A Study of the Doctrine of Providence Pt 8 Governing Providence: A Case Study
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Governing Providence- God guides and governs all events, including the free acts of men and their external circumstances, and directs all things to their appointed ends for His glory.
What Does the Bible Say?
What Does the Bible Say?
If you had to break up the Bible into percentages, how much of the Bible is straightforward propositional truth and how much of the Bible is stories?
Why do you think God chose to communicate so much of His revelation to us in the form of stories?
“Doctrinal statement are like skeletons—bare bones, but absolutely essential to give form and order and interconnection to the body of revealed truth. Stories flesh out that skeleton, incarnate that truth, demonstrate how the doctrine looks and moves and acts in the real world of flesh and blood.”
Joseph is the prince of providence. As we go through the biblical narrative of his life we will see that he had a keen sense and practical understanding of God’s providence.
Genesis 37
Genesis 37
Last time we looked at the first 11 verses of Genesis 37. We will not re-read those for times sake. But, let’s briefly review.
What is the first issue or “problem” that we run into in the story of Joseph? Favoritism
Who is showing favoritism to Joseph in these verses? Jacob (Coat) and God Himself (Dreams).
What do you think of how Joseph handled the favoritism? Did he act appropriately or foolishly? How can we tell? What does the text say?
Nothing in the text faults Joseph’s behavior- the dreams were not Joseph’s dreams of self-importance; they were God given dreams of REVELATION that simultaneously functioned as both a focal point for Joseph’s faith (imagine Joseph’s obedience based on such limited revelation!) and a test of his family’s submission to God’s choice and purposes.
God, in His providence, blesses, exalts and uses whom He will
God, in His providence, blesses, exalts and uses whom He will
What is unusual about God choosing Joseph and not choosing his other brothers? He is the youngest!
Is God always fair?
God does not give everyone exactly the same number of peas on their plate does he? But, God is always right and God is always good. Sometimes that means our lives might look “unfair” (it did for Joseph), but God is providentially superintending over every facet of our lives and often uses the unfairness of life to accomplish His purposes in and for us and those around us.
How much of what happened to Joseph was fair? But how much of what God allowed was He right to allow?
God, in His providence, allows and uses the anger and hatred of people to accomplish His purposes
God, in His providence, allows and uses the anger and hatred of people to accomplish His purposes
How did Joseph’s brothers react to the favoritism of Jacob and the Lord toward Joseph?
10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise you;
the remnant of wrath you will put on like a belt.
How does God use the wrath of man in the life of Joseph to bring about praise to Himself? How should that bring the believer comfort?
God’s providence incorporates the faithfulness and obedience of His children
God’s providence incorporates the faithfulness and obedience of His children
Why is this such an important truth to understand when talking about God’s providence?
Without this truth, that God uses our faithfulness and obedience to accomplish his providential purposes, what kind of attitude can we be tempted to adopt? Fatalism! What is that? What does it lead to?
God’s providence often encompasses human aid
God’s providence often encompasses human aid
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12 Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. 13 And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” 14 So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 15 And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” 16 “I am seeking my brothers,” he said. “Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” 17 And the man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ ” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan.
Does this seem like an odd addition to the story?
Why does the Holy Spirit include this in the narrative? Why didn’t the Holy Spirit just save some space and tell us eventually Joseph found his brothers? Does the Holy Spirit waste words?
Is this account incidental to the story or is it pivotal?
Think about it- Joseph just happens to run into a unnamed man while wandering in the fields. This man just happens to know exactly where Joseph’s brothers are, and just happens to tell Joseph at the exact time so that Joseph arrives just as the caravan is passing by, and so on. All of the events that transpire afterwards hinge on Joseph’s “chance” meeting with this man.
The happenstance of how I joined Madrigal choir- voice lessons, principal of my high school a graduate of MBU, almost last minute deciding to tryout for the choir, meeting Sharon on the first day, now married. I can’t imagine my life without those “happenstances.”
What emotions should the idea that events in our lives are sometimes dependent upon “happenstance” and sometimes come within a hair’s breath of not happening? Panic? Exactly the opposite!
Is there happenstance in this account? Chance? Luck? What does we see in this account of Joseph’s life? God’s providence! Think about all that God arranged to happen in this account!
This man’ access to the knowledge of Joseph’s brothers
Joseph to come into contact with him at the exact right moment
Joseph arriving at the precise moment to find his brothers
Just in time for Ruben to be there to save his life
Just in time for a caravan headed in the exact direction that God needed it to go
God, in His providence, restrains evil plans and intentions that do not serve His purposes
God, in His providence, restrains evil plans and intentions that do not serve His purposes
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18 They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” 21 But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father.
What was the culmination of all the jealousy and hatred that Joseph’s brothers had stored up in their hearts? Murder!
Were the circumstances favorable for Joseph’s brothers to pull off the perfect crime? Out in the wilderness, away from home, hid the body in a pit, blame it on wild animals.
But what did God do? How?
10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise you;
the remnant of wrath you will put on like a belt.
God’s restraint of the evil intentions of Joseph’s brothers was an incredible kindness to them! What happens to the brothers in about 10-15 years if God allows them to kill Joseph? They die of starvation! God is merciful and kind even when we have evil intentions!
God, in His providence, may allow the failure of good intentions
God, in His providence, may allow the failure of good intentions
22 And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father.
What was Reuben’s plan? Was it a good plan? Did Reuben have good intentions? What would have happened to Joseph is Reuben had carried out his plan? Starvation! Corruption by the Canaanites! God’s chosen people, Israel, destroyed. God’s covenant to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, failed!
God, in His providence, may allow us to be betrayed and cruelly sinned against
God, in His providence, may allow us to be betrayed and cruelly sinned against
This is a difficult one. Can we accept the plain affirmation of Scripture—and actually apply it to our own personal experiences and circumstances?
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23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.
25 Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.
29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes 30 and returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where shall I go?” 31 Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33 And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. 36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard.
We could call this part of the story God’s “providential relocation” of Joseph. Did Joseph get a first class seat to Egypt? Yet, did God use the betrayal and cruel sins of Joseph’s brothers to accomplish his will?
Does that mean God initiated their evil deed? Imposible
Does that make God responsible for their sin? Unthinkable
Does that mean God temporarily lost control of the situation and will now have to take steps to try to amend the damage? Out of the question
What is the lesson here? No matter how unjustly you may be treated, there is someone in charge—setting boundaries, guiding, governing, permitting…and restraining, for His wise and benevolent purposes and, yes, for your good.
1 Peter 2:21–23 (ESV)
21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.
22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.
23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
One last thing to note about Gen. 37- if you go back and read the story there is a shocking omission from the text. There is one very important person who is left out of the narrative- this person in not mentioned even one time in the story. Do you know who it is? God!
God is directly mentioned in every chapter in Genesis up to this point (except 34 and 36 which is entirely genealogy).
Is God’s absence from the story an accident? Why is God never mentioned in a story where a godly young man’s life falls to pieces?
It is a reflection of our perception of reality.
When you are going through a difficult trial or test does it sometimes seem like God is silent or worse absent from your hardships?
What does the story of Joseph help us to understand about this perception of reality? God is there! Like the undeniable effects of an invisible wind, you can see God’s presence and activity implicitly throughout the unmistakably providential events of Genesis 37.
When “bad” things come crashing down in your life, it does not mean that God has forsaken you. You are then, as much as ever, the object of God’s attentive, if silent, presence.
Genesis 39
Genesis 39
2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands.
What is comforting about these verses?
It seems like the story is finally improving for Joseph! Just when things seem to be going well, v. 11 happens.
11 But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house,
God in His providence, may allow us to be falsely accused and unjustly maligned
God in His providence, may allow us to be falsely accused and unjustly maligned
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11 But one day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, 12 she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. 13 And as soon as she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, 14 she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.” 16 Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, 17 and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. 18 But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.” 19 As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. 20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison.
What is the typical gut reaction when we are falsely accused or treated unjustly?
Before we respond this way (and even justify our responses) who should we remember and reflect on? Who is a better example than Joseph?
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19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
How did Joseph respond to his treatment?
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21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. 23 The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.
Did Joseph get angry? complain? grumble?
Did he experience sorrow? confusion?
And yet because of Joseph’s right response to the circumstances how did God treat Joseph while he was in prison?
God, in His providence, gives us favor with those of His choosing
God, in His providence, gives us favor with those of His choosing
Gen 39: 21-23- an additional principle.
“A good man, will do good wherever he is, and will be a blessing even in bods and banishment; for the Spirit of the Lord is not bound nor banished.” — Matthew Henry
Imagine you are reading this story for the first time, how would you respond to one injustice after another? Genuine outrage!
What is so marvelous about what God is doing in the story through the unjust treatment of Joseph?
Providentially superintending all these events and injustices
Using them to accomplish his gracious purposes
Not only for Joseph, but also for the ones who were the cause of Joseph’s injustice (his brothers)
And for their sovereignly elected descendants