ALL
THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD
Rom.
8:18 "For
I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
Rom.
8:28 "And
we know that all things work together for good to those who love God,
to those who are the called according to His purpose."
"All
things work together
for good" - Both good
and bad. This
promise is given "...to those who love God...who are called" The
"good" that he speaks of is "...according to His
purpose."
JOSEPH
- a living example of how all things work together for good... according to God's purpose
Gen.
37:4 "But
when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers,
they
hated
him and could not speak peaceably to him."
Gen.
37:11 (After
Joseph's dreams) "And his brothers envied
him...."
Gen.
37:18-20 Joseph's brothers wanted to kill him.
Gen.
37:28 Why to Egypt
(and not elsewhere)?
To
meet Potipher & help him.
Gen.
39:1-6 Why to Potipher
(and not to some lesser slave owner)?
To
meet Potipher's wife.
Gen.
39:7-20 Why Potipher's unscrupulous wife? Did
Joseph love God?
To
go to prison.
Gen.
39:21-23 Why prison?
To
come in contact with Pharaoh's butler.
Gen.
40:1-4 Why Pharaohs butler?
To
interpret his dream.
Gen.
40:5-8, 12-15 Why such a dream that resulted in the butler's
release?
To
provide a means of Joseph's release & coming before Pharaoh.
Gen.
41:1, 9-13 Why come before Pharaoh?
To
interpret Pharaoh's dream.
Gen.
41:14-16, 28-36 Why should Joseph
be the one to interpret that dream?
To
provide food during the coming famine - & save many people.
Gen.
41:37-44, 56-57 Why should Joseph have been chosen for this work?
So
all who needed grain would have to come to Joseph.
Gen.
42:1-3, 6-8 Why come to Joseph
(and not some other official)?
So
Joseph's family could be saved from the famine & be reunited.
Gen.
45:1-11 Why should the family of Jacob end up in Egypt?
To
fulfill God's promises to Abraham.
Gen.
12:2 "I
will make of you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name
great
and you shall be blessed."
Gen.
15:13 "Then
He said to Abram: 'Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers
in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will
afflict
them four hundred years.'"
Stephen
gave a synopsis of all of these events & onward to Moses:
Acts
7:17-20 "But
when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham,
the people grew and multiplied in Egypt (18) till another
king
arose who did not know Joseph. (19) This man dealt treacherously
with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them
expose their babies, so that they might not live. (20) At this time Moses
was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up
in his father's house for three months."
Acts
7:37 "This
is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, 'The Lord your God
will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him
you
shall hear.' "
This
also was in fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham:
Gen.
22:18 "In
your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you
have obeyed My voice."
Gal.
3:16 "Now
to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not
say, 'And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, 'And to your Seed,'
who is Christ."
Every
spiritual blessing is the result of God's good pleasure, all of which
points back to God's purpose from the beginning.
Eph.
1:3-11 In Him we have obtained an inheritance...according to His
will
Rom.
8:16-18,28 "The
Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (17)
and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with
Christ, if
indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. (18)
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy
to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (28)
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love
God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."
INVITATION