What Evil Can’t Do (Sermon Recap: Week 9)
Our world is filled with evil. It doesn't take much scrolling through news feeds to see mass shootings, theft, war, murder, and abuse. Sometimes it looks like evil is winning - speaking loudly and acting boldly.
Joseph knew this reality all too well. At just 17 years old, he experienced profound betrayal when his brothers stripped him of his father's coat, threw him into a pit, and sold him into slavery. In Egypt, he faced false accusations from Potiphar's wife that landed him in prison. Even when he helped fellow prisoners interpret dreams, they forgot about him, leaving him imprisoned for two more years.
Yet Joseph's story teaches us a powerful truth: evil does not have the last word - God does.
Can Evil Stop God's Promises?
As we conclude Joseph's story, we first need to wrap up his father Jacob's life. In Genesis 49:28-33, Jacob is preparing for death and gives specific instructions about his burial. He doesn't want to be buried in Egypt but in Canaan with his ancestors Abraham, Isaac, Rebecca, and Leah.
This request reflects Jacob's faith in God's promises. God had told Jacob He would take his family to Egypt to build them into a mighty nation, but promised they wouldn't stay there forever. Jacob died without seeing this promise fulfilled, but he died in faith, knowing God's promises are always fulfilled.
After Jacob's death, Joseph wept over his father and kissed him. Though Jacob wasn't a perfect father (he had been known as a deceiver for many years until God transformed him), Joseph still honored him. Many of us can identify with the pain of saying goodbye to an imperfect parent.
What Makes Christianity Different from Other Religions?
An interesting detail appears when Joseph has physicians, not priests, embalm his father. This distinction matters because Egyptian priests would have performed religious rituals connected to their belief in an afterlife where people would enjoy their possessions (which is why Egyptians were buried with their belongings).
This highlights a fundamental difference between Christianity and other religions. While most religions acknowledge an afterlife and prescribe ways to achieve it through morality, sincerity, or good works, Christianity teaches something radically different. Our hope for heaven isn't based on our merit but on what Jesus Christ has done for us.
How Does God Respond to Those Who Bless or Curse His People?
When Joseph asks Pharaoh for permission to bury his father in Canaan, Pharaoh not only agrees but sends a huge delegation with Joseph's family. This fulfills God's promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 that those who bless Abraham's descendants would be blessed.
This Pharaoh had been good to Joseph and God's people, and they experienced blessings. However, 400 years later, a different Pharaoh who "did not know Joseph" would oppress God's people, and his army would face God's judgment during the Exodus.
The lesson is clear: evil cannot stop God's promises.
What Happens When Fear Replaces Trust?
After the funeral, Joseph's brothers become afraid. With their father gone, they worry Joseph might finally seek revenge for their past evil actions. They even fabricate a message supposedly from their father, begging Joseph to forgive them.
When Joseph hears this, he weeps. Why? Because he had already shown them nothing but grace, forgiving them, giving them land, taking care of their families, providing food and protection. Their fear revealed they still didn't understand the depth of his forgiveness.
Joseph's response mirrors Jesus, who wept over Jerusalem before his crucifixion. Both wept because people failed to understand the grace being offered to them.
How Can God Use Evil for Good?
Joseph's response to his brothers reveals a profound theological truth: "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive" (Genesis 50:20).
This illustrates the doctrine of compatibility - that God is sovereign and all-knowing while also giving humans free will to choose good or evil. These truths don't cancel each other out; God, in His sovereignty, works through our decisions.
We see this most clearly at the cross. Jesus' crucifixion was both the result of humanity's evil choices and God's sovereign plan for salvation. What man meant for evil, God meant for good, resulting in the salvation of countless lives.
Why Was Joseph So Concerned About His Bones?
As Joseph nears death at 110 years old, he makes his brothers promise to carry his bones out of Egypt when God fulfills His promise to bring them to the Promised Land. This unusual request reveals Joseph's faith in resurrection.
Joseph believed that one day, there would be a resurrection of the dead, and he wanted his bones to be in the land God had promised, not left behind in Egypt. His request was fulfilled 400 years later during the Exodus.
Life Application
Joseph's story teaches us that God's timing often involves "low and slow" transformation in our lives. Just as a good brisket can't be rushed in a microwave but needs hours in a smoker, God's work in our lives isn't rushed.
If you're waiting on God's promises today:
Don't waste the waiting period - Joseph was in Egypt for 93 years before seeing God's promises begin to unfold.
Remember that God is working even when you don't see it - He's using your suffering and the evil done to you for greater purposes.
Hold on to the truth that evil doesn't have the last word in your life - God does.
Ask yourself:
Where in my life am I struggling to see God's goodness amid evil or suffering?
Am I rushing God's process of transformation in my life?
Do I truly believe that what others meant for evil, God can use for good?
Have I placed my complete trust in Jesus as my Lord and Savior, recognizing that He alone is the way to eternal life?
Remember, we don't just carry promises - we carry victory over death, evil, and sin through Jesus Christ.
