Week 3 Genesis 43-Exodus 12
If I rewrote the book of Genesis I would plot the story of Joseph like this: a brutalized Jewish teen rises from abject slavery to great power, then takes revenge on his evil brothers (like a Hebrew-style Count of Monte Cristo).
But the real story is that Joseph has learned the nature of his being sold into slavery all those years ago (all that his brothers know is: we sold Joseph as a slave, he is now the prime minister of Egypt, our days are numbered).
But Joseph tries to draw a more subtle distinction for them. He tells them (these are his words): God sent me here. And he develops that idea even further and says (these are his words, too): it was not you who sent me here, but God.
His brothers maybe just stare at him – what’s that supposed to mean?
Joseph’s first-hand experience is that there are concurrent operations taking place – the bad operations of the bad operators, and also the good operations of a good operator. Bad operations result in bad outcomes, and good operations result in good ones. But not independently. The good ones kind of absorb and disarm the bad, but without eliminating them.
One of the last things Joseph tells his brothers is: you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good. And both of those intentions come true.
Notes: quotations are from Genesis 45:5, 45:8, 50:20 (NASB)