Gen. 50.19-20

"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."

Do you disagree that this statement declares the justice of God, though man plans sin, that God does not?

God Bless.
Bro. Dallas

 

"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."

Do you disagree that this statement declares the justice of God, though man plans sin, that God does not?

Bro. Bill asked me in another thread to discuss the issue of the glory of God with Npetreley (His answer hinted that he had perhaps read this, but had no reply towards it.),
so here goes.

"And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?

It is important to note here from the beginning, Joseph held to no strange doctrine that God had ordained for man to be put into His place, neither in that man should seek forgiveness in any other except in God, nor that strange doctrine which leads men captive to the end that God has ordained sin, sinful acts, or the sinfulness of man.

Joseph's brethren realized the wrong they had committed against him, and considering among themselves their own reaction to this situation, they approach Joseph and invoke the name of Jacob in their defense and not willing to stop here, they appeal to Joseph in the name of the God of Jacob.

Joseph realizing the need that these men should seek after the forgiveness that is from God asks them if he is in the place of God. Immediately answering their concern that forgiveness be granted with the necessity that they approach God and not man. Though Joseph is a man of God he refuses to have laid upon him any ability to act in the stead of God. Joseph, however, being a servant of God has forgiven his brethren, not because this has been worked by his own will, but because the greater glory of God has taught him of the presence of the hand of the Lord with him to perform His Will despite the attempts of man to thwart that will.

But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good,

This immediately gives the reader the mind of Joseph on the subject and shows the believer where his own mind ought to stand in his faith. Joseph having dealt with the fact that he (and no other is in the place of God), proclaims the justice of God in all His acts. This should dispell the imaginations of men that God can somehow be held responsible for the evil that men do. This is simply a device of the devil to cause the brethren to have weak faith, to instill division, and to create factionism and power struggles, and all this because of a place of glory that only God possesses.

to bring to pass as it is this day, to save much people alive."

Here Joseph declares the eternal purpose of God in all the events of his life and the national life of Israel. (Bro. Bill will attempt to say to us this is pertaining only to elect Israel). Though I would not deny the immediate connection with national Israel, to limit this working of God to this purpose is to construct the scenario necessary for the device of the devil to be successfully received among the brethren that God's sovereignty ultimately teaches his ordanation of sin.

It is clearly taught here that God is sovereign, both in Israel and in the world, for he worked even in the life of Joseph to render the evil of Pottipher's wife to the purpose of His will.

Can we ascribe to God authorship of sin, evil, discord, hatred? No certainly not.

Can we ascribe to man the authorship of these? Not originally.

Can we ascribe to man the promulgation of these in his own life, the life of the brethren and even at times the life of others? Yes. Why? Is this because God has sovereignly ordained all that is? No. But rather it is because the sinfulness of man is no surprise to God. It is because the sins man would partake of are brought forth from his nature, the sovereignty of God simply declares that He works to perform His Good Pleasure for the sake of the glory of His Grace, despite the evil that is found in man.

Thus 'much people' were saved alive and the nation of people through which our kinsman redeemer was manifested were brought into Egypt. Where they suffered evil at the hands of man, but then even this, God meant for good.

God Bless.
Bro. Dallas