But, as Joseph would say later is that what men meant for evil, God worked out for good. Indeed, it was this evil act of the brothers that ended up saving at least two civilizations, Israel AND Egypt.I love how elsewhere in Scripture God fills in tidbits of the story we don't get from the direct narrative.
For example here in Psalm 105 it says that God sent Joseph ahead of them to preserve Israel.
So many times we want deliverance from our situations and it shakes our faith when things don't work the way we think they should.
And no doubt, Joseph was wondering about those visions he saw and how they could come true. I wouldn't doubt he was second guessing himself if he misunderstood and could not imagine now how they would have come to pass.
But we have to consider that everything in our lives is orchestrated, even the seemingly bad things.
Psalm 105:7-22 He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance.”
When they were few in number, of little account, and sojourners in it, wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account, saying, “Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!”
When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread, he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron; until what he had said came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.
The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free; he made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions, to bind his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom.
