By Van Yandell
Genesis 45: 7-8 “And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.”
Amazing and meaningful are not adequate to describe the lessons we can learn from the Old Testament stories. Sarah telling Abraham to go to Hagar’s tent and make her pregnant (Genesis 16: 2) so he could have a son should teach us something. Taking God’s decisions into one’s own hands is not advisable for anyone.
This action because of Sarah resulted in two warring factions (Ishmaelites and Jews) that would be at odds for thousands of years. The world religions created were Islam and Judeo-Christianity. Much blood has been spilled over the centuries because of their differences.
Three generations later, the story of Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob, makes numerous points to us that both disturb and comfort. Joseph was hated by the ten sons of Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah to the point they sold him into Egypt as a slave (Genesis 37).
The ten brothers saw Joseph as a hindrance to their actions because he told their father, Jacob, of their actions of which they knew Jacob would not approve.
Also Jacob made Joseph a “coat of many colors” (Genesis 37: 3) which said to them, “his love for Joseph is much greater than his love for us.” Jealously is a terrible burden to carry and leads to many problems not initially seen.
Once in Egypt, Joseph was sold to Potiphar, the Captain of the Guard of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potiphar found favor with Joseph and placed him in charge of his entire house. The only problem was the wife of Potiphar.
She found Joseph attractive and tried to seduce him. Failing because of Joseph’s loyalty to Potiphar and God, she accused him of trying to abuse her. Potiphar sent Joseph to prison.
Any time we think we have troubles or problems it would be a good practice to read Genesis chapters thirty-seven through forty-five. We clearly see in the leading scripture (Genesis 45: 7-8), Joseph did not blame his ten brothers for selling him into Egypt.
As would be anticipated by the natural mind, they expected Joseph to be bitter with vengeance against them. Nonetheless, he was not and far from it. Joseph sincerely believed God had initiated their action to sell him in order to “preserve life.”
By moving Jacob’s family to Egypt, they were removed from the presence of the Canaanites, escaped the famine that gripped the land and presented God an opportunity to demonstrate His awesome power.
By the Pharaoh sending Jacob’s family to Goshen, we see proof that God provides for His chosen. Goshen was the richest, most productive land in Egypt. The Nile river delta is a fertile land, not the desert we usually think of when thinking about Egypt.
While we, in many cases, depend on God to solve our problems, do we ever consider that He may use our adversities to glorify Himself? Did He arrange for Joseph to be sold into Egypt or did He simply use the situation to His purpose?
It doesn’t really matter. God used Joseph’s situation to accomplish His purpose. This was a time in Jewish history God’s chosen had not been established to the world. This proves God has a plan and works that plan even when we do not understand.
We also see God takes advantage of the opportunities to glorify Himself. In Judges 7: 3, God told Gideon that 32,000 men were too many to drive the Midianites from Israel. The people would believe they themselves had accomplished the task rather than God. The number was trimmed to 300 so that all would know that God Himself had driven the oppressors from the land.
The Israelites are God’s chosen in that He needed a race of people to provide the world with a Savior. The word “whosoever” in John 3: 16 leaves little doubt that mankind as a whole is special to God.
In considering the implications from the Old Testament stories, we clearly see God can be powerful to save and rescue or He can be a punisher of disobedient people. The Jewish people seemed to pass through a series of conditions with their Creator and Gentiles should take heed.
First, they would be obedient to God and walk in His commandments. Second, they would become disobedient, usually following after the gods of other races of people. The third condition was punishment and finally reconciliation.
Time after time, God verifies how important His own glorification is to Him. Perhaps His thought is, by confirming Himself as the ultimate power and authority, the people are more likely to walk in His statutes.
To embrace an old reality, mankind must realize who God is and what He is capable of. His power is infinite and humans today apparently do not believe He will punish for disobedience.
Taking glory from God is a form of disobedience and would definitely be displeasing to Him. Assuming that humans are glory seekers, the old reality of giving the glory to God will be a difficult change for people but to defuse the current state of affairs between God and man, for survival, it must be done.
We can only assume our own power and protection so long without suffering the consequences.
Exodus 20:5-6. “You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
Sooner or later the axe will fall and wake up the world but by then it may be too late. It is never too late to repent and return to the old reality of the scriptures.
Matthew 4:17. “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Noah told the people to repent, so did Jonah. John the Baptist called on people to repent and many others.
Repentance may be old fashioned but the key to a desirable eternal destination. A life not changed is a life not saved.
2 Corinthians 5: 16–17 reads: “So if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: everything old has passed away!” The Apostle Paul taught change. He stated we “become a new creature.”
Jesus taught Nicodemus in John 3, “Ye must be born again.” To be born spiritually is a change that unfortunately, many will never experience. The false teachers are alive and well and are leading their followers to an eternity separated from their Creator.
The Old Testament stories such as the story of Joseph and Gideon teach us how very important it is to follow the teachings of our Creator. Through history, prophesy, science and lessons about life and living, the Holy Bible is proven in the minds of many to be the word of the almighty God.
Without these old realities taught by God in the Bible, we will certainly pay the price as did many Old Testament characters and people groups.
Romans 10: 9 “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”