In Genesis 50, when their father Jacob had died, Joseph’s brothers became very afraid. “It may be that Joseph will hate us,” they said to themselves, “and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.”
But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. (50:19-21)
Evil was real and Joseph had felt its very real sting at the hand of his own brothers, but listen to and reflect on his humble, mature perspective. “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” Evil is real and its sting is terrible, but God is sovereign and can use even the worst evil to accomplish his good purposes.
More than 1,500 years later, the greatest testament to the truth of Joseph’s wisdom was put on full display.
It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. (Luke 23:44-46)
“You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” That’s what the apostles came to believe after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. That’s what they taught. That’s how they prayed.
“Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,
‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers were gathered together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed’—
for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.” (Acts 4:24-28)
“You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good, and the worst evil cannot overcome the infinite goodness of God.” In fact, the most shortsighted, self-serving evil imaginable can be used by God for immeasurable, multigenerational, history-changing, eternity-shaping good. Through Joseph’s trying time in Egypt, God “brought it about” that many people should be kept alive through a famine. Through Jesus’ terrible death, God “brought it about” that many people should have a once-for-all sacrifice for sin.
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Rom 11:33-36)
For a little while, human beings may lend themselves to the purposes of evil and the sting can be terrible, but our Sovereign Lord reigns. He cannot be defeated. Though we cannot possibly fathom the depth of his ways, though we may struggle to understand his timing, though we groan under the weight of evil and grieve the ways we also have participated, God is good. God does good. God always means what he does for good, even at the cost of his own Son, and man’s evil is no match for God’s goodness.
Evil will always be overcome by the infinite goodness of God.