah 46:8-11: “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.” 

Daniel 4:32-35: “and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles' feathers, and his nails were like birds' claws.

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

Matthew 10:29: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.”  Acts 17:26: “And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,” 

The sovereignty of God is certain.  He is the God “who works all things according to the counsel of his will,” (Eph. 1:11) who “does whatever he pleases” (Ps. 115:3).  Let this truth warm your heart.  He is never taken back when His people are betrayed, enslaved, framed, persecuted and even killed.  It is His plan that is ultimately unfolding.  However you work that out, you cannot escape the truth that God is sovereign. 

b.    Certain Providence Means Certain Goodness (45:5-7,10-15)

There is another inescapable truth that providence implies and it is that God is not just sovereign, but that He is good to His people in all He does.  Joseph does not simply leave it at God sending him there.  God sent him there “to preserve life” (5), to “preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors” (7).  In verses 10-11, we see that God’s purpose in sending Joseph ahead of them was to provide for them.  God provides both rescue from the famine and reconciliation within the family through His sending Joseph. 

This is why providence is such a beautiful word & concept.  It brings to mind something much more poetic than simply saying that God is sovereign does.  To say that God is sovereign means that He rules and reigns and does whatever He wants in and with all of history and creation.  To say that God is providential is speaks more to the way that He rules and reigns over all of history and creation.  He does so in a way that provides for His people.  And sometimes it doesn’t look that way!  Yet hidden under what appears to be is His good and unstoppable plan.  In what seems to be a catastrophe, God is providing everything that is necessary for the good of His people and the display of His glory.  And no attempt to thwart the plan of God is ever successful.  Romans 8:28:  “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

II.   The Providence of God is Liberating (45:5)

a.     A High View of God’s Providence Frees Us from Bitterness & Un-forgiveness  

Joseph is able to be a person of incredible grace, mercy, and forgiveness because He has such a high view of God’s providence.  This is what a high view of God’s sovereign goodness can do in your heart.  It can free you to trust God with the wrongs committed against you and to entrust vengeance and justice to Him and the powers that He has ordained to secure it.  I know someone at some point in your life has wronged many of you.  Understand this: God meant that for your good.  Trust Him with that and forgive those who have wronged you.  View even their wrongs through the lens of God’s working for your good.  Be free from bitterness and un-forgiveness. 

Ephesians 4:31-32: “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

b.    A High View of God’s Providence Frees Us from Guilt & Shame

Joseph also tells his brothers here to “not be distressed or angry with yourselves.”  Why?  He does so because God was the ultimate sender of Joseph to Egypt for all of their good.  Again, this does not mean that what they did was not wrong or that they are not responsible for what they did.  It does mean that they should confess and repent of their evil and accept that God used it for all of their good.  These brothers have already confessed their guilt before God and Joseph (44:16).  We said last week that one thing that God is after in His providence is repentance on our part.  If true confession and repentance has taken place in a believer’s life, then we should bear the guilt and shame of that sin no more.  1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Believe that.  Your sins have been nailed to the cross of Jesus Christ and you bear them no more.  So don’t bear the weight and shame of them either.  Confess, repent, and be free. 

God can take even our failures and use them for good.  What failures have you gone through?  And what have you learned from them that could help others avoid those same mistakes? 

Settling the certain providence of God in our hearts is a life-changing thing.  For those of you going through heavy trials, I do want to encourage you that settling these things may in fact be a daily battle.  You may settle these truths today only to find that you need to again tomorrow for your own peace of mind.  Our battle is a daily one, so be strong in the Lord, courageous, and fight the good fight of faith for the glory of God! 

I’ve said this many times, but if you have ever questioned the truth of God’s sovereign goodness toward you, you need look no further than the cross of Jesus Christ.  Acts 4:27-28: “for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.”  When you combine the truth of that passage with all those like Romans 5:8 that say that the cross was God’s demonstration of His love for us, you come away with a breathtaking truth: God purposed to declare His love for us before the foundation of the world!  Before the foundation of the world, God decided to publically declare His love for you and me on the cross of Jesus Christ.  Has your heart ever been changed by the good news of this providence?  It can be today.