God Works In Mysterious Ways / Dios Trabaja en Maneras Misteriosas
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Introduction
Introduction
People look for certainty; especially in these times where so many things are uncertain. We have seen uncertainty as it relates to:
Politics
The economy
People look for certainty - they look for something that they can have confidence in. It is unnerving to live this life with doubt, uncertainty, and not knowing what will happen if we make this or that decision.
There are many people that do all they can to experience certainty as it relates to their future.
Many people save X% of their monthly income with the home of one day being able to retire with certainty that they will have enough money in their old age.
Others invest in gold thinking that it is a guaranteed investment - stocks may rise and fall, 401k accounts may disappear over night; but gold will always be there.
Others think that by exercising daily, taking your vitamins, eating healthy, etc…they will certainly have good health.
However, if we live long enough we realize that practically nothing in life is certain.
We can loose our life savings overnight.
We can loose our health and suddenly overcome by a chronic illness.
We can be part of the next round of layoffs at our company that where one day we though we would retire from.
Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers said “…in this world nothing can be certain, except death and taxes.”
Where can we find certainty? Is any certainty possible? How will we manage going through this life knowing that we can loose everything in an instant?
The people of God can have certainty in this life! Paul writes to the Romans and says:
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
Rom. 8.28
-20
Y sabemos que para los que aman a Dios, todas las cosas cooperan para bien, esto es, para los que son llamados conforme a su propósito.
Y sabemos que para los que aman a Dios, todas las cosas cooperan para bien, esto es, para los que son llamados conforme a su propósito.
Porque a los que de antemano conoció, también los predestinó a ser hechos conforme a la imagen de su Hijo, para que El sea el primogénito entre muchos hermanos;
We will consider this promise in the letter to the Romans while we consider how this promise worked itself out in the life of Joseph, one of the Old Testament patriarchs.
Joseph’s struggle
Joseph’s triumph
God’s plan for his people
I. Joseph’s trials
I. Joseph’s trials
I. Las pruebas de José
I. Las pruebas de José
Many of us are familiar with the life of Joseph. We encounter him in .
He was Jacob’s youngest son.
Joseph had a very special place in his father’s heart - for he was born to him in his old age.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic.
Y amaba Israel a José más que a todos sus hijos, porque era para él el hijo de su vejez; y le hizo una túnica de muchos colores.
Gen
This angered Josephs brothers to the point that they hated him.
His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms.
His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms.
Joseph suffered greatly at the hands of his own brothers. This hatred came to a climax when they were about to kill him; but were persuaded to sell him into slavery.
They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer!
“Now then, come and let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; and we will say, ‘A wild beast devoured him.’ Then let us see what will become of his dreams!”
But Reuben heard this and rescued him out of their hands and said, “Let us not take his life.”
Reuben further said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but do not lay hands on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hands, to restore him to his father.
So it came about, when Joseph reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the varicolored tunic that was on him;
and they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was empty, without any water in it.
Then they sat down to eat a meal. And as they raised their eyes and looked, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing aromatic gum and balm and myrrh, on their way to bring them down to Egypt.
Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it for us to kill our brother and cover up his blood?
“Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him.
Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. Thus they brought Joseph into Egypt.
Gen 37.19-28
Gn.
Y se dijeron unos a otros: Aquí viene el soñador.
Ahora pues, venid, matémoslo y arrojémoslo a uno de los pozos; y diremos: “Una fiera lo devoró.” Entonces veremos en qué quedan sus sueños.
Pero Rubén oyó esto y lo libró de sus manos, y dijo: No le quitemos la vida.
Rubén les dijo además: No derraméis sangre. Echadlo en este pozo del desierto, pero no le pongáis la mano encima. Esto dijo para poder librarlo de las manos de ellos y volverlo a su padre.
Y sucedió que cuando José llegó a sus hermanos, despojaron a José de su túnica, la túnica de muchos colores que llevaba puesta;
y lo tomaron y lo echaron en el pozo. Y el pozo estaba vacío, no había agua en él.
Entonces se sentaron a comer, y cuando levantaron los ojos y miraron, he aquí, una caravana de ismaelitas venía de Galaad con sus camellos cargados de resina aromática, bálsamo y mirra, que iban bajando hacia Egipto.
Y Judá dijo a sus hermanos: ¿Qué ganaremos con matar a nuestro hermano y ocultar su sangre?
Venid, vendámoslo a los ismaelitas y no pongamos las manos sobre él, pues es nuestro hermano, carne nuestra. Y sus hermanos le hicieron caso.
Pasaron entonces unos mercaderes madianitas, y ellos sacaron a José, subiéndolo del pozo, y vendieron a José a los ismaelitas por veinte piezas de plata. Y éstos llevaron a José a Egipto.
Gen 37.
Clearly they hated him.
How much hatred did they have to feel towards him that they were willing to take his life; had Reuben not intervened Joseph would have died at the hands of his own brothers.
How could they have sold their own flesh and blood into slavery?
They did not care about the pain this would cause their brother, their mother, or their father. All they cared about was getting rid of their brother. Sending him far away as a slave was the solution to their problems.
One would think that Josephs problems ended when he is sold into slavery. The reality is this was just the beginning.
In Egypt he would find himself working for a powerful man named Potiphar.
Potiphar fell in love with Joseph. One day, she tried to seduce him and he ran out of the house. She yells for help and lies about what has happened.
Joseph is thrown into prison without the opportunity of clearing his good name.
Joseph is in a foreign land, he is a stranger to them, and worst of all he is now in prison.
He meets the king’s former cupbearer and baker who have also been thrown into prison.
Both have a dream which leaves them utterly terrified.
They both come to Joseph who is able to interpret their dream. Joseph tells the cupbearer that he will be restored to his position as the king’s cupbearer whereas the baker will eventually be executed.
When Joseph interprets their dreams he tells the cupbearer:
“Only keep me in mind when it goes well with you, and please do me a kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house.
Gen 40.
Sólo te pido que te acuerdes de mí cuando te vaya bien, y te ruego que me hagas el favor de hacer mención de mí a Faraón, y me saques de esta casa.
However, when the cupbearer is eventually restored to his position the Bible tells us:
Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Joseph is utterly forgotten.
The cupbearer felt no loyalty towards Joseph and immediately forgets him when he could have helped Joseph.
Next thing we know is that Joseph has been languishing in prison for two long years.
He must have felt utterly forgotten.
He must have remembered his brother’s hatred towards him.
He must have have vivid memories of the day that they tried to kill him and eventually decide to sell him as a slave.
He can remember how he was unjustly imprisioned without the opportunity to defend himself.
However, God is with him! Even though the cupbearer had forgotten him - God did not forget Joseph. God was doing something in Joseph.
II. Joseph’s triumph
II. Joseph’s triumph
II. El triunfo de José
II. El triunfo de José
Two years pass and the Pharaoh has a dream that utterly terrifies him.
Finally the cupbearer remembers Joseph for he knows Joseph can interpret dreams.
Joseph is brought before Pharaoh and interprets his dreams - there will be seven years of abundance and seven years of famine.
Pharaoh is impressed with Joseph’s ability to interpret his dream and elevates him to the highest position in the land.
So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are.
“You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you.”
Gen 41.39-
So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you are.
“You shall be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you.”
Joseph is put in charge of the lands riches along with all the grain.
During the years of abundance Joseph organizes a system by which he orders the storage of grain.
In the same way, during the years of famine, the people become hungry to the point of starvation. They come to Joseph and because of the system he has implemented he is able to sell them the grain they need to survive.
Joseph has saved Egypt from the brink of starvation. However, the famine has affected people beyond Egypt - he is about to save the life of those who tried to murder him.
Jacob is now an old man. He sees their great need of food and says to his sons:
He said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die.”
Gen 42.2
He said, “Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Egypt; go down there and buy some for us from that place, so that we may live and not die.”
The brothers, those who hated Joseph and desired to kill him, now find themselves en route to Egypt to purchase grain so that they do not die of starvation.
They encounter Joseph, but they do not remember him. Too many years have passed. For all they know, Joseph is just some other important official in Egypt.
You must read all of Joseph’s life story to really understand everything that happens in these encounters. However, there comes a point when Joseph can no longer contain himself.
He has the power to destroy them.
He has the power to put them into prison.
He has the power to take revenge.
However, God has been working in Joseph’s heart.
Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried, “Have everyone go out from me.” So there was no man with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it.
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me.” And they came closer. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.
“Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.
“For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.
“God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.
“Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Gen 45.1-
José no pudo ya contenerse delante de todos los que estaban junto a él, y exclamó: Haced salir a todos de mi lado. Y no había nadie con él cuando José se dio a conocer a sus hermanos.
Y lloró tan fuerte que lo oyeron los egipcios, y la casa de Faraón se enteró de ello.
José dijo a sus hermanos: Yo soy José. ¿Vive todavía mi padre? Pero sus hermanos no podían contestarle porque estaban atónitos delante de él.
Y José dijo a sus hermanos: Acercaos ahora a mí. Y ellos se acercaron, y él dijo: Yo soy vuestro hermano José, a quien vosotros vendisteis a Egipto.
Ahora pues, no os entristezcáis ni os pese por haberme vendido aquí; pues para preservar vidas me envió Dios delante de vosotros.
Porque en estos dos años ha habido hambre en la tierra y todavía quedan otros cinco años en los cuales no habrá ni siembra ni siega.
Y Dios me envió delante de vosotros para preservaros un remanente en la tierra, y para guardaros con vida mediante una gran liberación.
Ahora pues, no fuisteis vosotros los que me enviasteis aquí, sino Dios; y El me ha puesto por padre de Faraón y señor de toda su casa y gobernador sobre toda la tierra de Egipto.
Gen
Joseph reveals himself to his brothers - not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with tears in his eyes. He cannot believe God has allowed him to be reunited to his brothers.
Joseph sees that all along God has been with him.
God had used all these difficult circumstances in Joseph’s life - ultimately God was using all this pain, all this tragedy, all these sad events - so one day Joseph would be able to save his family from starvation.
Surely Joseph could not have imagined any of this when his brothers ridiculed him, when they sold him into slavery, when he was thrown into an Egyptian prison, or even when the cupbearer had forgotten about Joseph.
But now…Joseph can clearly see that it was God’s hand that was taking all these events and using them for the good of his servant and to preserve the lives of many.
III. God’s plan for his people
III. God’s plan for his people
III. El plan de Dios para su pueblo
III. El plan de Dios para su pueblo
This is what Paul tells us in .
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Y sabemos que para los que aman a Dios, todas las cosas cooperan para bien, esto es, para los que son llamados conforme a su propósito.
Paul tells us that God has the power to use all the circumstances in our live - the good times, the bad times, the times of joy and the times of pain, every single circumstances - he will use all things and will have them work together for our good.
This means that God is aware of what we are experiencing. God knows when we are suffering. God knows when we are experiencing doubt, pain, illness, anxiety, fear, etc.
God is not oblivious to all that we are facing.
Our certainty lies in the fact that God will use all these circumstances for our good - for our growth, for our edification, for our sanctification, for our growth in the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ.
There are no wasted tragedies in God’s plan, there are no insignificant trials in God’s will - everything is being used by God for our good.
We cannot say the same for an unbeliever. An unbeliever lives this life with pain, with hurt, with fear, and simply walks alone. He has no counselor at his side, he does not call upon the good shepherd, he walks as a blind man in a mine field full of explosives. Why do I say this?
Because…this promise, this certainty is for those who “love God!”.
Those who love God are those who experience this certainty.
It is for this reason, that we can walk in faith
Christian - if you love God - do not despair! God is with you and he will use all life’s circumstances for your good!