2nd Week of Lent
Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons. (Genesis 37:3)
Have you ever considered the similarities between the patriarch Joseph and Jesus? They’re uncanny, really. Both were beloved by their father. Yet both were betrayed by those closest to them. Both were stripped of their robes, and both were sold for pieces of silver. Finally, both were miraculously raised from a pit so that God could rescue his people.
The way that Joseph and Jesus’ stories intertwine reminds us that God is a heavenly Author, and all of history is simply “his story.” Of course, it’s a story full of twists and turns, summits and plummets. But isn’t there something beautiful about how, even in Genesis, God is looking forward to the gospel story?
Joseph and Jesus also remind us that God is in control—not the rulers of this world. He doesn’t get frustrated when people with evil plans show up and use deceit and violence to get their way. He just keeps working behind the scenes, retooling what was meant for evil and bringing about good in the end (Genesis 50:20).
Often, when you imagine things couldn’t get much darker for God’s people, that’s the moment when he suddenly delivers them. Think about how God was at work in Joseph’s life. Joseph was betrayed, falsely accused, and imprisoned. Yet all the while, God was positioning Joseph to soar to the heights of political influence at Pharaoh’s side. And consider how God used the cross of Christ, an instrument of death, to rescue us from sin and to raise us up into heaven itself.
So what does all of this mean for you? Well, for one, it’s comforting to know that God is never caught flat-footed by the evil that comes into your life. Even at your lowest points, he is still in control. He still reigns. It’s often during those moments that he is working behind the scenes, preparing your deliverance.
It also means that you can fully trust him. God does have a plan for you. Do you have any big decisions looming? Bring them before your heavenly Father. Do you feel like you’re at a low point in your story? Keep running to God, and remember Joseph. Whatever happens, you can be sure that God’s plan will stand firm forever.
“Father, Lord over history, I entrust my life to you.”
Psalm 105:16-21
Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46
