Favoritism, Jealousy, Murder & Romans 8:28

No, I'm not talking about the latest TV drama.

I've always been fascinated by the story of Joseph, in the last part of the book of Genesis.

Very simple story on the surface:

1. Jacob shows favoritism to "son of his old age", Joseph.

2. Joseph's brothers are jealous (not surprising, is it?).

3. They decide to murder him. But one of the brothers thinks that's a little drastic, so they sell him to a caravan of merchants, who sell him as a slave to a high muckety-muck in the Egyptian Pharoah's court, named Potiphar.

Okay, they didn't end up literally murdering Joseph, but later Jesus would clarify that their very hatred for Joseph was in fact murder in their hearts.

So Where Does Romans 8:28 Come In?

We really need to take Rom. 8:28 literally when it says "ALL". "God causes ALL things to work together for good to those who live Him, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

I mean, really, how much more obvious can it get, in the story of Joseph?

God uses Jacob's sin of favoritism to make his sons jealous.

Then God uses the brothers' jealousy to get Joseph sent to Egypt.

You know the rest of the story don't you? Joseph interprets some dreams, wins the favor of the Pharoah, ends up CEO of Egypt, and saves his dad and brothers from famine when they end up in Egypt to get grain (extremely shortened version).

But that's not the end of the story.

In saving the nation of Israel, God continued the preparation of a people to bring forth the Messiah, who by His death ratified a New Covenant by which we are saved and brought into fellowship with our Creator, Who indwells us and is preparing us a place in heaven.

Favoritism, Jealousy & Murder. If God can work those together for good to us who love Him, do you really think that there is ANYTHING in our lives that He is not working together for our good?

Our failures?

Our sins?

The sins of others toward us?

Political evils, crooked businessmen, tornadoes & hurricanes?

If not, then let's replace our grumbling with praise, and our complaining with gratitude.