Before we progress into our lesson this morning, let us pray once again. Our Heavenly Father, our great God, we pray that the subject we have chosen this morning will be one of great practicality. We pray that you would grant us a good grasp of our subject from your to our encouragement, to our edification, and to your glory. Guide, we pray, our thoughts, our speaking. Might your name be blessed, and we commit this to you in Jesus' name, amen. Turn, if you would, to Romans chapter 8 and verse 28. Our study this morning will be on a subject with which we are familiar, but I think it is one that we quite often misunderstand. Our subject is divine providence, and I know that I misunderstand divine providence, and after going back and restudying the entire subject, I've humbled myself and have taken somewhat a different view and been slow to consider the work of God. Romans chapter 8 and verse 28, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. The first thing we note is that the truth that is expressed in this passage is apprehended by faith. And we know. There are several words translated know in the original language in our Greek New Testament. This is not ginosko, to know in the realm of experience, but it is oidomen, We perceive. This is perceptive truth, not truth in the realm of experience. We do not know that all things work together for good to them that love God because we've experienced it. That would be slim help indeed. Even though some things we have not experienced, yet we know, we perceive, that all things work together for good to them that love God. If you have your Greek New Testament open this morning you'll see that some words are in the emphatic position, and we know that to the ones loving God emphatically all things are working together for good. This truth is not for everyone. Although it is sometimes very glibly quoted and stated, it is for those who are characterized as loving God. Again, not everything is good in and of itself. Indeed, most things are what the Puritans called a dark providence. negative situation. Last year, a little over a year ago, a pastor communicated with me that a friend of mine had passed away and that it had been suggested that they provide for me in their will. It was a complete surprise to me. something quite unanticipated and quite unlooked for. So I received sometimes later a check in the mail, and it was a substantial check. Now I must admit, and it seems to be worse the older I get, that I am more of a worrier than a warrior, and there's a great difference. Some people take a challenge to their faith and rejoice in it. I always worry, my wife can tell you that. So I handed her the check with these words, you better start praying because something really bad is going to happen. Shame on me. Of course, I didn't know how bad it was going to be. It was going to be much worse than I ever thought. What I should have said is, we are in for a trial of faith. but the Lord has already provided for us before the trial comes upon us. That's what I should have said, but I was the warrior and not the warrior. Of course I did not foresee my blacking out. I didn't foresee the wreck and the totaling of my truck. I didn't foresee the time in the hospital and many of the things in my life that subsequently changed. I shortly saw them, and I learned much, I believe, in that experience, and it's my persuasion that some of us here have not yet learned how to judge divine providence. We have little children in our church, children, grandchildren, and they're of that age when they get very excited. We'll suppose that you've bought them a puzzle, and the puzzle is a rather large puzzle, and it may be a portrait, it may be a landscape or so, and there's a few pieces missing, and one of them finds a piece. It's just one color. It could be anywhere in that puzzle, and they rush in and said, I found part of the puzzle, and it means nothing. It means very little. It could be anywhere in that puzzle. There's not an eye or a facial expression. It's just a piece of the puzzle. And I must confess to you that oftentimes I get excited about that check in the mail. I get excited about something that is quite unexpected that becomes a blessing. a friend that I have not seen or heard from in years and years calls me on the phone and answers a need I've been praying for. That is not the answer to the puzzle, that's just one piece. And it's very important to note that, and we're going to note it in the greatest study of providence in the entirety of Scripture this morning. We note that not everything is good in and of itself. There are many dark providences. Everything is in the providence of God. Negative things, bad things, traumatic things, great reversals that are devastating to us. It's all in the providence of God, but although in and of itself it might be negative, It might be wrong. It might be against all of our expectation. It still works together for good. That is the strength of our statement. And we will see this, God willing, this morning. And not only great things. Usually when we say, my, this is the providence of God. It's something great in our life. Something we perhaps have been praying for, hoping for, anticipating, and it comes to pass, and we're excited, said this is this is divine providence. But here we are heading on a family trip. The car is loaded. Dad has to go and take a traumatic trip to the gas station to get a tank of gas. everything is ready, and we have a tight schedule, and on the way home he has two flat tires. Somebody drop a box of nails on the street, he has two flat tires, not one. Of course in my commie car I don't have a spare tire, it's all battery. No room for a spare tire, but most cars have a place for a spare tire, but we have two flat tires. The end result is we're a day late on the road at least. And the attitude is not good. Dad's driving and he's upset. He has in his mind's eye where we ought to be and where we ought to stop. It interferes with everything. He doesn't get down and say, Johnny, Sally, Mom, let's all get down and pray. Lord we thank you for your sweet providence. We rejoice in these flat tires. Now if we understood divine providence we would know that God has a purpose in it. But no we say Lord why us and why now? So we call the relatives on our cell phone and say we have two flat tires that means it's going to be a while we're going to be a day late everything has to be redone. That's still in the providence of God and we may never know Had we been on the road at that time that we would have been involved in a great auto accident or so forth, what people call an accident, perhaps some family members killed, perhaps the car totaled. We don't know. It's hard for us to judge providence, especially the negative things, when they are contrary to our expectation, contrary things, and yet all are the same. So, our study this morning will be Joseph. Joseph, a study in providence. Everything that conspired to put Joseph on the throne of Egypt, to be the Savior of Israel, everything without exception, was negative, was wrong, was contrary in and of itself. Nothing was good, nothing came as a blessing, not one thing, and yet they all work together for good. And I want to recount some of these things this morning, that we might be prepared when things are contrary to us to understand this is God's providence and although These things might be negative, they might be contrary, they might be traumatic, they might ruin our plans, they might be indeed the trials of a lifetime, and yet they are working together for good. Long before Joseph was born, the Lord ordered his life and his significance. and it revolved about one thing. The entire purpose of Joseph's life was about one act of God in the life of Israel. That's also true of Queen Esther. She came to the throne to deliver her people from wicked Haman. It was true of our Lord Jesus Christ who lived some 30 years among men. when God came and walked among men, one purpose, to provide a redemption. Not every life is like that, but every life is lived within the context of providence. At the end, the last chapter in the book of Genesis, at the end after Jacob dies the brothers come to Joseph they said now that our father is dead Joseph may take vengeance on us and listen to his words but as for you ye thought evil against me but God meted unto good to bring to pass and it is this day to save much people alive. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together. They weren't all together, they wouldn't come together for another 400 years. Another mistake about providence. Providence in our lives. We expect to find an answer in our lifetime, don't we? This finally makes sense. Look at this, why it's been several years. We've wept tears, we've prayed over this, and now It's come forth in blessing. That's just another piece of the puzzle. Many things extend far beyond our lifetime. This is when faith is called to trust God. Let us look at the overall guiding promise of God concerning Joseph's life. It will extend beyond his life for over 400 years, in fact to the coming of the Messiah. Genesis chapter 15, verses 12 through 14. Centuries before Joseph is born, and when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram. and lo and horror of great darkness fell upon him. And God said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years, and also that nation whom they shall serve will I judge, and afterward they shall come out with great substance. This refers to Egypt. It refers to the sojourn of Israel among the Egyptians. They're going to be there. They're going to be provided for. God is going to provide for them among the Egyptians. They're going to go into the land of Canaan with the riches of Egypt. It's all going to be and come forth in God's purpose now. Some whose lives were lived in relationship to the one providential event Our Lord's life was lived in the context of Egypt and the purpose of God, and it's going to be lived in the context of the promise made to Abraham is going to result in Israel conquering Egypt, being freed from Egypt, conquering the land of Canaan, prospering in the land of Canaan, all the promises of God fulfilled in their life. I want first to be aware of divine providence a piece of the puzzle in the life of Joseph. Joseph is going to be hated by his brothers. He's going to be sold in the land of Egypt That is how God is going to begin to fulfill his will. It seems strange to us. It seems contrary to all expectations and yet it is the hand of God and it was meant for good. The hatred of Joseph's brothers, the hatred of Joseph's dreams, of his immaturity, It may be years before things are understood the way they should be. Look at all the things that transpired and conspired together to put Joseph on the throne of Egypt. Everything in and of itself was wrong. It was bad. It was contrary, but it all worked together for good. Let us begin with Jacob's favoritism of Joseph. Joseph had ten older brothers, much older than Joseph. Jacob made Joseph a coat of many colors. Actually it was not a coat of many colors, and if it were a coat of many colors it was coincidental. Their clothing in those days was colorful. It could have had stripes, could have had designs. The wording in the Hebrew is a coat of ends, not a coat of many colors. because their clothing was colorful. A coat of ends, panim, ends. What was the significance of that? His brethren hated him because his father had given him a coat of ends. It means that the sleeves came down to the fingers and beyond. means that when you stood there your fingertips were showing. It's the coat of the crown prince, the coat of the man who wasn't doing physical work. It had the long sleeves of the favored son, and his brethren hated him for this. He was the son of Jacob's old age. Jacob spoiled him, Jacob favored him. against these other men, much older than Joseph was, and they resented him. The Bible uses the term hate. They hated him for this. Let us move on. That's a piece of the puzzle and that is necessary to put Joseph in Egypt and to find him exalted. We won't associate that yet. It's going to take years before all of this is brought together in the providence of God. Now, it is usual to consider positive blessings. It is unusual to consider negative things, and yet they are all providential. Joseph dreams of superiority. This is even more controversial. Joseph is a young man, a young teenager at the oldest, and he tells his older brother, he said I dreamed a dream, our kid brother, and he said we were all in the field and putting together grain into sheaves, and my sheaves stood upright and your sheaves all bowed down to my sheaves. And they hated him for this. Do you mean to say that we're going to bow down to you? And they hated him the more. This is brotherly love within the family, isn't it? They hated him. We'll see how far that hatred will go. And then he dreamed another dream. And this is Joseph's immaturity. He was going to be the interpreter of dreams. His gifts weren't fully expressed yet. but it's his immaturity. My pony is better than your pony. My dad loves me more than you. He gave me this coat of ends. This is just absolutely throwing gasoline on the fire. Jacob doesn't realize it. He loves Joseph more than his other sons and he freely admits that he's the son of his old age. He doesn't realize the consequences and now Joseph dreams another dream and he said the sun and the moon and eleven stars bow down to me. What his father said your father and mother we and your brother will all bow down to you? His father reproves him, but he thinks about it. Something's going on. God is doing something someplace, but he can't put it together. He can't get a piece of the puzzle. The hatred of Joseph's brethren, we've dealt with that. Now the brethren take the herds and flocks and they go forth to Shechem. a long, long ways, perhaps a two-day journey. Joseph is 17 years of age. His brothers are much older than he is. He sends Joseph to check on the brethren, see how they do, and bring me word again. Joseph, the willing, obedient son, goes. Jacob doesn't know that's the last time he will see Joseph for many, many years. Joseph is gone. He goes to Shechem. His brothers are not there. They've gone to Dothan. He's wandering in the field. One of the strangers says, I heard them say, let's go to Dothan. That's further to the north, another day or two journey. They spy him a long way off. Behold, the Lord of dreams cometh and they hated him. Let's kill him. That's brotherly kindness. That's brotherly love. There is so much hatred in the family because of Jacob's favoritism and Joseph's immaturity. And yet, apart from these things, as bad as they are, Joseph will never sit on the throne of Egypt. We're talking about divine providence. and it is not what we would expect at all. The check in the mail? Providence. The two flat tires? Providence. We fail to see them. We have a piece of the puzzle here and there, but God is doing a great work, and it may go on long after we have passed from the sea. They want to murder Joseph. Reuben intercedes. He wants to deliver Joseph and bring him back to his father. Have you studied the life of Reuben? He committed incest with one of his father's wives. Reuben has nothing to be said about him which is good and he's the firstborn, except that he tries to save Joseph's life. and that will be important years, years hence. He fails, while he's gone they cast Joseph into this empty pit. It's a cistern, there was no water in it, dry time of the year. The Bible tells us the pit was empty there was no water in it. That is the providence of God. Here is Joseph in that empty pit and what's he doing? He's screaming for deliverance. He's crying out and the brothers stop their ears. He doesn't realize that God is saving his life because if that had been full of water they'd have drowned him. Nothing happens apart from the providence of God. If I really believe that and could live according to it, It would be an amazing life, would it not? But I have to read it in the Scriptures. I have to say, and oftentimes with trembling, Lord be gracious unto me. I see the bad things all the time anyway. I already have one foot in woe is me. Nah, the caravan is going to Egypt and not from Egypt. Who could have known where Joseph would have ended up? But the caravan was going, I want to give some suppositions here, it was going to Egypt. Dotham, Shechem, Hebron, where Abraham was, are all on the mountain range that goes down to the Jordan River. The trade route would come here, then it would cut over to Egypt. Joseph is bound and in that caravan being carried as a slave unto Egypt. On that day Abraham did not, as usual, go out to meet the caravan and trade. Joseph may have been within the sound of his voice, but not on that day. God is working out a purpose, and it's a glorious purpose, it's a blessed purpose, but nothing that fulfills that purpose will be good, positive, or a blessing in and of itself. He's taken to Egypt and he sold to Potiphar. This is extremely important. Potiphar was evidently a native Egyptian. Potiphar was the head of the guard. The state prison was in Potiphar's basement. It was in an underground container where all of the king's prisoners were kept. Then you have storage rooms and so forth and the palace on top. Joseph could not be for ten years in a better place. Ten years! from age 17 to about age 27, because at age 30 he will stand before Pharaoh after two years in prison in that dungeon. Ten years he learns the Egyptian language, he learns all the customs of the Egyptians, he's still a slave, unmarried, still a virgin, still living a restricted lifestyle and yet he proves his worth until it said about Potiphar that all Potiphar knew was the bread on his table. Everything else was in the care of Joseph. What preparation, but he was still a slave. At the end of this time Potiphar's wife casts her eyes upon Joseph. He was What is the wording here? He was well favored. He was young and muscular and handsome. The meaning of the words there in Genesis chapter 39. Never known a woman and she says come live with me. His refusal shows the utmost maturity and godliness. He had grown spiritually during this time. How then, how then can I do this, this, this wickedness and sin against God? He had matured in every way. As he was going in, in his administrative capacity, later than this, and she, she ragged on him, day after day after day. She kept on him, seeking to seduce him. He refused. she grabbed hold of him he left his garment in her hand and fled and got him out to use biblical language she shows the men of the household see the Hebrew slave tried to rape me I cried with a loud voice and he fled she told her husband Potiphar when he came home Potiphar angered was stirred Joseph took such good care of him that Potiphar did not have knew what he had it was all left in Joseph's hand absolute trust and now he felt betrayed what did he do he put Joseph in prison could it get any worse after rising so far it didn't seem so but it was in God's providence it's going to result in great blessing although Joseph knew it not and saw it not Pharaoh's butler, his cup bearer, was put into prison. Pharaoh's baker was put into prison. Each of them had a dream. There was no one to interpret it. They're talking about it. Joseph said interpretations belong to God. Tell me your dream. And so the dream was told to Joseph. And the dream was fulfilled. One was beheaded. One was released. The butler was released. The cupbearer to the king was released. What a responsibility he had. He sipped whatever was served to Pharaoh, and if he didn't drop dead, Pharaoh drank it. Put his life on the line every day. And what does the Bible say? And Joseph said to the butler, Remember me to Pharaoh. Tell him that I am in Hebrew, stolen out of the land of the Hebrews and I've done nothing for them to put me in prison. Now this opens up another chapter that is very, very significant. Egypt was under the rule of the Hyksos powers. In the 15th and 16th dynasties it was under the rule of the Assyrian or Chaldean Shepherd Kings. The native Egyptians had been conquered in the lower Nile area by the Chaldeans. Joseph said you tell them I'm in Hebrew I'm a close relative I'm one of them stolen out of the land of the Hebrews but the butler forgot. The purpose of God that would take hundreds of years to fulfill has been left to turn on the small fulcrum of a man's memory, and he forgot Joseph. Two years now and Joseph is in prison, but during that time he becomes the administrator of the prison. He's going to graduate school for his administrative ability. God is not wasting a moment with him. He gains the respect of all. Pharaoh has a dream. Joseph is now 37 years old and his life makes no sense and it's going to be another two years before his life begins to make sense and he'll be able to say this is the providence of God and that's when his brethren come and bow before him. Joseph will be 39 years of age before his life makes sense and comes together. Do you think that Providence has treated you ill? My sins do remember me this day, the butler says to Pharaoh. You were angry with me and with the baker and we dreamed in one night and Joseph told us the interpretation of our dreams, and it all came true. So they sent to the prison. Joseph is the only man in the Old Testament who was called to the work of God that didn't have a beard. Brother Hans didn't have a beard. The Egyptians wore a fake beard, but they shaved. So they took him and dry shaved him and pushed him into Pharaoh's presence. I've heard tell of thee that you can interpret a dream. He said the interpretation of dreams belongs to God. But God will give to Pharaoh an answer of peace. From the prison to the throne. in one day. That is God's providence. Those two years in prison, it broke Joseph. When God uses a man he has to break him, like a horse has to be broken, has to break him. Psalm 105, whose feet they hurt with fetters He was laid in iron. What does the Hebrew read? And the iron entered his soul. Joseph was finally broken. This needed to happen. How can you say that? Because when his brother would come and stand before him, he would not be vengeful. He was ready to see the hand of God. He would treat them with subtlety for their own good, but he wouldn't seek revenge. Now he's utterly broken. Now, in the providence of God, he's ready to be lifted up. He interprets Pharaoh's dreams, which all the wise men could not do. He says, put a man who's wise and take a certain amount of the grain and store it in these seven years of plenty. So in the seven years of famine we'll have food. Joseph was put in charge of this. Then Pharaoh gave him a wife and he had two sons. In these seven years Joseph was busy, he was occupied, and all of that training and administration was put to the best of uses. Sometimes We pray for things above our kin, above our ability. We're too anxious. We're too impatient. The Joseph at age 17 who had these dreams was not the Joseph who was Lord of Egypt. At age 17, Joseph would have made a mess of things, wouldn't known what to do. He had to be trained. 10 years of training, in fact 12 years now of training. This was now God's time. Can we see during this famine that they came and purchased grain from Pharaoh? Does that make any sense to you? Sounds like the Biden administration. Does it make any sense to you It would if they were the Hyksos powers ruling over the native Egyptians, and finally when they sold themselves as Pharaoh's servants. Native Egyptians under a native Pharaoh? This doesn't make any sense, but it would if they were under the Hyksos powers, and they were. Two years the famine rages. Jacob and his sons are at the point of starvation, and their animals, and their families. He said I've heard there's grain in Egypt. He said go down and buy us food, buy us grain, that we perish not. They come down to buy bread. Joseph in their thinking died long ago. sold into slavery, no doubt. He perished, dead and forgotten. Joseph recognizes them, he knows them, they don't know him. He speaks through an interpreter. He says, to come to see the nakedness of the land are you come? You are spies. You are spies. No, we're not spies. We're all the sons of one man in the land of Canaan. twelve brethren and one is not, he's dead, and the other is young and with his father. He said I'm going to, and he modified it, I'm going to put one of you in prison and you bring your younger brother down and then I'll know that you're telling the truth. Because I believe you are spies. Oh, what are they going to do now? He puts the money back in their sacks, he pays for them personally because the administrator said I had your money, Joseph personally recompensed them, he doesn't hate his brethren, he doesn't want revenge, and then who does he keep there in prison Simeon. And let me ask you, why Simeon? Reuben is the firstborn, Simeon is the second, because Joseph learned for the first time that Reuben saved his life. After all these years, he lets Reuben go back, but he imprisons Simeon. Interesting, is it not? They go back to the land of Canaan, months pass, the food is eaten up, they tell Jacob we have to go back down, he said no. Let me ask you, do you think that Jacob believed in providence? Yes he did, providential that his brother Esau didn't kill him. Jacob believed in providence like I believe in providence. but he was more the warrior than the warrior, wasn't he? Simeon is not, Joseph is not, and now you would take Benjamin away, behold all these things are against me. None of it was true. He had a piece of the puzzle, but not the whole puzzle. God's providence was still being worked out and when we see but bits and pieces we may tend to look on the dark side. They returned to Egypt, ah, and this is the younger brother of whom you spake, the old man of whom you spake, is he yet alive? Yes thy servant is alive and well. These men are going to come and eat with me. They were afraid to be in Joseph's house. No telling what was going to happen now. They come and they sit before him. He's eating with some of his officials. They're sitting out there in the midst of the palace eating according to their birthright. Why is that important? All seated according to their birthright from the first to the last. They have to believe that Joseph can divine. They have to believe that he's in league with the gods, and he knows. He has his silver cup, and he said take this and put it in the sack of the youngest. Restore all of their money. He let them get outside the city and said go after them, charge them with fraud, and they said Our Lord's cup that he divines with, and he tells the future, gives him these supernatural powers. You've stolen it. What? We came home, we had all of our money restored, we gave it back to you. They let down every man his sack of grain, beginning at the eldest to the youngest. It was in Benjamin's sack, the silver cup. We're not thieves, we couldn't do this and now they were going back into the city. Judah said, I've been surety for the lad and told my father that I will be surety for him. You keep me here and let this young man go. How long did that relationship last? throughout the kingdom years to the Babylonian captivity and beyond, Judah and Benjamin, the southern kingdom. Judah and Benjamin, that relationship continues on and on and on and on for hundreds and hundreds of years. Joseph can refrain himself no longer. Asks every man to go out and he said, I am Joseph whom he sold into Egypt. Doth my father yet live? And it says they were troubled. It's terrified. They were terrified at his presence. Now vengeance. But it was over. It was over. He fell on Benjamin's neck and on the necks of all the others and they wept. He says go and tell your father Jacob our father Jacob to come down because we've got five more years of famine and they came down as Pharaoh's honored guests remember Pharaoh was a Hyksos or Hyksos he was an Assyrian or Chaldean shepherd king they were close relatives get the best of the land we owe everything to you and then we will read later When the native Egyptians take over the land, again, there arose a Pharaoh that knew not Joseph. The Huxos dynasty was gone, the native Egyptians control the land, and they enslave the Hebrews. 400 years of slavery now, because they will want to have to leave Egypt, and they don't want to leave. They'll be forced to leave Egypt. Had they not been slaves, they would have never left Egypt. But the promise made to Abraham is they'll return by then a native of great nation, and they'll be able to conquer the land of Canaan. All this in God's providence. Joseph played his part. The brothers played their part. Jacob, Moses played their part. Divine providence. There might be a given situation that will frustrate you for years. Negative, probably. Aggravating, no doubt. Why? And God does not answer our prayers, but the answer may come years after we pass from the sea. It was with Joseph. Read Joseph and see the providence of God. Hundreds of years later God will raise up Moses. Israel will be delivered and brought into the land under Joshua, and take the land of Canaan. And hundreds of years after Joseph is dead, that one council of divine providence, all of the pieces of the puzzle, will finally be put together. I love it when I see Divine providence, especially in my life, or that of my family, or the church. Divine providence. See the unexpected, unusual blessing of God, and we have experienced that here. I think of the one man who gave us four hundred thousand dollars over a period of a few years so we could keep the building. Became a personal friend, and he never knew that we had a financial need. He heard me preach, and he loved me and my preaching. That was the end of it on a Sunday night in another state. But it was great blessing that lasted for a long time. But what about the negative things? What about the trials? What about the breaking down of the hilt? What about those things that every day become a test for us in our time of prayer? That's still the providence of God, but it works together for good, and that is the promise. Father, bless, we pray. Might this study be profitable. Might we gain from its strength in the hour of need. We commit this to you in Jesus' name, Amen.