Genesis 50.15-21
Today, I'm going to talk about evil. Understanding evil is more important that what you might think. To get at this I'm going to use what happened to Joseph. First, a quick review. Joseph was one of twelve brothers. His claim to fame was that he was Dad's favorite. As evidence of that Jacob had given him a fancy coat. Joseph's older brothers were not exactly happy about this. In fact, they were jealous of him and hated him. And so, they hatched a plan to deal with their pesky brother. They sold him as a slave. Actually, that was Plan B. Plan A was to kill him, but this way they made money on the deal. So, Joseph is now a seventeen year old who is taken far from home to become some Egyptian's property. Fast forward. God acts. He acts dramatically, if not quickly. After thirteen years of suffering, Joseph suddenly goes from jailed prisoner to the second most powerful man in all of Egypt. There follows a famine. People all over that part of the world are going to die. Enter again Joseph's brothers. They are among the many who are in danger of death. But they and their families are rescued – and that by Joseph. A few more years pass and as it happens to all, Jacob, Joseph's father, dies. And that brings us to our text which, as you may remember, began, 'When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead...' They are afraid. Dad's gone and so, they think, is their protection. Joseph is going to get even. And so, they lie. 'Before he died Dad said that you should forgive us.' They know what they did. It's here that Joseph shines. His response is great. '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.' So much for the quick review.
But before we consider Joseph's words, let me pose a question. Why is it important for us to look at this? Why study evil?For one thing, you have experienced evil, and you will experience more. So, how are you to deal with that? There are wrong ways to respond to the evil that comes your way. Paul anticipated one when he wrote, 'Repay no one evil for evil...' Revenge is an obviously wrong response. What's a right one? Also, in time, we will have people join us here whose lives have been dominated by evil. Some will have been freed by Jesus from the various addictions. Others will have been treated horribly by their families and so-called friends. And there will be others who have been beat up by the world. The Spirit will use the Gospel we live and declare to convert people like this. And they will have issues. They will need to deal with the leftover affects of the evil that they have experienced. You will need to help them in this. You will need to teach them how to deal with the evil of their pasts. But you can't teach what you haven't learned. So, we're going to look at evil, and we're going to do this for your sakes as well as for the sake of those whom God will send our way.
Let's start with this. Evil is personal. There is this attitude that thinks that evil just happens. So, we have tsunamis and cancer and slander and death. Evil. And it just happens. And, of course, the next thing to say is, 'Oh well, what are you going to do? That's life.' And then you move on to the next thing, trying to ignore evil instead of confronting it. Evil doesn't just happen. It is personal. It is personal in its object. Evil happens to people. It happened to Joseph. It happens to you. Evil happens to people as it tries to destroy them. This is more telling as you consider that evil is also personal in its source. The evil that happened to Joseph, where did it come from? Joseph tells us. Speaking to his brothers he says, '... you meant evil against me...' I really appreciate his candor. There's no anger here, but Joseph is just straightforward: '... you meant evil against me...' The evil that attacked him and tried to undo him came from his brothers. And so much of the evil that attacks you also comes from other people. But there is more to this point. Think back to Job. What happened to him? Evil happened to him. His children? A storm comes and collapses the house they were in. They're all dead. His wealth? Raiders come and steal it all away. His health? It is completely broken. Is evil personal in its source here? Absolutely! Behind the scenes, behind the dead children, the raiders, the broken health is Satan. And his goal is simple. He is going to attack Job with as much evil as he can until he gets Job to curse God to His face. Evil doesn't just happen. Evil is personal in its object and in its source.
It's at this point during my preparations for the sermon that I had to pause. I had to ask myself if I can say that Satan is directly behind every instance of evil that you experience. While that feels right, I couldn't point to some verses that prove the point. So, I won't say that. But there were two verses that came close. The first is from Revelation. 'Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.' The point? Satan has declared war on you. This other verse fills out what that means. From 1 Peter: 'Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.' Devour: a powerful word. Based on these two verses and others like them there is something that I can say. Satan hates you, and he is out to get you. Beware! And remember what happened to Job. Satan can use the weather, other people and even your own body against you – not to mention the multitude of temptations that he throws at your soul. You need to be aware of his schemes and the possibility that he is behind the evil that confronts you.
That is not the only way that evil is personal in its source. We always need to lift our eyes from looking at Satan and see Who is behind him. Evil comes at you from your God. And believe it or not that's really good news. Listen again to what Joseph told his brothers. '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.' Please note that Joseph didn't say, 'God saw the mess that you were making of my life, and He rushed in to somehow fix it all.' His God didn't show up after the fact to try to undo things. Joseph understood the situation well and explained it to his brothers. 'What you intended for evil, the slavery and all the rest, God, from the start, intended for good.' Joseph's God was involved from the very beginning, using evil [!] for much good. God used that evil for the sake of so many others, including the families of Joseph's brothers who would have died. That's what Joseph meant when he said, '...God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.' And, incidentally, if Joseph's brothers had died in the famine, then Jesus could never had been born. So, you see, this isn't just about family relationships. But it wasn't just for the benefit of others that God sent this evil into Joseph's life. It's not an overstatement to say that Joseph was a bratty kid when he was Dad's favorite at home. He was a changed man after those years of suffering evil. His God meant that evil for Joseph's good also.
Evil is personal. Since that's true, when evil happens to you, consider what's going on. Don't adopt the attitude that says, 'Oh well, what are you going to do?' or even the attitude of defeat: 'Life is too hard. I give up.' Instead, stop and consider. Ask yourself some questions. 'Is Satan up to something? Is this another of his ploys to turn me from Jesus?' Remember: 'devour'. And Jesus is involved in this also. 'What good – for me and for others – might He be aiming at?' All I'm doing here is urging you to reflect on your life. Relate biblical themes to what's going on. View what's going on in light of what the Bible has to say about things like evil. Don't be swept along by events. Stand and consider and then make wise choices.
So much for seeing evil as personal. Now, let's consider how to deal with it. The best example of pure evil is Jesus' experience on the Cross. Joseph's life is, in many ways, a living prophecy of Jesus' life. What we see in the one life is reflected in the other: betrayal, suffering in the depths, being raised to authority, becoming the savior of nations. That's Joseph's life. As such it prepares us for Jesus' life which has lessons for us.
There are three qualities that you will need if you are going to deal well with evil. The first is a lively faith. On the Cross Jesus quoted from a Psalm. Listen. You'll recognize the part that He quoted. Hearing it in context will help you understand better what Jesus was saying. 'In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me; you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.' Do you hear what Jesus was saying? 'I trust You, Father. I know that You will bring me through this.' These are words of faith. Even as He was suffering so, Jesus entrusted Himself to His Father, and cried out for rescue from Him. As you wrestle with evil, evil Jesus sends your way, this is one question from Him that you will need to answer. 'Do you trust Me now?' As you face evil and feel its ugliness, you can give into it and allow it to do its destructive work, or you can trust Jesus. He has sent this evil into your life just as He sent it into Joseph's life. Your response, if you would deal with it well, has to be, 'Jesus, I trust You. I don't know what You're doing with my life but I am confident that You know what You're doing. You will bring me through this.' Isn't that the kind of faith that lies behind Joseph's words, 'As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good...'? If you would deal with evil well, you will need a lively faith.
That leads to this. A lively faith brings hope with it, not wishful thinking but confidence about the future because of Jesus. Do you remember the thief who was crucified with Jesus? Do you remember what he said? 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' And Jesus' response? 'Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.' We can miss what's going on here because we neglect the reality of Jesus' humanity. We assume that it was no big deal for Jesus to handle the evil that the Father had called Him to. The Son of God can handle anything without breaking a sweat, right? If you think that way you need to remember Gethsemane. The Cross was no slam-dunk for Jesus. The suffering He wrestled with was real. The choices He had were real. The danger He faced was real. So, here is Jesus, dying an agonizing death, forsaken by the Father. But what does He talk about to the thief? Heaven. 'Listen friend, I'm going to make it and I'm going to make sure that you make it with Me.' Jesus' lively faith in the Father brought with it hope. If you are going to overcome evil, you will need a hope that just won't quit, so that you can say, 'I am going to make it. Jesus will get me through this.'
Then there's this last quality that you also need: love. Love is important for two reasons. For one thing, you will need to forgive the people who have committed evil against you. In some cases that will be extraordinarily difficult. Consider what happened to Joseph, the evil that his brothers caused, years and years and years of suffering. He could have had his revenge on them – easily. But he forgave them and that with tears. It was a heartfelt forgiveness. In this Joseph is only, once again, picturing Jesus. 'Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.' But understand that real forgiveness is a fruit of love. If there is no love for the offender there can be no thorough-going forgiveness of his sin.
But there is another reason love is needed when Jesus sends evil your way. The evil Joseph suffered resulted in much good for the Church and the world of his day. Remember, people were saved from the famine. Jesus' forbears stayed alive. That moved God's plan forward. The suffering Jesus sends your way also moves the plan forward and is for the good of others, especially the Church. But dealing with evil is hard. Enduring all that suffering is difficult. What makes the difference is love. You endure the suffering because you love Jesus and because you love others, especially His Church.
Faith. Hope. Love. Three qualities that you will need if you are going to do well in dealing with evil. But these will not magically appear in your soul at the moment evil shows its face. These need to be nurtured and developed beforehand. You need to prepare yourself for the day of battle. And doing that will take much effort. You can't do this without the Spirit, but remember that the Spirit uses means. You'll need to work hard at giving Him the tools that He uses to work these three into your soul. And dealing with evil is so important. If you don't work at responding well to evil, how will you be helpful to Jesus and the spread of His kingdom? Instead of beating back the darkness, conquering evil with good and being a weapon in the Spirit's hand to free others from evil and its effects you will be overcome by evil, responding in all sorts of wrong ways whether that's anger, self-pity, focusing on symptoms instead of root problems or just trying to ignore the whole mess. And what good is that? There is much work to be done out in the world, much evil to defeat, and we are the ones who need to do it. The place to start is your own soul. How are you doing when it comes to dealing with evil?
Today, I'm going to talk about evil. Understanding evil is more important that what you might think. To get at this I'm going to use what happened to Joseph. First, a quick review. Joseph was one of twelve brothers. His claim to fame was that he was Dad's favorite. As evidence of that Jacob had given him a fancy coat. Joseph's older brothers were not exactly happy about this. In fact, they were jealous of him and hated him. And so, they hatched a plan to deal with their pesky brother. They sold him as a slave. Actually, that was Plan B. Plan A was to kill him, but this way they made money on the deal. So, Joseph is now a seventeen year old who is taken far from home to become some Egyptian's property. Fast forward. God acts. He acts dramatically, if not quickly. After thirteen years of suffering, Joseph suddenly goes from jailed prisoner to the second most powerful man in all of Egypt. There follows a famine. People all over that part of the world are going to die. Enter again Joseph's brothers. They are among the many who are in danger of death. But they and their families are rescued – and that by Joseph. A few more years pass and as it happens to all, Jacob, Joseph's father, dies. And that brings us to our text which, as you may remember, began, 'When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead...' They are afraid. Dad's gone and so, they think, is their protection. Joseph is going to get even. And so, they lie. 'Before he died Dad said that you should forgive us.' They know what they did. It's here that Joseph shines. His response is great. '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.' So much for the quick review.
But before we consider Joseph's words, let me pose a question. Why is it important for us to look at this? Why study evil?For one thing, you have experienced evil, and you will experience more. So, how are you to deal with that? There are wrong ways to respond to the evil that comes your way. Paul anticipated one when he wrote, 'Repay no one evil for evil...' Revenge is an obviously wrong response. What's a right one? Also, in time, we will have people join us here whose lives have been dominated by evil. Some will have been freed by Jesus from the various addictions. Others will have been treated horribly by their families and so-called friends. And there will be others who have been beat up by the world. The Spirit will use the Gospel we live and declare to convert people like this. And they will have issues. They will need to deal with the leftover affects of the evil that they have experienced. You will need to help them in this. You will need to teach them how to deal with the evil of their pasts. But you can't teach what you haven't learned. So, we're going to look at evil, and we're going to do this for your sakes as well as for the sake of those whom God will send our way.
Let's start with this. Evil is personal. There is this attitude that thinks that evil just happens. So, we have tsunamis and cancer and slander and death. Evil. And it just happens. And, of course, the next thing to say is, 'Oh well, what are you going to do? That's life.' And then you move on to the next thing, trying to ignore evil instead of confronting it. Evil doesn't just happen. It is personal. It is personal in its object. Evil happens to people. It happened to Joseph. It happens to you. Evil happens to people as it tries to destroy them. This is more telling as you consider that evil is also personal in its source. The evil that happened to Joseph, where did it come from? Joseph tells us. Speaking to his brothers he says, '... you meant evil against me...' I really appreciate his candor. There's no anger here, but Joseph is just straightforward: '... you meant evil against me...' The evil that attacked him and tried to undo him came from his brothers. And so much of the evil that attacks you also comes from other people. But there is more to this point. Think back to Job. What happened to him? Evil happened to him. His children? A storm comes and collapses the house they were in. They're all dead. His wealth? Raiders come and steal it all away. His health? It is completely broken. Is evil personal in its source here? Absolutely! Behind the scenes, behind the dead children, the raiders, the broken health is Satan. And his goal is simple. He is going to attack Job with as much evil as he can until he gets Job to curse God to His face. Evil doesn't just happen. Evil is personal in its object and in its source.
It's at this point during my preparations for the sermon that I had to pause. I had to ask myself if I can say that Satan is directly behind every instance of evil that you experience. While that feels right, I couldn't point to some verses that prove the point. So, I won't say that. But there were two verses that came close. The first is from Revelation. 'Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.' The point? Satan has declared war on you. This other verse fills out what that means. From 1 Peter: 'Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.' Devour: a powerful word. Based on these two verses and others like them there is something that I can say. Satan hates you, and he is out to get you. Beware! And remember what happened to Job. Satan can use the weather, other people and even your own body against you – not to mention the multitude of temptations that he throws at your soul. You need to be aware of his schemes and the possibility that he is behind the evil that confronts you.
That is not the only way that evil is personal in its source. We always need to lift our eyes from looking at Satan and see Who is behind him. Evil comes at you from your God. And believe it or not that's really good news. Listen again to what Joseph told his brothers. '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.' Please note that Joseph didn't say, 'God saw the mess that you were making of my life, and He rushed in to somehow fix it all.' His God didn't show up after the fact to try to undo things. Joseph understood the situation well and explained it to his brothers. 'What you intended for evil, the slavery and all the rest, God, from the start, intended for good.' Joseph's God was involved from the very beginning, using evil [!] for much good. God used that evil for the sake of so many others, including the families of Joseph's brothers who would have died. That's what Joseph meant when he said, '...God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.' And, incidentally, if Joseph's brothers had died in the famine, then Jesus could never had been born. So, you see, this isn't just about family relationships. But it wasn't just for the benefit of others that God sent this evil into Joseph's life. It's not an overstatement to say that Joseph was a bratty kid when he was Dad's favorite at home. He was a changed man after those years of suffering evil. His God meant that evil for Joseph's good also.
Evil is personal. Since that's true, when evil happens to you, consider what's going on. Don't adopt the attitude that says, 'Oh well, what are you going to do?' or even the attitude of defeat: 'Life is too hard. I give up.' Instead, stop and consider. Ask yourself some questions. 'Is Satan up to something? Is this another of his ploys to turn me from Jesus?' Remember: 'devour'. And Jesus is involved in this also. 'What good – for me and for others – might He be aiming at?' All I'm doing here is urging you to reflect on your life. Relate biblical themes to what's going on. View what's going on in light of what the Bible has to say about things like evil. Don't be swept along by events. Stand and consider and then make wise choices.
So much for seeing evil as personal. Now, let's consider how to deal with it. The best example of pure evil is Jesus' experience on the Cross. Joseph's life is, in many ways, a living prophecy of Jesus' life. What we see in the one life is reflected in the other: betrayal, suffering in the depths, being raised to authority, becoming the savior of nations. That's Joseph's life. As such it prepares us for Jesus' life which has lessons for us.
There are three qualities that you will need if you are going to deal well with evil. The first is a lively faith. On the Cross Jesus quoted from a Psalm. Listen. You'll recognize the part that He quoted. Hearing it in context will help you understand better what Jesus was saying. 'In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me; you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.' Do you hear what Jesus was saying? 'I trust You, Father. I know that You will bring me through this.' These are words of faith. Even as He was suffering so, Jesus entrusted Himself to His Father, and cried out for rescue from Him. As you wrestle with evil, evil Jesus sends your way, this is one question from Him that you will need to answer. 'Do you trust Me now?' As you face evil and feel its ugliness, you can give into it and allow it to do its destructive work, or you can trust Jesus. He has sent this evil into your life just as He sent it into Joseph's life. Your response, if you would deal with it well, has to be, 'Jesus, I trust You. I don't know what You're doing with my life but I am confident that You know what You're doing. You will bring me through this.' Isn't that the kind of faith that lies behind Joseph's words, 'As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good...'? If you would deal with evil well, you will need a lively faith.
That leads to this. A lively faith brings hope with it, not wishful thinking but confidence about the future because of Jesus. Do you remember the thief who was crucified with Jesus? Do you remember what he said? 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' And Jesus' response? 'Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.' We can miss what's going on here because we neglect the reality of Jesus' humanity. We assume that it was no big deal for Jesus to handle the evil that the Father had called Him to. The Son of God can handle anything without breaking a sweat, right? If you think that way you need to remember Gethsemane. The Cross was no slam-dunk for Jesus. The suffering He wrestled with was real. The choices He had were real. The danger He faced was real. So, here is Jesus, dying an agonizing death, forsaken by the Father. But what does He talk about to the thief? Heaven. 'Listen friend, I'm going to make it and I'm going to make sure that you make it with Me.' Jesus' lively faith in the Father brought with it hope. If you are going to overcome evil, you will need a hope that just won't quit, so that you can say, 'I am going to make it. Jesus will get me through this.'
Then there's this last quality that you also need: love. Love is important for two reasons. For one thing, you will need to forgive the people who have committed evil against you. In some cases that will be extraordinarily difficult. Consider what happened to Joseph, the evil that his brothers caused, years and years and years of suffering. He could have had his revenge on them – easily. But he forgave them and that with tears. It was a heartfelt forgiveness. In this Joseph is only, once again, picturing Jesus. 'Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.' But understand that real forgiveness is a fruit of love. If there is no love for the offender there can be no thorough-going forgiveness of his sin.
But there is another reason love is needed when Jesus sends evil your way. The evil Joseph suffered resulted in much good for the Church and the world of his day. Remember, people were saved from the famine. Jesus' forbears stayed alive. That moved God's plan forward. The suffering Jesus sends your way also moves the plan forward and is for the good of others, especially the Church. But dealing with evil is hard. Enduring all that suffering is difficult. What makes the difference is love. You endure the suffering because you love Jesus and because you love others, especially His Church.
Faith. Hope. Love. Three qualities that you will need if you are going to do well in dealing with evil. But these will not magically appear in your soul at the moment evil shows its face. These need to be nurtured and developed beforehand. You need to prepare yourself for the day of battle. And doing that will take much effort. You can't do this without the Spirit, but remember that the Spirit uses means. You'll need to work hard at giving Him the tools that He uses to work these three into your soul. And dealing with evil is so important. If you don't work at responding well to evil, how will you be helpful to Jesus and the spread of His kingdom? Instead of beating back the darkness, conquering evil with good and being a weapon in the Spirit's hand to free others from evil and its effects you will be overcome by evil, responding in all sorts of wrong ways whether that's anger, self-pity, focusing on symptoms instead of root problems or just trying to ignore the whole mess. And what good is that? There is much work to be done out in the world, much evil to defeat, and we are the ones who need to do it. The place to start is your own soul. How are you doing when it comes to dealing with evil?
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