One source defines providence as, "the divine intervention in the affairs of man within the confines of natural law to bring about God’s objectives." To better understand this difficult concept, consider the following story: there was a man praying on top of a capsized boat that God would rescue him. Soon thereafter, a helicopter came by and offered to save him but the man replied, "No thanks, I'm waiting on God." After he died, he asked God why He let him drown. God answered, "I sent the helicopter." In this story, God didn't miraculously zap the man from the capsized boat to a point of safety. Instead, God intervened "within the confines of natural law." Perhaps a better illustration of divine providence is the biblical story of Joseph.
Joseph was one of the sons of Jacob. In fact, he was Jacob's favorite son (Gen. 37:3). Joseph's brothers hated him and one day they decided to sell him as a slave to some Midianite traders (Gen. 37:27-28) who in turn sold him to an Egyptian officer named Potiphar (vv. 36). Joseph went from being the beloved son of a wealthy Hebrew to being a slave. But "the Lord was with Joseph and he was a succesful man..." (Gen. 39:2). He was so successful that Potiphar promoted Joseph over all of his possessions and made him "overseer of his house" (Gen. 39:4). Things were going well for Joseph until Potiphar's wife falsly accused him of trying to rape her. Potiphar had Joseph thrown in prison (Gen. 39:20) but once again we're told that "the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison." Joseph was in prison for over two years (Gen. 41:1), but finally, Pharaoh called on Joseph to interpret two dreams that he had. Pharaoh knew that Joseph could interpret dreams because he had interpreted the dreams of the royal butler and baker while he was in prison. After Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dreams and gave the Egyptian king some sound advice, he was promoted over all the Egyptian people. He was second-in-command only to Pharaoh himself (Gen. 41:40).
Wow. What a story. Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers, wrongly accused by his master's wife and thrown into prison where he stayed for more than two years! But Joseph was lifted from the pit of despair and promoted to a high position in the land of Egypt. What a turn of events! Was this all the result of chance and blind luck? Not at all.
Years later when Joseph's brothers came to Egypt to buy grain, Joseph tested them and then finally unveiled himself to them. As you might imagine, they were shocked and, well...a little worried. After all, they had sold him as a slave and now he had the power and authority to have them executed. But Joseph said to them in Genesis 45:5, "But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life," and again in verse 8, "So now it was not you who sent me here, but God..." After Jacob, their father, died, Joseph's brothers again grew anxious. But Joseph again reassured them that they had no reason to worry. He told them in Genesis 50:20, "You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive."
What Joseph's brothers did was terrible, but we see in these passages that God was providentially working in Joseph's life all along...using the events of Joseph's life to ultimately bring about His will, the preservation of life.
God knew that a famine was coming and that if nothing was done, many lives would end. So to preserve life, he chose a God-fearing man named Joseph and used his brothers' envy to bring him to Egypt. Was it any coincidence that he was sold to Potiphar, whose immoral wife tried to seduce him and when he refused, falsely accused him? Was it any coincidence that Joseph was in prison at the same time that Pharaoh's butler and baker were there? Was it any coincidence that he had the opportunity to interpret their dreams? Of course, these were not coincidences. It was the providential hand of God!
It's also important to note that Joseph, despite the trials that he faced, endured and remained faithful to God. In Genesis 39:9, when Potiphar's wife tempted him, he said to her, "How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" Then, when he met the butler and baker in prison and they told him about their dreams, he responded, "Do not interpretations belong to god? Tell them to me, please." When Joseph encountered severe hardship, he didn't question God or turn against the Almighty. He held fast to God's name!
This brings me to the final point of this article. Notice Psalm 105:17-19. As the psalmist overviews the history of Israel, he says in verse 17, "He sent a man before them--Joseph--who was sold as a slave...The word of the Lord tested him." Did you catch that? As we learned earlier, God is the one who sent Joseph to Egypt; God was working providentially in Joseph's life to bring him to this position of prominance that he might preserve life...but all the while he was testing Joseph.
Let me ask you this question: What if Joseph had failed the test? What if, for example, he had fornicated with Potiphar's wife? What if he had rejected the Lord? Even though God was using Him, would God have continued to use Joseph if he had failed the test?
Yes, we are to be as clay in the Potter's hand. Yes, God uses us and works providentially in our lives, but we need to recognize that we have free-will, and thus we need to yield to God. Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:21, "Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Maker, prepared for every good work." Joseph was useful to the Lord. He endured the many tests and trials of his life. As a result, God used Joseph to preserve life; His providential plan was carried out through Joseph. But if Joseph had proven himself to be unuseable; if he had failed the test, God wouldn't have used him, but would have resorted to alternative means to carry out His divine objective.
Are you useful to the Maker as Joseph was?
God has plans to use you, but you must yield to Him in order for His plan to be carried out. When you face trials and when you suffer, instead of asking "Why me?" recognize that it may not be about you at all. Hold fast to God's name and endure the trials of life that Christ's light may shine in your life. Let us learn from the story of Joseph.
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