The End of the Beginning
Posted by JasonFeb 2
This post is part of my yearly journey through the Bible, my schedule can be found here or at the schedule link above. Please feel free to join me.
Closing out Genesis is always bitter sweet when I read the Bible. I know that I have made a big step but I also know the rest of the Pentateuch isn’t nearly as interesting.
There are several interesting stories at the end of Genesis. And I wanted to talk about Joseph and his trials. Who was responsible for the things that happened to Joseph? Were his brothers solely responsible? Was God in charge the whole time and caused or allowed Joseph to be treated the way he was. If so will his brothers be held responsible for their actions, after all they were simply doing God’s will right?
I don’t know if I am qualified to answer these questions but they are things that come to my mind as I read these passages.
Particularly Genesis 50
Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
The Bible clearly states that God intended this, now as always when quoting a quote you can make the argument that Joseph said it and the Bible records it accurately but it may not be ultimately true.
But God, being sovereign, us in ultimate control of even human sin isn’t he? After all he didn’t just hope that Jesus would be crucified but planned it from the foundations of the world. The greatest sin ever committed, the murder of the holy Son of God, was ordained by the sovereign God of the universe right?
So it all boils down to how much control God has over the universe. We call him sovereign but then say he can or will not work against human free will, which makes man sovereign doesn’t it? I hope to someday work out my thoughts on the sovereignty of God but this isn’t the day.
Any thoughts?
3 comments
Comment by Dan on February 2, 2010 at 11:04 am
Jason,
This is something I’ve been thinking about (well, more than usual) lately as I’ve been reading JI Packer’s “Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God.” It is quite good, and if you haven’t already, give it a shot. It’s just a little book, say 135 pages or so and can be read in a very short time. Chock full of good stuff, though. Have a great day.
Comment by josh R on February 3, 2010 at 2:26 pm
youtube.comReminds me of this video… Have you seen it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eHjQHMWp1M
Comment by Steve Bennett on February 4, 2010 at 5:40 pm
There are certain things that I believe we will always struggle with until we get to heaven. Paul calls it looking through a muddy glass. The sovereignty of God just like the trinity is one of those areas. I tend to take the following point of view: “God is God and I am not. There is no evil in Him and I know that whatever happens, He has my back.” Does this explain why bad things happen to Good people? Nope.
But 2 Cor. 4:7-9 says, “7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
Followed Romans 8: “All things work together for the good of those that love Him.”
Doesn’t mean that life won’t happen. It just means that God won’t let you be a loser.
Well that’s my thoughts on the issue.