“In all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purposes.” Romans 8:28
The Bible is so amazing. It is littered with stories of people who are as flawed as we are. Jacob is a fine example of this; he really needed to go on a parenting course. How unwise he was to favour one son over the others. It was never going to help Joseph in the popularity stakes. The same principle applies today; spoiling a child is not love, it is a form of unkindness. It will not equip them for life when they go out into the world
Joseph is sent to his brothers who are tending their sheep with murderous intent in their hearts. Here God steps into the scene. Reuben has been placed into the picture and suggests abandonment rather than murder. ‘Shed no blood,’ he pleads. The Bible gives a careful account of the pit into which Joseph was dumped, an empty pit with no water in it. At least our ‘hero’ will not drown!
This part of Joseph’s life is only the beginning of his adventures and misadventures. Sold into slavery, elevation, prison, elevation again, then the saving of the nation of Israel from starvation. As our text tells us, through it all ‘In all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purposes.’
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