Evil Happens...but God - Part B

Something is bad, has turned out by God's providence to become so Joseph believes Joseph's theology of pain-and-suffering is that God is in charge. God uses bad events to bring about good results and finally God uses people in the book of Nehemiah repentant nation of Israel.

Praise God saying you have made the heavens and the earth and all that is on the seas and all that is in give life to all of today on connect with Skip Heitzig scriptures about how Joseph had that same perspective on God's sovereignty, reminding you how to trust God and his power, no matter your circumstances use a resource that will help you know God more intimately so you can experience a richer relationship with does God exist, and if he dies. Is it possible to know your answer to those two questions shapes how you see the world skip. I think once wrestled with those very questions himself, you know, I've been teaching the Bible for over three decades before I became a Christian and when I was new to the faith. I studied science and philosophy alongside the Bible as I studied, I grew confident that God does exist. And yes, we can know him in the biography of God.

The brand-new book by skip. I think you'll learn to remove the limits you may have placed on your idea of who God is. Everything changes when you acknowledge and believe that God is who he says here's biography of God is our way to thank you when you give $35 or more today to help expand this Bible teaching outreach to more people request your copy when you give online securely connectwithskip.com/offer or call 800-922-1888. Okay, let's dive into today's teaching movie in Genesis chapter 50 Skip Heitzig begins the study. This was their great old moment, I'm Joseph. Oh Megan, then Joseph said was brothers verse four please come near me another really got all so they came here and he said I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt all but watch this watch a little look at the different level.

Joseph Lizza verse five, but 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 in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliver. So now it was not you sent me here, but God and he has made me father to Pharaoh and Lord of all is and a ruler throughout the land of Egypt hurried and go to my father and say to him, thus says your son Joseph. God has made me Lord, all of Egypt come down to me. Do not Terry you shall dwell in the land of Goshen, you shall be near to me.

You and your children and your children's children walks and your herds and all that you have. That's his love.

That's just a little, but God level. He always lived on well this is bad, but God okay they sold me as a site but God can. I'm in jail but God that's how we live.

Not these 11 brothers, especially the oldest 10 Benjamin is another story, but they did live on that.

But God level. They lived on the but we level but we, for example, Joseph told us his dreams. But we resent him. Joseph is going to give us a message from dad. But we despise here comes a little Joseph and his Technicolor code but we will show him we will sell him now, years later, standing before the Prime Minister of Egypt.

It's exactly the same. Joseph is the Prime Minister now dad is dead, but we will outsmart the come over this fabrication. Sir Walter Scott once remarked, oh what a tangled web we weave when at first we practice to deceive.

And so what are they do. They send messengers. First of all, and then after the messenger's compass, you know once the word gets out.

Now they come in they get all groveling perform the come down they bow down to New Brunswick will be a slaves man will serve you for up this is called self-preservation. That's all it is they want to save their high Satan was accurate when he said the God something true about human nature. He said, skin for skin EA all that a man has will he give for his life comes down to it just is going to kill us.

Let's come up with his lie. Maybe he'll spare us so from baseless fear to a blatant fabrication. The third level is the best level and that is there brothers forgiveness. So there they are.

Can you picture in the groveling before and their heads are downcast. This it will be your servants will be your slaves and expect to look up and see up vengeful fuming ruler who's going out do something bad they look up and they see the Prime Minister of Egypt. Their brother Joseph weeping.

There are tears in his eyes were 17 and Joseph wept when they spoke to him this is a sensitive guy. He cries a lot. Chapter 45 he was crying before he revealed who he was dependably going to start a weave and loudly now is crying again. What easy crying for C crying for himself.

His tears are friends and not hold onto that he's crying for who them. He's weeping because he sees their torment. He's weeping because he knows they're scheming he forgave them long ago and now he repeats that promise and he quells their fears.

Verse 19 Joseph said to them, do not be afraid when they say that as they were what freight they were afraid he saw that he saw their fears. Do not be afraid for my in the place of God. But as for you, you meant evil against but God meant it for good. In order to bring it about as it is this day to save many people alive. I'll explain in a moment. Now, therefore, do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones, and he comforted them and he spoke kindly to having heard that here's the question I want to bring is a question.

How is how does love, forgiveness come from the heart of somebody who's been so mistreated, like Joseph, how can kindness, compassion, forgiveness, love, how can it be cultivated in in a person who has been hurt, mismanaged, misaligned light about gossip about four years.

How can. How can that be the answer is found in his answer is answer them to versus I just rip because these two verses Joseph is giving his theology on pain-and-suffering. It's all in just two verses. It's very very profound. This would Joseph believes about God's will.

Joseph believes about life, about his life. This would Joseph please let pain-and-suffering all put into choosing meet little verse. This is Joseph's theology on suffering can be divided into three main points in one God is in charge. God is in charge not mean that anyone God is because he says my in the place of God. I'm not in charge. God is in charge not mean that anyone in mind the place of God.

Now some rulers actually think they are the place of God. Some politicians think they're in the place of God. Some kings and rulers have firebombed sort of God like I'm in the place of God in one sense the right one, since they really are in the place of God because young Daniel said to King Nebuchadnezzar on the throne of Babel and he said the most high rules in the kingdom of man, but he gives it to whoever he wills and Paul in Romans 13, said let every soul that you and me you a soul that every soul be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Remember that with your politicians and he says about those rulers, for he is God's minister to you for good with just a means what he says in mind the place of God's love guys.

I may be the Prime Minister.

But I'm not God I'm a servant of God to I'm a slave of God to our problems begin when we forget that God is in charge with our problems begin. We try to push got off the throne. We want that plagues you call the shots on large and in sharp. Paul said this in the asked a question on have you answer Fossett who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has become his counsel you exit who's ever become God's counsel be honest is the true answers you have and I have we counsel Gato maybe not allowed, but we thought that in our prayers. We have now God is. We hundred or you know God is your window here you had a chance. If you would just listen to the way I prayed about this. It would've been perfect you to do it your chance. You counsel God you thought is made mistakes in one case or another. When you feel like things are out of control and you kinda want to push got off that seat of his throne, and you want to occupy that all the shots your problems will mount.

Joseph believes God is in charge not mean that second thing he believes in his theology is that God uses bad events to bring about good results.

God uses bad events to bring about good results. Verse 20 says.

But as for you, you meant this for evil and nothing let you guys off the hook you what evil intentions you met this for evil against me blacked God meant it for good.

What's the good in order to bring it about as it is this day to save many people like he has a clear understanding the God's work. The God is behind the scenes that I can trust God for the outcome is called Providence. God works providentially no matter what the intention of people, whether good or bad, God can bring about his own ultimate in so Joseph is looking at his brothers, realizing I believe God has a plan for you men, and that is you need to survive.

It's crucial that you live… Wife because I understand God's plan for a nation.

He wants to develop and for him to enact a plan of the nation. He has to enact a plan on the leaders of that nation, and that's us boys 12 tribes of Israel that they were transported from a land where there was no food to Egypt, a place where there was plenty of food they were given a section of the Lamb. The land of Goshen so that for the next 400 years they could go from a 70 person family to a nation of 2 to 3 million was God's plan. Why, because God wanted the nation on the earth to witness to his glory, and eventually bring the Messiah who would be the Savior of the world, Joseph sees the pay picture. Not all of it, but part of it. The God is a plan to save many people alive so you guys need to be alive to be the nation that God is been used, to put on the earth, that nation will bring the Messiah. Joseph simply sees his suffering as part of the plan. So if my suffering means that a nation can be preserved. I'm in Joseph story that we have just read and consider Joseph story can be summed up in one verse in the New Testament. You know it well. Romans chapter 8 verse 20 that verse. Paul said this, you know what Paul said and we know that we think we hope we cross our fingers. Maybe we know that all things work together, not some things on most things, not good things, not just the things I prayed about all things and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and to those who are the called according to his purpose.

Don't you love that verse. It's what RA Torrey called a soft pillow for a tired heart and how many times I laid my heart and that verse for repose all things all things all things William Newell says dark things, bright things, happy things, sad things, sweet things. Bitter things times of prosperity, times of adversity. We know that all things for the next two words, we know that all things work together two words one word in Greek. Soon Eric Gato soon Eric Gato is where we get our word synergism or synergy synergism is the interaction and cooperation of two or more things. Synergism means the working together of various elements to produce results that are greater than the sum so that things by themselves may be bad but when you put them in combination with other things. The result can be very, very good.

We see this happen in the natural world can take two substances that are normally harmful, but in right combination their beneficial example sodium in its pure form is not good for you and hurt you can kill you chlorine if you sniff chlorine you.if you mix sodium and chlorine in the right combination. Now you have sodium chloride. That's table salt gum two bad things in right combination can be beneficial. So God is able to take all of those poisonous toxic things in life, good things, bad things, and bring divine synergism to it so that the result is good, which means you better be very careful what you call bad.

Why do bad things happen to people. Why did that bad thing happen to me. Be careful that bad thing may actually be something very good in a very clever disguise giving example from our own lives. We have a good friend on the claims of ours, lives in Florida who recently got a nail. Paul Hackberry got in the motorcyclist's I saw the pictures of him in the emergency room did look good. You look at the events that but they did x-rays and MRI scans. And you know when you have a head injury. You can look at. I just had the neck, right cervical spine clavicle lower right or upper thoracic and so they're actually doing MRIs and they discover in the upper thorax is a nodule they just picked it up on the MRI and they found out I was cancer but was in his early stake so they could treated. He defined and so this accident may have saved his life. Something that is bad, has turned out by God's providence to become good so Joseph believes Joseph's theology of pain-and-suffering is that God is in charge not mean that anyone else God uses bad events to bring about good results and finally God uses people to help other people. That's verse 21.

Look at it. He says now therefore do not be afraid to get this. I will provide for you. I the kid that 40 years ago. You put in a pit. I the kid you resented all your life. Me that guy. These I'm selling him to the Midianite get rid of him killing this guy will provide for you. I will provide for you and your little ones, and he comforted them and he spoke kindly. Joseph is saying is look your act was an evil act when you did was wrong, but if you wouldn't of done that then I would have been sold to the Midianites and if I would've sold to the Midianites and I would've gone down Egypt. But when got Pentagon and Egypt. When the phone in Potiphar's house about an event planner for South. I wouldn't be falsely accused by his wife, something I never did.

And if I was ever falsely accused something I never did I when I got to jail and I probably got to jail I never wrote about those two guys my dreams and I told him what the dream meant and they forgot about me for a couple years but then he remembered, and if that would happen that I wouldn't been in Pharaoh's house to interpret his dream and that would happen.

I would be the Lord of all of Egypt but I am because God took all of those events and wove them together and now boys. I'm here to help and provide for your future is that the gracious love and forgiveness from the heart is treated year after year. All that to say that God will use your suffering to help somebody else's. Please don't let your suffering ever go to waste in the very least, God can use your time of suffering in your lessons delve somebody else is.

Paul says, second Corinthians 1. He comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort others when others are troubled we will be able to give them the same comfort God is given to us so when we are way down. Speaking of we, apostles, we Paul Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, when we are way down with troubles. It is for your benefit and so not to waste this God can use this on a close with a little article I found a hypothetical situation is written by Jonathan hate, a New York psychologist New York City attached to a prominent university is what he says. Imagine that you have a child in for five minutes. You are given a script of what will be that child's life. You get an eraser, you can edit. You can take out whatever you want. You read that your child will have a learning disability in grade school reading which comes easily for some kids will be laborious for yours in high school. Your kid will make a great circle of friends. Then one of them will die of cancer after high school.

This child will actually get into the college they wanted to attend. While there, there will be a car crash in your child will lose a leg or go through a difficult depression and go through a difficult depression. A few years later, your child will get a great job and then lose that job in an economic downturn. Your child will get married but then go through the grief of the separation.

This is the script of your child's life and you have five minutes to edit that script question, what would you erase when you want to take out all that stuff that would cause them pain.

He continues I'm a part of a generation of adults called helicopter parents because were constantly trying to swoop into our kids educational life relational life sports, life, etc. to make sure no one is mistreating them.

No one is disappointing them. We want them to experience one unobstructed success after another that he continues one Halloween, a mom came to our door to trick-or-treat. Why didn't she send in your kid well the weather is a little bad.

She said she was driving so he didn't have to walk in the ring, why not send them to the door. Well you fall asleep in the car. She said so she didn't want to have to wake him up. I felt like saying wanted to just eat all his candy and get the stomach ache for him to then he can be completely protected. If you could wave a magic wand if you could erase every failure, every setback suffering and pain. Are you sure would be a good idea would cause your child to grow up to be a better, stronger, more generous person. Is it possible that in some way people actually need the adversity, setbacks, maybe even something like trauma to reach the fullest level of development and growth when question that only you can answer as we close, how big is your God, the God you say you serve God you say you love God you say you're committed. How big is that God that got big enough to take the bad things of your past and weave them together with all the things in your life and produce something of great value and great beauty of the entity big enough to do that. That's the God that were served. That's the God that gives us those promises of God who did this for Joseph sure got that big. Can you trust him right now. In perhaps the worst point at your life and say Lord God, not by me but we let him. But God yeah but become what you wrote.

But God what level you live at their level. These 11 brothers or the level Joseph God sent me here to preserve include Skip Heitzigs message from the series but God's gift to tell you about how you can keep encouraging messages like this coming your way to help connect others to God both vital to remember that God is our father in heaven. It reminds us that we have a sovereign and personal God who works in our lives. We love sharing these biblical messages because we love connecting you with your heavenly father, but we need your help to keep these teachings coming to you and to others around the world. You can help do that by giving the gift today. Here's how you can give online@connectwithskip.com/donate. That's connectwithskip.com/donate or call 800-922-1888, 800-922-1888. Thank you tomorrow Skip Heitzigs shares help even as the world faces judgment. One day God is pouring out his grace today.

God is slow to anger.

In other words, the Old Testament uses about 13 times is a long suffering long temper. He lets the fuse go and burn a long time bounding in nursing