Evil Happens...but God - Part A

We say that God's providence we talk about God's providence were not talking about his miraculous works miracle is where God intervenes, natural law. Providence is where he cooperates with natural the effect the supernatural result in Providence. God is manipulating ordinary events to affect an extraordinary out English preacher GC while one set. There is no such thing as chance look or accident in the Christian's journey through this world all is arranged and appointed by God all things are working together for the believers.

Good today on connect with Skip Heitzig Skip shows you through the story of Joseph how God's providence is at work in your life today before we begin, we want to let you know about a resource that will transform your spiritual life as you see God for who he really is the best biographies make you feel like you personally intimately know the person you've read about from Mozart to Mother Teresa Sojourner Truth to Steve Jobs. It's exciting to learn the details of influential people, but one biography stands out above the rest.

Biography of God hears the author skip. I think there's nothing more elevating to mankind than the study of God himself discovered the omnipotence paradox is and mystery central to God's being and remove the limits you may have placed on who God is. I've noticed that almost every problem that a person has in their life stems from an inadequate of God's new book is our thanks when you give $35 or more today to help keep this ministry on the air, call 800-922-1888, or get online securely connectwithskip.com/offer Genesis chapter 50 skip. Isaac gets into today's message. Most all of you know that some of you even use this online auction called eBay. I purchased things over the years millions of transactions place people buy and sell just about anything and everything on eBay every now and then. Odd things show up for sale and people of made noted noted that lists of all the weird things eBay is sold but there's a few standout things a few years back, a grilled sandwich sold on eBay a grilled sandwich. Some of you saw that with the face of the Virgin Mary. It's all for $28,000 and because supposedly the little sandwich had magical powers and was unaffected by mold for over a decade. I was with the claim. Somebody dished out 20 grand. Then there was the haunted rubber duck that sold on eBay and it reportedly had the power to possess children now who on earth would ever want to buy that right or for that matter, would ever want to sell it with one let that go and get out into the public and do damage but sold on eBay for $107,000. Then there was the case of a 10-year-old girl from England who tried to sell her grandmother on eBay in the lab.

She took out on eBay said about her grandmother.

She is annoying but cuddling course eBay had taken down because it breaches regulations for human trafficking. You can't sell people on eBay even your grandmother. But perhaps the most bizarre was a decade ago when a man got on eBay and offered his life for sale. The ad ran like that's my name is Ian Usher and I've had enough of my life. I don't want it anymore. You can have it if you like, whatever it is it's all going up for sale in one big auction. Everything I have and everything I am on the day that sold and settled. I intend to walk out the front door with my mock wallet in one pocket in my passport and the other nothing else and then get on the train with no idea where I am going or what the future holds for me what I ended up happening is Ian Usher was selling his life. He sold his home along with it, beat up furniture along with it an old car along with it. Small motorcycle he sold all of that for $305,000 and he moved to Australia what he said is that his wife had left him six years into their marriage. She divorced him and he said that he wanted to remove all reminders of his life with his ex-wife. There's a lot of ways you can deal with rejection. This is gotta take the cake. I just want to sell my life. You can have it all of it. I suppose if there could've been one person in the Bible whose would've said that it would be Joseph because he had so many bad things happen to them over the course of his life. One bad thing after another. His brothers hated him.

The Midianites sold him.

Potiphar jailed him. His cellmates forgot him.

But God promoted him to an incredible story and it's an incredible story and a number of levels are just one of them, of all 50 chapters in the book of Genesis, all of them together.

One fourth of the entire book of Genesis is devoted to Joseph that in and of itself is amazing given the fact that God uses 10 words to describe the creation of the universe. Genesis 11 in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. That's 10 words.

Then he gives two chapters to fill in some of the details of those 10 words but 13 chapters in the book are devoted to Joseph his tragedies and is trying incredible story.

It's a rags to riches story.

It's about the son of an obscure poor Israelite herdsman goes from total obscurity to become the second most powerful man in Egypt thus in the world an incredible story and the story introduces us to one of the notable traits of God and that is his providence. God's providence, we say the goddess Provident. We talk about God's providence were not talking about his miraculous works.

A miracle is where God intervenes, natural law, but providence is where he cooperates with natural law to affect the supernatural result in Providence. God is manipulating ordinary events to affect an extraordinary outcome. Besides all that Joseph proves to us that no matter how bad you had it growing up, no matter how you were mistreated or mishandled or misjudged growing up you can live well now Joseph shows that it's an amazing story. Now, a little quick thumbnail sketch about Joseph's background. His family was messed up big time.

The family of Joseph with his father Jacob and his 11 brothers. It was to say the very least a dysfunctional family on a high level. First of all, his dad had four wives not four in a row for at the same time. So that's bad then his brothers get involved in all sorts of sinful activity, including incest, rape, murder, and with Joseph. Human trafficking we get to chapter 50 last chapter in the book. It is the crescendo. It is the high moment is. After Jacob's death or dad has died. They buried him there back from the funeral in Canaan. There back in Egypt and now these brothers are really paranoid verse 15 of chapter 50 introduces us when Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead. They said perhaps Joseph will hate us and actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him. So they sent messengers to Joseph saying before your father died he commanded us, saying that she shall say to Joseph I beg you please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin, for they did evil to you. Now please forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father, and Joseph wept when they spoke to him that his brothers also went and fell down before his face and they said, behold, we are your servants. Joseph said to them, do not be afraid for my in the place of God. But as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good. In order to bring it about as it is this day to save many people alive now therefore do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones, and he comforted them and he spoke kindly to this is the finale of the entire Joseph story all the tension that begins in chapter 37 and grows and mounts comes to its high point here, until finally it is resolved in two Joseph's forgiveness. It is relieved. So the scene begins in fear, but it ends in forgiveness and there's one little phase in between subordinate again and look at the three stages that Joseph's brothers go to to bring resolution. First of all, fear they're afraid of something that baseless. I would add a baseless fear. Verse 15 says when Joseph's brothers saw that their father, that is. Jacob was dead.

They said another talking among themselves have a conversation.

Perhaps Joseph will hate us and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did. This is their guilt.

Speaking the whole turn of events with Joseph has been awed to these brothers are uneasy with how it is come down. Joseph was sold by them. They captured and put them in a pit because they were jealous, sold him to Midianites it dumped him in Egypt but everybody thinks Joseph is dead Jacob thinks he's dead or thought he was dead. The brothers thought it was dead. Come to find out he's not only dead, he's very much alive and he's large and in charge. He is in fact the second most powerful human being on the planet in charge of the economy that is controlled at that time by Egypt. So on one hand, it sort of like a fairytale ending for these boys. They are rescued by Joseph their save from hunger. There provided for, and they are now protected by on the other hand, there is now one person in the world that controls their future and that is there brother whom they sold years ago so he's the guy in charge he could kill them if he wants to. They are in his debt completely and at any moment he could rescind his favor and protect. So they're scrambling there, thinking while perhaps dad's life was a buffer while dad was alive. Joseph is a get to retaliate because Pearl dataset another heart ache. He's not can add to that he's been away till his debt now is dead funerals over.

We buried him in Canaan were back now.

Now the chief impediment to that revenge by our brothers taken away, we are completely vulnerable before our brother Joseph dig a little deeper in verse 15 and you'll notice that these brothers feared two things. First, they fear Joseph's personal emotion. Look at how they put it. Perhaps Joseph will hate us.

The word hate in Hebrew is the word suck Tom which means to bear a grudge.

It speaks of a growing resentment and bitterness. They're afraid of that something is been growing inside the heart of our brother Joseph all this time so they're afraid of his personal emotion. Also notice there afraid of Joseph's possible action, for they say, and he may actually repay us for all the evil we did the word actually could be better translated fully and he may fully repay us for all the evil which we did to him. In other words, our brother Joseph has been nursing a garage all these years and now he's going to give full vent that hatred and those feelings in his heart, all I can say at this point is a guilty conscience is an unbearable load when you carry around with you all the junk and stuff from years past. Your failures what you get and you carry that it becomes a guilty conscience is a heavy load, and sometimes too heavy to bear. Psalm 38 verse four.

The psalmist said, my guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden to heavy to bear. And the reason that it's so heavy to bear. Is that a guilty conscience needs no accuser wherever you go you carry that conscience with you. It is its own accuser.

You start filtering everyone and every action through the viewpoint the lands the filter of all that you can crush you. Charles Spurgeon said I'd rather bear any affliction then be burdened with a guilty conscience. So they're viewing Joseph now to that guilt there looking at him in there listening to him and they're seeing all of that through their own personality and their own action. The projecting you've heard that term before the people project things on other people see their worried that Joseph is going to get rid of them because they once tried to get rid of him. So they are seeing Joseph through the lens of their own personality and their conversation in verse 15 reveals more about them than it is about Joseph and whatever you project onto other people tells more about you that it tells about other people. Shakespeare said suspicion always haunts the guilty mind you now many years it's been since they did this to Joseph.

40 between chapter 37. In chapter 54 decades of gone by for 40 years they've been carrying that load of guilt unattended to unresolved until this moment.

That's because guilt distorts the reality you don't see clearly when you're around people you assume the worst and you impose the worst possible motive. Wonder why he said that I know I said that I think you're just that you in the wrong.

It's not reality. They think Joseph hates them.

That's not true. Joseph loves them. They think Joseph wants to kill them. Joseph then why kill them. Joseph is going to say I think you guys need to be alive to preserve your life. They think Joseph is unforgiving and unrelenting. That's not true. He's forgiven the five chapters ago are still carrying the load guilt upon the conscience is like rust upon metal. At first the rust just the scholars. The metal, but after a while it starts creeping into it and eventually it eats out the very heart and the substance of that metal. It rocks it from within. Guilt will do that to the human heart, so they come with this fear of baseless fear. The second stage is a fabrication, a blatant fabrication but to say something that their dad supposedly said that is not true.

Verse 16 so they sent messengers to Joseph Martha. They're so paranoid didn't even show up themselves.

They send a team ahead of them. Messengers to Joseph saying before your father died he commanded us, saying, thus you shall say to Joseph I beg you please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin, for they have done evil to you now, please forgive the trespass listen to how they put it of the servants of the God of your father you honor God's servants do you and Joseph elapse when they spoke to him that his brothers also went and fell down before his face and they said, behold, we are your servant now. Jacob, their dad may indeed have actually said these words to them, but there's no record of there's no record in all of the Scriptures. Up to this point.

The Joseph ever actually gave the 11 brothers this message to tell Joseph and don't you think that a message this important would be told, I do.

I would have been given by Jacob himself. In fact, if you were to go back one chapter 9 out of Chapter 49 of Genesis 1 of the great chapters of the Bible.

All of the boys all 12 men are gathered around the deathbed of Jacob and in that chapter. Jacob gets very direct with all 12 boys. He is unafraid to call out their past sins, he is unafraid to predict their future, and Jacob. The old man before he died he knew his boys. He knew the disposition of these 11 and that he you can trust them with a message this important they had proven to be liars throughout his life.

So Jacob, if you really did say this would have said this privately to Joseph or the very least publicly when they were all gathered around his deathbed. In chapter 49 so I believe this is the lives of fabrication which means if it is indeed a fabrication. What it means is there using their dead father as the fall guy there using their dead dad is the scapegoat for throwing him under the bus, effectively the same. You know our dad's last dying wish was that you let bygones be by so this is their collective personality. This is there group speak. This is who they are, they have had mercy shown to them. They been lavishly treated by Joseph up to this point and by Pharaoh of Egypt. They have been relocated from the land of Israel who was suffering famine to the land of Goshen Very Lush Pl. in Egypt. They had been given meals they've been given provisions. They have been given protection and they have Artie seen the error of their ways and confessed already to allaying all of these years but old habits die slow or as a friend of mine says people change, but not that much. These boys have changed, but not that much. They still are, who they are there paranoid their opportunistic they want to save their own hide. That's what all this fabrication is about because they sense of these immature Aussies and repay us. So they come up with a slide in Proverbs 29 verse 25.

The author says the fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be saved that one proverb contrasts Joseph and his brothers, the fair man brings a snare, that's his brothers. But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be saved. Joseph like these guys lived on two completely different levels. Joseph lives and always lived on the but God level is always looking for God in the pictures. No matter what happens to these Over say something go back five chapters go back to chapter 45 just a few moments onto the look at the very first time, the Prime Minister of Egypt. Joseph their brother discloses to them that he is their brother who is not dead but is a lot fun seen chapter 45 verse one then Joseph brothers Danny before then. Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him and he cried out. Make everyone go out from me, so no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brother and he wept aloud and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it.

You gotta think his brothers going what is going on. Who is this guy weeping losses.

Then Joseph said was brothers I am Joseph does my father still live but his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his present.

In other words, this was their great moment, I'm Joseph Magid. Then Joseph said was brothers verse four please come near me at a really going so they came here and he said I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt all but watch this watch a look at the different level.

Joseph Lizza verse 5.now do not therefore be grieved, or angry with yourselves because you sold me here for God sent me before you to preserve life while for these two years. The famine has been in the land and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest, and God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you and the earth and to save your lives by rate delivered that Skip the message from the series but God want to tell you about a unique opportunity to take your knowledge of Scripture to a new level. Calvary College is now open for registration. Calvary College is offering select online classes as an opportunity for individuals to take their lives calling to a whole new level with an educational emphasis in biblical studies with our unique partnership with Veritas international University and Calvary Chapel University.

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Check your local listings. Next, Skip Heitzig shares about the perspective Joseph having God's sovereignty, reminding you how to trust God and his power matter dear Sir Castillo may Skip presentation of connection communications to God's never changing truth