What if….
What if Joseph’s brothers had been nice, forgiving guys?
We’ll never know because when push came to shove, they decided to kill their braggart brother (Genesis 37).
One brother had a little more sense so Joseph’s life was spared.
He was sold into slavery instead.
It would turn out to be the first step of a long chain of events that would result in him becoming the Prime Minister of Egypt.
And saviour of God’s people.
And all as the result of the near murderous actions of a bunch of pissed off unforgiving brothers.
What is the lesson here?
That we should do evil that good may abound?
God forbid!
The lesson here is this: that God is an alchemist.
God is an alchemist who is able to transform evil into good.
As Joseph concluded later in his life:
“You (his brothers) meant to do me harm;but God meant to bring good out of it by preserving the lives of many people, as we see today.” Genesis 50:20 REB
No, evil is never acceptable in the eyes of a Holy God.
But evil is a given in a fallen world.
It is out there, catalogued daily by the media.
Evil is also found in the best of us.
Thank God that we have a God capable of such gracious alchemy.
A divine alchemist who can turn evil into good.
Otherwise we would have no hope.
Instead we can rejoice in all circumstances.
Been shafted recently?
Seething with cold/hot anger?
Waste of time.
We can’t turn back the clock.
No point wishing it hadn”t happened.
But we can trust God.
The divine alchemist is already at work although He may not always show you His working.
But He is working.
Turning evil into good.
So hang on.
Forgive. Rejoice. Learn. Move on.
We know how it will all turn out