In all of this is yet another “proto-evangel” …the Gospel according to Joseph. He acknowledges his own brothers’ evil purposes toward him: “You meant it for evil.” There is no effort to deny their sin (quite the contrary!). But he draws their attention to something else (or rather to Someone else) Who was behind their sinful purpose (in His own eternal counsel) and actually at work in their evil deed itself (which was primarily against Himself, not Joseph), crafting a blessing for them through it. Joseph’s brothers actually picture for us what we are at heart and in word and deed toward God: when He finally manifests Himself in flesh (so that we can actually at last get our hands on him), we tear Him to pieces (it was not, according to Paul and Peter, only the Jews and Romans who put Christ to death, but really ourselves as His people: had we been there in their place, we’d have done what they did…indeed, we WERE there and DID do what they did: His blood is on our hands; we hated Him; we screamed for His blood and we put Him to death): “YOU, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death,” Peter tells the crowds (Acts 2:23)
The irony is that this is the only way He can (in Joseph fashion) save us: He Himself must intercept, as our Substitute, the penalty due our sins (which are always completely personal in nature: they are always directed at Him ultimately…and toward one another only proximately. This is why David, for example, after all the sins he perpetrated and carried out against Uriah the Hittite, can say to God, “Against You…YOU ONLY…have I sinned and done that which is evil in your sight”). Christ’s Glory and Grace are revealed in that He is not only our substitute in some abstract sense (it is WE who put Him to death!), but that, wonder of wonders, our murder of him is the very purposed occasion of His saving us: He can only take away our sins as they are all ultimately directed toward Himself by us (which, in fact, they are!). What a strange thing that is! What kind of Love is that?!
But it is not only His purpose to take away our sins by becoming the very Object to which all of our sinfulness is directed, and thus becoming Sin for us…and THE SINNER in our place (we find that our taking Him apart is no more nor less than the Father’s taking Him apart in our place, for us, thus satisfying His Justice); but even beyond this, it is His purpose to take the very worst we can do to Him and pour it back out upon us as a blessing…His blessing…the diametrical opposite of what we did to Him. So, He purposes the absolute worst we can do to Him to become in Him and by Him (and, of course, for Him…and for us in Him!) the absolute best He can do for us…the best that He, who is infinitely perfect in love and wisdom (and power!), can design. How Perfect is that?!
Having purposed all this for you and me, how shall He not also perform it (in Joseph fashion)? Joseph’s brothers were full of fear even while they were experiencing the reality of their brother’s love for them (all that he had done for them before they came to Egypt and continued to do for them while they were in Egypt)! How unbelieving is that?!
The Lord’s word to us today is, “Fear not!” Today, He speaks words of comfort to us (in spite even of our unbelief); today He speaks kindly to us (though we so much of the time speak against Him). Today His promises to us remain unbroken (and unbreakable, even though we are so unfaithful). Yesterday, today and forever He takes care of us though we are full of fretfulness and often blind to His blessings and ungrateful…as well as suspicious of His motives.
May He help us to trust Him Who cannot lie and Who really does love us WAY MUCH!!