Day 8: The Coat
“You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result — the survival of many people.”
Genesis 50:20
Sometimes life just goes sideways. Sometimes our expectations are turned upside down. Sometimes it feels like our hopes have been dashed, our dreams and desires taken out the back, given a good kicking, before being thrown into the bin of despair.
These feelings can be particularly acute at Christmas. Tis the season to be jolly after all. Yet for some of us, we are pretty far from jolly. In fact we could quite happily sack the whole season as the constant merriment just serves as a reminder that we aren’t merry, far from it we are in fact miserable.
Imagine for a minute, what is like to be Joseph. Not the Christmas Joseph but the multi-coloured coat having dreamer of Genesis. Joseph was his wealthy Father's favourite son, top of the 12 sons of Jacob. He was set apart as special, given dreams or visions from the Lord that promised might, glory and personal power.
Instead of been honoured by his brothers, instead of a future of wealth and power. He takes doing from his jealous brothers before being thrown down a hole and sold into slavery.
He ends up Egypt and begins a new life as a slave, things seem to be going well, or as well as the slave thing can go at least, the new boss trusts him and puts him in charge of his whole household. However his boss’s Mrs takes a liking to Jo, she tries it on, he does the right thing gives her a KB in response, she says he attacked her, and before you know it, Joseph is rotting in Pharaoh’s prison.
He spends the next period of his life in jail. Before interpreting the dreams of Pharaoh’s baker and cupbearer. He asks the cupbearer to have a word with the king on his behalf, but despite helping him out he forgets Joseph for another 2 years.
If ever there was a man who had a right to be bitter it was Joseph. He was 17 years old when his brothers sold him and he was 30 when he was finally freed from prison and elevated to vice-regent of Egypt. 13 years of his life stollen from him, 13 years of suffering and wrongful imprisonment.
Now here they are the source of all his pain and misery. His brothers are within his power. Brought their by the very famine that caused his own rise to power. Does he grab his chance at revenge? No, because now he sees the big picture. Now he sees what God has been up to.
“Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please, come near me,” and they came near. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt. And now don’t be grieved or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting. God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.”
Genesis 45:4-8
“You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result — the survival of many people.”
Genesis 50:20
Joseph’s story reminds us that for the Christian that no matter how bad things seem God is in control, God is good and He is unfolding His plan, regardless of sin and circumstance. God is working all things for the good of His people and the glory of His own name.
Written by Andrew Mathieson
A Thought to Remember: God is working all things for the good of His people and the glory of His own name.
A Bit More to Read: Genesis 50, Romans 8:28-39
A Question to Ask: Which is more powerful? God or my circumstances?
A Song to Sing: It is well
A Picture for the kids: Coat