In Genesis 37:28, we read: “Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took him to Egypt.”
“Wait, Grandfather. They sold their brother?” Grandfather lowered his Bible. “How could they?”
“The brothers thought if they could get rid of Joseph, their lives would be so much better. They looked on Joseph as their father’s favorite.”
“Were they right?”
“The Bible tells us, Jacob, their father, did favor Joseph.”
Timmy was quiet for a minute. “Why would God let that happen? Couldn’t He make them love their brother?”
“He could have. Timmy, the Bible shows us the good and the bad. We look at the story from down here on earth. God sees it all from above and His plan is for His glory and our good.”
“What good could come from selling your brother?”
“For one thing, the Lord taught Joseph to trust Him. It’s easy to trust God when everything’s going great but when things go bad, we tend to blame God. Then, too, the Lord was in the process of moving Jacob and his family to Egypt.”
“I don’t understand.”
“A famine was coming that lasted for seven years and God was in the process of showing how He could take care of His people in the midst of famine. He had Joseph on site as prime minister to arrange for the storage of grain so no one would starve.
“When the famine came, his brothers heard food was available in Egypt so away they went. They didn’t recognize Joseph. He looked like an Egyptian but Joseph recognized them.”
“Did he give them food?”
“He did. He also found out about his father and arranged for all of the family to move to Egypt.”
“Seems like a hard way to learn to trust God,” Timmy mumbled. Grandfather chuckled.
“Indeed it does, son. Indeed it does. But the Lord knows exactly what we need to bring us to Him.”
Kingdom Thinking. In desperate times, I’m like Timmy. I don’t understand. The Lord Jesus promises to love me and never forsake me. He’s with me no matter what’s going on in my life...even when I don’t recognize Him. He was sold for thirty pieces of silver so He could pay the price and set me free. Would you like to be set free? Come to Him.
“Wait, Grandfather. They sold their brother?” Grandfather lowered his Bible. “How could they?”
“The brothers thought if they could get rid of Joseph, their lives would be so much better. They looked on Joseph as their father’s favorite.”
“Were they right?”
“The Bible tells us, Jacob, their father, did favor Joseph.”
Timmy was quiet for a minute. “Why would God let that happen? Couldn’t He make them love their brother?”
“He could have. Timmy, the Bible shows us the good and the bad. We look at the story from down here on earth. God sees it all from above and His plan is for His glory and our good.”
“What good could come from selling your brother?”
“For one thing, the Lord taught Joseph to trust Him. It’s easy to trust God when everything’s going great but when things go bad, we tend to blame God. Then, too, the Lord was in the process of moving Jacob and his family to Egypt.”
“I don’t understand.”
“A famine was coming that lasted for seven years and God was in the process of showing how He could take care of His people in the midst of famine. He had Joseph on site as prime minister to arrange for the storage of grain so no one would starve.
“When the famine came, his brothers heard food was available in Egypt so away they went. They didn’t recognize Joseph. He looked like an Egyptian but Joseph recognized them.”
“Did he give them food?”
“He did. He also found out about his father and arranged for all of the family to move to Egypt.”
“Seems like a hard way to learn to trust God,” Timmy mumbled. Grandfather chuckled.
“Indeed it does, son. Indeed it does. But the Lord knows exactly what we need to bring us to Him.”
Kingdom Thinking. In desperate times, I’m like Timmy. I don’t understand. The Lord Jesus promises to love me and never forsake me. He’s with me no matter what’s going on in my life...even when I don’t recognize Him. He was sold for thirty pieces of silver so He could pay the price and set me free. Would you like to be set free? Come to Him.
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